Search This Blog

Friday, March 30, 2012

What did YOU learn today?

Who is your life mentor? 
Who is teaching you about life? 
 Is it a Grandma or a Mama or Daddy?  Did your preschool teacher teach you years ago to be patient when someone hurts you?

I know we are products of what we learned in our youth.  Like: to listen, obey, sit still when a story is being read. What about the other 'osmosis' learning, 'to not show hurt when others laugh at you', 'that you must be pretty funny looking
when you cry in public.' 'To punch someone, when they offend you'.


Oh, the lessons we learn by osmosis or beliefs.  It is the part of life we wonder, 'when did I learn THAT?!'. It shows up on the radar of our lives and it doesn't seem to go with who we 'want to be'.


My mentors were my teachers, family and friends. I learned MUCH, much, more by osmosis, than by words.  

"Where are you??!!! What are you doing??!!  I know you broke that!!  When will you EVER Learn??!!"


Shame, and condemnation.  I guess YOU might not have gotten that message, but for me it was LOUD AND CLEAR. 

So I ask you again, Who was your Mentor? What did you learn today or yesterday? What did you learn in Pre-School, Kindergarten, First grade, even Home schooling children. Has Holy Spirit been your mentor too? He has been mine for over 30 years.


If I could, I would say to you right now: "Listen and watch with eyes of love and care. Ears of trust and obedience."  
When we learn with Fear in our heart, we learn to fear, distrust, feel shame, and to be 'tough'.

How to unlearn what was damaging to us.  I believe the Bible, so I also believe God is the one who undoes the damage, if we trust Him to do so.  He is a gentleman, so He will not push us or twist our arms.


Prov. 3:5-6 bears repeating again and again and again.  'Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean NOT to your own understanding, and He will direct your paths'


Step 1: Recognize 'unbelief'.  ( God began showing me how much my thoughts were NOT based in Faith, and I asked Him to show me more, so it's being aware of your mindset and asking God for help and grace to stop 'not believing')
Step 2: Pray with faith, ask God for more belief. 
Step 3: Belief is from your 'will', its a choice to believe by faith in the solid truth of God 1 Cor 15:1,2    
Step 4: It (unbelief) is a spirit- just like fear, power, alcoholism, anger, rage. There is a reason 'alcohol' has a name: 'spirits'.  A host of 'ugliness' is in that bottle. 
As God is a Spirit of Love, the other spirits have to go, go, go. Because Jesus is the name ABOVE all Names.  
Step 5: Proverbs 18:21  "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue" Be mindful of what you say, and how you say it. Start and end your day with encouragement and Life on your tongue. God help us all.

This is a few of a host of lessons God has taught me over the years.  I know God will help, if you decide to do this.  He did/ is doing it for me. : )

Monday, March 26, 2012

Mentoring the Mentor

How did we get here?  In life I mean?  I think back over the  years, however many or few there are and ask myself:

How was the journey? Did I know, and see...

The birds sang today and yesterday
The worms did their valuable work today
The sky was blue today
A song was sung today
A word of praise was said today
Language is part of our communication, today ---'I love you'.
Rivers wound their way today
Fish were found today
A kitten purred today
A puppy found its home today
A grandpa had a visitor today

When we find love in little things, we are then aware of LOVE around us at all times.  Let me find a larger Love than the limited one I see sometimes.

I found a smile today, it was frozen in a bag of sorrow.  I found it hiding, I found it cold and unmoving. So I warmed it in the sun and it melted, slowly, like a pat of butter on a plate. Smiles are real, when they are felt, not just seen. WE all can be faking our smiles.  I used to live a life of 'fake smiles'.  NO MORE ! 



Mentoring is a way of finding things you didn't see before. Looking at others with the 'hope and love' you maybe never had in your own life.   I mentor on this site for me as much as you. 

I learn and grow as I write and observe, and contemplate.   Life is full of good and full of LOVE.

Sure, we can look at the negative, but why not look FOR the good?  We don't have to serve God, but He is a God of LOVE, so why not find out where and why His love is shown. 

At an 'Orphanage', at a 'Homeless shelter', at a 'Beaten Mom's safe house'. Any place there is love, kindness, and hope given.  The origin of love is God.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16.

Did you ever stop to think who was saying that?  Peter? Paul? God? Jesus?  That's right it is Jesus saying that about God HIS father and Himself.  He was saying how it is, and how it will be if we just trust Him.

Amazing! He found me, and He is looking for you, are you listening for His Loving call to you?

So go on, REALLY love today.  Really LOVE.  Do you know God is a God of forgiveness, the adulterous woman  in the Bible- Jesus didn't stone, he Loved her. John 7:53--8:11

That's what changes us, Love. 

Agape Love. Unconditional Love, ask God to help you accept His love. He WILL answer that prayer!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Making our mark in Life

Don't we all want to leave a mark, a sign, a message that says 'WE were here.?'
 Back in the 70's we would draw a picture at the bottom of our letters " Kilroy was here ". I heard the 'line' came from the war in the 60's, and then we used it in the 70's.  ( I just Googled it and it said it was from WWII ).

Now we have people 'tagging', 'vandalizing', drawing on bathroom walls, making messes on buildings, rocks, brick walls, anywhere there is a place to 'mark'.  I think there are many reasons, as many as there are people.  Yet I feel many want an expression of 'self', or maybe want to say, " This is MY area, stay away " ~ so intimidation.

 We all want to matter.

Do I matter? Will anyone remember me when I am gone? This, is a 'Universal Question'.

My favorite place to go is a nearby stream, I have been going there for over 40 years. THIS year is the first time I have ever seen 'tagging' on the rocks.  I was so very, very sad.

 WHY? Why did someone have to mark on the rocks, yes many, many rocks and rock walls.


I can go get a 'sand blaster ' and get it off, but why do I need to? Where are the parents, friends who will say, " Hey, don't do that !! ".  Are we afraid to speak up, so the bad gets worse and the good is hidden?

I want to be the one who picks up the person, after they had a lie drilled into them, " You just don't matter to me ", or " Won't you ever get it right? ".   These are words of damage, not love and hope. Is this why some 'tag', to hope Someone notices them in a positive way...

James 3:1-12 ... So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions, Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze.  And the tongue is a fire! ...

Proverbs 18:21 Death and Life are in the power of the tongue.
 

I am first to admit, my words have been damaging.  Oh, how I am grieved at this, but it's true. I pray and ask Jesus to help me, because it is so easy to do this crime.  Maybe I am alone, maybe I am with a crowd that says, " Can't you do better? ".  

So, I know; the intimidation, fear, loneliness, not caring, not being taught~ comes together to bring a result ~ results of internal damage with external expression. What is in a person, comes out by way of ' actions '.

If we are not trained well, we will do what comes 'naturally'. God called us so we can live SUPER Naturally !.  It is only done in Him.  Ask Him to show you yourself, your tongue, then ask HIM to change you. Then DO IT, obey ~ when He reminds you.

I hear myself , and then the Holy Spirit reminds me to 're phrase that'. I have a lot to learn, but God has gotten my attention. 

Did the 'tagger' know his/her actions would be something to make me sad? Do they care? Maybe not, but we can make a mark in life and it can be words of love, affirmation, caring, and encouragement.  

 We all matter !    Imago Dei.

Like a GREAT coach, God shows us how by the leading and guidance of Holy Spirit. 

Thank you God for your forgiveness, kindness and Godly Mentoring. 

Monday, March 12, 2012

What is going on? US Military firing on Civilians?

This is one of those days that the news is sad, sad, sad.  I like to think in my little world, caring makes a difference. The US Military is being accused of some serious atrocities and killing civilians.  I know this is something that people need to NOT ignore. 


Caring is the first defense to holding off ' crimes ', but we are not talking about some thugs from the 'south side'. We are talking about US Military soldiers.

War is a terrible and yet sometimes a necessary thing in life.  This news from my view here, seems "unthinkable". But what if:

The Civilians were secretly plotting to kill the Americans?  or
The Civilians were secretly planning to attack USA.  
Just because someone is a civilian does not mean they are 'innocent'.  I could tell you stories on THAT subject. 

All I know is we have to have the strength of character to know when killing is 'acceptable' morally.  We will individually give an account for what we do in this life.  God will not invite a few 'spectators' to join in His review of our lives.  

So, were the civilians being prevented from other crimes, or were they shot wrongly? ( do not think I am saying  'vigilante activities of some US Military' is acceptable, I am saying its pretty probable we do not know the whole truth, and can't say if it is right or wrong. )

When our children become adults, and they go into the military or college or work for a time.  The things they take into adulthood is their character. As a parent THAT is our job to help them learn about conflict resolution, caring, sharing, loving, building a strong foundation from good morals. 

I get my morals from the Bible, I believe the strength of the morals come from the strength of Gods ability to be trusted.  It does not mean I 'read it correctly'.  What If I think Gods Word says, " do not kill ", and I teach my children this moral.  They will have to decide as adults if that is a moral they believe or there are caveats to that 'moral'.  

I believe there are many of faith, who believe Life is valuable, but feel it is their obligation to 'protect and serve' in the military.  US Soldiers didn't just learn what their TI said in 'Basic Training', and at military school, they also learned in life, from parents, friends and TV or any other media. 

I hope the US soldiers are 'judged' well. I hope they did not do something they will regret for the rest of their days on earth.  I can't say if they were right or wrong, but I know its sad news from the front lines.  


Judge not lest you be judged with the same rod  .Matt. 7:1,2

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Resting these days








































What have you been doing with your time?
 I have been busy, not to busy to write, but to busy to get to the computer, follow through and get'er done. 

I can say, " I have been resting in Gods grace ", and learning how to rest when my family, flesh and society says, " Get going, do WORK, be busy. " They think its easy to 'rest easy and focus on resting'.  This makes me laugh, hahahahahahahahaha, I laugh because I know they say this from a place of 'not knowing'. 

It is fine to say, " be busy ", or " Work ", or " Get a job ".  Well what do you tell the man who is trying to get a job but can't.  Or what do you tell the mom who has been a caregiver for years, and now is forced to make changes. What do you tell them ? What would you want people to say to you? 

" What do you need? "
" How can I help YOU?"
" Do you need anything?"

Please respect them, where they are, and give the Grace you would hope for.

I am old fashioned, I actually BELIEVE that God meant for moms to be home for their children, raise them to a High Standard and then let them go for others to enjoy.  ( I know that sounds like they are in prison, but the truth is - its more like a 'safe haven' ) 

How do we learn to resist Temptation? By:
#1 not being around it, for a long time.  
#2 By not hearing others say, 'It's OK, I tried it".
#3 By knowing the Truth about temptation, its a TRICK to keep us off the Godly path.

Resting, has been hard on me.  I know it is meant for REST, but the emotional games were hard.  NOW, that I have been resting for months and months I can say with honesty, I am 'Resting easy'.

I choose to be home. I had a desire to be home, raising my children. God provided a way - no not money, but Grace.

So I have been " Resting in Grace ".

I hope you are too!






Resting in Grace