Truth is not enough to sustain your life lest you apply it.
Application of truth is the only way our lives become transformed from what they have been.
So, let’s ask ourselves some heartfelt questions today,
How much Truth am I receiving?
How much Truth am I accepting?
(And yes. There is a difference in receiving truth and accepting that truth as truth.)
If I am accepting Truth, am I applying it to my life?
If I’m apply this Truth to my life, is there fruit coming from my life?
Simple as that.
We can hear Truth all day long, but if we fail to receive it, accept it, apply it, and then, produce it, we fall into the age old trap of becoming a fool.
The lack of Truth being applied in someone’s life doesn’t change the Truth.
It only leaves a void of change in the hearer’s life.
And that, my dear friends, leads to a most tragic end.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Goodbyes to those who have caused pain can be all together freeing; yet, the grief will come in waves as the broken covenant becomes a reality.
It can be all together overwhelming.
Just because the decision to leave is right doesn’t mean it will be full of joy and laughter.
Just because the need to walk away is necessary doesn’t mean the path is smooth and easy.
It can be the hardest season of life.
And the loneliest.
Yet, never doubt the resolution to remove toxicity and never return to it simply because of the sharp agony of separation.
Cry the tears that must be shed.
Weep and wail.
Rant and rage.
Then, take a deep breath and exhale.
And know that through the grief, an inner strength will grow which will extend beyond the pain.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Sometimes, it’s just hard to deal with certain humans.
If we’re being honest, you know it’s true.
Yet, just as it’s important to walk away from toxicity and dangerous relationships, it’s also important to be able to discern those who might be in a bad mood and those who are truly damaging.
And this distinction can truly make or break a leader.
Come to the wrong conclusion, and you can damage a relationship, a ministry, a group of people, and even a home.
Assume a friend is a foe, and you lose a covenant and companion for life.
Suppose a foe is a friend, and you may walk away wounded and scarred, or worse, you can find yourself enclosed in a cage of emotion.
Presume inaccurately on either side, and you can wound the most innocent among you.
Judge incorrectly, and the grace needed to make amends can sometimes be insurmountable.
So, step carefully and evaluate slowly.
Learn to recognize warning signs and decipher welcome flags.
Acknowledge personal hangups and triggers and work harder to overcome.
Create an atmosphere of curiosity and courage and allow for input from the older, wiser sages near you.
Open your heart wide and your ears and eyes even wider.
And above all, if you believe in the One who created you, pray and ask Him to guide, not only in the final decision but to the people who can help lead you in that direction.
A friend can be hidden from immediate view because the search is always an adventure.
A foe can be veiled from initial sight because the desire for communion is always a heart’s home.
Friend or foe, learning the difference is essential.
Open rebuke is better Than love carefully concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Proverbs 27:5-6
Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend givesdelight by hearty counsel.
When you are seeking to better yourself, sometimes, it will irritate those who want to remain the same.
When you are moving beyond the trauma, sometimes, those who enjoyed the drama will want to stay.
When you are healing and pursuing something better, sometimes, those who liked you broken cannot handle the new strength.
And that’s ok.
Keep walking ahead.
Keep healing from the past.
Keep moving forward toward wellness, peace, and joy.
Those who are meant to go with you will arrive.
Those who aren’t will remain where you were.
And that’s ok.
To thrive, sometimes you have to say goodbye to the old you and also to the old them.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing Ido, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Distancing yourself from stupid people requires fortitude and repetition.
I’d have to say distancing yourself from dramatic people is even more essential
For often, stupidity and drama seem to go hand in hand, and these seem to multiply when you’re not looking.
But if you’ll take a moment to assess your surrounding and evaluate your relationships, stupidity and dramatic response can be weeded out and set apart.
You just must decide if you want peace or attention and popularity.
If peace is your goal, then the distance is an easier trek than if your desire is to people please.
If peace is your ambition, you will embrace it with vigor and pursue it with passion.
And where peace abides, stupidity and drama are closed out by the gates of solitude and tranquility, and shadowed by an overwhelming shield of calm.
So truly, the decision lies within your making.
What do you seek?
Peace or chaos.
It’s yours to choose.
You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Well, I’ve been taking a bit of a hiatus from writing. I just peeked back at my past notes, and it’s been since December that I posted here. For my friends and followers, my apologies if you wondered where I’d gone or what I was up to. And to those who might not have noticed, that’s ok, too. I’ve just been over here living life in my little corner of the world.
I hope to get back to posting at least weekly, if not more, but I’m maybe not going to make a grand announcement this time of how much. It seems I don’t do a great job when I make the big ol’ declaration and keep up with it for a bit of time, and then, life happens, and I get distracted, or I simply don’t feel like I have anything “brilliant” or worthwhile to share. So I think this time, I’ll just begin small and see where it takes us…
LETTING GO
Sometimes, you’ve got to let go in order to hold onto the things that really matter.
Sometimes, you’ve got to release the pain to embrace the joy.
Sometimes, you’ve got to drop the anger like a hot rock to pick up the love that’s been there waiting for you.
It’s only when you walk away from what you’ve always known that you can finally see what is most important and valuable.
So, remove the chains that have bound you.
Be liberated from your shackles that confine you.
Set your souls free and let your spirit fly!
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
Thinking about convos I’ve had over the past several days and how I’m thankful for the Body of Christ.
Hear me. You don’t have to be in the same church to be the Body. You don’t have to be in the same seasons of life. You don’t have to run your households the same way. You don’t even have to be in the same state.
You just have to walk in agreement, following the same God, and BE THE BODY.
Recently, I called a lady who had visited our church on Sunday simply because they had friends there, and they had “a day off” from their congregation because of a building move situation. She was a pastor’s wife, too. She encouraged me as she spoke about the great things of our church, the great message my husband preached, and the refreshing they needed and felt while they worshipped with us. She thanked me, and we prayed for each other.
THIS is being the Body, my friends.
I had another conversation in which I just listened as my friend shared her struggles with a health issue. Cancer. All the fears, transitions, frustrations, and unwanted prognosis while attempting to hold onto faith in a faithful and loving God, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that He’s still God.
Another conversation was filled with excitement and heartache as her son moves away to college, and while she misses him terribly, she knows he’s at the right place, in the right season, doing the right thing. This conversation was concluded by a hand on an arm, a strong look in the eyes, and one friend telling another, “It will be an adjustment, but you enjoy this new season of time with your husband. Focus on putting your attention on him and his on you…Empty nesting can be fun!”
Another in which the wife is watching a terrible disease daily rob her husband’s quality of life, and there’s nothing she can do about it but pray. This conversation didn’t amount to words of solution or even of any words I felt could be of great comfort, except, “God is with you, and please, tell us how to help (because we won’t impose, but we’re here).”
In all these, the Body was being the Body as it should be. Carrying one another’s burdens. Being there, not just in word and deed, but simply in presence and love. Sharing the raw, unedited feelings of the heart and not shielding it out of pride, isolation or fear.
If you’re not a believer, you may have no idea what I’m talking about. And that’s ok.
But if you are a believer in the One True God…
Let’s BE THE BODY, Church. ❤️
“Bear ye one another’s burdens. For in this, you the law of Christ.”
Having purpose is so important, and it is motivating. But when your purpose becomes an attitude of competition only to put down someone else, that pride will be your downfall. That downfall may not come to you immediately, but it will come. Eventually, it will come.
Purpose should be an inner competition of better self. Purpose should be an outward vigor of thriving through hardships. purpose should be an omnidirectional display of helping someone else to achieve their dream.
When purpose meets awareness of another, that purpose becomes a superpower that is not easily stopped. When purpose meets denial of self for the life of another, that purpose becomes almost invincible.
Choose purpose over pride. Self-denial over self-absorption. Compassion over competition.
And you’ll be amazed at the world you can create.
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better tobe of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who heeds the word wisely will find good, whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
I am a licensed psychologist based in Greece. My love for housekeeping has inspired me to create this blog about home management and family relationships. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!
Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
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