Encouragement 4 The Day: "Perspective"

I am fascinated by how perspective alters the mind and can subsequently change the course of a life. How it is, that in looking at a glass as being half empty, results in different emotions than when you look at the same glass as being half full-Perspective.

I am prone to melancholic tendencies and therefore I’ll admit it- I do hold on to a rather jaded view of this life and the world in which we exist. However, I recently came across the question:

“If this world were perfect, would we long for heaven?” WOW

We were not meant to get comfortable on this sin cursed earth and in the same token-how would we know joy without experiencing pain?

Words are powerful! That simple question positively altered my mindset.

May we always strive to encourage, educate and uplift our fellow men by our words.

Encouragement 4 The Day: "God's Heart"

This is an issue that I truly struggle with…I believe in God’s brilliance when I consider the world and all that He’s created but human suffering often makes me question His heart. Yes, I’ve heard the argument that God does not cause bad things to happen and that sin holds the primary responsibility for all the pain in the world however, the question then often pops into my head: “Who then in more responsible, the entity which causes the pain or the entity which has the power to prevent it?” OR is it that they share equal responsibilities?

I am afraid that yes indeed, I am a doubting Thomas as I cannot just believe or have faith without having some form of logical reconciliation to my questions. Like Thomas I need to feel the imprints of those wounds. As I struggle this is what I am realizing (i.e. my light bulb moment):

“I will never understand why suffering is allowed in many instances and not prevented by an all powerful God. I will not understand at this present moment because I cannot see the beginning from the end nor am I able to see into the hearts of man. Therefore, trying to understand a complex issue with limited vision is senseless. It’s like trying to solve a math equation with half of the problem.”

Then What? Now I understand the purpose of faith.

If I believe in God’s brilliance and I acknowledge that I cannot see what He sees then I choose to believe in His goodness whether the visible outcome is good or bad. That’s the clincher for me-that faith is not just some arbitrary form of reasoning. It’s a conscious decision to trust in an all powerful Being who obviously trumps my intellect.

I can hear the some of the mature Christians probably saying: “Duh.” Oh well (smile). We all have to EXPERIENCE God for ourselves…that’s how we build a firm foundation.  I am not one who believes in not questioning God but that’s a topic for another day.

Encouragement 4 The Day: “Pain, the Pulse and the Heart of God”

This is a concept that with me is presently evolving and so I’m rather hesitant to speak of it without arriving at a final conclusion. There are those thoughts however which create such a paradigm shift in ones mode of thinking, that to hold it in, creates a tremendous build up of pressure. So this post is my release of that pressure valve.

I’ve been reading Philip Yancey’s book “Where Is God When It Hurts?” and as a result was introduced to Dr. Paul Brand. Dr. Brand spent the majority of his life blazing a medical trail in the treatment of leprosy. One of the key points which he noted in his research was- that leprosy in and of itself, was not the primary cause of the disfigurements which he witnessed in so many of his patients. Instead, it was the absence of pain due to the destruction of nerve endings caused by the disease, which allowed them to injure their bodies without realizing that they were doing so. It was through this realization that Dr. Brand developed an appreciation for the phenomena of pain.

This is where the little gray cells in my brain started firing overtime. I began to consider pain (both physical and emotional) running rampant in this world.  I reflected on human suffering while noting songs such as “When Peace like a River”, or the many books available like the ones written by Joni Eareckson Tada and Philip Yancey. Each song, each book representing profound ministries born out of pain yet so positively affecting the lives of millions. Gradually I started to realize that maybe in my focusing on what was wrong with this world- I’d become blinded to the blessings of pain. Yes, indeed I said it: “the blessings of pain” and with that concept still being so new to me, I literally cringe every time I consider it.

However, when I reflect on the lives of fellow human beings who have experienced considerable tragedy while still retaining and increasing their love for and service to God, I indeed started to recognize a pattern. Something great happens and their ministries (intended or not) take on such a widened sphere of positive influence that one has to stop and take notice. An even greater phenomenon is that each contributor acknowledges their painful experience as being a positive and pivotal point in their lives.

It’s as if, when we in the midst of our pain turn to God instead of away from Him and look for reasons to praise Him in spite of the anguish, we gain access to His pulse and His heartbeat and miracles happen.  In other words, the very thing that Satan would have to destroy us, God uses it to draw us closer to Him if we would allow it. But it doesn’t stop there. He then seeks to reward us as He did with Job for, it is one thing to serve Him when it’s all going good, but when we determine to serve Him in the midst of our pain, we have placed our fingers on His pulse and He allows us to feel His heartbeat.  What greater joy can there be than to have such closeness to the heart of God?

Encouragement 4 The Day: “A Must Read Story-Vonetta Flowers”

It’s a chill bump story. You know those stories where you can literally trace the hand of God in someone’s life? This is one of them. I heard Vonetta’s name mentioned while listening to Joel Osteen and had to Google her to really get an understanding about her story. I’ve outlined the skeleton version below using bullet points but you must visit her website Vonetta's Story to really understand the power behind her testimony. Here goes:

·         Since she was a young girl (9 years old), she dreamed of competing and winning a Gold Medal in the summer Olympics and trained practically her entire life in the hopes of fulfilling that dream.

·          At the 1996 trials she was unsuccessful in obtaining a spot on the team.

·         She spent the next 4 years training but unfortunately did not make the team then either.

·         She decided it was time to retire and possibly start a family.

·         Her husband noticed a flyer asking track and field athletes to try out for the bobsled team and tried to talk her into going. She and her husband knew nothing about bobsledding and essentially she thought the whole idea was ridiculous.

·         Her husband decided to participate anyway but pulled a hamstring and she ended up completing the test for him because she wanted to assist him with his dream. (That’s the part that really gave me chill bumps).

·         Long story short, she became the first person of African descent from any country to win a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics and the first African-American to win a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics.

What if she had given up? It blew my mind to see how God ordered her steps because of her determined spirit and not only did she get her Gold Medal but she also became a trailblazer! I’m planning on purchasing her book: “Running on Ice”.

What a powerful testimony.  Indeed, disappointments can be brutal and some may even knock us down but we can’t afford to give up! You simply do not know what mind boggling blessings God has lined up for you in your future. Please, don’t miss out on claiming your victories by giving up.

Encouragement 4 The Day: “Blessing People With Your Words”

The title of this post comes from one of Joel Osteen’s sermons #502 “Blessing People with Your Words.” I am becoming more convinced every day, that as a general rule, we fail to comprehend the power of the words that we speak. So callously we sometimes toss around our thoughts without conscious consideration of the consequences behind our actions. One of the key points in Joel’s message pointed out the concept that- thinking something good about someone does them no good, unless they hear it from us and therefore, we should be free with our compliments. Sadly just the opposite is true. We tend to be free with our criticisms and judgments and tight lipped with our compliments.

Consider Job’s friends…not once did they encourage him or remind him of what a special person he was in the eyes of God. Is it any wonder God informed them that unless Job prayed for them they would be in some serious trouble? How about the words which we speak to ourselves? When you make a mistake do you call yourself stupid? Are you going through a difficult time and you keep telling yourself that it will never get better? Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived stated: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Proverbs 18:21 KJV

I encourage you today to speak words of life, hope and encouragement to yourself and to others. Out of the million and one combinations that could have occurred during your conception God created YOU! Anyone familiar with science at all understands, that you being here just as you are did not happen by chance. You were created by God for a purpose and God does not make mistakes. Do not allow words of discouragement to keep you from your God given purpose in this life. Remember, no matter what you’re going through or how much of a mess you think you’ve made of your life: “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Watch Joel’s sermon here:

 

Encouragement 4 The Day: "I Am Thankful..."

It's funny how God speaks to you in subtle ways. I was in the middle of a self-pity party that was going on full blast and was feeling rather justisfied too UNTIL I came across this poem written by a high school student by the name of Frances Shipp.Talk about putting things into perspective! I was humbled and blessed...Enjoy.

             I am thankful for...

·         the wife who says it’s hot dogs tonight because she is home with me and not out with someone else.

·         the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

·         the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means she is at home, not on the streets.

·         the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.

·         the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

·         the clothes that fit a little too snugly because it means I have enough to eat.

·         my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine, and for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a house.

·         all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

·         the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and have been blessed with transportation.

·         my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

·         the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.

·         the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

·         weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.

·         the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.

—submitted by Frances Shipp, Weaver High School, Weaver, Alabama

Poem by Claudia Minden Weisz-"And God Said No"

And God Said No

I asked God to take away my pride. And God said "No".
He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. And God said "No".
He said her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. And God said "No".
He said patience is a by-product of tribulations. It isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness. And God said "No".
He said He gives me blessings, happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain. And God said "No".
He said suffering draws me apart from worldly cares and brings me closer to Him.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. And God said "No".
He said I must grow on my own. But He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. And God said "No".
He said He will give me life, that I may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me.
And God said "Ah, finally you have the idea!"

Copyright © Claudia Minden Weisz (the mother of a Rett Syndrome child)

Encouragement 4 The Day-"This Battle is NOT Yours!"

We’re caught up in a serious battle between God and Satan, between good and evil and many of us are feeling the heat. Now, I’m not talking about the problems that we create for ourselves (sometimes we blame Satan for things which we’ve orchestrated). I’m talking about when the harder you try to do right, the more you try to be a witness, that’s when it seems as if all hell is breaking lose. For every step you take forward you’re taking two steps backwards and you want to give up. Or maybe you’re like me (Miss Independent) wanting to do everything on your own and leaving a trail of mess in your path.

Remember: This battle that you face, WHATEVER it is, sickness, death, discouragement, rejection, pain hopelessness, this battle is NOT YOURS it belongs to God. Give it to Him and let Him fight it for you. Enjoy the peace that He offers because worrying sure ain’t gonna make anything better!

And when it’s hard to remember to let go and let God listen to the words of this song sung by Yolanda Adams: “The Battle is not yours it’s the Lords.” Be Blessed!



Encouragement 4 The Day-"Just Minding My Own Business!"

Sometimes I think- if I could just keep my nose to the ground, be a good person, do the right thing, treat others the way I want to be treated-everything will work out fine. Right! “Consider my servant Job…” those fateful words put the bulls eye squarely on Job’s back. There he was minding his own business, serving God, making sacrifices for his children and oblivious to the fact that literal hell that was about to break loose in his world.

Why did God bring attention to Job?

Was it not enough that he was being a faithful witness for Him? Why center Satan’s attention upon Job? On a side note, I found it interesting that when God mentioned Job’s name, Satan knew EXACTLY who He was talking about. Satan replied that it was only because God had a hedge of protection around Job. Why would Satan say that? Had he tried to destroy Job in the past and his efforts were thwarted by the hedge of protection?

So again…why the attention? God knew what Job was capable of. I would like to hypothesize that God created Job for such a moment as this and at every phase of his life he was being prepped to be an example for you and I. Consider this, in the midst of his pain Job had no clue that the end of his life would be even better than his beginning. What if he had given up? I shudder to think that such a powerful testimony may never have been told.

Are you in the midst of something so painful that you don’t want to live? Job also wanted to die. You see no way out and there is no one who can comfort or help? Job’s own wife told him to curse God and die! Remember you are only seeing part of the picture. You have no idea what the future holds and wouldn’t it suck to miss out on your blessing just because you gave up?

I don’t always understand the curve balls that life throws sometimes and in the midst of pain I sometimes find it hard to believe in the love of God…then I remember Job. Not only did God carry him through his pain but made it worth his while in the end. I’d like to think that if you asked Job: “Was it worth it?” he would say “Yes.” Certainly he probably would not choose to go through such a painful experience again but he was tried like gold in the fire and established an example for generations to come.

What a privilege to be granted an opportunity to make God proud.