He gives us...

....clear direction for our life.

Don't move until you have it.

Peace is the umpire.

notes...

Charles Stanley is my favorite.

He's soft, caring, comforting, Fatherly....

I listen to his audio books in the car,

before I go to sleep, & sometimes in the morning 

when I just want to be still and be soothed by the word.

I've binged Charles this week.💖

He's also hubby's favorite...

so that's a bonus.

God gives us the capacity to make very wise 

decisions and gives us clear guidance

clear the pathway

a pure heart

exercise patience

be willing to wait

be alert to pressure

exterior pressure:

people telling you what you ought to do

how you ought to think

and give you advice

no matter what the circumstance is

if God doesn't give you clear direction

do not step into it because of pressure

shoulds, oughts, and musts,

will get you in a lot of trouble

persistent prayer

when you are praying for something

don't let go of it

meditate on God's word

He tailors words to fit you

it will grab you and give you direction

wait for peace

harmony and oneness

disorder, disharmony, unrest, frustration, anxiety,

fear, all those things are not God

your soul wait in silence

not murmuring, fuming, criticizing,

and blaming

avoid the pressures

wait in peace

the circumstances may not change

but you can walk through the difficult times

and face them

create harmony in your heart

be well...

xoxo

💝

 

Echoes of a story....

...that started long before you were born.

"We were already born into a story that was 

already mid-chapter."

'Sort through the luggage and decide what is worth

keeping and what needs to be left.'

"It starts when you look at the heaviness in your spirit

& say 'This isn't mine to carry anymore'."

'Walk forward with your hands empty & your heart open

to whatever is actually yours.'

You're no longer a passive passenger in your own life.

You stand alone against the tide.

You stand up as the protector you always needed.

The story takes a different turn, the pen is in your hand.

Your harsh inner critic begins to soften.

Stop blaming yourself for how you were shaped.

'Moving forward requires you to look at the gaps

without letting them swallow you.'

'You are not what happened to you,

you are what you choose to become.'

Your spirit needs specific things to thrive

You have a heart with it's own set of instructions.

Take up the space that was always yours.

'By taking care of yourself,

you are actually becoming a more

grounded present person for 

the people you love.'

You have more energy for the people 

and things that actually matter.

You have to be okay disappointing people.

You are finally home.

notes to self...

be willing to let go of familiar comforts

so you can say a wholehearted "Yes"

to life

don't waste your energy projecting yourself

into the future - trying to walk through

those "not-yet" moments in your mind

you have unlimited resources,

and a vast army of angels at

your beck and call to provide

what you need

pray as you make decisions

what is driving you?

reject discouragement

there is a benefit in the challenge

settling for the ordinary when 

extraordinary is right around the corner

doesn't get you anywhere

identify what is keeping you back

pray for the guts & grit to do something

about it

be well...

xoxo

💞

"To let no one ever know of your vulnerabilities

is to let no one ever know of your courage."

"You pray for a miracle--

for divine intervention--

until one day it finally hits you--

that you are the tool by which God intervenes,

that your prayer for a miracle

was answered on the day you were born."

"One thing that we probably have in common with the ancients

is that they didn't know they were living in biblical times, either."

 

What is missing....

....from many of our days is a true

sense of enjoying the life we're living.

filling up at an old pump

Savor the small, authentic moments that 

that make you smile...

and simple pleasures that often get overlooked.

notes...

an unexpected refund, 

a flatbed full of pumpkins

& sunflowers

pulling up to fill the tank at an old gas pump...

sharing a story with my kiddo...and laughing over the phone

enjoying the simple things....

embrace moments of happiness that are

uniquely your own

you can spot God's gifts all 

around you

be aware of the little things

that bring a smile to your face

keep a list of what triggers delight

your day

stop thinking that things outside of 

your control are going to make you happy

happiness that can't be taken away 

grows in your soul

be willing to pursue it

commit to making it a personal

priority in your life

hunt for small surprises

in the midst of the mundane

realize the value of a minute

and how precious the seconds of 

your life are

protect your time

and how you spend it

you have a life to live

one that has purpose and meaning

daily meaning is important as daily bread

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Every time you make a choice you are turning

the central part of you, the part that chooses, 

into something a little different from what it was before.

And taking your life as a whole, 

with all your innumerable choices, all your life

you are slowly turning this central thing into either

a heavenly creature

or a hellish creature."

~C.S. Lewis~

"I compare the pursuit of happiness

to a day of fishing--

it helps if you stock the pond."

"Perhaps if one knew when one was happy

one would know the things that were

necessary for one's life."

What if...

...we could make the most of the detours

we didn't plan on,

and discover what there is to see and 

explore along the way?

What if we braved the long way

with our mind set on learning,

adjusting, and opening our hearts

to fall deeper in love with life?'

What if we hit the pause button and resist

the urge to fix something or someone

letting the good and bad grow together

trusting God to sort it out when the time is right?

What if it gets us where we want to go

because it gets us to where God want's us to be,

no matter how inconvenient &

 even if we didn't think we wanted to be there?

notes...

...the purpling sky at dusk 

the warmth of a friend's understanding

the laughter from a child as he splashes in the lake

a flock of geese swimming to shore then taking

flight so close I can feel them as I stand with my feet 

in the water...

a refreshed, revitalized mind is able to sort 

out what's important and what's not

have a steadfast heart

do not worry about your life

(Matthew 6:25)

while it's fun to imagine yourself differently

don't get trapped in a life

thinking you need to be different

remove your focus away from the complexities 

of your own broken heart

toward Jesus

embrace His unconditional love

God doesn't want us to be a better version of us

He wants us to be a more accurate reflection of Him

don't miss your prayer and meditation time

get your mind clear

you don't have to be captive to bad experiences

if you're not flexible enough to change 

what's in your head

you can't change your life

change your mind

or you won't change anything else

allow a new truth to be planted in your mind

the sooner you develop a clear mindset

the more efficiently you will use your time

appreciate the value of time

by focusing on what's 

in front of you

not by lamenting what is behind you

the years zoom by

time is your most valuable resource

it can not be reproduced or replicated

learn to guard it and hold it precious

live on purpose 

make conscious choices

there is no going back

live in the present today

God is in the subtle nuances

be well....

xoxo

💞

"The peace of God is tranquility and quietness

of the soul.

it is the assurance that,

no matter what is going on around us,

everything is secure."

~Dr. Charles Stanley~

"Did you know your thoughts,

habits movement, sleep, and nutrition

can all help you rewire your brain

through a process called neuroplasticity?

Small choices, repeated daily,

can have a profound impact on your

mental health and your life."

~Dr. Mark Hyman~

"The butterfly counts not months but

moments, and has time enough."