Tag Archives: #challenges

#inspiration, #spirituality

Accepted

Accepting others as they are is important to promoting civility in society. Acceptance is not approval. I can accept you without approving your lifestyle or decisions.

I have witnessed people making demands that they be accepted! Making this type of demand is a sign of defensiveness. Perhaps they should read the book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People.” It might be a great help to them.

Communication with others is the key to connecting with people. It’s not a threat to listen to people you might not agree with. In fact, you grow because you get to see the world through a different lens.

We all want to be accepted, and healthy acceptance starts with accepting yourself. See yourself as the beautiful creation God made. He didn’t make a mistake when creating you, nor does God second guess Himself. That’s good enough for me…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Aligned Properly

Recently, I replaced all four tires on my car. The dealership then aligned them so they would wear evenly. By having proper alignment, my tires will perform at optimum levels.

In life, how well we are aligned under God’s instructions will determine how effectively we live. God has given us a rule book for life on this side of eternity. It’s up to us to follow it. None of us are capable of living a sinless life, but we can sin less when we make the choice to follow God’s perfect advice.

Admittedly, it’s a struggle because as humans, we are selfish. We want our own way. If our way doesn’t align with God’s, chaos begins. And the chaos can be generational unless we choose to change.

If you are experiencing an area of life that’s causing you stress, I encourage you to study what God says about it. Rest in His advice. It’s good…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Walk Away

Setting boundaries can be difficult for many people. That is, until they do it.

Saying “no” to people that don’t enrich your life, or people who just aren’t good for you is the most self-respectful thing you can do. When you say no you are also saying yes to healthier self-esteem. Protecting yourself through setting healthy boundaries will help you grow into the person God created you to be.

Walk away from negativity and don’t look back. Sometimes you have to do this with family members. Do it and don’t take on guilt for doing so. This is your life. Make it count…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Doubting

Why do we doubt ourselves? We didn’t walk perfectly when we started learning how to walk, but we kept trying. Doubt never enters the mind of a toddler. Today we walk wherever we want to and never give it a thought that we might not be able to.

Doubt overtook the disciples. Jesus told them that he would allow his enemies to kill him, but he would rise on the third day. The disciples had witnessed thousands of miracles performed by Jesus. Yet, when his prophecy came true about his death they scattered like cockroaches, fearing for their own safety. After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples now had unshakable faith. Most of them died horribly. You don’t die for a lie.

Life has knocked most of us on our asses several times. Doubt creeps in. I encourage you to jettison your doubts and live fully. Live fearlessly.

Doubts will return, but you don’t have to believe in them. Believe in yourself…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Rest

Most people are stressed to the maximum. Family responsibilities, work responsibilities, the high cost of living and the state of world affairs keeps us on high alert. Thus, most people are not well rested.

Rest is necessary for us to perform at our optimum. The example for the need for rest comes from God himself. In Genesis, it says that “God rested on the seventh day.” Now, God didn’t take a day off. He doesn’t need rest, but this was put in there as an example for us. I believe we should follow it as best we can.

Take a little time for yourself every week. The stressors of the world will be waiting for you…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Afraid

Over the course of our lives we develop fears, things we are afraid of. When left unchecked these fears can become irrational and debilitating.

Growing up in a violent home, I used to become fearful and I would shut down when people raised their voice. It triggered me. Even as an adult, I knew no one could harm me physically anymore, but inside of me the visceral reaction was real. Through my time spent with an excellent psychotherapist I was able to heal from my past.

Therapy is a good thing when you find the right therapist. I’m fortunate that God led me to the perfect person to guide me. The brain is a remarkable creation, resilient and powerful. We do the work. The therapist is the guide.

You don’t need to jump out of a perfectly good airplane to conquer your fears. You do need to take a leap into the abyss, the unknown, and work on yourself.

It’s an inside job…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Faith Over Fear

Faith is a verb, an action word. Worry is a verb, too. Why do so many people spend time worrying about things that are out of their control? Worry is useless, and you are able to eliminate it from your life.

Faith requires action. The Red Sea parted when Moses stepped into the water. Moses was showing the people who were following him that he knew God would provide a way. When we move in faith, not knowing the immediate outcome but trusting that God is good, things happen. Our challenge is that we want assurances. God provides assurance, but only He knows what he’s going to do.

Take a leap of faith in your life. And if you’re not ready to leap, just take a step…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Obsess Over It

What drives you? What would you spend your time doing whether you were paid or not? The answer is the key to your true purpose in life.

It has been estimated that over 80% of people go to jobs they really don’t like. You cannot be effective when you aren’t fully engaged. This is something you can change if you are in this situation.

Change requires discomfort. When we are comfortable there is no reason to do anything different. Motivation comes when we become uncomfortable.

Take inventory of your strengths. Figure out what you love to do. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Just do it…

Standard
#inspiration, #spirituality

Headcount

At sporting events they announce how many are in attendance that day. I’m not sure why because the stadiums always look full to me.

I know pastors who are obsessed with headcount. But their effectiveness isn’t measured by how many people hear the message. The question is, how many people heard the word and then did something with it. Those were the ones who were moved.

Audience size doesn’t matter. Remember, God had the people there who were supposed to be there. That is the best measure of headcount…

Standard
#inspiration

Procrastination

Everyone procrastinates. Literally everyone. In her autobiography, Condoleezza Rice admitted to being a procrastinator. If the former Secretary of State does it, what exempts us?

Putting things off just makes them worse. You can change your attitude about procrastination with very little effort. Just make the decision.

Don’t wait! Do it today…

Standard