This chapter starts out with a story about a man who froze to death in a boxcar because he THOUGHT the temperature was below freezing....when in reality, it was 61 degrees! Jerry Jampolsky, a psychologist whom I quote a lot, says that as you change your mind, you change your life. He says that no matter what the problem, love is the answer. He also says it is our own thoughts that create the world we are experiencing so by changing our thoughts, we can change what we are experiencing, which means we can choose peace over conflict and love over fear. We can become love givers instead of love seekers, and love finders instead of fault finders. That's pretty powerful. Joel Osteen says that when we encounter tough times, we need to expect that we will come out of those situations on top. He says not to plan for failure and give up in frustration, but rather believe in victory and let your faith help you overcome any obstacles that come in your path. This last week before Christmas, let's remember that Christ came to earth so we can have a good life, a life filled with love, joy, peace, and fulfillment. Joel says, "That doesn't mean it will always be easy, but it does mean it will always be GOOD." Awesome!
8 comments:
How do we become what we believe? What if what we believe seems impossible? Let me share a quote from ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll to address these questions. "'There is no use trying,' said Alice; 'One can't believe impossible things.' 'I dare say you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'" The more we practice thinking favor-minded and believing that we can accomplish our visions, the more success we will experience. Our self-esteem is such an important part of all of this. We need to love ourselves enough to realize we are worthy, not because of who we are but because of Whose we are. When we realize this and start expecting good things to happen to us, sure enough, they do.
I had to share this with you. I'm not sure it has much to do with becoming what you believe, but it is a nice adaptation of I
Corinthians 13. I received it in an email today.
"If I speak in the tongues of Christmas materialism and greed
but have not love, I am only a tinny Christmas song or an
out-of-tune choir.
If I have the gift of knowing what Aunt Agatha will give me
this year and can even understand last year's present, and
if I have the faith that I won't get yet more socks and ties
this year but have not love, I am nothing.
If I clear out the house and give everything to charity and
my credit cards are snapped in half but have not love, what
can I possibly gain?
Love is patient when the fourth store you've tried doesn't
have a bottle garden.
Love is kind and lets the couple with only a few items go in
front of you and your bulging shopping cart.
Love does not envy your friend who gets mega-presents from
everybody.
Love does not boast about the expensive bike, the
PlayStation 3, the TV, VCR, and computer your dad gave you.
Love does not attempt to out-buy, out-wrap, and out-give the
rest of the family just to impress.
Love doesn't cut Aunt Flo off your Christmas card list
because she forgot you last year.
Love is not self-seeking and leaves a copy of your Christmas
list in every room of the house.
Love is not easily angered when the young girl at the
checkout takes forever because she is just temporary staff.
Love doesn't keep remembering how many times your mom
forgets you don't like Brussels sprouts.
Love does not delight in the commercial bandwagon but
rejoices with the truth of a baby born in the stable.
Love always protects the family from Christmas hype.
Love always trusts that the hiding places for presents will
remain secret for another year.
Love always hopes that this year more neighbors will drop in
to your open house coffee morning.
Love always perseveres until the cards are written, the
presents all bought, the shopping done, and the Christmas
cake iced.
Toys may break, socks wear thin, but love never fails.
Where there is the feeling of the presents to guess their
contents, and Mom going on about being good so Father
Christmas will come, and searching through the cupboards to
find your hidden presents, they will all stop.
For we think we know what we are getting, and we hope we
know what we are getting, but when Christmas Day arrives,
all will be revealed.
When I was a child, I talked with big wide-open eyes about
Christmas, I thought that Christmas was all about me, I
reasoned that Jesus should have been born more often. When I
became an adult, I forgot the joy, wonder, and excitement of
this special time.
Now we just hear about the angels, shepherds, and wise men;
then we shall see them all the time. Now I know as much as
the Bible says about the first Christmas; then I shall know
just how many wise men there were and where they came from.
Now three things remain to be done:
- To have faith that the baby born in a stable is the Son of
God.
- To hope that the true message of Christmas will not get
discarded with the wrapping paper and unwanted gifts.
- And the most important, to have a love for others like the
one that God has for us."
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Elizabeth said: Its Tom's birthday today! I am so thankful that I have a loving husband. I prayed for years to have a husband who was a strong believer in Jesus Christ and who would attend church with me. I got that prayer answered. I also prayed that I would always have loving friends and I have been given the best friends. I love you all. I am still working on my friends in the new area, but they are here! I see each day how God has provided for me and my dreams and hopes. God Bless you and Merry Christmas!
This week I have been feeling stressed out because of everything I think is required to get ready for the holidays, plus been going to my chiropractor this week. My left shoulder, neck and back have been giving me alot of pain for some reason...but today I decided to give my worries to God and what doesn't get done is alright. The church is a busy time for me this week also, with all the services coming up and the bulletins I need to do. Tonight I don't feel so overwhelmed. I ran across this saying: "Gratitude is like a flashlight, shining on what's good. When we turn it on, it makes us feel happier." Anon.
Merry Christmas and God's Blessings everyone!
Thanks, ladies, for taking time out of your busy pre-Christmas schedules to blog. Elizabeth, tell Tom "Happy Birthday" from both of us. I'm so glad that you have a happy marriage. What a blessing! Jean, I love your quote about gratitude. I know that is where happiness lies. Rabbi Harold Kushner said, "If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul." Even amidst your busy schedule and aches and pains, God gave you peace and gratitude. He is an awesome God! I was so glad to get your pretty Christmas card today. I love you ladies, too, and hope your holidays are happy. Thanks again for taking the time to blog. You both are an encouragement to me. I believe that God will give you double for your trouble, just like Joel says.
Patty, your comments on all the resources reminds me of what I have said to people in the past about being rich. One said, "I wish I was as rich as Trump!" My reply was "I wouldn't want his headaches for anything! It isn't worth it to me!" I have learned that, as Patty says in her note, dreams have changed over the years. My children are grown, and my grandchildren are true rewards. I am constantly learning about Paul, and the verse in Philippians 4:11 (...changed to current wording) I am learning to be content in whatever state I am; and in Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I fuss and fume over the silliest things at times, catching myself in 'spin state' and I have to slow down, and breathe, and take it a step at a time. God has ALWAYS supplied our needs, sometimes not on MY timetable, so I need to line up MY needs to HIS timetable!
Rozan,
Thanks for commenting on the blog. I know that I did blog about my gratitude for what I have. I'm glad to hear that you are grateful too. I also love those Philippian scriptures. Thanks so much for taking time to share them.
Joel points out a scripture that I think will be helpful to us as we are preparing for Christmas. Luke 18:27 says that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God." If we are caught up in the stress of preparing for Christmas, it's good to remember that we don't have to figure out how God is going to help us, we just have to believe that He will help us. Praise God!
Post a Comment