Tag Archives: mental

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Change Your Why To What And Move On!

Sometimes it just seems like it does not matter what you do, the world is just lined up against you. You get up with a good attitude, begin to take all the steps to head your life in a right direction and “BAM” out of nowhere you get blindsided once again with stuff you feel is totally out of your control.

So many of the people I talk to on a daily basis really do want to do better and live a more fulfilled life, but it just seems that no matter how hard they try, carefully they plan or how organized they become, life just seems to find a way of sticking it to them.

You may be one of those folks and trust me when I tell you that I can most definitely relate. I mean, I really do have the best of intentions. I like to think I have a pretty incredible work ethic and a tenacity to stick with it, no matter what, but sometimes life just seems to get too hard, especially when I seem to keep taking blow after blow after blow.

I have learned that when my life gets to this place, the first question, becomes the reoccurring question and before I know it, I have dug myself a grave. The question we tend to ask that gets us into such a mess is: “Why is this happening to me?” and the problem with the question is that it puts all the focus into the wrong place – me!

If you really want to succeed and experience blessings in this life, then you need to not only ask questions, but make sure you are asking the right questions. If we will just change our “why” question into a “what” question, we will be amazingly surprised at what a difference it will begin to make in our attitude and through our attitude with our life and living.

If you are going to ask and answer a question, then make sure it’s the right one. Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?” Ask – “WHAT IS THIS TRYING TO TEACH ME?” It is the answer to this question that has the potential to set us free to be blessed in incredible ways. This question takes the focus off of me and puts it on the lesson I need to learn and once I learn this lesson, I am on my way to the better I was created for.

So my encouragement for today is to change your “WHY?” into a “WHAT?” and grow on! Trust me, you will be glad you did…

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Do You See What I See?

Working with students, faculty and staff on a daily basis, trying to provide spiritual leadership to a congregation and serving to meet the needs of others, means that I have a lot of opportunties to look into a lot of different sets of eyes. I get to look into eyes of all ages, races and backgrounds.

I have seen all kinds of “looks” looking back at me. Sometimes there is a look of love and appreciation for something I’ve done or said. At other times there is a look of pain, despair, frustration that comes from the individual not knowing what in this world they are going to do? There are almost as many different looks, as there are eyes to look at and be looked at by.

I love the eyes. I think they are one of God’s most amazing creations. I mean just the science of how it all works is more than my limited mind can grasp, but also the magnificence of the beauty and communication that flows from a set of eyes can literally take your breath away.

One of the reasons that I do not like texting conversations is because I cannot see the other person’s face. When I have a face in front of me, I can see the curve of their lips, the personality of their brow ad hear the silent communication of reality that flows from their eyes… Someone called the eyes – “Windows to the soul”, which I agree with and I think they are so much more.

Eyes are facinating, they speak a thousand languages, tell the deepest stories and reveal the most meanigul truth without speaking a word out loud. Charlotte Bronte put it this way in her classic “Jane Eyre” – “The would fortunately has an interpreter – often unconscious, but still a truthful interpreter in the eye.”

Pay attention to other’s eyes. Look and listen to what they are saying or maybe not saying??? Every now and then take a look into the mirror and allow yourself time to appreciate the very special gift of your own set of eyes and see if you can understand what they are communicating to you about you, your thoughts, ideas and feelings.

Thank you God for eyes to see and to communicate with and I pray that I might use mine to share your love and grace, as I take time to appreciate the opportunity to look into the eyes of others and know them in deeper and more meaningful ways. Wow – what a wonderful world…

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Sacred Spaces And Reflection Places…

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The Not So Secret Secret!

One of my favorite ways to begin the day is outside. And I always try to begin my day with some time spent in meditation and prayer. This combination of some quiet time out in nature allows me to do the inside work that is so important to helping me not totally cave in or explode completely apart. It is often a fine line and time in meditation, contemplation, prayer and reflection is a vital part of my daily process that allows me to keep on keeping on, even and especially when I don’t want to.

This morning I headed out to one of my special spots that I call my prayer rock. On my way, I decided that in this new year, I wanted to use my physical copy of the scriptures during this time, rather than my electronic device. I love my iPhone and am very blessed with my iPad. They help me to research, write and share in incredible and amazing ways. They are tools which make tasks quick, efficient and a lot easier. I just thought it would be nice in the new year to go “old school” and actually hold “THE BOOK”, flip the pages, look up the scriptures and feel it as I allow it to fill me with His presence and power.

Now, I’m not looking to get into a debate about which is better, because I think that our Creator is more than capable of communication through whatever and however He chooses. This is just about me, what I like and taking some steps back to something very familiar, healing and encouraging to me. To each his own and my Grandaddy taught me: “There is more than one way to skin a cat!”, but that is another blog for another time.

One Of My Prayer And Meditation Rocks

The important a thing to grasp here is that we: 1.) Take Some Time To Do The Inward Work Of Thinking and Thanking. 2.) Discover & Utilize Special Places Of Peace, Relection And Meditation. 3.) Embrace What Is Special To You And Keep It Special. Below are three ideas with some of what works for me:

TAKE SOME TIME TO DO THE INWARD WORK OF THINKING AND THANKING! You can do this anytime you want, but I want to encourage you to take time everyday to: 1.) Spend a little time in the inspirational and encouraging scriptures found in our Bibles. God’s Word is powerful and once it is taken inside of our mind and life, it begins a work that stays with us for all eternity. I try to write at least one verse or passage in my journal everyday that I am considering and thinking through… 2.) Think about all you have to be grateful for and express that gratitude in some “out loud” way. I do this by saying “THANK YOU”, writing at least three things I am thankful for in my journal everyday and practicing a gratitude meditation where I just basically take time to speak thank your out loud for many of my blessings by making them.

Special Place Not To Far From Home!

DISCOVER AND UTILIZE SPECIAL PLACES OF PEACE, REFLECTION AND MEDITATION! I have places inside and outside. I have places at home and away from home. I am discovering new places all the time. Everyone needs a place to escape to. It may be a special room in your house. It may be somewhere in the backyard. It could be a special chair on your porch. It can be a bench in the park, a blanket on the ground or even the quietness of just sitting in your car. Just find you a place and use it as a sacred space for you to spend time with your SPIRIT to find peace as you reflect and meditate on what really matters.

EMBRACE WHAT IS SPECIAL TO YOU AND KEEP IT SPECIAL! This is one of the big secrets: Once you have figured out what, how, where, who and when is special and sacred, then make sure to protect it and utilize it. We have such wonderful, amazing and supernatural tools that our Creator has put at our disposal, but we often leave the tools in the box, the books on the shelf, the ink in the pin and the pages in the journal… Make sure that you use it, so you don’t lose it!

Scripture!

It really is the simple things that have the potential to have the biggest impact on our lives and living, so I encourage you to invest a little time to rediscover the simple things that are so special to you and you know what? I bet, you’ll be glad you did!