Tuesday, March 29

Hope For Dark Times............ 3/29/11

Experiencing a gracious living God is like feeling the
 sun's warmth streaming through the clouds of difficulties
         Good morning everyone, 
It's easy getting overwhelmed with the pressures we face.  It's second nature, relying on our mind, believing it will solve our problems.  It doesn't.  The lynch pin is
our feelings, a part of us that is easily overlooked. 

         Our cerebral cortex has nothing to do with feelings.  Rather, our limbic system and the reptilian, primitive part of our mind processes our feelings, how we sense things.  It will know relief when we turn over our concerns to the God of our understanding.  Such action does wonders for our body, ease and serenity.  It's helpful remembering that there is only one God, and we are not it.

         The loudest voice screaming within our soul, our feelings, is not necessarily the most accurate as the following passage reminds us. It's time to retire the cape and exercise the slogan, "Let Go and Let God."
"In the face of seemingly impossible problems, it's easy to believe that our most negative thoughts reflect the truth. They plead the worst case scenario in a very convincing way, until it almost seems frivolous to consider a positive outcome. Yet the loudest voice is not necessarily the truest. 
No matter how insistent a feeling may be, it is just a feeling, not a prophecy. We don't get to know today what will happen tomorrow.  Counting on any particular outcome can lead to disappointment, but sometimes it helps to remember that a positive outcome is just as likely as a negative one.
We are powerless over the results of our actions.  We can  try to make wise choices today, but what will happen in  the future is out of our hands.  Since we can't know what to expect, why not trust that God can use whatever happens to further our growth. Today, I will place the future in God's hands.  I trust that by turning it over, it can be used for my good.
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'This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.'  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Courage to Change, p. 260
         I hope this post lifts the spirits of those burdened with anxiety.  If we apply the thoughts expressed here we will know an Attitude of Gratitude.  
How About You?
1. Do you dwell within your mind? I once did. Now, I'm a more complete person. I'm in touch with my body. I listen to it and my felt sense. I also allow my spirit to breathe through meditation (listening to God) and prayer (my talking to God). 
2. How well have you developed your spiritual nature?  I turned my life and will over to God decades ago. I'm glad I did. It's the best thing I ever did. 
     I'd love hearing your answers. 
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Image: "Inspiration!"  by Tim Blessed © all rights reserved, used by permission

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Today I am grateful for succumbing to a temptation yesterday. It has shown me what I am really doing when I allow myself to give in. Something that seems like not much, but it does matter, and the sin isn't in being tempted, but in yielding to it. Now I am more resolved to give up a vice. :)

Was that vague enough for you? lol

Pablo said...

Dear Thag,

Thanks for dropping by. Good to see you here. I think I know what your issue was. :P. I loved yesterday's crazy post, at your place. You've my prayers.

I'm grateful for your authenticity, something you know I value highly. As we confess, one to another, we find healing. James 5:16. Know that you are not alone. Our neediness provides an opportunity for us to be extruded into relationship with healthy others. The trick is character discernment. (What's that? :->)

Yours, and cheers to you,

Paul

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I've been pretty bad at character discernment. :P It's not like I can't tell, but for some reason I go rushing in like a fool anyway. o_O

Pablo said...

"We do not get a lot of training in evaluating character. We tend to look on the outside and not the inside of a person. (I Sam. 16:7; Matt. 23:25-28) We choose people based on outward appearance, and then experience the inside of them. We look at worldly success, charm, looks, humor, status and education, accomplishments, talents and giftedness, or religious activity. But then we experience the pain of being in a relationship with them, and come up very empty handed." Safe People, p.21.

Words to ponder.

Paul

Pablo said...

By the way, thank you, Thag, for being the first reader to post a gratitude at this place. I believe it is the first of many that we'll read, from those who drop by this cozy place. Thanks again.

Quotes from the Posts

"I'm mindful that our thoughts affect the words we use, our words influence our actions, our actions shape our character and our character determines our destiny."

From "My Character Determines My Destiny." To read it, please click here.

"Progress not perfection, is better than no progress at all, especially when we're trying to rid ourselves from unwelcome dragons that dwell within the closets of our soul."

From, "Still Learning" which, within four days, became the most popular post
written. To read it, please click here.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its trouble, but it does empty today of its strength"
From the post: "Life Is Not a Correspondence Program." Click here to read it.

"Even though we cannot control our circumstances, we can control how we choose to respond to them."

From, "Handling Stress and Dealing With an Emotional Bully."Click here to read this post.

"Nope, being busy isn't exciting. Boring is good. Because boring is not boring; boring is being healthy, living a balanced life that has serenity"

From: "Do You Know What It Means If You Are Too Busy?" For more, please click here.

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