“Danger or Truth?” Blog #193
WHAT gives deep meaning to my life right now”?
CAN I hold myself to a higher standard of living all day long?
DO I know how to lead a Purposeful Life?
Chances are most of us have had our share of bad days. I was told not so long ago,
“if you’re having a bad day, go somewhere, pray and figure yourself out!”
To start things out, how DO I start my day? Didn’t get enough sleep last night? Then from
this day forward I carve out at least eight hours every night. I MUST PRAY.
I ask God, “Take the demons from my thinking, Lord, Heal my body, mind and spirit”
Help me stop giving in to those around me with their secular beliefs. I stay strong.
Quietly I ask, is my life in peace or chaos, not worrying about other people who I have no
control over? More often than not, I can’t help others help themselves. So I must decide to
start with baby steps on MYSELF. Past choices try to sneak into my psyche, trying to bring
me down. The radio, my phone, the television, people around me, the news, family,
friends….everyone with a different way to live life. I must rely on TRUTH. Even when past
dark memories continue to haunt me, I pile these up now and give them to the Lord. This
time they are complete. For I include the powerful ingredient of “forgiveness”, so
critical to healing ME. Every person, every event every situation, I have no control over
who has hurt me, I now give them all up. I take a deep breath. Feeling a sense of freedom,
not felt before. I know this is truth.
I heard about a man yesterday, who for sixty years carried around seething anger. He was
bitter and cried for his loss. Sadness, blame and resentment building inside him, for over
sixty years. All because a drunk driver hit their car. The accident happened when this man
was eleven years old. His dad was driving the car and as a result of the accident, his
father died. This man said, “IF Charlie Kirk’s wife can speak out and forgive the man who
murdered her husband. Now left alone, she must raise their one year old and a three
year old. Dear God, I can bring myself to forgive as well”.
The reason I say truth goes into dangerous territory is because we all settle. We settle in
to one way of thinking, and we stay there. Convinced our way is the right way of looking at
truth. We may justify “No forgiveness for me”. Our lives daily evolve and mesh into our own
reality. Before in my Blog, I spoke about Pilot asking Jesus, “What is Truth”? Jesus spoke,
lived and died for the truth. Forgiveness is TRUTH. Regardless of how HE was humiliated,
beaten and scorned, at the end Jesus said this,
“Father, Forgive them for they know not what they do.”
In my life today and every day I ask myself, “What would Jesus DO?”
I too, have carried heavy anger and the back-breaking burden of “Why Me LORD?”
l lost my mother AND my daughter to horrifying manners of death - way too early for their
lives to end. Finally, I embrace the real truth. Listening to Erica Kirk speak at her husbands
Memorial, I was overcome with emotion how she forgave her husbands killer. Filled with
my own bitter exhaustion, I carried a cross of such anger. Time for me to lay it down and
give it all to God. Believing my beautiful daughter and my beloved mother are safe in
God’s hands. I completely forgive the person who killed my Mother. I forgive my daughter
for dark choices she made at the end of her life. I begin to live bravely. Today, I embrace
the statement,
“There is no danger in letting go, finding the truth in Jesus Christ” Many people are
uncomfortable with that statement. People hide-out in a secular life. Sad, dark lives.
Now If I have a down day like so many of us do at times, I scream boldly internally to
myself, “Stop thinking about YOURSELF”. GO DO SOMETHING HEALTHY ALL DAY LONG.
Those who hide behind drugs, vapes and alcohol are kidding themselves. Hiding behind
TikTok and Social Media also not truth sources. Lying and Deception are all over Social
Media. Evil is a rising power on the Internet and uses camouflaged control. Only a person
with courage, integrity and conviction will TURN OFF social media liars on the Internet.
Finding healthy outposts and alternative positive outlets. A courageous person with a
Strong Moral Code prevails. I listen to my conscience now tell the Truth.
I love the following message especially when read backwards from RIGHT to LEFT.
LAZINESS KILLS AMBITION
ANGER KILLS WISDOM
FEAR KILLS DREAMS.
JEALOUSY KILLS PEACE. (now read again, from RIGHT to LEFT)
___Anonymous___
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“Why Believe?” Blog #192
Do I believe I am powerless over temptation?
Can I turn control of my life over to my Highest Power?
Will I believe Jesus Christ is the highest power in my life today?
Everyone on earth has a different definition of Integrity. Some people believe what you
say, what you think and what you do are all the same things. However, basic truth is this
- integrity means being honest and upright, while avoiding deception, and
incorporating the highest values you know to be true.
When a person lives according to the values and beliefs that are absolute truth, THIS THEN
MAKES UP A PERSONS CHARACTER. So, I must be absolutely sincere, honest, and avoid all
deceptive behavior. Once I incorporate this belief system Into my life, it is therefore at the
core and at the root of how I live my life.
So, why should I believe INTEGRITY IS EVEN IMPORTANT IN MY LIFE? BECAUSE IF I
COMPROMISE MY PERSONAL INTEGRITY, (NOT TELL THE TRUTH ALWAYS) THEN I BREAK THE
BONDS OF RESPECT AND TRUST BETWEEN MYSELF, MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY.
People will have no respect for me. People will have no reason to believe anything I tell
them. My life will be filled with much chaos, regret and sadness. Imagine waking up one
morning and saying to oneself, “I will go through this entire day being absolutely honest,
sincere and truthful about everything I think and say and do.” This is truly one of the
hardest things to do! Wherever could I find the strength to help me to do this? When I
accept Jesus into my life, he awakens my conscience to want to do the right thing always.
Because of this, I want and need Integrity at my core.
I am seeing more every day, I cannot live my life without Jesus Christ.
More than anything else, Jesus lived his life with Integrity.
I believe INTEGRITY stands for truth, honesty and no deception.
One of my favorite true stories of all time is reflected in the Bible Verse, John 18 vs. 36.
Jesus was asked by Pilot who HE is and where HE is from? Jesus answered, “My kingdom is
not of this world.” Pilot said to Jesus, “Are you a King then?” Jesus said, “You say I am a
King and to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world: that I should
bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that “is of the truth” hearth my voice.”
NOW COMES THE GOOD PART! Pilot says to Jesus, “WHAT IS TRUTH?” Again, Pilot says to
Jesus, “WHAT IS TRUTH?” AND PILOT COULD FIND NO FAULT WITH JESUS.
Nothing in the world can take the place of Truth and Integrity is the basis for all truth. I
want to live my life each and every day with this Mind Set. Jesus helps me do it. The Best
way I can incorporate TRUTH into my life is a partnership with Jesus. Striving for a life of
Integrity, brings me closer to my Lord. Jesus stated before HE died that HE came into the
world to bear witness to the TRUTH.
Each and every one of us, every single day must ask ourself, “WHAT IS TRUTH?”
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“Wake Me Up!” Blog #191
Good Values, old fashioned morals, truth….is this me?
Can I be braver spiritually than ever before?
Am I asleep in this secular world I live in….NO Jesus Christ?
All the way back to Abraham Lincoln, here was a man who asked “For God’s Comfort”.
Every piece of money that exists in the United States of America says, “In God We Trust”.
Today I want to learn to BE AWAKE to the light of CHRISTIANITY AND FEEL SUPPORTED.
HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO DO THIS, I MUST ASK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPEN.
In very simple terms, if someone were to ask me, “What is the purpose of my life?”, I would
answer, “THE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE IS TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST AND MAKE HIM KNOWN TO
OTHERS”. It seems when most people read something like this, it makes them
uncomfortable. Others may say, “Oh what’s the harm in watching a scary movie, or seeing
crime shows on t.v. or listening to a few stories where my friends or family have screwed
up and I can sit back and judge them?” Because I cannot.
The reason most people do not want to talk about Jesus is because it is not just
uncomfortable. HE IS NOT SOMEONE TO IDENTIFY WITH. LIVING IN A SECULAR SOCIETY WHERE
DARKNESS PREVAILS IS COMFORTABLE. Imagine being in a dark room for day after day and
someone comes in and flips on a very bright light. It is hard to adjust to, to say the least.
In order for ME to start today and “Wake Myself Up”, I must do the following:
I must be BRAVER SPIRITUALLY than ever before!
I must AWAKE in the morning and say the Lords Prayer.
I must suffer and do things I do not want to do - STUDY the Bible.
I MUST HAVE COURAGE to make a personal decision FOR Jesus Christ.
I can give HIM 15 minutes every single morning to start.
FOR HE only will wake me up!
I MUST LEARN THAT COURAGE IS A CHOICE. MY LIFE NEEDS STRUCTURE. WITH STRUCTURE AND
DISCIPLINE I CAN FIND TIME EACH DAY TO DEDICATE 15 MINUTES TO LEARN ABOUT MY LORD.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I FIND FORGIVENESS IN MY HEART FOR MYSELF. I HAVE NO HATE IN MY
HEART FOR ANYONE. I REPENT OF ALL MY SINS.
So to truly wake me up in a different positive, light of Christ energy, I need to remember:
“It’s not what I say and want to do, but HOW I live my life every single day.”
So now I see I must wake up and put on the FULL ARMOR OF GOD and fight for TRUTH.
I WAKE UP TO A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE IN Jesus Christ FROM THIS DAY FORWARD.
Can I wake up in the morning and be braver than ever before?
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“My Daily Recipe” Blog #190
Is it possible to refuse to give in to Depression?
Do I feel drained and overcome with anxiety many days?
Do screens and cell phones take the place of calm in my life?
There have been moments in every persons life where each of us have been afraid to live
and afraid to die. This is a normal part of living. It was only in one of my moments of
frustrated isolation, searching inward, crying out internally, when a quiet moment of actual
prayer inside me asked for help. My prayer was heard. Immediately I felt calm, loved
and at peace. At this stage of my life, I can quietly confirm I will always be unprepared to
deal with any kind of crisis unless I incorporate the tools for dealing with life in only one
way. My Daily Recipe for living is what has kept my head above water and served as
my lifeboat amidst any storm I may encounter. The best part of my Daily Recipe is
working out of my “Higher Self” with levels of energy and awareness. Jesus Christ is
here to show me the way every minute of every hour of each day.
It’s absolutely critical I keep my body pure and clean of any outside sources of
compromise. I do not drink, smoke or put any drugs into my being. Dark energies
cannot and will not and do not enter into my person because I do not allow this! There are
Two Choices of being in this world today, WHICH ONE AM I?
A Higher Self Mentality Lower Self Mentality
Spirituality, Devotion Fear, Doubt, Anger
Love, Trust, Honesty Mistrust, Gossip, Judging
Understanding, Forgiveness Resentment, Blame
Discernment, Discipline Worry, Remorse,
Humor, Honor Denial, Lying
The first part of my Daily Recipe is waking each morning and praying 15 minutes. While in
prayer with my Creator I am taking deep breaths and asking questions,
Why Am I alive? Whats my purpose for living? Why is this Situation in my life today?
Many of the words in Higher Self “Mentality are asked of me DAILY? (Go over them)
Who am I to Forgive today? How Can I discern what I need to do? How do I discipline?
My Daily Recipe Prayer:
Thank you God for surrounding me in Love, Light and Laughter. Lead me in the right
direction for my Highest Good and thank you for keeping me In my “Higher Self” while I
am on this earth”
I always want to be ready for any encounter I may have. I ask Jesus to please keep me
protected with HIS “Spiritual Armor of Protection” around me always. Some people out
there may say, “but look at Charlie Kirk, he was an outspoken Evangelical Christian and a
Conservative Campus Activist. He was all about Jesus Christ and yet still he was gunned
down on a college campus!” We do not know when each of us will die. This is not up to us
to decide. Yet, one thing is for sure, Charlie was not afraid to die. Now Charlie has become
a Christian Martyr. Ironically, just a few months before he was gunned down, Charlie was
interviewed by Jack Selby, host of the Iced Coffee Hour. Jack said to Charlie, “If everything
just completely went away, how would you want to be remembered today?” Charlie said:
“you mean if I die?” Jack Selby said, “Yes, How would you want to be remembered?” “I
want to be remembered for courage for my faith“, Charlie Kirk answered. “That would
be the most important thing. The most important thing to me is my faith”.
Just prior to getting shot, Charlie had proclaimed to the crowd of over three thousand
people gathered on the campus at Orem, Utah. Christ is Lord and the Son of God has
defeated death”. We live in very secular times right now. Sad, dark times. There is so much
mystery to life and things we will never understand. However, I understand this, with my
Christian Faith in tact and my Daily Recipe for living, I feel strong, safe and removed from
the “slings and arrows” of any daily darkness I may encounter. My Faith has replaced my
Fear.
Can I incorporate a Daily Recipe for living in my life today?
“Fight Evil?” Blog #189
Do I think whatever I do today doesn’t measure up?
Am I just the sum of all my daily highs and lows?
Where am I falling short of what I really want for my life?
Someone once told me long ago, “Either stand for something, or fall for anything”.
Yesterday a young thirty one year old conservative man who thought he stood for
something good in America today, was assassinated on the campus of Orem, Utah
University in front of thousands of young people. He went there to talk about the
importance of standing for values and truth and conservative ideas. This is a young man
who started an organization called Turning Point U.S.A. over twelve years ago. He now has
millions of young followers. He has gone to high schools and colleges across the country
talking about the importance of being able to have a conversation out in the open about
different agendas. He can never do this again. He left behind a young wife and two small
children. He was a kind, loving, honest man. This type of senseless killing has become
rampant in our country today.
Less than two weeks ago little children were at Mass at a Catholic School in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. They too, were assassinated while just attending church school. Does pure evil
exist? Yes, it certainly does. Yet, what can I possible do to combat evil? How can I live my
life and believe I can even make any difference? It doesn't seem possible.
With so much hate out there today, it seems to be mushrooming around me. Then more
importantly I struggle with my thoughts and wonder what can possibly combat such evil
forces all around. Is there a stronger force out there to do this? It is very easy to cave in
to ones’ own fear, sadness and insecurity. As I grow and go and take on each day, I must
remember constantly there is choice all around me. Life is nothing more than a series of
windows of opportunity strung together. This means I must be careful in choosing who I
associate with. I must be aware of where I choose to go each day. I must seek only
goodness to fill any voids in my life. For sometimes windows of opportunity open and
close and never open again. It is only in my higher self awareness that I find and
embrace these possibilities of promise. So it is important for me to learn from everything I
see around me.
I see evil in the vicious murder of Charlie Kirk. Here was a young man who was a role
model for truth, and love and righteousness. So what can possibly fight such evil today:
LOVE IS THE ONLY FORCE THAT IS STRONGER THAN EVIL.
Even Albert Einstein admitted this to be true! He wrote a letter to his daughter before
he died stating this:
“There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal
explanation for. It is a force that includes and governs all others and is even behind
any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us. This
universal force is LOVE. When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they
forgot the most powerful unseen force: LOVE is light. That light enlightens those who
give and receive it. LOVE is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to
others. LOVE is power, because it multiplies the best we have and allows humanity not
to be extinguished in their blind selfishness, LOVE unfolds and reveals. For LOVE we live
and die. LOVE is GOD and God is LOVE. This force explains everything and gives
meaning to life. This is the variable that we have ignored too long, maybe because we
are afraid of LOVE, because it is the only energy in the universe that man has not
learned to drive at will.“ Albert Einstein
I believe as a Christian at heart, my life is to stand for LOVE and to live in truth and believe
in the goodness of God. We can’t possibly understand why good and loving and kind
Christians are taken away as they sometimes are. Yet, I believe this is not our true home.
Earth is but a testing ground for as long as we are alive to learn our lessons and try to
evolve. Eventually, God willing, we leave and go to our true home and are united with the
source of all LOVE.
Can I find a way to embrace the strongest force of all - LOVE?
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“Still Standing?” Blog #188
Why can’t I figure out how to stick with my own “self care”?
How come it’s so difficult to build lasting good habits for me?
Can I give up a life of fast food, toxins and negative people around me?
I know deep inside, I truly want inner balance, spiritual growth and a healthy body. Yet,
sometimes I feel overwhelmed and suddenly it all comes crashing down around me.
What keeps me from giving up, throwing in the towel, falling down?
It’s miraculous how horrible tragedies and setbacks can turn one persons life from staying
stuck to standing tall. Justin Bieber, a very famous celebrity states that, “God has
redeemed me from a past life of an almost inevitable road of emptiness. I was
surrounded by people who were all kind of just escaping from real life….” He went on to
state, “I feel comforted now. I feel my relationship with God is wonderful. I feel safe.”
Thomas Edison failed over 1000 times and closer to 10,000 attempts were made before he
actually created a beacon of light called the Light Bulb. He stated, “I have not failed, just
found 10,000 ways to show it has not worked yet….”
In 2003 a woman named Kris Karr was just thirty two years old and living in New York. She
thought she was enjoying her life, yet after a routine checkup at her doctors office she was
told she had a rare and incurable stage IV cancer existing in her liver and lungs. Instead
of giving in to the disease, she decided to challenge her diagnosis head on. She attacked
the cancer with a brand new nutritional life style. She turned her experience into a series
of successful self-help books and documentaries. She launched her own wellness
website. Today she is celebrating years and years without cancer and is now revered as
one of the most prominent experts on healthy living.
She believes, “we are not alone. Unseen forces work on our behalf. We must start by
having faith. There is a much bigger love always available to us. Call it God.”
Another famous woman whose net worth is close to three billion dollars is Oprah Winfrey.
She gave birth at age fourteen and lost the child. She was reported to have been
molested by a cousin, an uncle and a family friend. Yet, she went on to excel as an Honors
student and get a full scholarship to college. Oprah Winfrey is not only a devout Christian
but volunteers her favorite verse in the Bible is Acts 17:28,
“For in HIM we live, and move, and have our being. For as certain as your own poets
have said, for we are also HIS offspring.”
Then there is the young girl named Bethany Hamilton. Bethany loved surfing and at the
young age of just thirteen, she lost her left arm in a deadly shark attack. However, just one
month later, and with one arm left, Bethany was back out surfing. Two years after that she
won first place in the Explorer Women’s Division of the NSSA National Championships. She
refused to fall down and give in and give up. Bethany attributes all her strength to being a
Christian. Bethany went on to state that she could not have done anything in her life if it
were not because of her complete faith in Jesus Christ.
By the time Jim Carrey was fifteen years old, he had to drop out of school to support his
family. His father was unemployed and the family went from lower middle class to living in
a van. However, that never stopped Jim Carrey from achieving his dream of being a
famous comedian. He now stars in mega-blockbusters and is known as one of the best
comedians of his time. Jim Carrey believes that in our hard times of suffering we can
“either become vengeful and fall down or we can forgive just as Jesus did on the cross,
and go on…”
These incredible stories are but a few of the famous and not-so famous people who not
only embrace the positive side of life but have learned the biggest lesson of all,
“NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP”
I know each and every one of us have all made mistakes. Each and every one of us have
gone the wrong way one time or another. Now, even in the midst of complete darkness, I
believe Jesus wants to have a deep conversation with me. I know this is true. So every day
I will try to stand taller, try just a little bit harder knowing Jesus has my back, I’m still
standing tall insulated by HIS Holy Spirit 24/7.
Can I find Jesus today and keep standing tall?
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“Healthy Mind?” Blog #187
What exactly makes me a mentally healthy person?
Do I push myself to learn about spiritual truths today?
Can I find healthy thoughts in my daily actions?
When I am very sad and I don’t know what to do, this is usually when my mind begins to
stretch, and IF I am prayerful, I can follow a divine pattern. Yet, most of the time, in the
past, I have remained in the world and “of the world”. The heavy, weighty, dark feelings
that can come over me are because I allow it. There is not much choice when a mind
decides to GO BLACK. What do I mean? I mean times when I have allowed “dark patterns”
to take over. Times when I have stated to myself, “Whats the use?” Whether a person
struggles with depression, anxiety or addiction, there is one true statement here, “The
mind is in Charge totally.”
What I think decides my course of action for my entire day. I am in charge of me. By
deciding on a belief in Jesus Christ, I can break the chains of dark thinking now. I don’t
think a person can grasp the gravity of what is going on when a person just “waivers back
and forth” in their spiritual quest for accepting Jesus into their heart. It’s either YES or NO.
There is not an in between. I must have a purposeful life to live.
I believe that 2025 is an amazing year for people to change their belief system and bring
Jesus Christ into their life. Very famous philosophical, non-believing people have changed
over and found Christianity. Some people just had a fascination with Jesus. Other people
have had super-natural experiences and still others have let go of their battle with
addiction and had a life-changing super-natural experience.
A good example of extreme living was Nala Ray, once an atheist and in the porn industry
has since left it all, encountered Jesus and converted to Christianity. Then we have Ayaan
Hirsi Ali who is a Muslim by nature and a famous critic of Islam. She became disillusioned
with Islam after seeing its restorative aspects especially regarding women’s rights. She
became a Christian she writes because “ all people are made in the image of God -
human beings are people not things”. Prior to Jesus, Ayaan Ali found herself “spiritually
empty and, upon exploring Christianity, found it wasn’t just compelling, but true”. Then we
have Claire Elise Boucher, known professionally as “GRIMES”. Grimes is a Canadian
musician, singer, song-writer, record producer, music video director and visual artist. She
recently posted on line that she was embarrassed to admit that she was getting into
Christianity as it was the ONLY thing to stop her from vaping. Fascinating to see how
many people, especially celebrity conversions, say they were once opposed to Jesus
and now are taking steps to only embrace HIM.
These testimonials across different spheres of influence show a profound leap in FAITH.
My life is like a spider web, when I am in the middle of it, I am caught up and at times no
idea how to escape. Yet, when I close my eyes, I step aside and see the beautiful intricate
pattern Jesus has painted for me to step out of my pain, isolation and all hopelessness.
Can I find a way to embrace my Healthy mind today?
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''Demanding Life?” Blog #186
What healthy information do I bring into my life today?
Am I side-tracked by someone giving me negative comments?
Where do I get inner strength to follow my higher path?
Standing up for good is hard. It’s not easy getting up in the morning and telling myself,
“today I will discipline my mind, my body and how I spend my time in healthy ways”.
It’s important to tell myself at the start of this day,
“I will do something today that my future self will thank me for”.
Getting up in the morning and having discipline immediately is hard! It’s even more
challenging when my mind and body don’t want to listen to my inner voice of reason. A
demanding life that is healthy is a good life. A demanding life that asks more of me, is an
important life. A demanding life that challenges me to the core, takes courage to see
through. There was a time when I lived my life by doing “just enough to get by”. This type
of life style is dangerous and eroding and all consuming. As someone said,
“No Pain - No gain”. Every valuable thing in life is worth fighting for!
I myself know when I faced hard times, it seemed like it could break me. Yet, at the
moments when I was so overcome with such darkness that I thought it would break me, it
was at that moment when I put my hands together and felt tremendous strength. It’s hard
to imagine my life without Jesus because I have traveled down so many sad roads and
now rely on the one force I know will always give me solace. Yes, my life has been
demanding, yet I look around and there is not a soul I know who does not have a life filled
with some sort of pain that demands their attention. Even though I have gone through
such pain, I felt it would break me, it was here I found my inner strength to push forward. I
have learned more about myself in those “magical moments” of trial and error and found
in my weakness I gained inner strength.
In my sorrow, I found compassion for others. In total darkness, Jesus lights my way.
When I look at my struggles in my life, I see my character developing depending on
what I demand FOR MYSELF. I demand a healthy, honest, Christian life.
Whatever I am facing at the moment, because I have courage to face my fear, I now can
face my future. Just having the mindset to persevere when all else seems lost, brings me
peace in my demanding life each day. I remember to pray first. Then I ask for the 3 “D”s.
Discipline, Discernment and Detachment. When I have discipline, I can face my demands.
When I discern, I know who to listen to and when to walk away. With Detachment, I can let
go of things not needed today. In my demanding life, as it is each day, I share a favorite
poem showing me the way.
“DON’T QUIT”
By John Greenleaf Whittier
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
when the road your trudging seems all up hill,
when your funds are low and your debt is high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
rest if you must, but don’t you quit!
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
as everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure comes about,
when you might have won had you stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
you may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell just how close you are,
you may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
it’s when things seem worse that you
MUST NOT QUIT!
Am I ready to bring Jesus into my demanding life today?
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“Life Lift Now?” Blog #185
Is it time for me to be looking for a “Real Life Lift”?
Do thoughts get me down, keep me stuck in a rut?
What happens daily, to finding positivity during waking hours?
Maybe it’s time for me to start looking at a “Real Lifestyle Lift”. If I get in the car and start
driving down the wrong way on the freeway, cars will honk, I may get hit and above all it’s
dangerous! Yet, so often I may interject dangerous things to the way I live, just because I
am an adult. NO ONE out there has the right to tell me S T O P living in a dangerous
manner!
WHAT IN THE WORLD DO I MEAN BY THIS? It starts with my “way of thinking”. Do I constantly
tell myself I know all the answers and no one can help me figure out my life? Some people
take on a fixed way of thinking early in their life, and never deviate. No one can tell them
differently, so why should it matter? Here is a great example. There was an amazing
singer named Karen Carpenter. Her records sold over one hundred million and to this day
we still listen to many of our favorite songs by Karen. She died at the age of thirty two in
l983. Karen spent the last seven years of her life struggling with an eating disorder. Her
mother favored Karen’s brother Richard over Karen. When Karen finally did marry, her
husband lied to her about having a vasectomy. Having a family meant the world to Karen.
This marriage was short-lived and Karen spent the last years of her life as well as most of
her life, feeling “unloved”.
The most important part of living is to believe this statement:
“My body is the Temple of God”. When I embrace this truth, my life is worth living.
A lot of people think and say, “Its my body, I can do with it what ever I want!” That may be -
however living “any kind of lifestyle” is not without repercussions. If we smoke and vape
and do drugs we do this with perilous risk. My brain is constantly looking for reasons to be
depressed or enlightened. ANY type of chemical going into my body impacts my immune
system, my memory and my judgement. Imagine IF I do this on a regular basis? New
reports out today show the prevelence of depression is growing! In young people and
adults, depression has increased in the past decade by over 60%. WHY IS THIS? I feel this is
because we all want AN INSTANT FIX.
Remember at the beginning of my Blog, I talked about “getting in a car and driving down
the road the wrong way - gets me in trouble?” Fascinating fact: “just setting foot in a
different location stimulates neural circuitry that leads to POSITIVE affect. Depression
can be seen as a “kind of a cave” and it actually takes effort to get out of the cave!”
(Wikipedia)
In my life, I do not have all the answers regardless of how old I become. So I stay humble. I
believe my life is about learning until I die. Every day I am open to a ‘New Life Lift”. I start
my day with thankful prayer. I am thankful for being alive. I am filled with the Holy Spirit
and above all I accept “my body is the Temple of God”. I nurture it, feed it healthy good
food and drink lots of water. Knowing all this, if I sense a danger flag of depression
gnawing at I me, I have tools in place. These dark thoughts will pass. I find positivity in
feeling I am alive. I am well. I am at peace. No one on earth is like me. No one on earth
thinks the thoughts I think, I realize I am my own worst enemy or my own greatest teacher.
Putting into place a Life Lift Now, I see a brilliant way to install a self help strategy
promoting self confidence and belief in my ability to overcome depression. If I don’t do
this, who else will? From this day forward I vow to be my own best friend, ally and major
promoter of “internal good thoughts”. Thank you Jesus for my life, my body and my
healthy mind.
Am I ready to put into place my own “Life Lift” now?
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“No Joy?” Blog #184
Where do my Daily Habits take me throughout this day?
Am I thinking or am I praying in my last moments before sleep?
How have I reacted to challenges given me these past 24 hours?
Every day, whether I want to admit it or not, there is a curve ball waiting for me.
Sometimes it is a health situation. Sometimes it is the way someone treats me, when out
of the blue, a dagger comes my way. Oftentimes, it is in “my mood of the moment”. A
myriad of moods can take me down a darker path if I am not prepared to face it.
The tools I have in place for leading my life today are critical.
Where do I find these tools and what exactly are the most important ones?
First is my Faith. I find my faith growing stronger with my prayer increasing daily. I cannot
heal any part of my body without admitting it takes my work! IT TAKES my DISCIPLINE.
I already know what I know, what needs to be done. So I put in place: Discipline.
Before I realized how important disciple was to my life, I have to admit, my own life was
filled with random friends and random activities. Yes I was doing my job each day. Yet, at
the end of the day, I felt I could “do whatever I wanted to just because…”. This is very
dangerous thinking. Darkness is always waiting to seep in. I ignored the fact people
influence people. So, that being said, WHO were the people in my life surrounding and
influencing my thinking? All kinds of people were in my life. What kind of friends was I
attracting and why? Who challenged me in a good way? Above all - where was the joy
in my life?
It’s important to “search internally for oneself’. Keep the understanding, it is better to be
alone then to settle for “just anyone”. I needed to accept how much I was being
influenced by the wrong individuals. I needed to accept “that just anyone” could be a
person who likes living with dark thinking. Because we are all given free will, many of us
choose to go through our entire life having no problem wallowing in depression every day!
Many individuals don’t mind being “STUCK IN DARKNESS”. It has become a comfort zone.
Living day to day with band-aids on and hiding behind drugs, alcohol and pills. So
listening to this platitude helps define what I am talking about.
Albert Einstein states, “the definition of Insanity is doing the SAME thing over and over
and expecting different results”. I must be learning more about myself every single
day. Pray, read, exercise.
Now what? Here is where the big guns have to come out. Here is where the next tool must
immediately go into place: COURAGE. When I put courage into place I have the mental
and the moral strength to want to do the right thing for myself now. This allows me to
persevere without the fear of difficulty in what I must face. I look at people around me with
new found integrity. So now I choose people to be in my inner circle carefully. I want to be
around people who are honest, spiritual and joyful. Against the darkness of being silent,
when it is wrong to stay silent, this is the time I have courage to do the right thing, or ELSE
my own life will suffer greatly.
Using her own voice to push through dark and fear, a courageous young girl defied the
Taliban. Malala Yousafzai is the youngest woman ever to have received the Nobel Peace
Prize. She is a young Pakistani girl who just wanted to learn and go to school. However,
the Taliban banned her from attending any classes just because she was a girl! This did
not stop her and Malala continued to speak. Then the Taliban shot her in the head and
miraculously she survived! Malala has gone on to be a global force for girls education
and above all she fought the fight against extremism. She was not afraid even after being
shot in the head and almost dying! Her courageous example demonstrates how
important ONE PERSONS COURAGE can be. Now Malala has her degree from Oxford
University and has written three books about her horrific struggle to bring freedom to the
girls wanting an education in Pakistan..
Malala says something powerful and I repeat it here:
“to anyone setting off in life on any adventure, the most important part of life is to keep
going, keep discovering YOU, for that’s the most important education of all”.
Each of us have this same courage inside. I know when I make the right, healthy,
deliberate decision for myself, this feels internally correct. I can embrace my own truth. I
might be afraid right this moment, still I PRAY for strength to do the right thing today and
every day. I believe it takes courage to do it.
Courage appears instantly. Healing in my life takes work, courage and discipline daily.
Having the courage to do what I need to do for myself, EVEN THOUGH I AM AFRAID, I do it.
This is where I bring joy into my life. I can find my faith and let go of all my fear.
Sometimes it takes an uncomfortable conversation with someone who is bringing me
down. I can do this. I am no longer afraid. I define FEAR - False Events Appearing Real.
Little by little, I am now growing internally with the new found joy for who I am. Who am I?
I am the Temple of God. I am Faith. I am Discipline. I am Courage.
Can I start now to find Joy in my life today?
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“Hiding Out?” Blog #183
I look back at myself to a much younger me, am I disappointed?
Proud to see a “higher self, how do I present myself to those around me?
Do I pray to find hidden talents buried deep inside?
One day when I was ten years old, I was walking around my neighborhood. Knowing most
of the people up and down the block. I knew all the names. I thought the adults in those
homes seemed very old to me! I recall thinking someday, I will go far away and do
whatever I want to do with my life. I also look back thinking, “If I walk around the block
enough times and hold my breath to the count of sixty or more, maybe all my wishes for
what I want will come true…..” How many of us are filled with hidden little “Jinx’s?” How
often have I tried to sabotage my own outcome? Do I disregard my higher self intent?
Time goes so fast from twenty to forty to sixty , seventy five…and then what? The best part
of looking back at my life was when I dared to believe in myself and I just did it. I moved
to another state, I went after a job I never thought I could get, then I got it! Taking a
chance on something good, I believed would happen. If “something I want to go after is
for my highest good - Pray first then, go after it”.
How awesome life can be, when I stop hiding out. Whether it’s the wrong kind of friends
who hold me down, or the crutch of alcohol or drugs, or something someone said who has
kept me stuck, these are all my own challenges. I refuse to keep hiding out I have faith,
fortitude and am free from “old dark drama”.
There are people from all over the world. Young people, those in midlife to the very old. All
have made a positive difference in the world from their pain. INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS
TO SOCIETY FROM INDIVIDUAL PAIN. People from twelve to ninety two, have changed the
face of America from inside out. Recently in Texas, too many children to name, died in a
tragic camp flood, yet a 12 year old girl rewrote the lines to Hallelujah and remembered 28
of her camp friends who died on national TV. Then there was a young mother who
tragically lost her beautiful daughter to a repeat drunk driver offender! Yet Candy Lightner
turned her personal tragedy into help for millions, when she started MADD, Mothers Against
Drunk Drivers. There was Julia Child who had never cooked much of anything and went to
France with her husbands job, and had no idea what to do with her spare time. So she not
only attended cooking school late in life, but became famous In America and Europe for
many cook books and TV shows, teaching others how to prepare delicious meals. A small
little lady has left a permanent mark on the world. Mother Teresa left an imprint on the
entire world by helping the lepers of Calcutta and heal the poor. When a reporter stopped
her on a street corner, she had recently received the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, “You have
dedicated your life to helping the poorest of the poor - the lepers, millions of people living
in extreme poverty imaginable, how have you possibly done this?” Mother Theresa
smiled and quietly stated, “One person at a time”. Then there was Bill Wilson, Bill started
drinking in his early twenties and became a raging alcoholic. When he decided to stop
drinking, he wanted to help those around him, how did he do this? He started something
call Alcoholics Anonymous. We also have a woman who at 78 years old was filled with
arthritis. She gave up things she loved and started painting. One day an art collector
walked past a drug store, where one of her painting was in the window. That was the
beginning of years of notoriety for the famous painter Grandma Moses. Before she turned
101, she had created over one thousand paintings and received high awards. I am going
to end this blog today with an inspiring story of a woman in 2009, who in just three weeks
on media, her video performance was downloaded 180 million times. Susan Boyle was a
forty eight year old unknown from a little town in England. Yet, her life was instantly
changed overnight when she became a singing sensation in her late forties. No one
expected much out of this woman who walked out on stage of “Britain’s Got Talent” and
gave her life changing performance of “I Dreamed a Dream”.
Whether we are young. mid age or elderly, we each need to have a dream and hold on to
it. This dream can be small, it can be filled with love for someone else. Regardless of age,
one must be passionate about something. Each one of us is unique. God has given us
each a beautiful, fascinating, inner faith that we need only to believe in HIM. I also know
God helps those who help themselves 24/7. So, I promise from this day on, no more hiding
out from my “Higher Self” possibilities. I am truth now. I am love now. I am God’s divine
creation always.
Can I stop hiding out from my “Higher Self” today?
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“Self Healing?” Blog #182
Can I reclaim the wisdom of my body, trusting in its messages?
Will I grow knowing every part of my being has wisdom and power and light?
Would my life be different IF I value my body as The Temple of God?
First, it is important to believe in the following statement,
IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE MY LIFE FULLY REGARDLESS OF PAST OR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
Every day is a NEW OPPORTUNITY TO GROW.
I refuse to believe I was “born defective”. I refuse to believe my negative thoughts are who
I am. I refuse to believe people, statements, media technology, control my moods or
dictate how I will think! NOTHING OUTSIDE OF ME HAS ANY INFLUENCE OVER MY STATE OF
MIND, EXCEPT MY INTERNAL ME! MY WHOLE FUTURE IS FILLED WITH HARMONY WHEN I EMBRACE I
AM MY OWN WORST ENEMY OR MY OWN BEST FRIEND. NO MORE DO I FEEL BOGGED DOWN
WITH ANY OTHER FALSE REALITY. TRUTH IS TRUTH. NO ONE CAN FABRICATE THE HONEST TRUTH.
Jesus Christ lives within ME. I am truth, I am whole health. I am honest happiness now.
So the trick to “Self Healing in my life is using this recipe every single day.
Wake up and Pray - Surround myself and insulate myself in the energy of Jesus Christ.
Do Ten Deep Breaths - Do this with a positive statement about self 3 - 4 times a day.
Surround self with Positivity - to stay strong - stay with positive ideas and positive
people a lot.
Eat healthy Food - Eat healthy food and drink lots of water throughout my 24/7 day.
Exercise Daily 24/7 - Do any Kind of exercise - walk, deep breaths - isometrics - it works!
There are so many stories out there today of people who refuse to stay healthy. They insist
on being filled with fear, dis-ease and sadness. I walk into the grocery store and I see
grocery karts filled high with chips, soda products, frozen dinners, ice cream and candy.
Fast food products are now “staples in the daily diet”. The more I see people indulge in
processed food, I wonder. Does anyone get to the point of asking self this, “what goes into
my body must come out!” What are each of us eating and drinking every single day?
First and foremost, NOTHING REPLACES GOOD OLD FASHIONED WATER. ONE CAN ALWAYS
ADD LEMON/LIME. It’s important to know that bulky foods, salads, grains, beans, bring
regular bowel movements daily. I IGNORE ADVERTISEMENTS GIVING BAND-AID CURES FOR
THIS. In order to have complete health in my body, I agree to do this,
I EMBRACE THE SACRED PART OF LIFE INSIDE MY BEING FIRST.
It’s important to realize the strongest force in the Universe is the TRIANGLE. So once I
acknowledge and agree with this, I see my Lord filling the middle of the triangle, my body
at one point of the triangle, and my mind at the other. The other point is spirit - the Holy
Spirit MUST BE PRESENT. My triangle makes me strong now.
The following poem sums up everything to do with Self Healing for my being.
OUR DEEPEST FEAR
By Marianne Wiliamson
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? YOU are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightening about shrinking so other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone!
As we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
AS we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.”
What a beautiful way to sum up the way to Self-healing, Trust in the light of Jesus Christ
that resides within me, for I am the Temple of God. It starts there.
Can I embrace the recipe for Self-Healing today?
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“Deny Discipline?” Blog #181
Can I do something today my Future Self will thank me for?
How must I start my day so I depend on my “Higher Self”?
Do I want discipline to start my day or allow weakness to waste it away?
It really doesn’t matter what age I am. Every single day starts with daylight and ends with
darkness. I HAVE CHOICE. I have 24 hours in each day to do as I decide I want to. NO ONE
CAN MAKE ME DO DIFFERENTLY! Why does my life seem to be so hard sometimes?
Especially when I need internal answers right away, where are they?
When I awoke today I prayed this prayer, “Let me do your will today Lord, not my will.”
After my prayer, I got up and stretched with deep breaths. I stretch and deep breathe
again. I put my arms high in the air, deep breathing, again, “Let me do your will today,
Lord.” This has an immediate calming effect over my entire being. I feel myself let go of
my determined self-will. I DO NOT give in to stuff that pulls at me, all around me. For
then, HIS WILL, NOT my will, goes to work in my life today.
I SEE the “greater good of Gods will working in my life”.
“It is estimated 70,000 thoughts go through a persons brain each day”. IF only in this truth,
I capture the good thoughts and train my brain to stay in positive mode, I silently EXPRESS
GRATITUDE FOR MY LIFE, THANKING GOD FOR THE GOOD THINGS I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AS WELL AS
THE NEGATIVE SITUATIONS I HAVE HAD TO LEARN FROM. As far as the the people in my life, I
have a choice there too. I surround myself with positivity.
Today I WILL DO SOMETHING MY FUTURE SELF WILL THANK ME FOR. THINKING TO MYSELF,
HOW POWERFUL CAN I BE IF I NEVER DOUBT MYSELF AGAIN.
To deny discipline in my life, gives me an empty shell of nothingness. I drift back and forth
inside a sea of doubt, denial and discontent. Slowly a process of learning to LOVE MYSELF,
begins again.
NO OTHER PERSON CAN DO THIS FOR ME. I MUST LEARN DISCIPLINE MYSELF TODAY. Every
person alive needs to bring in a “disciplined routine daily”.
I have a friend who contracted a rare sickness. She went to the doctor and he did many
tests on her. Extremely puzzled, he found no way to give her medicine for what he did not
know would work. Ironically, her husband told her, “I guess the only thing left for you to do
is dance. Dance as if your life depended on it.” She did this exact thing. She went out and
joined a “Zoomba Dance Class”. This is a woman in her late seventies. Less than a year
later, her doctor scratched his head in amazement, “What have you done? Your disease is
in remission! Whatever you are doing, don’t stop!” he said. Smiling, the woman told him, “I
discipline myself each and every other day to dance. I joined a Zoomba dance class and I
love it! This older woman is healthy, happy and having fun now as well! Not a moment to
be bored.
I can read a good book, I can do various art projects, I can go outside and exercise and
walk. I find time to learn something new to cook for myself. Above all, I SAY POSITIVE
WORDS to my inner self all day long. I am disciplining a new way of thought. In the car
driving, I can learn isometrics and tighten my muscles, practice deep breathing ten times
in the morning, noon and night. KEEP THINKING THOSE POSITIVE THOUGHTS I REFUSE to be
grouchy and unkind. At times in the day, I may get caught between my lower self and my
Higher Self. Maybe someone said something mean, and my brain shifts into a “lower dark
gear”, this is MY CHALLENGE. It is up to me to take in ten deep breaths, go outside, walk a
bit, keep deep breathing and say, “This too shall pass”. With the help of God, I lift myself up
to my “Higher Self” and continue to learn my lessons for today.
To release discomfort, I release unloving thoughts about any person I know.
The wall that exists between the lower self and the HIGHER SELF is DISCIPLINE.
Every single one of us alive has self worth, a need for self love, a purpose for living. So
Now I agree to set up boundaries with my peers - and abide by MY principles.
My TRUE MISSION SURFACES when I no longer deny Discipline. I SEARCH FOR MY PURPOSE.
I embrace my Higher Self and bring DAILY DISCIPLINE Into my LIFE NOW.
Praying, do I push away lower Self or invite in Discipline now?
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“Really Stuck?” Blog #180
Do I think I have the answers to my life problems?
Why must I stay in this “one way” of living IF it’s not truth?
Can I find courage to try to get to a higher place now?
How have I endured a great despair? Have I closed up certain parts of my heart?
Today I am going to talk about myself and share a little story. I feel there is a small miracle
entwined in this story, but you decide. I have been very angry for a long time at a certain
person and closed the door and shut down my heart to any relationship with them. The
other day I was praying for the ability to discern, find forgiveness and go forward - start
over with a clean heart. I decided I would write this person a TEXT. When I read the text to
my husband he was adamant about my not sending it. He shared with me his reason was
“the text still was filled with angry emotion”. I did not agree with him. I myself, became
upset. However, I took my own advice which I so often have shared. I prayed on this Blog
about it. I put the text aside and decided I would visit it later. I went about my day. Later in
the afternoon I was checking my voice messages. There was a message from the minister
who had married my daughter thirteen years ago. Out of the blue he said, “something
came into my mind to call and check on you and her and see how things are going?” He
had no idea she had died four years ago, at such a young age.
I shared it was because of toxic alcohol poisoning. I went on to share a lot of my pain I
was going through and especially my anger at a certain person. He listened to me and
shared his perspective from a higher level of understanding.
First he shared this, “Our time here on earth is our testing ground. When we leave our
time spent on earth - we go back home, where we came from.”
As I sat on my phone listening to his words, I realized as much information as I have
gleamed about love, and forgiveness and truth. It all goes right out the window when my
own pride, arrogance and stubbornness try to take center stage. It’s easy to find ways to
rationalize and be angry and STAY STUCK in my own little life story. Now I don’t believe
the Polly Anna approach to life is for everyone we touch. I know there are some people
who are out there on this earth that are defiant. They are determined to live in darkness
and find diabolical ways of justifying their lifestyle. They do not want to believe in Jesus
Christ and they want to remain OF THE WORLD. This is for them. Each and every person
has been given “Free Will” and we must choose. So this is what give me my character and
my integrity to see it through.
Do I choose light or dark each day I am alive?
I believe God sends us angels. He sends us people who are divinely connected to the
spirit world and bring us help IF we are open to this help.
My phone rang with a message from this minister out of the blue. This is a day when I was
“really stuck” trying to find a way to repair a relationship that will be important to my life
going forward. I had to find a way to repair this. It was really eating me up. Anyone can
read this and say; “Oh, that was just a coincidence”. I believe when we open our heart to
help from above - God sends in his angels directly to us through others. There are people
of God walking this earth today.
I finished my conversation with the minister and he reminded me of all the things I had to
experience in my life, how important it was for me to “take the high road”. Never judge
another human being. For but the grace of God, we do not know their pain and affliction.
Nor do we know what they are going through in their private life. We can pray for this
person. Pray they can find a way to inner peace with Jesus Christ.
The minister reminded me no matter what I am going through, I have to get back up and
start over with my faith, fortitude and stay fixed on the knowledge that at the end of the
day what matters is between me and God. Other people who appear to keep me stuck
are only my tests along the way. Don’t stay stuck. get back up and see them as not a
road-block, but a “golden door of opportunity”,
I relished each minute of our conversation. I thanked him for his call and I looked up, I
looked up into the sky, knowing this was not a “coincidental call” but definitely orchestrated
by God. I said a little prayer and did the right thing. I used my words kindly to resolve a
delicate, angry seething situation. Amazingly, my text reflected love and I was able to
overcome my anger in unprotected moments. God healed a heavy sad situation by
sending me “help” in a personal, profound, peaceful way. I accepted this.
Can I find the words to stay unstuck today?
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“Stay Alive” Blog #179
What does it take for me to find courage now?
Is my body and mind balanced with the Holy Spirit?
Am I internally spiritually alive today?
It is so important for me to decide to be “in the world” and not “of the world”. What ever
does this mean anyway? This is very important to remember, “I should be able to interact
with friends and neighbors (the world) but they shall be distinct. Often having different
priorities and standards than I have I ask that I am kept clean and away from darkness,
evil and temptation.”
I know a lot of people can’t stand to talk about religion or have religion preached to them
or “told to go to church”. I for one, feel this to be a very personal decision. I believe the
whole of my being has been changed radically from where I was before horrible tragedy
came into my life, to where I am now. My blog continues to speak HIS truth in every way
possible to send out opportunities for spiritual growth which continue to happen to me.
Thoughts shared today based on the subject of this Friday Blog, must incorporate
“spiritual truths in order to state how I have stayed alive” in a healthy, spiritual, honest
way.
When I decided to let the Spirit of Truth come into my being, I immediately felt guided into
truth by the Holy Spirit. By my living in this relationship, I agree not to worry on my behalf
for things that I have no control over. (other people, other events, other outcomes) Finally
figuring out that I cannot live a fulfilled and purposeful and honest life without Jesus
Christ in my heart every minute of every day.
So the hardest thing to do is trust. It is really hard to have a willingness to let go of my
desire to “completely be in control of my life”. After all, I rationalized “Don’t I know Best? The
ironic twist to this is that we are given “FREE WILL” from the time we are born. We are given
complete free will to live our life the way we want to, period. I must say at this juncture if I
were to give in to my own Free Will, I would lose all perspective on forgiveness, judgement
and humility. I would definitely be a person who is “of the world and all its
trappings”,completely giving into my Lower Self Nature.
So the very first thing I have to pray for is the “ability to discern to surrender. When I
surrender all kinds of feelings come forward starting with FEAR. PAIN and SADNESS. But
now I understand that these feelings have to come out before I can TRUST in Jesus to take
over and that is where and WHY I make the decision to surrender. All of this happens in the
privacy of my prayer in the morning and any time through out the day. I have begun my
own personal, private and positive relationship with the only one who counts, a
relationship with my Lord and I accept all that comes with it.
In order to really feel alive and well and at peace, all of the above must be agreed by me,
to take place. The one truth that gets me going in the morning is knowing I am not the
same person I was yesterday! I have made terrible mistakes and choices I regret in my
past. But I am not tied down by my past, because the Grace of God has freed me from
any and all guilt. So this is where I can trust myself once again. Then I quietly fold my
hands and pray for inner strength to see this moment through. I take a deep breath and
feel myself fill with peace.
Only HE WALKS BY MY SIDE.
I AM FILLED WITH TRUTH. I Stay Alive in HIS radiant light totally surrounding my being.
Can I find courage to STAY ALIVE with Jesus at my side now?
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“Detach Now!” Blog #178
Why do I feel stuck or trapped in any way now?
How am I responsible for my choices today?
Can I detach from dark happenings around me?
First of all I need to know the definition of detachment: The action or process of
separation. The state of being where an individual is free from material and emotional
attachments. This state of being is essential for spiritual progress and enlightenment.
wisdom lib.org.
I think, feel and know that detachment is one of the hardest things in life to do. It surely
does not come easy for me. Every day regardless of what I have learned, I need to remind
myself to detach from a sticky situation. However, when I decided I wanted to have inner
peace, a feeling of wholeness and stop worrying all the time, trying to detach was harder
than I realized. Still, I saw detachment as essential.
The first time I remember needing to detach was from my father. I look back and see me
as a child in my alcoholic father’s life. In my world, he had never “not been drinking”. I
thought in my young life that If I did enough things to please him around the house and
get good grades and be the best “little girl I could be”, that would work. Then as I grew
older, I did outrageous things to make him stop - I ran away from our family home and
went and lived with my grandpa. I stopped talking to him, but that only made me feel
more guilty for leaving. Feelings and emotions and misplaced love can be very dangerous
when a person does not know “higher self truth” for self.
There is no possible way, I see this clearly now, I CAN NEVER CHANGE ANOTHER SOUL. NO
OTHER PERSON CAN BE CHANGED UNTIL THEY WANT TO BRING CHANGE.
Herein lies the definition of Insanity:
KEEP DOING THE SAME THINGS AND THE SAME THINGS WILL HAPPEN.
I realized that even though my Dad died of his dark drinking and alcoholism, I had not
been set free. I was attached to the dark feelings of “needing to fix another person”. This
is not my job. This will never be my job. This can only keep me stuck in life. One night after
deep earnest prayer, I prayed in earnest, “Please Jesus help me see clearly now”. After
that night and prayer, I was finally able to see things more clearly..
I had gone from my fathers dark addictive drinking and trying to fix him then seeing him
die. I had left family dysfunction, only to replace my father with my next boyfriend who had
terrible drinking problems, treated me indifferently and made me feel “alone again”. I
realized my life had become unmanageable. I couldn’t make my boyfriend, or any person
for that matter, do anything other than WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO IN THEIR LIFE. So…..I asked
myself, “what is it that I want in my life now?” My prayer was heard.
My life started changing right away. The very next day I told my boyfriend to leave. I was
done with that kind of life. In my heart I had to set him free and be okay with my being all
alone for awhile. I knew I could do that, I just had to believe it and trust in Jesus Christ
who was right by my side. Once I realized I could not fix, or heal or make any other person
different from who they were - I felt a freedom that was healing. My life kept changing for
the better. Later, I met a wonderful man who was very capable and independent and
good. He had a great job, a healthy attitude towards life and he did not abuse any part of
his life. Most of all he had a deep faith in God and developed a beautiful love for me.
Detachment is a gift from God. Learning to detach from unhealthy people is not
something to be rationalized. If I am around a person and I know in my heart their “lifestyle
is not for me”. I have only one choice, I must choose to leave. This is my essential truth.
When I detach I am set free.
Every day now I pray for Discipline, Discernment and Detachment in all parts of my life.
Do I want to detach from a dark situation now?
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“Can’t Do Today?” Blog #177
What is the hardest thing I have to accomplish today?
Will my mind let me overcome set-backs I have In front of me?
How do I get through today when I scream inside, “I can’t”?
“Often it’s not what’s ahead of me that scares me, it’s what’s inside keeps me stuck.” The
other day I had the opportunity to listen to a fascinating true account of a young girl age
13 and her horrific escape from North Korea, not that long ago. This girl has written her true
memoir in her book called “In Order to Live”, by Yeonmi Park.
When Yeonmi was a small child her mother told her something she must never forget, “the
most dangerous thing in your body Yeonmi, is your tongue”. Why did her mother tell her
this? They lived in North Korea where no one says I love you to another person. The only
person revered above all else is the leader of their country.
In North Korea, electricity, delicious food and fun are seldom heard of. It was very common
to see malnourished bodies of poor North Korean’s laying in the street dying and feasted
on by rats. Yeonmi Park and her family were not strangers to cruel reality. Where they
lived was near the border of China but one of the coldest parts of North Korea. Her town
went for months without running water. This made winters particularly more brutal. When
Yeonmi’s father became ill, she knew she and her mother were to be sold into the “sex
slave business”. Because Yeonmi was a virgin she brought the most money. She was sold
for 275.00 and her mother was sold for 60.00. Then they were both sent to China. Just
when one thinks she could not have it any worse, you turn the page. Page after page, one
finds the pain and inhumane suffering beyond belief. Somehow Yeonmi finds her way with
each disastrous day, to plan again. Both Yeonmi and her mother think this journey to
China will still be better than where they had come from.
Yet suddenly, Yeonmi has to witness her own mothers rape by a Chinese broker right in
front of her eyes. Eventually they find each other in China after being separated and both
Yeonmi and her mother travel through the Gobi Desert to Mongolia to seek asylum with the
South Korean diplomats. This is where the story becomes nothing short of a thriller.
Again and again, as one reads each page the thought occurs, “Can’t do today?” It’s as if
you hear Yeonmi state she cannot take it anymore but her drive to “keep going” is the
miracle of the human spirit ignited by Jesus Christ. This keeps each page turning. The
sheer inner will of this thirteen year old girl gives any one person an example of courage,
determination and drive that takes her through her darkest hour and keeps her from giving
up. In Yeonmi one sees the resolve to survive no matter what. The will to overcome
adversity, regardless. There was the harsh reality that even though she and her mother
had made it over the border with brokers that guaranteed their freedom, they learned that
life would not be easy because the brokers who helped them were part of a chain of
human traffickers, who made money from selling North Korean women as brides to cruel
and physically abusive Chinese husbands with mental health problems!
Because Yeonmi Parks was only thirteen years old when she defected from North Korea,
she has been described as one of the most famous North Korean defectors in the entire
world”.
Eventually Yeonmi and her mother found their way into a Christian shelter headed up by
Chinese and South Korean Missionaries. She moved to South Korea and then to the United
States of America. She now resides in New York City. Yeonmi Park has become a Christian.
She states the following, “I attribute South Korea’s economic success to its adoption of
Christianity. I don’t know what the connection is, but South Korea became very blessed
when they embraced Christianity”. Wikipedia.
Can I do all today with Jesus Christ leading me on?
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“Where Is Help?” Blog #176
“Am I ready to “update my inner self” now?
What’s helped me mature this past week?
How do I control weak inner urges daily?
When I put my mind to “higher self attitudes”, I find a different inner purpose for living. So
what is that like?
A higher self attitude is believing I can focus on a positive thought right now.
I believe It is always in my power to choose good over evil. Remember how to spell evil
backwards? L I V E. Kind of ironic right? Probably my biggest area of wanting to grow
internally and mature is to admit to myself “I cannot lie to myself about anything”. I want
to definitely meet other people in my life “where they are NOW”. Once I am resigned to do
that - it’s amazing how much idle time, wanting to fix others and blame = falls by the
wayside.
When I pray for discipline, my prayers show me the way to help myself mature.
I want, need and must accept the bad in my life that has happened. This is how my
maturity starts to grow. I no longer wish for what is not. I accept what I have.
One of the most beautiful poems about maturing ever written is the following,
“IF”
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
but make allowances for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired of waiting,
or being lied about, yet don’t deal in lies.
Or being hated and don’t give way to hating,
and yet don’t look too good or talk too wise;
If you can dream, and not make dreams your master;
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
and treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
and twisted by others to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to,
broken and stoop and build them up with worn out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
and risk it all on one turn of pitch and toss, and lose,
and start again at your beginning,
and never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve you long after they are gone,
and so hold on when there is nothing in you,
Except the Will which say to all; “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings, but not lose your common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute “with sixty seconds” worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that is in it,
And which is more, you’ll be a Man my son!
This says It all about the way to live life day in and day out. I have chosen this because it
has such a powerful message to read and read again.
Can I find where my inner help of Jesus Christ is today?
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“Take Control” Blog #175
Does it matter what I think of myself?
Do I care about what I learn today?
What brings me into a peace-filled moment when derailed?
An interesting definition of Reputation and Character is this,
“Reputation is WHAT people think of me. Character is what Angels KNOW about me.”
Probably a good idea to think about; what happens to me with all the choices I am given
from the morning I wake up, to when I close my eyes at night and go to sleep? Do I
actually grow internally?
It was fascinating the other day to catch Elon Musk on the internet with his five year old son
“X”. The little boy was suppose to sit there quiet while his father was being interviewed. Yet,
this little boy stole the show. Out of the blue he stated, “When I am sad, that is when God
talks to me through the quiet.” He said, “I have to be honest and soft and that’s where love
fits in the best”. There was not a dry eye in the audience, including his dad, Elon Musk!
In the middle of my morning or any part of my day, when I get unrattled I am learning to
stop, take deep breaths and “feel Jesus’ presence inside me”. Here in the quiet, I decide to
make a decision ”not to compromise who I am” - it matters.
In Eugene O’Neils play, “More Stately Mansions”, there was a large segment of the play that
pointed to the dismal effect of a building that was being built - left unfinished. A
magazine writer who was talking about the play, used a great analogy about looking at
this apartment building and viewing a “life that never took on its potential, and went to
waste.” He went on to describe this, “when I was seventeen years old, I watched as a large
apartment building was being built across the street from where I lived. Sadly, within a
couple of months the Depression hit. The apartment building was beginning to take form
with six or seven stories to its shape and credit. There was brickwork rising at different
heights and windows carved out like the teeth in a Jack-o-lantern. Suddenly all work on
the apartment building came to a halt. No men came back to work on it. No money was
found to put the flooring into the vast cavity that stood empty. Every day the “newness”
was now turning into “oldness”, and so sadly, this happened without ever having been
really used. A few years later, the world began to move again and with this movement
came the wreckers. Nothing could be salvaged, not the windows that met at rectangles,
not the stone that framed the courtyard and not the blind foundation waiting unidentified
and uncorked inside the shell of a building that never was”. He went on to say, he always
felt wistful about all the potential, all the opportunity, all the quality that went to waste.
And so it is about each one of us. Inside, deep inside, we each have so much potential.
Each of us has quality and opportunity and the potential to do one thing regardless of the
age we are at. That one thing is to keep on “learning”. Each and every day it is my moral
obligation to continue to learn. I must learn as much as I can about “spiritual truth”.
Spiritual Truth comes to me through devotion, meditation and prayer to Jesus Christ.
These spiritual teachings transcend all material perceptions. They give me eternal
principles and this is where IF I feel derailed and come unglued, I can find peace. While I
continue to take one deep breath after another - I relax. While I ask Jesus to “Please come
into my life and help me this moment”, I am deep breathing and I feel HIS presence in the
complete total silence of the calm that embraces my every cell.
Can I “take control” of this moment and feel HIS Spiritual Truth now?
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“Right or Wrong?” Blog #174
What right choices do I make for myself today?
Is it right to keep in place the “Five Second Rule?”
Where do I go to avoid “wrong way thinking”?
Every single minute of the day gives me thoughts, right or wrong? Do I just let anything
float into my mind? How am I inputting the “Five Second Rule” in my life daily? If I am
sitting on my phone, or social media and a thought enters my brain to stop wasting time
with “media” and work on something productive in my life, the Five Second Rule tells me to
start now - NOT let the time go by. Then I GO DO IT NOW, I do not overthink the action or
ignore the 5 SECOND RULE. That’s how IT WORKS!! It is wrong NOT to have “TIME LIMITS” for
what I DO. DOING THE RIGHT THINGS, WILL SATISFY ME from going the wrong way. Daily
Discipline gives me “time limits”. This rule teaches the importance of using my time wisely
and productively. Discipline is how I avoid going in the wrong direction. I am still in school,
I am enrolled in the “School of Life” and it’s now.
A long time ago a famous person said this, “I was sad to finally be done with school
because I thought I would not be learning anything important any more…”
It doesn’t matter how old I am, whether I work or retired, or just figuring out my life. What
matters is what’s important to me today? Can I get excited about life and choose right
over wrong starting with my thinking? It does me no good to think about a sad past, it’s a
waste of time. The right way for me to think, feel and live is positive. BE in the now. Some
people believe when they come to a stop sign on the road, that is the only moment of the
day when they let their mind relax a moment and wait! Wait for the red light to turn to
green. Let’s put that red light In our mind now. Many people are just plain cheerful, others
look for reasons to go the wrong way. DISCIPLINE MY DAY. HOW I wake up every morning
tells me I want to feel like a little child, ready for adventure. Someone might say, but I have
health issues, money problems, people problems. Not ready to do this? Time waits for no
one, the clock is ticking. I can go from wrong to right in a breath. A red light helps me to
stop and turn myself in the right direction - green light - “GO FOR IT”. Regardless of my
age, I can plan out something positive for me to look forward to. I love a good meal alone
and a good book to read. How calming, how peaceful, how “right for the moment”. I want
to learn more each day, it is right for me to READ. Weekly I find two, maybe three good
books about totally different areas of life. There is always the Library to go to. One book
may be a autobiography of someone famous. Another book may be about current affairs,
or how to stay healthy in our world, another book will be spiritual by nature, soothing,
uplifting and easy to digest. It’s fun to keep three books going, who knows what I like?
Then there’s the food I eat, maybe today I try food from a different country. There is
Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican and I decide once a week to treat myself to a special
dish. I may call someone on the phone to see how they are doing or go out to lunch. Yet, if
I am alone, I can make the “right decision to do any new thing. As long as I am alive I must
be headed down the right road. The other day I heard a most beautiful poem about life.
The poem talked about my fears, my worries and being alone with myself. It made total
sense. There is only one “right road” to travel.
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
by: Mary Stevenson
“One night I dreamed a dream,
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord,
across the dark skies flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand
one belonging to me and one belonging to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it,
“Lord you said once I decided to follow you,
you’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed at the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when I needed you the most, You would leave me?”
HE whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you.
Never, ever during your trials and testing, when you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”
Can I decide to go the right way today knowing HE is with me?
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