Category Archives: positive

Blogroll, Expectation, God, Gratitude, Growing, Personal, positive, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Is Just Around The Corner!

I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner. You know that time when once a year we are supposed to focus on being thankful for our many blessing, while stuffing ourselves with turkey, dressing and all the fixings. I try my best to express my thankfulness everyday, because I really do believe that everyday is a gift. I call it practicing gratitude, because I believe to get good at something, we must continually practice.

I’ve discovered that living a life of thanksgiving seems to open the door for me to experience the fullness of life. I honestly cannot think of anything I need and I am even more hard pressed to come up with something I want. I’ve learned through my thankfulness to accept things as they are, to embrace chaos as a friend and this has moved me out of an almost continual state of confusion into a place of crystal clear clarity that allows me to learn from my past, while living in the blessing of today and looking forward to whatever tomorrow chooses to bring my way.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Living a life of thanksgiving is spiritual work. It is not always easy and it requires us to take our eyes off of self, so that we can see all around us at how the hand of God is moving and working on our behalf. Being thankful is a natural part of life, it’s the way we were supposed to do it, before we were corrupted by the world and the selfishness of our flesh.

Take a moment after you read this blog to think about at least three things that you are thankful for. Write them down and tape that note where you will see it multiple times through out the day. Also post your three things on social media to encourage others to think about what they are thankful for and you might just be surprised at how it makes a difference in someone else’s day and life too.

Blogroll, Expectation, Growing, Healing, journey, life, love, peace, positive, self improvement

It Is What It Is!

I am a quote junkie. I love quotes. I collect them, inspect them, disagree with them, embrace them, post them, print them and share them. They encourage me, challenge me, grow me and make me think. One of the quotes that I often say back to myself and other is: “IT IS WHAT IT IS!” Some people love it and some people hate it, but you know what I say? “It is what it is!”

I mean let’s face it, there are some things in this life we can change and there are other things in this life we can’t change. If you can change something and it needs to be changed, then by all means – change it! You have incredible power and can do some amazing things. Do what you can, with what you’ve got and enjoy the journey.

There are some things in this life we can’t change and if we can’t change it, then what’s the point of worrying about it, stressing over it and getting all bent out of shape? If we run into something we can’t change, then it’s time to accept and admit: “It is what it is!”

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” -Philippians 4:11

Stop resisting what is that can’t be changed and instead learn to embrace it. We embrace it, by learning whatever it is here to teach us. So many times, I have wasted my life by getting frustrated and off path by something that I could do absolutely nothing about. I would hate to know how much time I wasted trying to change things that couldn’t be changed.

One of the big lessons I’ve learned from having to face the reality that some things will never change, is that maybe the change needs to take place in me. So in the grand scheme of things here is my simple advice: Change what you can and grow from what you can’t, because at the end of the day: “It Is What It Is!”

Blogroll, journey, life, Mystery, Life,, personal growth, positive, purpose, self improvement, Spititual Development, vision

Victim Or Victor?

I have had some very unfair things happen to me in the living of this life and as much as I hate to admit it, I have been a part of some very unfair things in the lives of others. If we are honest with ourselves and one another, then this is true for all of God’s children.

Live life long enough and pay close enough attention and you will learn that life is about choices and choices have consequences. One of the biggest choices we make that determines in a great way the kind of life we are going to live is the choice between being a victim or a victor.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. -Romans 8:15

I’ve noticed something about victims that go on to live a life worth living, they almost never think of themselves as the victim. They know who they are and what they have been through, but they also at some point realize their personal power in making a choice and choose to be a victor over being a victim.

I’m not saying that nothing has ever happened to you or that something is never going to happen to you. I am not saying that you have not been or never will be a victim. The reality is that most of us have been there is some shape or size and we will be there again, but we do have a choice about staying there or growing on.

Most of us decide almost everyday to be a victim or a victor. Someone pulls out in front of us, slams on the breaks and makes us spill our venti mocha coffee – we decide to be a victim or a victor. Someone tells an untruth about us and we get misjudged, criticized and some times lose friendships, but still have to decide if we are going to be a victim or a victor.

A victim stays a victim, unless and until they decide to take their power back and exercise the control that God gave them to live the life of blessing they were created for. It is very easy to play the blame game, but the problem with the blame game is that it rarely ever changes anything for the better.

It’s easy to see all that is wrong, unfair and messed up in our life and get stuck in that place. It is easy to get so preoccupied with ourselves that we forget that for everyone life sucks at some point. The bottom line is this: If you don’t like where you are in this life, if you don’t like your situation and circumstances, then odds are that your life is not going to fix itself.

We need to look to God for guidance, direction and supernatural insight about what to do. We need to pray and ask God for His help and then we have to get busy doing our part to make sure that we are changing and growing , if we expect our life to change and grow.

There is nothing wrong with being a victim, but we have to make sure that we don’t stay a victim, because then we would miss our on the victory that we were created for.