When my mind takes me to a situation where I am starting to judge those around me, I stop and think about the lesson. Often finding that I too have made that same judgment. I like to think it is Jesus giving me a little push to recognize my shortcomings. I find myself thinking, that could be me. In the past couple of years, two things have stuck out as being particularly influential in making it easier for me to be more patient and kinder when out and about in public. The first is COVID and the second is teenagers…
Without a doubt, I believe all things are possible. There are no boundaries when Jesus is involved. When we allow our minds to stop controlling what we want and allow Jesus to take control, all things are possible. Our minds have to be open to possibilities. If you would have told me years ago that I would be writing a weekly blog, I probably would have laughed. There are so many reasons why I am an unlikely choice for blogging. Writing had never been a strength of mine and it was not something I enjoyed. I don’t have a…
It is no secret that my faith is my first priority, for me, it is the prize. The moment I lose sight of what is most important to me, my life moves off track. When my priorities are in line, my mindset is on target, and my life has a purpose. I find myself in a state of peace despite what is going on around me. My faith does not keep me from conflict or suffering, but it allows me to weather all the storms. My kids know that my faith is first. My family is important to me, but…
Recently a statement caught my attention claiming that there was no perfect church. The discussion was regarding how all churches have issues, some big some small, with members working around the imperfections and finding the good. People have imperfections too. Thankfully I don’t have to be perfect so long as my intentions are good. I am far from perfection but strive to be faithful to Jesus. Always challenging myself to consider how Jesus would react to the situation. Things that are not perfect, my behavior, habits, moods, the list could go on forever. What I do have are good…
Are you currently living a faith-filled life yet struggling to experience complete peace? The struggle is real. There are things I rely on each day to help me focus on my faith. Tools that help me stay on track living a life of internal peace. First I make reading the Bible a priority daily. Second, I pray throughout my day. Third, I remind myself to be thankful, and grateful and live with love. Fourth, I make sure I am listening. Fifth, when possible I serve others. And sixth, I trust and give control to Jesus. In the past, reading…
I was definitely the stereotypical workaholic, balance was not in my vocabulary. I loved working. It didn’t matter what job, I always found things that I enjoyed about work. I craved the sense of accomplishment that I felt when company goals were achieved and I thrived on problem-solving. For most of my life, my job revolved around finding creative solutions. Life changed when I met my husband. We were co-workers when he started to influence my life in major ways. He always found importance in the little things. He found joy in looking at things such as…
I’ve always wondered what it means to be deserving. Is one person really more deserving than another? Does working hard, putting in long hours, earning good grades, and getting a degree, make us more deserving? When I start to have feelings that I deserve something, I quickly pray to change my thoughts to love, kindness, and compassion. I don’t allow myself to sit in thoughts of being deserving. For me, it stirs up trouble. When I think about it, who is not deserving? How would I be able to judge the life of someone else? Aren’t we…
When I find myself questioning what to do in a particular situation, I think about what Jesus would say. Somehow everything seems much simpler when I try to see the situation from his perspective. As I am contemplating a decision, I ask myself if Jesus would approve of how I am dealing with the situation. It only takes a few seconds for me to determine if he would approve. When I start negotiating with myself it is time to develop another plan! When things are difficult at home, I ask myself what Jesus would say about my parenting. Am I…
For those who follow my journey, you know that I often write about love. I am not speaking of romantic love, but rather having love for others. A love for others despite any conflicting views or judgments. I am always challenging myself to focus more on Jesus. It is not an easy process for me, distractions are always interfering. I center my thoughts on being grateful and turn to prayer. In order to focus on love, I have to let go of frustrations, stress, worry, and anger and move toward forgiveness and compassion. I am forever reminding myself to be…
When faith is first in your life, the unknown is far less scary. As you give up control and rely on Jesus clues are given and signs appear that help you find your way and prepare you for what’s to come. I listen and am alert to different clues that arise. There is a lot of noise that attempts to pull me off track, but when I am drawn to something, I do my best to follow the lead. I remember having this unusual desire to go buy a book from a bookstore. Bookstores are not something I frequent…