Category Archives: positive

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Deal With It Or It Will Deal With You!

Dealing With Worry Before It Deals With You!

Worrying, anxiousness and doubts are a part of life and living. Most all of us know what it is to worry about an unpaid bill, are to be anxious about meeting at work or to have doubts about a relationship. We’ve all been there, done that and have the t-shirt.

The problem is when our worry begins to take over our life. When worry consistently and persistently keeps knocking on our minds door, leading us to become obsessive, compulsive, distracted and defeated. If we are not careful, we begin to create things to worry about by generating a series of “what if” thoughts and “worst-case” scenarios that dig deeper the pit of despair that often becomes our prison of daily experience.

The best advice I have ever been given about worry is maybe also the most simple. Are you ready for it? When it comes to worry – DON’T DO IT!

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? -Luke 12:22-24

Don’t Do It!

Jesus told his disciples: “Do not worry about your life.” That’s it – period. Just don’t do it! I feel like I need to say more about this, but what more is there to really say? We can come up with excuses, justifications and reasons why we can’t, won’t or don’t stop, but the truth is: They just don’t mean very much. If you are worrying – stop it, don’t do it!

As children of the most High God – we’ve got the power! We are created in the image of God. We have been endowed with supernatural power from on High. Life does not get to tell us what to do, unless we decide to give life our God-given power. It’s time to take your power back and use it to live the good life of blessing you were created for.

Jesus said: “Don’t Worry!” And if Jesus said: “Don’t Worry!”, then what’s the point of worrying? If Jesus tells you to do something, then you can bank on the fact that you have the power to pull it off. Don’t waste the precious gift of blessing that God gives you by not using it. Use it, grow it and mature it for everyone’s blessing and for God’s glory.

If Jesus tells you not to do something or not to do something, then you’ve got the power! The real question is: Are you going to use what God’s given you and deal with “it”, whatever “it” happens to be or are you going to let “it” deal with you???

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Don’t Worry – Be Happy!

In the late 80’s Bobby McFerrin came out with a catchy little tune with a great message that we couldn’t help but join in and sing a long to a great little reminder: “Don’t Worry Be Happy!

Don’t Worry Be Happy

Here’s a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry, be happy.

In every life we have some trouble. But when you worry you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy. Don’t worry, be happy now

Chorus:

Don’t worry! (Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) Be happy
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don’t worry, be happy.
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don’t worry
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy.
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don’t worry, be happy…

We find this same message in the Scriptures and it is certainly a lesson worth learning. It is easier said than done, but it’s not impossible, because with God’s help, all things are possible. We just have to learn to get out of the way and allow His power and wisdom to flow to and through our lives.

“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

In just two verses we find an incredible instructions with an amazing promise for those who are disciplined enough to put these Scriptures into practice.

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING!

The first thing the Scriptures teach us, are to “Be anxious for nothing!” In other words: Don’t worry about anything. There is no need for us to get worked up about what is happening or not happening in life. We are not supposed to let anything, no matter it’s size or shape to wreck us with worry.

Anxiousness is worry generated by any thoughts, images, emotions, and/or actions of a negative nature that we allow to repeat themselves in uncontrollable ways that cause us to perform a continual risk analysis in order that we might avoid, solve or get rid of anticipated potential (real or unreal) threats and any consequences we think they might bring with them into our life and living.

So what are we supposed to be anxious about? NOTHING!

PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING!

The Second thing the Scriptures teach us: Is that in the place of being anxious about anything we should “In everything talk to God with an attitude of gratitude!” Just taking the time to have conversation with our Creator can and will make a difference. It is important to remember that a conversation is made up of talking and listening, so please make sure that you tell God whatever you have in your heart and on your mind, but then make sure that you also take the time to listen to whatever it is that He has to say to you, because often in what He says to you, you will find the power and wisdom to overcome and experience the freedom of victory and all the blessings that come with it.

PEACE IS YOUR REWARD!

The third thing the Scriptures teach us is that we will be rewarded with a PEACE that cannot be explained or understood. This peace does not mean that we will be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means that we can be in the midst of these things and still be calm in our heart knowing that God has got us…

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The Gift Of Choice!

The reality that I am created in the image of God still blows me away. And if I am honest, most days, I don’t even come close to even come close to getting what that reality really means. What I do know is that it means that God loves me BIG and has given me this human experience as a gift to grow in my relationship and understanding of Him.

When we actually take the time to step away from the busyness of life, we can’t help but to think about all the gifts God has given us to be thankful for. I encourage you to take time everyday to think about some of the great blessings God has blessed you with and take the time to show some gratitude by saying thank you.

Out of all the great gifts that God has given, one that amazes me to my core is the gift of choice. God has given each one of us the gift of being able to choose for ourselves the life we will experience and live. When we stop and think about it, that gives us great reason to rejoice and be happy, because with that choice comes great power to decide and determine the direction of our life and living.

The thought of this great gifts makes me think of the tremendous responsibility we have been given to be the “master of our fate and captain of our soul” as talked about by William Ernest Henley in his classic poem “Invictus”.

Invictus

“Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

So what are we to do with this great gift of choice? We are to choose wisely to live the life of blessing we were created for and we would do well to learn as quickly as possible that our choice do indeed have consequences. So, let’s start off with an extra positive choice:

“4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” -Philippians 4:4

Once again, we see the tremendous power we have at our disposal. We have the ability to choose who or what is going to be the focus of our lives. Others do not get to decide this for us, unless we give our power of choice away to them. It is our power and our choice – what we will focus on. I want to encourage you to focus on the God Who made you and His amazing plan for you to live a life of blessing made up of living, learning, laughing and loving.

You’ve got the power – will you use it? That’s the BIG QUESTION isn’t it. We have the power, but most of us never ever get around to using it. We might every now and then tap into it, but for the most part, we tend to wander around aimlessly, just getting by. You have the amazing power to choose the life you will live – choose wisely!

It is interesting to me that Philippians 4:4 tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord” two times, almost as if there is some understanding that we are not really going to get it the first time. When it comes to choice, we can be happy or sad, mad or glad – the choice is ours. I choose to rejoice in the God, Who gave me the power to choose for myself and look forward to growing in the blessing of that incredible power that changes everything…