Clarity or Confusion?

"In the same way, we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at His reflection in a poor mirror, but someday, we are going to see Him in His completeness, face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now." (I Corinthians 13:12) NOW is the time to give up the fear and judgment that is causing blurred vision and see instead with clarity. Or do we want to stay in that haze? Do we want awareness or confusion? God is changeless and when we want His peace and joy above all else, we WILL receive it. Does that mean that we will experience nothing but good times? Well, no, but it does mean our perception changes about things in life. It means that gratitude in our attitude will help us truly see past what appears to be negative to what is a blessing about it. It means that we will realize that there is a positive in everything and that everything works together for good as promised in Romans 8:28. "For we know that all things work together for good." It means we will remain hopeful instead of despairing. If we truly believe that God is love as I John 4:16 states, then we will not fear God's will because love makes no demands. It only gives of itself. God loves us. If we will open ourselves up to the truth, we will experience the peace, joy, and awareness of God's unchanging love that is ours forever. We are safe. That can never change. Thank You, Lord.

Enter His Presence with Joy

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:

come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD He is God:

it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise:
be thankful unto Him,and bless His name.
For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting;
and His truth endureth to all generations."

~ Psalm 100

How I love this scripture!! Years ago I learned to sing it in church. Enter into His courts with thanksgiving, and we will find only happiness and love there. When we enter God's presence, the peace and joy there are indescribable. Our mind becomes cleansed of fear, anger, and guilt. It becomes impossible to see anything but LOVE there. We see innocence and awareness, and our life gains purpose. With Christ's vision, we come to understand Paul's words that "the greatest of these is love." What a gift God has given us! We come to understand that everyone is either extending love, or putting out a call for love. I came to understand this a few years ago when someone was acting very rudely towards me. I realized that this person needed love in the desperate way. I resolved to show love no matter what treatment I received. I'm happy to say it released me from the pain of resentment and caused the "rude" person to act in a much more positive way toward me. We realize spiritual principles such as these when we spend time in the presence of our Lord. When God leads the way, the light on our path will illumine our life with the greatest sense of well-being and peace that we have ever felt. We will be too blessed to be stressed. Our wells will be full of joy, and hope will burn all burdens away. "Be still, and know that I am God!" (Psalm 46:10) Peace fills my soul.

Do You See Roses or Thorns?

"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses" ~ Ziggy (Tom Wilson). I just spent Mother's Day with my mom, and as much as I hate to admit it, it had been a long time since I had done that. It was such a wonderful day. My mom has every reason to complain. She has cancer and diabetes, but her optimistic outlook is amazing. She really does see the roses instead of the thorns. It reminds me of the story of Joshua and Caleb. Ten spies went out to check out the land of Canaan, and eight came back saying that while the land was flowing with milk and honey, the enemies were too formidable to overcome. Caleb and Joshua, however, came back saying while the Canaanites were a very strong people, the two of them were well able to possess the land. That's the way Mom views life. She knows her health issues are nothing to sneeze at, but she also knows that she has handled many obstacles in her life thus far.....and she isn't about to let her health challenges get her down. Thank You, Lord, for mothers. What an example of strength my mother is!

Joy Comes in the Morning

"Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalms 30:5). Last week my Mom was facing surgery, and now it is done. She did so well! I requested prayers for her. She experienced chest pains and had a small heart attack before her surgery, causing the doctor concern about her ability to withstand the surgery, but in the end, there was no choice. The cancer had to be removed. Well, thank the Lord, she survived and is thriving now. I talked to her last night, and she is optimistic and strong. I am very proud of her. While she was in surgery, I felt helpless. I couldn't be there. All I could do is pray, and pray I did! I was so relieved when it was over, and my sister told me that all had gone well. Like I said last week, my God is bigger than any challenge that presents itself. God is in control of each and every day, and each and every circumstance. My job is to stay in peace and faith while I await God's best. God never lets me down! "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31 NIV).

How about a Little Optimism?

"Nothing can be done without hope and optimism," wrote Helen Keller. I'm creating an environment of gratitude today. I break through limitations and feel empowered by truth, health, joy, peace, and victory. I not only claim that for myself but for my mom who has been having health issues. I claim that for my husband, my children, my grandchildren, and my friends too. "So I tell you, whatever you ask, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24)

I'm asking the Lord to be with my mom tomorrow as she has surgery and to give her strength. I'm expecting the glass to be more than "half full"; I'm expecting the glass to overflow! "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) I know God is in control.

I believe in miracles. I've witnessed them personally several times. My youngest daughter was told that she couldn't have any children after her motorcycle accident; yet she has given birth to two beautiful, healthy children since then! If God can work those kinds of miracles in my daughter's life, He surely can make Mom well again. Arnold Palmer said, "The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done."

Today I will not limit a God of unlimited resources. Joel Osteen writes, "Today I'm beginning to change my mind, to allow God to help me make it anew. No more limitations. God created me to be a champion in life, and I'm going to start thinking like a champion." Me too, Joel. I'm not going to worry about the Swine flu, the economy, cancer, or anything else. I'm not going to tell God how big my challenges are; I'm telling my challenges how big my God is!!

My Best Life Now

I am choosing right now to step out of negative emotions into the present. "Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift....that's why they call it the Present." I love that quote. Although I don't know the author, it means so much to me. If I follow it, I will live my best life now. I won't live in a world of guilt for what I did or didn't do. I won't worry about tomorrow. That's a tough one right now because my mom is getting test results from a biopsy back tomorrow, and yet I know that my anxiety will not bring about better results. It will only cause me pain so I don't want to go there. Today is all I have...actually tonight is all I have. This is a precious moment in time. I am sitting at the computer writing...which is one of my favorite things to do. My granddaughter is doing her homework, and I just enjoy knowing she is here with me. This is my life. I'm living in the present moment. My husband is on a business trip, but I will not waste precious time wishing him here. Instead I choose to be grateful for his contributions to our income. I am enjoying being in the presence of God. The present moment is the point of access to the timeless form and being of my Creator. This moment is my reality. Eckhart Tolle says in THE POWER OF NOW, "Just as the moon has no light of its own, but can only reflect the light of the sun, so are past and future only pale reflections of the light, power, and reality of the eternal present." Joel Osteen says, "Happy, successful individuals understand that the future begins with what happens today. They make the most of the present moment and build their future one day at a time." Yes, I am living my best life now.....right NOW!! How about you?

Stay Passionate about Life

How do we keep our enthusiasm for life? I think the best thing we can do is be grateful. Life has its share of disappointments, to be sure, but there are so many blessings as well. If we focus on the blessings, we can't help but be thankful for life and love.

For those of us who have significant others, when we think back to when the relationship was new, we can't help but remember how wonderful it felt when our love called us or held our hand or any number of little things that made our heart race. We need to rekindle that flame and remember how fortunate we are to have someone in our lives. There are so many lonely people in this world.

Even if everything in our life is not perfect, we can be happy. We have discussed the idea before that we have a choice about our feelings. Joel Osteen says, "Quit looking at what's wrong in your life and start being grateful for what's right."

If we have a job, we need to remember that in these challenging economic times, many people would love to have our job. When I walk into the classroom, I always smile because I know that at least one of my students is going to smile back. Smiles are contagious.

Romans 12:11 says, "Never lag in zeal, but be aglow and on fire serving the Lord." Before I get out of bed in the morning, I start counting my blessings. My body is healthy; I have a wonderful family; I have an awesome home; my car works; I have food to eat......well, you get the point.....so many things! "This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will be glad and rejoice in it."

Isaiah 1:19 says, "When we are willing and obedient, we will eat the good of the land." What that means to me is that I need to have a good attitude! It's a privilege to go to work. It's a privilege to live in this great country. There are so many things I get to do. If I keep my perspective and say, "I get to do_____instead of I have to do_______," it makes a huge difference. I get to fix breakfast and make coffee in the morning; I get to go to school and teach awesome kids; I get to run an errand for my husband; I get to take my granddaughter to an appointment. Joel says, "When you focus on the good, that's when you bolster your enthusiasm and passion."

It's spring now, and everywhere we look, we can see the miracle of new life. We need to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness. Colossians 3:2 says "to set your mind and keep it set on the higher things." Let's stay passionate about life!