It takes self-control to conquer evil with good. Allowing someone to blow off a little steam yet responding with compassion in your voice and nonverbal communication. Some of the most difficult times for me to respond with love are when I’m caught off guard and tired. I can handle difficult situations, but when I walk into a tense situation or am involved in something spontaneously, I need muscle memory to help me quickly respond in the desired way. When thrown into the boxing arena, I want to stay calm and tactical. I am not an experienced fighter and…
Trusting the process is often difficult when we see results. When we trust in Jesus we are doing so without seeing. We can gain knowledge from The Bible, witness miracles, attend church, participate in bible studies, worship through the arts, fellowship, prayer, etc. For me, it boils down to love and trust in Jesus. Without a doubt, I trust that Jesus has my back. Things don’t always go the way I anticipate or desire, but I trust without waiver. The inner peace I feel when I live every day from a perspective of love is something I am unwilling…
Everyone’s potential is uniquely their own. We all have different strengths and weaknesses to refine if we are up to the challenge. If we are open, Jesus will work with us to help us reach our highest potential. It is important for me to set aside some time to focus on my physical and mental self, but sometimes I forget to think about how others perceive me. How well am I communicating to others and how well am I received? It is a challenge, but I work at shutting out all the chaos around me and focusing on refining…
Each of us has a purpose in life. It is unlikely that we will leave this earth before our purpose is fulfilled. The difficult part is we don’t usually know our purpose. As we walk our intended path, it becomes clearer, but it is often not disclosed. As I become more prayerful my path becomes more clear. That doesn’t mean I understand my purpose or have a clear direction regarding God’s plan for me. But I am able to better move forward as I wait for the plan to be unveiled. When I surrender control to Jesus…
As I prepare for a celebration of freedom I look forward to a time of unity and inclusion. Being inclusive to all, yet refueling in the comfort of those who understand me. Surrounding myself with people who are like-minded and live with love. Other than my children and my father, I rarely see those who know me the best. Those who unconditionally accept me for who I am understand that we don’t have to see or talk to each other to stay connected. Our community has an incredible celebration for July 4th. Most years the celebration continues throughout…
God pushes us to achieve our full potential revealing our hidden strengths and molding us for our purpose. The more I rely on Jesus the more strength and potential I reveal. Through prayer, I let go of the things I think are right for me and give control to Jesus. Walking away from what I want to do to follow my intended path. Leaving some of my dreams behind believing that Jesus will guide me to my purpose. Being open to God’s plan is wonderful. Blindly accepting my path before knowing my purpose is challenging. The most difficult part…
It is time to stop letting the chaos into my life and be still. Leaning on prayer to lead me to my daily purpose. Living in the moment not letting the past define me or the future scare me. Focusing on Jesus is the best way I know to be still. I focus on prayer and then listen. For me, prayer is the easy part. Welcoming in the Holy Spirit is the place I start, continuing with thanking Jesus for dwelling within and healing my soul. I trust that he will guide and heal me so thanking him in advance…
As I try to keep myself untangled from all the chaos and noise around me I look forward to a time when we love without reservation. When everywhere we go we are at peace with all those around us. A time when we serve others without worrying if it will be well received. Where there will be no concern with one’s race, ethnicity, religion, or level of education. Love will overcome hate and hope will take the place of despair. Kindness will become the norm and forgiveness will be abundant. Intentions will be good and deception will be eliminated…
Something invaluable that I have put into place is an unwillingness to let negative events run my life and steal my hope. Day after day, there are things that can put us in a mindset of despair. But all those same things dealt with from a positive perspective can be handled and packaged differently. If we don’t keep a positive perspective, all the negative aspects of the day will wear us down. They make us and the people around us exhausted and incapable of functioning properly. We hurt and grieve regarding many things in life. Often it is regarding…
As a child, if I wanted to do something well I made a point of practicing the task. The more I repeated the action the easier it was to perform and the more it became part of my memory. Often tasks become an automatic response to certain situations or environments. At home when one is finished with the meal the dishes need to be cleared from the table. Unless one person clears the table each night, the family needs to be trained to take their plates and the serving dishes to the kitchen counter. Some families may pray together before…