I choose to ride out the times of uncertainty looking for the light or the positive along my path. Most people can find things they don’t love about their life. If I am on my intended path, I ignore those negative things. What allows me to stay the course is prayer, asking Jesus to guide me to the light. It is amazing what we can endure when we look for something good to carry us through tough times. Prayer leads me to opportunity and to the light. The argument is that there is nothing to like about the situation…
There are things we can do to help us create and sustain a solid foundation for our home. It is important to build a strong structure, a place where we can live each day with hope and free from chaos. Our attitude, effort, and choices all contribute to the strength of the structure we call home. My mindset is important to me and drives how I feel each day. I am purposeful about starting the day thankful and full of hope. Before I get out of bed I thank Jesus for all that the day will bring. I choose an…
If there ever were a word that I would use to describe my father, it would be wisdom. Before making a decision or giving advice, he always took time to compile the knowledge, experience, and judgment, to deliver an unbiased response. Although my dad had an excellent sense of responding to emergencies (he was an emergency responder) he had a keen sense of not overreacting. He would answer if he felt a need or urgency but never felt obligated to respond without utilizing all the information at hand. Knowledge is a big part of wisdom. But there’s more to…
Many of us detox to cleanse our body, I like to think I also cleanse my soul. Daily I challenge myself to slow down, pray, and center myself on Jesus. As I slow down my core beliefs and values are strengthened. Personally, I don’t have a set time that I cleanse my soul but it is something I do daily. I have a routine, but I stay flexible and in the moment so as not to miss out on an opportunity to serve Jesus. I work at having a synergistic perspective from the inside out, looking to mirror compassion…
It’s so easy to get caught up with the daily grind, allowing gloom to shadow over possibility. Many go through the day with a perspective of finishing rather than celebrating small accomplishments. Everything can be looked at negatively and turn to doom and gloom. Often leading to a path that feels like swimming upstream. But we have the possibility of meeting the challenge, relying on our faith, and looking for the light. We can choose to make every crazy little crummy task a positive challenge. But to accomplish that we need hope. I rely on my faith to move…
Every day I have the ability to choose the path I follow. If I’m paying attention, there are clues that will guide me to my intended path. Whether or not I follow what is intended for me is my will. Even when I have constraints around time or place, I still have the ability to choose the light. I might be inconvenienced or somewhere that I am not fond of being, but if I choose to look for the opportunity, it will be presented. Often the opportunity is not what I want. Sometimes I have to endure things that…
I have found that asking for help or needing help is often seen by others as reliance or weakness. And it can be if it’s abused. For me, asking for help takes great strength. Whether we admit it or not, there are times when each of us needs help. When asking for help, key factors are how often it’s needed, how genuine it’s delivered, and my acceptance of the fact that I need help. Prayer is how I resolve those issues within myself. I rely on prayer to move me through all issues; my faith never wavers…
If you had told me years ago that I would be embarking on my 8th year of writing a faith-based blog, toliveforsomethinggreater.com, I think I would have smiled and said to myself, “That’s crazy! “ My faith was very private, and my writing skills were deplorable. Despite the reality of the situation, I would not have said impossible because I have had true faith for as long as I can remember. My faith allows me to think beyond the impossible. This thinking has opened up doors numerous times in my life to things that I would…
One of the most valuable questions I have learned to ask myself before I respond to a situation is, how can I be helpful? When I start from this perspective I am able to address any issue with compassion. That doesn’t mean that I get involved in all interactions. Sometimes the most compassionate thing I can do is pray and walk away. Silent prayers asking Jesus to guide the person or situation. Not contributing to frustration, anger, fighting or dangerous situations might be the best decision. Being helpful might require suggesting support for someone or maybe lending a listening…
Many years ago, I discovered just how wrong I could be when judging a gift. It was a gift for one of my children, and I felt it was unnecessary. To be honest, I didn’t want it cluttering up the house. At the time, we didn’t have a basement or extra storage. I remember this item being on the gift list at least three times, which means a birthday, Christmas, and yet another birthday without being purchased. The item, a snow cone machine, finally made it under the tree two years after the original request. I had seen…