Funny Friday
I’m Not Okay
There is a modern day push to tolerate all things, no matter what it might be.
To remain silent even when injustice is being propagated.
There is a peer pressure within society that you may speak, so long as your words aren’t too strong, too forceful, too conflicting, or God forbid, too spiritual.
Yet, I want to ask, WHO SET THE RULES?
WHO claims you are right and I am wrong?
WHO gets to choose what is common decency, kindness to mankind, justice to the abused?
Kindness does not begin where your intolerance ends.
Common decency does not get defined only by those with a specified ambition and agenda.
Justice does not get unbalanced weights to apply innocence to evil and evil to righteousness.
There has to be an absolute foundation on which to stand.
There has to be a voice that rises above the muck and mire.
There has to be an outcry for purity, holiness and truth.
And there must be a gathering of like minds who are bold enough to speak that truth with love.
Stop being a doormat.
Stop being used a vessel for wrong.
Stop being weaponized to destroy the innocence of all humanity.
You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 25:13-16
Hear this, you who swallow up the needy,
Amos 8:4-6
And make the poor of the land fail, Saying: “When will the New Moon be past,
That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, that we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— Even sell the bad wheat?”
These six things the Lord hates,
Proverbs 6:16-19
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
Read That, Again. Now, Choose.
This statement is the proof between maturity and immaturity.
It is the difference in the choice driven life and victim driven life.
It is the challenge of every human being alive.
You can either grow through your pain or allow it to consume you.
You can either choose to let it change you for good or for evil.
You can either live with determination or excuses.
It is up to you, and what you choose, what you allow will determine not only your outcome.
It will very likely determine the outcome for your children and/or those around you.
So, what will you choose?
How will you grow?
And who will reap the benefits ..or consequences?
Choose wisely, please.
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
Let’s Go to the Movies
What are your top ten favorite movies?
I’m not a huge movie goer; so, when I’m asked what are my top ten favorite movies, my list is probably going to be for an older crowd, or at least, for those old souls among us. Lol.
I’ll give my list, but I’ll have to say also that because of my own personal beliefs, I’ve watched a ton of these edited via television or some other sort of processing that takes out a lot of foul language or inappropriate/sexual scenes or even violence. *So please, if you take my list and then start watching without these safeguards, you might get shocked or offended, particularly if you know me, follow my testimony or are even wanting to see what kind of character I have. 😉 I like it more cleaned up for my eyes, heart and soul; that’s just how I roll.
Top 10 Favorite Movies:
1. The Princess Bride, 2. The Wedding Planner, 3. Little Women (w/Katherine Hepburn), 4. White Christmas, 5. The Lord of the Rings, 6. My Fair Lady, 7. Conager, 8. The Hobbit, 9. Top Gun, 10. The Sound of Music
Honorable Mentions: Mrs. Congeniality, Casablanca, How to Steal a Million
Yeah. You could say I’m a sucker for a good love story. haha.
What about you? What’s your top 10?
Peace is a Key
What positive emotion do you feel most often?
As I noted in another blog, peace is the one thing I carry with me at all times, and it is the positive emotion I try to have and to feel most often.
Peace is a key to unlock so many more positive emotions.
I’m usually not a real dramatic person, not a person of high emotion; so, this emotion might seem to come to me more easily than some. However, I work on it as well.
If you’re a person of lots of drama or a person of high emotion, it might take a little more work to get to a peaceful state, but it really boils down to your thought life.
What you think, you become.
If you dwell on fear, you’re gonna deal with lots of anxiety and fear.
If you dwell on sadness, you’re going to be sad and even depressed.
If you dwell on anger, you’re going to live in a state of anger and rage.
If you dwell on doubt and never ending questions, you’re going to be consumed in a cloud of confusion.
You get my point.
Negative thoughts breed negativity.
Positive thoughts breed positivity.
The beautiful thing is we get to CHOOSE what we think about.
Some would say, But thoughts just pop into my head. Yes. You are truthful in that.
However, it’s the thoughts you choose to keep that produce the outcome.
The thoughts you choose to nurture, strengthen and continually go back to, these are what you become.
So, I ask you: What positive emotion do you feel most often?
And maybe a better question would be:
What positive emotion do you choose to feel most often?
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
Proverbs 23:7
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Isaiah 26:3
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Silly Saturday
Funny Friday
Pic came from internet.
Bring Beauty to the Thorns
This life can be like a cactus many times.
The pain, the hardships, the struggles, they can all feel like piercing thorns that stab and poke into your most vulnerable moments.
The difficulties, the mishaps and failures can become like so many briars and dry patches that never seem to end.
But if I could encourage you today…
If I could give you one thought…
Blossom amongst the thistles.
Flourish amongst the bramble.
Don’t allow your circumstances to steal your beauty.
Don’t allow the heartache and brokenness to squelch your lovely fragrance and striking brilliance.
Bloom until you thrive and show the world there’s still elegance despite afflictions.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Isaiah 61:1-3
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Walking Through the Fire
Talking with a friend the other day she said, “We’ve been walking through the fire together, haven’t we?” My first thought was my fire is a small kindled ember compared to her recent turmoil, but the statement brought with it two kindred hearts and souls.
A mentor of mine once said to me:
You always need someone ahead of you in the journey to help you navigate the next steps, as they’ve been there and can help to give wisdom, challenge, reproof, and strength.
You always need someone beside you on this passage of life to link arms with, to uplift, to cry together, and to fight together.
You always need someone coming behind you into whom you can pour love, encouragement, guidance, and provide some shelter from the storm.
If you find all three, you can count yourself blessed.
If you cherish and nurture all three, you will be a better person for it.
If you seek all three, you’ll find you will forget more about your own problems and become a wounded healer, helping others across the broken bridges and rocky roads of this life.
And you’ll be receiving healing, affirmation, and compassion in the meantime.
So that even if you’re walking through the fire, you have a sister (or brother, for you guys) spirit joined with you to share in the heat and pain.
I am eternally beholden to my fire walkers who are blazing the path before me, showing me it can be done.
I am so grateful for those who are fire starters for whom I am able to spread the ashes to give some respite.
And I’m especially thankful for those right now who’s feet are as scorched as mine.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
Isaiah 43:1b-3
I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
the grizzle grist mill 