Category Archives: Growing

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What Are You Thinking About?

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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise worthy – meditate on these things.     (Philippians 4:6-8)     

This was the Scripture from my devotional reading this morning.  It is a very familar passage that I decided to share with a family member and then thought that the blog world might enjoy being reminded of some of it’s very meaningful thoughts.  No matter where you are in your life journey, it is always good to be reminded!  Here are just a few of my thoughts:

1.)  God tells me to be anxious for nothing.  I can’t be anxious for nothing, so what’s the point of being anxious?  (There is not one!  So stop worrying already!)     

2.)  In everything and for everything (good & bad) I am to pray with an attitude of thankfulness!

     -If I am truly trusting God with my life, then whatever happens is a part of His plan and even though it may seem bad to me at the moment, ultimately God is going to use it for my good and blessing.  I need to make sure that I keep a thankful attitude and spirit!  (Easier said than done, but necessary!)

     -With that spirit, I can bring my request to Him and know that He hears me and He will respond according to His awesome plan!

3.)  When I get the thankful spirit right – I have the peace of God, which I can’t even begin to understand or explain!

     -This peace guards my heart and mind from the attack of the enemy and the opinions and attitudes of others!     

4.)  My mind guarded and kept safe by the peace of God should meditate (think on) things that build up!               

     -The things that build up are:

-Things that are true, not that we think might be true!

-Things that are noble, not things that tear up and tear down!

-Things that are just, not opinions, ideas and worldly trash!

-Things that are pure, not unholy and unspiritual = a little poop in the brownie mix spoils the whole batch!

-Things that are lovely, not things that corrupt love and the good life!

-Things that are of good report, not false!  (Focus on the positive and the negatives will be taken care of!)

-Things that are virtueous, not things that tear down, but things that build up!

-Things that are praise worthy, not things that take away from our blessing and God’s glory!

5.)  The Devil and the world want to fill my mind with things that will tear me down and apart!                                         

     -If it tears down, is not true, unjust, mean spirited, takes me away from God and His purpose, distorts, makes ugly, is negative, bad for me and bad for others, then I need to make sure that I don’t waste my energy on giving it any attention!

     -I will not let the devil or other negative people win!  They cannot have me, my mind, my heart my spirit or my life.

     -They lose, God wins and we are blessed!

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Growing

Give God Some Praise!

It’s time to step outside of ourselves and give God some praise!  I mean when you take just a minute to stop and think about it:  He deserves all the praise!  He created us, He sustains us and He blesses us with amazing and unbelievable blessings.  Everything that you and I enjoy flowed from the creative mind of our God who loves us and wants us to live blessed and fulfilled lives!

 We need to praise God – Because He did in our life, what we could not do for ourselves!  I cannot save myself – no matter how bad I want to!  I don’t have the power or the ability.  But God – out of His great love for me, sent His Son to come and show me the way and pay the price with His life that I could not afford to pay and still live!  If you are really looking for a motivational reason to praise God – how about because He forgives you, so that you can live in a relationship with Him.

The truth is:  If you are a Believer – praise is the natural response of your life to the goodness and grace of God!  Even when life throws you a curve ball and things are not going as good as you would like for them to, it is still God’s grace that gets you through those impossible situations that we all expereince!

Praise is not something that you have to make up or manufacture!  Praise is not something that you have to force!  We need to learn to open up our hearts and lives and just let it flow!  Stop holding back the praise – let it out – you’ll feel better!  Trust me on this one!

Growing

The Power Of In!

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“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought up close and personal by the blood of Jesus Christ!”  Ephesians 2:13-14

 Most of us are in to in!  We like to get into ourselves – what we like, what we want, what will make us happy and the list could go on and on and on!  But what we need to do is get into Jesus!  Now before you go running off – thinking I really don’t need any more of this spiritual stuff, stop and think about it for just a minute!

We get so into ourselves and what will make us happy, but seem to always be chasing after something that we can never catch!  Could it be that we have been chasing after the wrong thing?  Could a relationship with Jesus, a real, meaningful and life changing relationship with Jesus – could this be the thing that we need to seriously consider!

When you stop for a minute and think about it – the reason that we are so into ourselves is because we are looking for fulfillment.  Fulfillment comes when our life gets near to the place that it needs to be – wherever or whoever that is!  Could it be that this place where our lives need to be, is in a real relationship with Jesus?  I’m not talking about the “come to church and pretend that everything is perfect” kind of relationship!  I’m talking about a relationship where I admit that I can’t, believe that He has and will for me if I will let Him!  I’m talking about the kind of relationship where I realize that it’s not about being perfect, but forgiven!

In Christ Jesus -I am brought up close and personal!  I used to live far away from the blessings of rightness!  But now through my real relationship with Jesus I am brought up close and personal – how amazing is that?  Stop trying to make things happen and take some time to enjoy what Jesus has already done for you.  What might really surprise you is:  the place you are trying to be – you could already be at through your relationship with Him!