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Thought Of The Week

August 1, 2022

August 1, 2022

God’s wisdom and direction are keys to experiencing a relationship with Him that keeps me on a path that honors Him and gives me peace.

 

When I’ve made a bad decision, I’ve come to recognize that I wasn’t listening for, and following, God’s direction. I was operating by myself, believing that I knew the right decision for the problem at hand. 

 

I’ve learned that recognizing the voice of the Holy Spirit comes through spiritual growth. Access to the voice of the Holy Spirit is a direct benefit for those of us who have accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. A believing acceptance of Jesus goes hand in hand with God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. He actually lives inside those of us who have accepted Jesus.

  

A major benefit of the gift of the Holy Spirit is His willingness to teach and guide us each day as we learn to listen for His voice. However! It is important to understand that just because we have the Holy Spirit within us does not mean that we automatically have wisdom and will make all the right choices. 

 

We need to ask the Lord each day to give us the wisdom to handle the challenges and difficulties that we face and to make the right choices. The Holy Spirit can give us the right directions for every challenge! 

 

Are you taking advantage of learning and following God’s directions for decision making on a regular basis? 

July 25, 2022

July 25, 2022

I love sea glass! 

It reflects light so beautifully.

It is a challenge, but ultimately rewarding, when you find those colorful pieces among the rocks and pebbles.

Their once jagged edges have been smoothed to perfection. 

However, some of those pieces are better thrown back into the ocean for more polishing.

This is similar to the work the Lord does in shaping His children into His image as we focus our faith on Him.

He takes our brokenness and makes it beautiful as He smooths out our rough edges.

We will be perfect one day when we are with Him, but for now, we can become beautifully broken, and, most importantly, able to reflect His light and beauty to the world.  

Are you letting the Lord polish your rough edges?

July 18, 2022

July 18, 2022

If we truly want the Lord in our life, we need to actively pursue Him.

 

Seeking the Lord has the effect of putting God first in our lives. In the words of Charles Stanley, having a relationship with God should be “our priority and our foremost desire”.  We’re on the right track to putting God first when “we choose to obey God, follow God, and have a daily and intimate relationship with God”.  We need to talk with Him, listen to Him and remain “eager to consult with Him at all times.”

    

Do you feel like there is something missing in your life? Are you experiencing strife in your relationships? Do you long for peace and joy? Maybe you want to find meaning in the difficult circumstances and experiences of your life. Perhaps you are seeking comfort, help, healing and restoration or you may be desiring growth, wisdom and abundant life.

 

If so, ask yourself if you are seeking Him with your whole heart. If you do, He has promised that you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). 

 

If you’re interested in some guidance in an active pursuit of God, I am available to talk with you about getting a start on this richly rewarding journey! 

 

“Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34:10)

July 11, 2022

July 11, 2022

There is such freedom in letting go of a painful past!

 

Even though we may have suffered a terrible trauma, such as abuse, or other debilitating psychological or physical injury, we do not need to live as though we are a permanently scarred victim. 

 

We do not need to let what happened to us in the past dictate how we live our life each day in the present. We have a choice!

 

What we need is the determination and ability to overcome what happened to us and to look forward, with the understanding of how we can respond to the trials we have been through, in positive ways that will not only be to our benefit but will also provide help to others.

 

God allows us to go through such trials in our lives for a reason. 

 

View your past trauma as a challenge to understand God’s reason for allowing it and recognizing the positive aspects underlying God’s purpose. 

 

Remember, we are not defined by what we’ve been through, or by who we used to be. We are defined by who God says we are now. 

July 4, 2022

July 4, 2022

A few thoughts to ponder on Independence Day!

 

Our God is a God of freedom!

 

Freedom is transforming!

 

When we are free, we can become the person He created us to be.

 

It  was for our freedom from bondage to our natural sinful nature and its penalties that Christ came to the earth.

 

Navigating a life path on our own is encouraged by the world, but that’s an effort more likely to add bondage rather than freedom.

 

He promises us that freedom in exchange for our relinquishing control of our lives.

 

With  freedom comes transformation and the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2)

 

We are able to replace old attitudes and ideas based on worldly concepts, conceived by the spiritual enemy of truth.

 

Freedom and spiritual truth become inseparable!

 

I would love to talk with you about the experience of freedom.

 

Is there anything holding you captive?

June 27, 2022

June 27, 2022

Jesus comforted his disciples with these words just before he was arrested and taken away to die.

 

His words strike me as particularly relevant to the turmoil we have been experiencing over the last couple of years. 

 

Our faith has been tested and shaken because of the uncertainty and insecurity in the midst of overwhelming threats to our safety and well-being.

 

There are storms all around us. We’re facing the probability that we will never see a world without tribulation.

 

On the positive side, our need for Jesus is all the more clear, as is the reason why we can ‘take heart’.

 

We find our peace in Him because through His sacrifice, He overcame the world and all of its troubles.

 

He gave the victory to those who put their trust in His finished work on the cross.

 

Considering all of the tribulation around you, is your faith in Jesus, and His promise of security and victory, keeping you above the fray?

June 20, 2022

June 20, 2022

Where do you find peace?

 

Maybe in the sound of gentle waves quietly lapping the shoreline.

Or in the beacon from the distant lighthouse cutting its swath through the darkness,

Or maybe in the sweet, sleeping face of your child when checking his or her bed at night.

Or the still, quiet moments of the morning as the sun is rising over the horizon, coffee in hand.

Or you may simply think of peace being found in the absence of war.

 

Whatever your thoughts of peace may be, have you considered the peace of God?

 

Do you know that lasting peace can be found in your relationship with God? Only Jesus provides the promise of true peace, reserved for those who put their trust in Him. A peace that will guard your heart and mind.

 

Does your experience with peace include what Jesus offers?

June 13, 2022

June 13, 2022

Do you comprehend the breadth and depth of God’s love for you? (Ephesians 3:17-19)

 

Sometimes you just need to be still to allow His great love to sink in and find rest for your soul.

 

If you simply accept “His indescribable gift”, He will begin to change you from the inside out through His Holy Spirit living inside you. (2 Corinthians 9:15)

 

Do you have assurance of His love for YOU?

June 6, 2022

June 6, 2022

It is a great blessing to live near the ocean, where I can take soul-refreshing walks along a beautiful beach. As I walk, I talk with the Lord about what is weighing on my mind and I pray and thank Him for everything, regardless of my feelings.

 

Throughout the storms over the past couple of years and time of uncertainty, I sense that the Lord has been encouraging me to pray more often and to encourage those who haven’t put their trust and faith in God to seek, and find, a closer relationship with Him. He also regularly encourages me to pray for the many and widely varying needs of others.

 

I have also been sharing verses recently that couple prayer with thanksgiving. The Bible tells us that prayers coupled with thankfulness are especially pleasing to God. They help us to meet the purpose of our creation – His glorification. 

 

I also sense that good things are on the horizon. We need to keep praying, but we also need to remember that, as Oswald Chambers phrases it, “the biggest answers to our prayers are in the realm of the unseen.” 

 

What are some of the things that God would like to hear you thank Him for today?

May 30, 2022

May 30, 2022

As I reflect on the men and women who have served our country on this Memorial Day, I think of them as heroes. To me, a hero is someone willing to sacrifice his or her life for a noble cause to the benefit of their fellow men and women.

 

Jesus is the ultimate example of a hero. He is my hero because of His willful surrender to an agonizing death to provide a path for my salvation, an abundant life and ultimately the enjoyment of eternal life with Him.

 

I see coaching as an opportunity to follow Jesus’ example of servanthood by ministering to others who are hurting and in need of help along life’s difficult path. While I will not be called on to give up my life, I am lifted spiritually when my ministry calls for an element of sacrifice in order to meet a need of others. When we put the needs of others ahead of our own, not only do we find fulfillment, but God meets our own needs.

 

How is the Lord calling you to serve others?