Before you speak…T.h.i.n.k.

Coffee Chat #4

It’s coffee time! I love being able to go grab a cup of coffee with a friend and just be able to talk with each other about what’s been happening in our lives.  It feels great to be able to really connect with friends, it’s how we are able to keep so close.  So why not make that same commitment with our God, Our Father.  Schedule a coffee date with Him every day and catch up on life’s standings.

I can’t believe that it is already March!  So much has happened and so much is getting ready to happen as we speak.  I just want to say that, it is so true that with God, all things are possible.  Even when trials come your way, the trials with give you more strength that you could ever imagine.  God is with us in our trials and He is always there in our lives.  So let us rejoice in the trials just as we rejoice in the great things that happen in our lives, they only make us stronger. 

   I love the T.h.i.n.k. picture to the left here.  Some great questions to ask yourself before saying something to someone.

   I was listening a message and the speaker was reading from James 1.  It says in James 1:2-4 (AMP) that, "’to consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, when ever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.  Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring our endurance and steadfastness and patience.  But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.’
There’s that saying that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.  We are to listen to one another twice as much as we are to speak.  While for some listening is actually a great spiritual gift of theirs, whereas, for others it’s a daily battle each day.  The mouth is said to be known as sharper than a double edged sword, and if you know anything about swords…that can really hurt when it pierces you. 
It’s quite possibly one of our biggest challenges as humans…watching what we say, because let’s face it, we are human and sometimes that ‘filter switch’ doesn’t get flipped in our brains and we tend to blurt out whatever is on our mind without even thinking about it.  For one, you never know how someone is going to take a criticism and if you are too blunt with your words you could hurt someone more.  We need that empathy for people, we need to be able to see ourselves in their situation to be able to see how we would like to have someone react to us.  Without empathy, you could end up hurting feelings and doing far more damage to the self-esteem in people. 
People don’t like to be pushed around.  Although, some people tend to be ‘go with the flow’ people a little bit more, but don’t try and take advantage of their kindness just because they don’t say much.  They are observing the situation going on, they are noting behavioral patterns, if they feel taken advantage of or not understood, chances are they are not going to trust you as much as they would someone who is more real and willing to listen to them. They will ‘clam up’ more if they feel you’re pushing them.  So speaking harshly to them could hurt them as well, so listen to them more, understand them and be honest with them, in a loving matter, and the trust will be stronger.
Kindness will give you strength and others will respect you for it.  Be real, be genuine, be honest and think before you talk and act.  You’ll be respected for it in the long run. 
Sometimes people will hurt you with words.  But we don’t have to retaliate and sink to their level.  If we can rise above of the situation and put one foot in front of the other and keep moving on and past them, we show that we have the dignity to come away from a bad situation and show love with our actions rather than words of anger.
I love listening to Lysa TerKeurst and reading her posts. She always tends to have those real-life honest moments that we all have in our life.  She seems to get the reality of being real with people. It is so true that in order to reach someone you have to be real and be honest with them. But you have to do it in a loving way. People may not want to hear what you have to say but if your honest with them they will hopefully be honest with you. Sometimes we end up in situations we don't like but if we trust Jesus and can keep moving forward. 
I'll end with this great gut-honest prayer by Lysa TerKeust, “God I don’t love this situation.  But I love You.  Therefore, I have everything I need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and will walk though until I get to the other side of this.  I trust in You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Blessings,

If God is for us…

Sometimes doesn't life feel like a construction zone? Rough and rocky?  We get tired along the way and sometimes we think that we can’t go any further.  It’s just that it’s not always a smooth path, but if it were easy, there would be no learning from those rough experiences. It’s in the times of trial that we learn just how to deal with ‘certain situations and people.’   It’s a time of building and rebuilding, whether in the physical or emotional sense.  Could be the physical building or remodeling of your house, or it could be the building or rebuilding of your relationships.  But, have you ever felt like Nehemiah in your lifetime?  Have you ever felt like you've been rebuilding your wall just to have the enemy come and knock it –or you— down?  Sometimes you just feel it’s too much and you start hearing those voices telling you that you can’t do it.  But there’s something more powerful that is out there. God is there for us.  He is there to walk with us and to help us, all we have to do is let go and give it to God and give Him the control of our life.  I love this verse from Isaiah 41:10, states that “I am with you!”  ”Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Also, Isaiah 54:4 - “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.  Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you.  You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.  We don’t have to walk this path alone and we don’t have to do it by ourselves.  Sometimes we feel as if there’s no one else that would ever understand what we’ve been going through and we tend to take so much on ourselves that we let it weigh too heavy on us.  But when we let our Heavenly Father in on our life, that load becomes a whole lot lighter and our baggage doesn’t seem as heavy as it once was.
Psalm 24:8 states that, – “Who is the King of glory?  The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.”We serve a great and powerful God, He is capable of taking care of each and everyone of us.  Don’t give into those voices of discouragement.  Remember that if God is for us, than who can be against us. Don’t give up hope.  Keep on fighting because God is going to do great things in you and for you. He’s got great plans for his children and He wants to be apart of your life for eternity. 




Blessings,

Give it your very best….Never Give Up!

I’ve seen Facing the Giants so many times but this is probably one of my favorite motivational scenes.  I’ve seen the clip below used many times and at various times through out inspirational messages that I’ve listened to as a way to motivate us into doing our VERY BEST!  Isn’t it true though?  Sometimes we think we ‘can’t’ do something, and we convince ourselves it’s ‘too late’ or ‘too hard.’  Check out my previous post, Defying the odds, because a bumblebee was never meant to fly, but it did anyway!

It’s probably one of the hardest things to do, to force ourselves to keep going when things get hard or tough.  It may seem like it’s too difficult and it’s easier to do what we need to do ‘to just get by.’  You think, 'I’ve done just enough to meet my minimum goal.’  And, the minimum goal is all you think you can do, but what about that Big Hairy Audacious Goal you have set for yourself?  How are you going to ever meet that if you never get past that small goal?  So many times we find ourselves sitting by the sidelines when we should be out playing the game.  I know you’re probably thinking, “but the game’s pretty scary, I could get hurt, I can’t make it though the entire way.”  I have those exact same thoughts at times.  What if I get in the game, and I totally…well, ‘mess up?’ “What if I get out there and people laugh at me and think I’m crazy?”  Well, we all make mistakes, we’re human.  If we never take risks, we can never mess up and we can never learn from our ‘mistakes.’  It’s the ‘mistakes’ that make us stronger and help us grow.  Also, if we never step out of our comfort zone because we are afraid of people laughing at us or making fun of us, we will be missing out on so much more that God has planned for our lives.  Like it says in, Joshua 1:9, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” If we let God in and give him control of our life, He is with us where ever we go and we don’t have to be afraid. 

If you really give it your all and step out of your comfort zone and really push yourself….yes, people are going to watch you, but it’s the people who are really seriously watching you who are going to be ‘in awe’ of the courage and strength you have to do something so insanely courageous.  It’s the same people who want to do something courageous as well, but needed to see you as an example. I can remember this quote from, We Bought a Zoo, ‘all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage’  and your life could completely change.

What if everyone took 20 seconds to do something insane and incredibly courageous?  What would that look like?  How would you feel?
Take a few minutes to watch these short clips from Facing the Giants and We Bought a Zoo.

Just when something may seem really, really hard to start and even harder to finish, just remember when you finally make it through it’s all going to be worth it! Then, it’s time to start something NEW again!

What’s your 20 seconds of insane courage?  Please feel free to share your thoughts below.

Motivational Scene from “Facing the Giants” -- Give it your VERY BEST!

20 Seconds of Insane Courage

Blessings,

God can take you where you are at!

There's a purpose and a plan for all of us!

God can meet you and take you where you are!  

1 Peter 5:6-10 --> upon reading this section verse 10, this does stand out as the key verse here.  No matter what we may go through, God is here for us and he will provide us with strength to be restored.  In the hands of God our brokenness is powerful.  More powerful than we could even imagine!
We can see the face of God in the brokenness, in the storms of life, in our trials and in our tribulations.  The difference in 'being broken' and 'being broken open' is when we find that we can let God in to help us heal.  God gives us those little signs of comfort that everything is going to be okay.
Listening to Sheila Walsh this weekend, made me think about a few years, remembering hearing from Tammy Trent.  These two ladies have amazing stories to tell.  In Sheila's book, Honesty and In Tammy's book, "Learning to breathe again,' tells the stories of how they've felt broken and how they've been restored.
His angels are all around us, whether they come in Hilton Housekeeping uniforms, a voice or hug of a stranger or even someone we know well.  We are constantly entertaining angels all around us.

     So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.  

     In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

God has His Purpose for all of us!  I love when I heard someone say this,  'God just teach me to sing and worship you in the middle of the storm.'  Because when we are in the middle of a storm that's really when we want to be focused on God.  Which really reminded me how much I really love the song from Casting Crowns, Praise you in this storm.  God will get us through the storms in our lives.  I can see the pictures -- standing on the sandy beach  in the middle of a rainstorm just praising God in the midst of it.  How amazing does that sound?

Romans 8:28 -- And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

I am a Child of God and Daughter of the King of Kings!  

I took a couple notes from one of Sheila's messages she shared and I wanted to share some of them here....

God let me reflect who YOU ARE!

A couple of points I've listed from the conference that I was at to help us reflect.... 

• It's okay to talk to yourself. :-)  Really it is! :-) You can ask yourself, who does Jesus love? For me, THIS GIRL! :-)

• Build an arsenal of the Word of God
• Dig for themselves/ourselves
• The Word of God is a letter written to YOU by GOD to help you.
• Create a stack of cards with verses that you can turn to
• Fear --> Psalm 27:1
• The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? 
     The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? 
• Anxiety --> 1 Peter 5:7
• Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 
• Overwhelmed --> 
• My Grace is sufficient for you
• My Grace is enough for you
• Psalm 143:8......................Treasure deep in your heart
  Psalm 4:8
• The Bible is full of helpful verses for us to live by (God's love letter to us!)

• Surround yourself with good people.  You will be like the five people you are around the most!
• find yourself a mentor  -- someone older who can give you guidance, answer your questions and help guide you and just be able to be there for you.

God knows the weight of what we have cried, he holds our tears and he knows when we cry.  He is there for us!  He will wipe away every tear that falls from our face.

Revelation 21:4 -->  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.

Love this song from Sheila Walsh.  She sang it toward the end of the Women of Faith conference, so I though I would share it on here as well. 

You Raise me up - Sheila Walsh