Category Archives: emotions

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!!

Just when you think you have everything lined up exactly the way you want it, life has a way of blowing in and rearranging everything. It is true that we never know what’s just around the corner, but that is okay, because we don’t have to know. We just need to make sure that we know the ONE, who does know what is just around the corner and the ONE is God our Creator.

Good News: God Is Not Surprised By Anything!

There are good surprises and then there are bad surprises. Not knowing which we are going to get makes most of us just want to roll through life with as few as possible, but good or bad, surprises always have a way of making life better in the long run. If it’s good then it’s good and if it’s bad, then it’s usually a lesson and has the opportunity to grow into something good.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:4-7

Below are a few truths to keep in mind as we face the good and bad surprises of life:

1.) God Is Not Surprised By Anything, Because God knows everything! God created us, the world we live in and so much more that we don’t even have any idea it even exists. God created it all and therefore He knows it all intimately from the inside-out and from the outside-in. While you and I are surprised by a lot of things, nothing catches God by surprise, which means He is ready, willing and able…

2.) God Is Not Surprised By Anything, Because God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent! That’s some great big theological words that describe God and give us a better understanding of just how amazing our Creator really is and why He is worthy of our trust. Omnipotent means that God is “All Powerful”, which means there is nothing God ever faces that is bigger or better than Him. God’s got the power, because God is the power. Omniscient means that God is “All Knowing”, which means that God knows everything and there is nothing that God does not know. Omnipresent means that God is “Everywhere At All Times!, which means there is never a place or space where God does not exist. God is – period.

3.) God Is Not Surprised By Anything, Because God is for you and with you! And He has promised to never leave you or forsake you as you love Him and live your life according to His calling. God is on your side and He wants better for you than you want for yourself, because He knows better than you, so trust God one moment at a time, one day at a time and allow Him to direct your steps. As you follow the path that He has marked out for you, it will take you into and through His greatest blessings and you will be grateful for the journey…

Get On The Joy Bus!

Joy is more than just a happy word. Joy is a spiritual principle, a process of growing and maturing in your faith that allows you to not just survive life, but to thrive in the living of it. Joy can be found in the simplest of things, such as recognizing and feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin, seeing the smiling face of a cute baby or hearing the words “I love you!” Joy is so much more than just a feeling, it is a deep down assurance that you are okay and life is good.

I have found that the greatest sense of joy flows into and through my life, when I move beyond myself and begin to consider others. Serving others opens up my physical, mental and spiritual life, so that joy can flow to and through me. I am discovering that joy is not the result of a life well lived, but the cause. In other words: Joy helps me to live the life of blessing I was created to live.

Live life long enough and you are going to do battle with worry. If we are not careful, worry will act as a weed and grow all over the place before we know it. Just like we have to get rid of weeds are they get out of control, we must get rid of worry or it will take control. We cannot simply ignore it and wish that it would go away.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7

So we need to eradicate the weed of worry and cultivate the growth of joy in our hearts and lives. This does not happen by accident, but by our intentional effort to create the right circumstances uses the tools God has given us.

The Solution To Worry Is Joy!

Joy is not something we manufacture, joy is something we discover. We find Joy when we find God. We grow joy, when we grow our relationship with our Creator. We should have joy in who God is & what He has done! God is our loving Heavenly Creator. He wants to walk with us, talk with us and guide us to blessings in this life and the everlasting life to come. God has made a way where there was no way, because He love us and genuinely desires to have a personal and meaningful relationship with us.

Real joy praises, thanks and talks openly! It is easy to pretend you have joy, but real joy is not something you make yourself feel. It is something that bubbles up from deep inside of you. Real joy flows from our relationship with our Creator and focuses on what is right over what is wrong and creates more of the good stuff. Real joy is grateful for everything that life brings our way, knowing that God uses is all for the blessing of those that love Him and who are called according to His purposes. Real joy is honest, real and able to take on and take out anything that does not belong.

Real joy is ours because: God can and will hear and answer our prayers! God loves you, has an amazing plan for your life and wants to give you more and better than the desires of your heart. Instead of focusing on your problems and suffering the loss of joy, focus on God and His goodness and joy will find you. Once joy finds you, allow it to flow to and through you and it will grow into something truly special – a gift that keeps on giving…

The Purpose Of Pain!

In my life, I have had my fair share of pain. Live long enough and you will have more than your fair share as well. Pain is just a part of life and it comes and goes as it pleases, sometimes with a very direct purpose and sometimes, who knows?

Pain, heartache, frustration, disappointment, whatever you would like to call it, comes in all shapes and sizes and from all directions. As I age in this life, one of the things that I think this life is teaching me is that pain always has a purpose.

Sometimes it’s purpose is to act as a warning light that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Other times, pain is a consequence of a bad or wrong choice or choices we have made. There are times when we are not sure what or why the pain is there, causing us to ask the question: “Why Me?”

When we read the Scriptures, it becomes clear that pain has a purpose and for whatever reason that it has come into our lives, there is great reward and blessing as we learn to handle it in the right way.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. -Romans 5:3-5

Below are three things I am learning about the purpose of pain and the benefits of dealing with it…

Pain Always Has A Purpose!

1.) Don’t waste your pain, if you have to endure it, then grow from it! The Scriptures teach that “tribulation worketh patience”. The way we grow from pain is to not get frustrated by it, distracted because of it, but instead focused in spite of it or maybe because of it. Pain has a way of getting our attention and the key is making sure that our attention is focused in the right direction. Next time you find yourself dealing with pain – ask yourself what is this pain trying to teach me?

2.) Painful things teach us things we didn’t know we needed to know! The Scriptures teach that as “tribulation worketh patience, the patience is giving us experience…” In other words we are learning something, if we are paying attention. It would be a terrible waste to have to endure pain and miss the lesson that it has come to teach us. Looking back on my life, pain has taught me many things: It has taught me that what does not kill you, makes you stronger. It has taught me that sometimes I am wrong, make bad choices and choices have consequences. It has taught me that the world can be cruel, but God is always good. It has taught me that no matter what that God will use even the bad for my good as I love and trust Him…

3.) The key to getting through it, is learning from it and moving on! Most people hate their pain and want to get rid of it, but then are often unwilling to let it go. The Scriptures teach that the “tribulation worketh patience and the patience gives us experience and the experience grows into hope…” Looking back on my life and seeing where I am today, one thing is abundantly clear: The pain, tribulation, frustration, disappointments and frustrations of life have all worked together to bring me to an amazing place of blessing.

Pain is a part of life, learn from it and GROW on!