Did God Put His Kids in Time Out?

I watched Andrea Pacelli’s awe-inspiring Easter concert online on Sunday from the Cathedral of Milan. As magnifico as it was, I couldn’t help but think about the thousands who would usually attend one of his concerts. But this day, the Cathedral was empty, save Andrea and the organist. I noticed the empty streets in that bustling city where crowds come to visit the magnificent architecture and art everywhere. My husband and I were among the thousands there, entralled by this city's beauty, on our 40th anniversary cruise.

A couple of weeks ago, right in the middle of this shelter-in-place, I went to a doctor appointment and noticed how empty the streets were here. I thought to myself “It seems like a Sunday when so many folks stay home.” Then I started thinking about the Sabbath day that God specifically called for in the Ten Commandments #4 to be exact: “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." Have we kept this day holy? My musings continued: "What if God allowed this pandemic to get us shaped up and back to the main thing of being His devoted and consecrated people?" Like any good parent who loves their kids too much to let them keep on disobeying, maybe He was put out with our disobedience and slack in our observance of the Ten Commandments. And, He called for a “time-out” for us to reconsider our ways.

So, let’s just say that’s a truth – then what do good kids do while they’re in time out? I remember my daughter put her kids in time out, with an added-on discipline of writing a scripture verse at least ten times that represented their “infraction”. I also remember the necessity of apologizing to the one (usually her brother and vice versa) who had been the recipient of the naughtiness.

So what are we doing in this time-out? Especially, if we sensed in any way, that our Heavenly Father might be disciplining His kids? Proverbs 3:11-12 says “My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the LORD reproves Him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

I'm sure God wants us to get along better. Maybe He wants us to “lie down in green pastures so He could restore our souls” (Psalm 23:4). Maybe He wants us to use our minds for creativity and ingenuity. Maybe He wants us to seek Him more. And so many of us have done that – we’ve been on daily prayer regimens, been a part of encouragement to others via Zoom-type meetings, and not missing a beat on attending church because we’ve watched on-line church.

As parents, we want our kids to learn from their mistakes, and when they do, there are so many rewards for those kiddos. I really think God nudged St. Paul’s writings with these words: “ALL things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes.” (Romans 8:28) Our good, good Father knows best. He IS working out these times for our good. I just know it.

I’m doing my best to be my most faith-filled daughter to Him during my time out! I want to make my Father proud that I’ve learned my lessons well. How about you?

Keeping Guard Over Our Mind

When the airport's TSA agent was frisking my granddaughter a couple of weeks ago because she was a little "shifty" looking (NOT! It was her water bottle in her purse and a large bottle of sunblock in her carry-on), we realized the importance of being compliant with TSA's regulations.

Yesterday, I thought about how TSA is doing its best to keep out the "shifty" and potential harmful characters from entering our country. TSA requires that we walk through metal detectors and if we are not TSA pre-checked approved, we'll even have to take off our shoes, belts, and empty our pockets to prove we are harmless.

Today, my post is about the need we have for setting up a TSA, of sorts, for our minds to keep those "shifty" and harmful thoughts out that try to invade our minds. Fear comes; regrets come; panic comes; anxiety comes; envy comes; temptations come and we have a choice -- to allow them entry to invade our thought-life or to lock them out!

II Corinthians 10:5 says ".....We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We have the ability to HALT those negative thoughts from coming in, but we have to do it on purpose, as soon as they try entry. But how, you might ask? Here's one of my favorite scriptures that tells us how. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." That, is the TSA for our minds. We purposely and intentionally THINK good thoughts and when the alien, negative thoughts come....they get quickly replaced by focusing our attention on what and WHO (God) is good, true, excellent, praiseworthy.

It's a matter of discipline and taking authority over the negative -- again, just like the TSA. TSA has the authority to remove shifty, potentially dangerous people from flying on that aircraft. With God's Word in our heart and mind, we can have mind control over our thoughts, and furthermore, we can put our enemy in captivity when he tries to mess with us! Here's God's Word that confirms it from Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

Being a Self Leader Before Becoming a Leader of Others

Yesterday morning, in our devotions, the subject of self leadership came up. Self leadership is a discipline that causes us to first strive for being a good leader to ourselves, even before considering being a leader to someone else. Self leadership is introspection and awareness of how and what we think and how we react. Self leadership is having a developed sense of who we are, what we can do, where we are going coupled with the ability to influence our communication, emotions and behaviors on the way to getting there.

Here's an example: Someone tells a lie about us and we take in that negativity. As a self leader, we can think I'll get even with them. I'll give them my two cents worth. I'll expose the truth about them. Or, as a self leader, we can have a little visit with ourselves and offer suggestions for a better way to handle the situation. We can say things like I need to confront them with kindness to see what caused their actions. I could speak to myself about patience and tolerance and be quick to forgive them.

I can't begin to tell you how many times the enemy pushed me beyond my strength. In reality, I wanted to throw in the towel and retreat to a place of self-pity. I longed for someone to talk to about it, and I realized the one I needed to talk to was me. I recall the story of David in 1 Samuel 30 where this future king of Israel was learning to lead his troops. He wasn't by any means a highly skilled soldier at that time. Even though God poured His favor on David, one terrible day, he and his troops returned home from fighting another enemy and David and his men discovered their camp sites destroyed and their women and children had been dragged off. That would be defined as a bad day for any leader. His soldiers were tired, angry, and worried sick about their families. They were miffed at God. Some of his men spread word that they'd had it with David's leadership. They figured it's all David's fault, and they decided to stone him to death.

In this crisis David's leadership was severely tested. Eventually, he has to decide who needs leadership the most. His soldiers? The Officers? The enemy? The answer? None of the above.

In that critical moment David realized he had to lead himself first, before he could lead anyone else. Unless he had his mind and spirit together, he had nothing to offer his team. So in 1 Samuel 30:6, we read that "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God".

David understood the importance of self leadership. And although self leadership isn't talked about much, I assure you, it is the leadership that our world seems to be most lacking. How can we expect someone else to fix what's wrong in our world, our churches, our schools, our government-- if we can't fix ourselves? How effectively can any of us lead others if our spirits are sagging, our courage is wavering, and our emotions are always on the edge where we respond with knee jerk reactions instead of weighing what our next words will be, or should be?

Here's what I considered about leading myself. If a problem comes to my attention - - first, take a deep breath and have self control. Rather than having an immediate knee jerk reaction, ponder the ways to correct the problem.

Leadership is an art that I want to master. I desire to be able to remind myself who I am and how much my Heavenly Father loves me. I want to self lead myself to be patient, calm, focused and steady in the midst of my days. I want to self lead myself to be on time, attentive to others, be laser focused on them when we're speaking, and I want my first response to be kindness, gentleness, and love. Yes, I'll probably have to take myself into my mind's conference room to keep striving to get it right, but like David, keep strengthening myself in the Lord my God, until I get it right.

Always Something To Be Thankful For

Day 332 of Photo Inspirations -- Always Something To Be Thankful For
Thanksgiving Day is past, yet the turkey leftovers and a few extra pounds are still with us.  The best of what remains is still the sweet atmosphere of gratitude.  I'm so grateful for the time with my family and especially grateful to celebrate another Thanksgiving with Mom (Granny/Great Granny) -- thus my photo inspirations of this special time.  Note those two silly guys picking her up for a fun photo.  She's always been such a good sport, but precious of all -- was having family prayertime with her.  It binds us together in such sweet tenderness.  I'm so grateful for our family's heritage.  It was Dad & Mom that gave us an example to follow -- through the tough times, they stood strong -- through the joyful times, they showed us how to celebrate life.

Without a doubt, our upbringing plays a big role on the attitude we have -- where there's a spirit of grumbling and complaining, we gravitate to grumbling and complaining.  But where there's optimism and trust in God, even in tough times, we're prone to seeing life from the standpoint of gratitude.  Mom and Dad gave us the example of trusting God in the midst of trials.  But wherever we came from, and what atmosphere we were raised in, it's possible to BECOME grateful -- even if it's not our natural "bent".   But it does take discipline. It's like learning to dance or play a musical instrument or any habit that is formed -- it takes practice and doing it over and over again. The reality is that a grateful heart will make way for EVERYTHING we encounter, to find the good in it, and, best of all, it opens the door for blessings. We just have to replace complaints and fault finding, with praise and thanksgiving. Finding the good in situations, in people, in life's daily challenges.....is possible.  It's there. Here's a great example of turning the negative to positive to thankgiving.

I AM THANKFUL
...for the mess to clean after a party, because
it means I have been surrounded by friends.
...for.the taxes I pay, because it means that I'm employed.
...for the clothes that fit a little too snug,
because it means I have enough to eat.
...for my shadow who watches me work,
because it means I am out in the sunshine.
...for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that
need cleaning and gutters that need fixing,
because it means I have a home.
...for the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot,
because it means I am capable of walking.
...for my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
...for all the complaining I hear about our government,
because it means we have freedom of speech.
...for the lady behind me in church who
sings off key, because it means that I can hear.
...for the piles of laundry and ironing,
because it means my loved ones are nearby.
...for the alarm that goes off in the early morning
hours, because it means that I'm alive.
...for weariness and aching muscles at the end of
the day, because it means I have been productive.

Yes, I am thankful.....and I purpose to live in that thankfulness.....daily.  How about you?

World Changer in the Making

Day 29 of my Photo Inspirations
I'm back in Texas for a few days, and I love this sign posted on my grandson's bedroom door.     I am so proud of the declaration that Payton makes over his life.  And I don't have a doubt in my mind that he will be a world changer -- making a positive difference in his world. 

What if this was a sign we looked at everyday on our mirror, or in our car, or on our desk at work?  A sign that says we are a "world changer in the making".   Sure, it says "in the making" -- it's a daily discipline and a daily commitment to being intentional about becoming a world changer. Wouldn't that be the factor we'd consider when making a right or wrong decision, conveying positive or negative attitudes, displaying a heart of gratitude or ingratitude, whether to reach out and help someone or not, believing that in the middle of every challenge or difficulty is an opportunity? 

We are God’s chosen means of bringing light to the world.  We were created with everything we need to be world-changers.   And we can be willing instruments in the hands of our amazing God to positively make a difference in our world.   It’s about doing what we’re called to do. It's about doing what we can do right where we are.  What we do with our lives matters.
 
So go ahead -- copy this photo and put it where you and your kids can see it.  We can ALL be "world changers in the making".

I THINK....I Can!

Did you know what we think about the most…..is what we get? It’s like a giant magnet – pulling those things to us. If we noted our thoughts for 24 hours, what would those notes reveal about our hearts, our values and our attitudes? We might be thinking, "This is a crummy day. Nothing is going my way!" And, guess what, the more we think that, the crummier it will get. Our thought life really can determine our present, and our future. This is a scripture I meditate on frequently, and I do my best to bring my thought life from the negative to the positive when I quote it: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

Yes, it takes discipline, and a conscious effort, but I’m going to make sure my thoughts are on those things that I want coming my way!

So.....here's my thoughts for today: "It's going to be a great day! I will make a positive difference in someone's life. I am so thankful for the gift of life. I am prosperous and successful. I am unstoppable. I'm a daughter in the royal family of Father God. Wow...and He loves me so much! I am filled with peace, joy, hope and I will NOT quit! I am healthy, strong, full of life and energy! I will not give up, until I'm taken up. I am more than a conqueror. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. I am a WINNER! In fact, I can JUMP from here to there......with one giant leap of faith!"

"For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7