Archive for relationships
February 26, 2012 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, deceit, freedom, gift, Holy Spirit, imperfect, Jesus, liberty, love, philosophy, salvation, sin, strength, unconditional, worship
What’s thwarting you from sharing your faith? – Or perhaps meeting the Master of our faith?
Imperfections can be a deterrent to freely moving forward with our relationship with Jesus. Sometimes they can stop us from feeling worthy enough to either share our faith with others, or receive the free gift of salvation from Jesus Himself.
Vain philosophies, traditional doctrines, critical judgments from other people, improper worship of the creation rather than the creator – - these can become obstructions to the true freedom and liberty which Christ has to offer.
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Col. 2:8)
Christ came to set us free – and to assure us of our victory over death. He took all our sins and paid the price for us. With the power of the Holy Spirit He gave us the strength to overcome our imperfections, to look past them, and to not let them have power over us. He died for us while we were all still imperfect, knowing that we would continue to struggle with our humanity until we could be made perfect in Heaven.
He loves us – and meets us where we are – “as” we are -
- and loves us anyway…….!
November 10, 2011 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, control, culture, faith, God, heart, Lord's Prayer, mind, password, prayer, relationship, religion, ruler, soul, will
Thy will be done…………
The Lord’s Prayer is well known by many. It has appeared on plaques, dishes, blankets, bookmarks, t shirts – just about any object imaginable. It has been preached, read, memorized and appears to transcend religious denominations.
If we are not careful, we can recite the words without allowing them to sink into our heart, mind and soul. It is a simple yet powerful prayer – perhaps overused in our modern culture as a robotic password of sorts for reaching up to God.
It is important to consider and meditate on the deep meaning of each passage. One of them being – “THY” will be done. Without recognizing that it is God’s will which will be done (and not ours), we can fall into the trap of claiming “our” will be done instead. This can lead us into disappointment, and a lack of faith.
We need to give up our supposed “right to rule”, and allow God’s sovereignty to become master of our lives. HE is in control, HE created the universe – HE knows what HE is doing !!
“Hallowed” be YOUR name———
–and not mine !
November 2, 2011 · Filed under relationships · Tagged addictions, anger, behavior, Christian, connection, destruction, disease, emotions, fear, God, grief, health, hurt, Jesus Christ, joy, Lord, love, relationships, relief, salvation, Savior, sickness, sorrow
What are you withholding?
Are you holding back feelings of grief, sorrow, anger or even joy? Is fear a constant companion, and a prime culprit for a lack of connection to others, or even yourself?
Addictive behaviors to cover up the emotions within are a temporary relief – but then they need to happen over and over – and sometimes lose their effectiveness. Eventually, what was covered up becomes exposed – and this can lead to destructive behavior ……..and even lead to premature death.
The good news is that we can find healthy ways to get help. By reaching out to those who have found their way out of unhealthy lifestyles and establishing a loving relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – we can turn away from destruction.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Ps. 84:11)
We can freely receive His love and forgiveness, and walk in His light.
- then instead of “holding back”………we can freely “give” back !
October 5, 2011 · Filed under relationships · Tagged ally, anger, Christian, communication, God, Holy Spirit, hurt, intentional, intentions, Jesus, landmine, Lord, misunderstanding, misunderstood, perception, power, prayer, relationship, Savior
I had such good intentions – how could I have been misunderstood?
Have you ever asked yourself this question? And did you ask yourself this question because the other person either became hurt or angry, or both? I call this “stepping on a landmine” !
Sooner or later, we will inadvertently step on a landmine – it is inevitable. No matter how hard you try, there will come a time when you say or do something that rubs somebody else the wrong way.
If you think about it, we all come from varying backgrounds, families and circumstances. We have learned ways of communicating that may not be understood in the same way by everybody we meet. Our best intentions can be perceived as questionable.
When a situation blows up, picking up the pieces can be a difficult process. It takes time to repair the damage. Even then, our most sincerest actions and words can be misunderstood.
Without the power of prayer, we can be left with a life of ruined relationships – continually sorting through the debris.
By receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God promises to send us His helper, the Holy Spirit, to guide us through our world of landmines. With His help, our prayers become powerful allies -
- so we can be “well” able, and not “disabled” !
August 1, 2011 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, Commandments, Ecclesiastes, experience, folly, foolishness, fulfillment, futility, God, Israel, joy, King, life, pleasure, popularity, power, prestige, purpose, reality, relationship, satisfaction, Solomon, soul, vanity, void
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity.”
In the book of Ecclesiastes we read the great wisdom of Solomon. He describes to us the futile emptiness of trying to be happy apart from God. Solomon was the richest, wisest, most influential king in Israel’s history. His life gave him the qualified experience he needed to impart his “reality” wisdom to the rest of us.
Pursuing power, popularity, prestige and pleasure – in the end, doesn’t fill the void inside our souls. The endless and meaningless cycles of life found throughout history validate the futile attempts we, as human beings, strive to create for fulfillment and satisfaction.
Solomon realized that only a relationship with God can bring true purpose and pleasure to our lives. “Eat, drink, rejoice, do good, live joyfully, fear God, keep His commandments!”
Our lives don’t have to be futile – “For God will bring every work into judgment.” (Ecc. 14: 1)
Folly and foolishness follow futility -
- forsake them -
- and follow God !
March 11, 2011 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, communication, error, fallible, God, humility, love, mercy, mistake, peace, pride, problem, resolution, responsibility, wisdom
All of us are “fallible”.
We all make mistakes sooner or later. It is a part of life. How mistakes are handled can be very challenging. Sometimes the parties involved may not even realize they made a mistake until later – or maybe not at all.
When other people are involved, the element of pride can disturb the resolution of our errors. One person may blame the other, and vice versa. Sometimes we need to soul search and come to a place of humility in order to claim responsibility for our actions.
Understanding the situation and the people involved, helps to open the lines of communication. Sometimes the fault can simply lie in the different way the problem is viewed, rather than the problem itself. Ironing out different perspectives can lead to an agreeable solution.
The Bible tells us that God’s perfect wisdom will lead us to resolution:
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)
When we fall to being fallible -
look to the One who is “in-fallible” !
January 25, 2011 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, companion, eternity, faith, faithful, friend, God, horsewoman, Jesus Christ, Marty Robbins, pony, ride, save, Savior, Utah Carol
In the song “Utah Carol”, Marty Robbins mentions Utah’s faithful pony, who helps to save his friend from a herd of stampeding cattle. In the end, Utah sacrificed his own life to save the life of his friend.
As a horsewoman of over forty years, I can well appreciate a “faithful pony”. There is nothing like knowing that the animal you are riding and putting your trust is a faithful friend and companion. One never knows when the time may come that this bond could be put to the test. Close calls do happen when riding, and a faithful pony can get you out of a jam.
Ultimately, life’s jams get too big for just the help of a faithful pony. We need to rely on our most faithful friend, Jesus Christ. With Him, we can ride through any problem and trust that He will take us safely to the “other side”.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 3:16)
Ride with Jesus, and get on “God’s side”…….
November 4, 2010 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, commitment, confusion, God, integrity, Jesus, mouth, sincerity
What comes out of your mouth? When you speak, is what you say sincere?
Over the years I have noticed that people will say things that they really don’t mean. Sometimes they have a hidden agenda, sometimes they are trying to be people pleasers, sometimes they make fickle commitments.
It is hard to know if they are sincere, until over time, you can see if their actions line up with their words. There are references to this issue throughout the Bible.
“……for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.” (Ez 33:31)
“Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan do I plan according to the flesh, that there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.” (2 Cor. 1:17-18)
Yes and No coming together bring confusion – a lack of order – insincerity. Integrity can be lost in the process.
In the Book of Psalms, David asked the Lord to “set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Ps. 141:3)
With the Lord in our hearts, HIS guard can keep the door of our lips “open” !
July 15, 2010 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Bible, Christian, crisis, faith, fear, God, joy, life changing, peace, Star Trek, threshold, unknown
Are you on the “threshold” of something?
Are you about to step over and out into the unknown? Is a new idea, experience, or crisis placing you on the threshold of a major decision – capable of creating a life changing moment?
The show “Star Trek” comes to mind! It seems they were at this point 24-7! But they were not the only ones – we all approach ”threshold” moments of life on an ongoing basis.
What do we do when we get there? Will the fear factor send us backward, closing the door – will we wonder if we missed something?
Too often, we can miss out on what God has/had planned for us. If we neglect our time with Him, our relationship with Him won’t have a chance to deepen – we may not experience the peace and joy that He has for us.
“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather stand at the threshold in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalms 84:10)
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
So if you feel you are crossing the threshold “where no man has gone before“
- you really can “go boldly” -
- with God !
January 16, 2010 · Filed under relationships · Tagged Christian, compassion, cooking, food, frying pan, grace, love, marriage, patience, relationships, self-control, special
Have you ever had a “frying pan” moment?
A frying pan moment is when you feel like bopping someone over the head with a frying pan ………..
You know the feeling – it usually comes on when you are faced with someone who just doesn’t “get it” !
Somehow a bop to the head could bring that person back to reality, or a better understanding of it ! Well, of course we can’t go around bopping people over the head with a frying pan……..those scenes are saved for the movies where fantasy can substitute reality……….
In the “real” world, we have to come up with a better way to handle those frying pan moments…….
Recently, I created a stir fry dinner for my husband (and myself ) using three of our cast iron frying pans. Each pan was necessary for a separate ingredient which would all come together later. It took quite a bit of time, and since I had gotten a late start on this dish, we ended up eating our dinner later than I had planned. When I went to bed, my husband was still eating and enjoying a favorite movie.
Now I really do not like to face dirty dishes in the morning, it happens to be a pet “peeve” of mine. The next morning when I went into the kitchen to make our morning coffee, lo and behold, the frying pans were sitting on the counter unwashed………..
I wondered to myself, “couldn’t he have washed the pans when he got done eating last night?” – He knows I don’t like dirty dishes in the morning…….and he was the last one to go to bed………hmmmmm…….usually frying pan moments aren’t this literal !
A thought came to my mind – I had prepared this special dinner for my husband because I love him, and I knew he would enjoy it. I decided I would wash the pans and “not ” turn this into a “frying pan moment” !
……..food for thought !
