Category: Love

Letting Go

One of the most empowering things I have learned to do is “Let Go” of the control in my life.  I have learned to live my life realizing that the best way I can make a difference is to begin with where I need to improve, asking God to help me.

I have also learned there are some people that have not yet learned this lesson. They spend way too much time looking at others and pointing fingers trying to tear their lives down, rather than using words to build one up. These people are unable to look in the mirror and see the error of their ways. Many times it can be because those closest to them do not model a better way. There is a loving way to communicate to a loved one that what they are saying or doing is hurtful, thoughtless and arrogant. On the flip side, be very wise about where you point your finger. Many a person will turn to be your enemy if you point at them. Only those ready to receive constructive criticism accept it and use it to improve. It has also been said that those who point their finger are telling a lot about them selves. Kind of like looking in a mirror. Taking the log our of our own eyes before we try to tell someone about a tiny speck of dirt in theirs is crucial in creating change from love.

The bottom line is that we all have done things we are not proud of and we know it. There is forgiveness readily available. We can self examine, ask God for the strength to help us change and work toward that end. That is where we will begin to see change happen around us. Using the Serenity Prayer can be helpful to us in these times. Thinking on things that are uplifting, look for the good in others and realizing that we have a great influence on others through what we say and how we live our own lives can be an amazing way to effect change without interfering and creating enemies.

“God, Grant me the Serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

and the Wisdom to know the difference.”


I AM

 

I love, I receive love, I have God’s love, My love flows, I love my neighbor, I love my enemy, I know certain love, I have abundance, I am patient, I give grace,

I have joy, God’s gifts are a joy, He gives me joy, I share joy, I receive joy, I feel good, I feel great, I am light, I am God’s light

I am beautiful, I am God’s masterpiece, I am creative, Creating brings me joy, God gave me the gift of creativity, I create from the beauty he surrounds me with, I am close to God

I am smart, I am resourceful, I can change trash to treasure, I am an artist, I am a gardener, a photographer, a writer, I manage a home, I manage an office, I am a wife, I am a mother, I am a daughter, I am a sister, I study, I learn

I am discerning, I am careful, I am watchful, I am protective, I see, I hear, I touch, I listen, I am wise, I am vocal, I am quiet, I laugh, I cry, I wonder, I pray, I hurt, I heal

I laugh hard, I cry hard, I am funny, I am serious, I sing, I dance, I praise, I give, I give my heart, I give my time, I am compassionate, I want to help, I want to save, I am here

I am happy, I am joyful, I am amazing, I am filled with peace, I am gentle, I am energy, I am tender, I am whole, I am complete, I am moving, I am breath, I am thriving

I am a Christian, I believe my Savior, I trust his word, I have faith, I am faithful, I am free, I am thankful, I am blessed, My needs are met, I have the Holy Spirit, I sin, I am forgiven, I am saved, I have God’s Promises, I depend on God, I listen to God, He listens to me, He carries me

I am a Daughter of the Most High King, My Lord!!

Debbie Downs ©2012

Wisdom Hunters Daily Devotionals – Spiritual Leadership

After the comments made on relationships, I thought it right to share a blog post I received. I believe we can see from this perspective that no matter what we believe, the TRUTH is, the Bible teaches men to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Men are called as a Spiritual leader in marriage. It doesn’t mean they always will. Christ laid His life down for the Church, so it would live and grow. Spiritual leadership requires having a healthy fear (respect and reverence) for God. When a man respects and honors God above all else, he will love his wife with a love that will draw his wife into his love, and she will respect and trust him.  Marriage was originally designed for those who love God and one another.  My experience has been that any relationship built on a sandy foundation and without an understanding of the love of God, will have great trouble. Paul tells us that those who love God will experience trouble in marriage.  Trusting God, respecting Him and seeking Him above all else will build a healthier perspective for love. Love includes boundaries. It is not a free for all, without moral integrity and disrespect for God and one another. Without Christ’s love as the center, no relationship will breed  trust.

I hope you gain some gold nuggets from the attached message. I did!

Wisdom Hunters Daily Devotionals.

Trust is the Foundation

According to Andy Stanley, these verses from 1 Corinthians 13 are historically used for marriage vows; yet they were established as a guideline for us to love people.
I want to share the points he made which are critical for us to understand to know what this looks like and how to apply it!

The health of all relationships flows out of how we trust people! This will be determined on two things:
1. What we see
2. Who we are
Trust verses from this scripture
Verses 5-6
“Love delights in those doing the right thing”
verse 7
“Love always protects, hopes and perseveres”
1. Love protects the relationship – when it is the hardest, do everything to trust
2. Hope is the explanation of that
3. Love believes and endures all things
Summary is LOVE BENDS!
1.It gives the other person the benefit of the doubt
2. It always looks for the most generous explanation
3. Love chooses trust over suspicion

The core of great relationships is TRUST
WE all have expectations and experiences. But what is in the middle of those?
I love how Andy put it that there is a gap there and WE CHOOSE what to do in that gap
When we find ourselves seeing behavior that causes a gap, what do we do? WE CHOOSE–If we CHOOSE TRUST (Believing the Best) that is love. LOVE BENDS!
Andy shared much more . . .

Summary –
LOVE BENDS – DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU. Luke 6:31
When you can’t choose to trust, LOVE CONFRONTS, but not in a mean way. Only through a loving, respectful, kind and gentle way!
Go to the person, share that you want to trust them, you want to understand and you keep the door open to the relationship.
If we do nothing, anger develops internally and becomes embedded to the point the relationship is severed. A wise man will BEND!

Five points Jesus asks us to commit to:
1. When you see the gap – I will believe the best
2. When Others assume the worst about you- I will come to your defense
3. If trust is eroding by experience – I will come directly to you
4. When I cant keep a promise – I will let you know ahead of time
5. When you confront me about gaps I have created – I’m going to tell you the truth!

These are great commitments for each of us to make.

THE FOUNDATION OF ALL RELATIONSHIPS IS TRUST!

My Mom is Love

From my perspective my mother is the most wonderful mother God could have blessed me with. She is a light of love, patient and humble, very wise, industrious and creative. My mom is a woman who speaks the truth in a gentle, yet penetrating way, driving to the very core of my heart. My mom is simple at heart, yet there is a unique beauty in her, a magnificent beauty that reflects into others lives. She is a jewel that stands out in the crowd. Her eyes are blue, full of light and depth. Her smile invites acceptance and her heart steers one to live life to the fullest. My mom is love.

When I was a teenager, I did not think this much of my mom’s guidance. I thought I knew all the answers and that I knew far better for my life than she could know. Oddly, during all those years, when anyone said anything against my mom, I quickly came to her defense. The experiences in my life of my mom speaking truth to me were not easy and as a teenager caused me to sometimes resent her. Those resentments and pains turned into an understanding that although I was wrong in some things, my mom loved me enough to tell me the truth about myself, which spurred me into a deeper relationship with God and her.

Once I recognized that my mother had my best interest in her heart I saw things in a different way. I began to mature and recognize that my thinking had changed and I longed for more of the wisdom my mother offered. She is a woman who allowed me to live out my life and learn from whatever mistakes I would make. She came through life in the same way. If I had not had the mother God so carefully chose for me, I would never have received the love, encouragement and lessons only she could give.  I became the woman I am because of my mother’s gifts of love and truth.

I am thankful I woke up and put away childish thinking while realizing what an absolute blessing my mom is to all of my sisters, my daughters, my grandchildren and me. Without her guidance, acceptance and love we would not have sought the love that was sitting in the palm of our hands, even though we could not see it.

Thank you mom for guiding me, for believing in me and mostly for loving me! I am grateful you are the mother God chose for me! I love you!