I do believe our country might just be getting a restart in many areas! šā¤ļøšŗšøā¤ļø
Happy Independence Day!
Itās great to be an American.
Itās great to live in the land of the free and home of the brave!
Funny Friday
freedom
Patriotic Soul
We interrupt our Funny Fridays to bring a special announcement:
Happy Independence Day! ā¤ļøšŗšøā¤ļø
So thankful to live in the land of the free and home of the brave!!
Healing Processes
There is so much truth to this statement that itās almost difficult to add anything to it.
Too often, we continually try to change people to fit what we need, or better yet, we work hard to ālead themā to a better place to accommodate who we are and who we are becoming.
But people are people.
You might can lead them well, and when that is feasible, by all means, carry on. But when it is someone who is bringing constant harm to you or to someone you love, be careful giving your time. Because youāre also giving your love, your thoughts, and eventually someone elseās flesh more than just your own.
When itās toxicity, abuse, or dysfunction weāre talking about, step back and evaluate what youāre truly letting go of:
Peace of mind. Peace in your home.
Love in your heart. Love in your surroundings.
Sanity. Sanity in your loved ones.
If these things are given up for the sake of family, friendship , or other relationships, is it really worth it?
Sometimes, you have to hear what someone is saying, see what they are doing, and understand they are who they are. This is a a choice. And you f it doesnāt line up with the peace, love and sanity you need for your life and for those within your charge, then by all means,
Step away.
You both will be better for it.
As a dog returns to his own vomit,
Proverbs 26:11-12
So a fool repeats his folly.
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Embrace the Healing
When you feel your strength returning and your lungs filling with air, donāt turn back.
When you can see more clearly and hear more accurately, donāt turn back.
When you can think more precisely and plan more purposefully, donāt turn back.
You didnāt mend to unravel.
You didnāt rebuild to deconstruct.
You didnāt heal to destroy.
Donāt regress. Donāt recede. Donāt retreat.
You fought for this.
Now, move forward. And win.
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
Take Courage
So many live out their lives in fear. Reacting to failure. Reacting to pain. Reacting to violence. Reacting to disastrous times.
No precept. No plans. No purpose.
Only reaction upon reaction to circumstance, feelings and desire.
Not enough live their lives by sheer courage. Having courage is choosing to be equipped. Choosing to be intentional. Choosing to be in the moment. Choosing to make the right choices regardless of common ground.
Know preparation. Know purpose. Know peace.
Choosing to respond or not to respond. Speak or not to speak. But always thinking. Always alert. Always deliberate of the choice.
Thatās courage.
Itās not having all confidence or even all knowledge. Itās never about being the strongest or having the most.
Courage is the choice to do right and to be right no matter who stands against you. No matter who discourages. No matter who disagrees.
Have courage today. Be different. Make a difference.
And you can change the world.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
John 1:9
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31
One Opinion
One opinion can wreck our whole day.
One opinion can destroy our whole mood.
One opinion can demolish our whole level of success.
Why?
Why do we let one simple opinion do that?
The wise statement is so very true:
āCare about what others think, and you will always be their prisoner.ā – Lao Tzu
Enough said.
Let it go and go do better.
The fear of man brings a snare,
Proverbs 29:25
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
Grudge Not
Are you holding a grudge? About?
Itās almost funny, that the daily prompt today is asking if youāre holding a grudge, and my blog post earlier today was about forgiveness.
As they say, maybe great minds do think alike. Lol.
Do I hold a grudge? No. Iād have to say not because Iāve learned forgiveness is more important and more freeing than holding grudges that I could rightfully hold.
Yet, for some whose relationship has been effected by my distance and even my walking away, their narrative could be different. But sometimes, toxicity must be avoided at all costs. And thatās where the judgement begins.
But to hold a grudge means your intent will eventually be to bring harm. Holding a grudge has the intent of revenge. Holding a grudge has the motives of destruction.
Holding a grudge is rooted in the foundation of unforgiveness. Holding a grudge brings resentment and bitterness. Holding a grudge actually brings more harm to you than it does to those against whom the grudge is held.
That grudge will create a prison in which youāll live if youāll let it. That grudge will be the hot iron that you think youāre grasping in your hand, yet the longer you hold it, the more it burns your flesh and all those closest to you.
But if youāll release that grudge, itās like releasing the hot iron to go back into the fire from whence it came. And the release brings you more freedom than you could ever imagine.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
Ephesians 4:31
Define Freedom
What is freedom?
Is freedom being able to ādo what I want when I want and however I want?ā
Is freedom having an absence of confinement and restrictions?
Is freedom being able to speak, work, and live without rules and boundaries?
Truly, in this day and age, freedom seems to be negotiable to the person or parties making those decisions.
However, because we are children of God, our truth doesnāt change with culture nor with man.
Our truth comes from the Word of God; so, when seeking the definition of freedom, we must seek what God tells us is true.
Jesus said, in John 8:36, āTherefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.ā
Then, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17, āNow the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.ā
And in Galatians 5:1, āIt is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.ā
Christ has given us a clear picture of what freedom is and what He has meant it to be in our lives: true freedom can only be found in the redemption fo Jesus Christ!
So, if you are a child of the King today, YOU ARE FREE!
If you are saved by the Blood of the Lamb, and your name is written in the Lambās Book of Life, YOU ARE FREE!!
Let us rejoice in His freedom!
Let us praise Him for the great things He has done!
Let us raise our hands and lift our voices with a grateful heart for the freedom He has brought us both within our spiritual lives and within this country that we live because we are free to worship Him today!
I have the right to do anything,ā you sayābut not everything is beneficial. āI have the right to do anythingāābut I will not be mastered by anything.
1 Corinthians 6:12
What is Freedom?
FREEDOM!
What do you think of when you hear the words freedom, liberty, and independence?
What images come to mind when you hear, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?”
For our modern culture, these words do not seem to invoke the same images and thoughts that appeared to be more commonplace among Americans in years prior. As a matter of fact, the other day I googled the words “liberty and justice,” and one of the first entries said, “pledging this means accepting the reality that today there is injustice and fairness in the society,” followed by numerous political views stated pertaining to diversity and inclusion.
These ideals have their place, and I’m not going to get tangled in a political war of words and opinions; however, it’s important to remember that our Constitutionās message and the words of freedom contained within it were not created solely in response to the issues our society faces today. We, as a people, had constructed these words and this declaration so many decades past in order to set the foundation for which our nation stands for freedom. We decided to make these words the very cornerstones for how we should live and respond as a nation.
It’s not a reaction. It is a declaration, a belief system, upon which to build a great nation that will sustain the test of time.
And it is a fragile one. It is one that, if not protected, fought for and defended, can be stolen within a blink of an eye. It is to be cherished, valued and upheld, or it will be taken away by those who work harder to defend their own tyrannical desires.
I love the quote by Ronald Reagan in reference to this concern:
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
President Ronald Reagan, 40th President of USA
As we celebrate this Independence Day in the great country of America, let us ask ourselves what we are doing to protect our freedoms in this country. Let us ask ourselves if we are fighting to value and cherish those freedoms, or are we conforming to the loudest voices amount us who may hate, demean and devalue this great nation.
Let us forever remember that she may have her issues, her difficulties and her need for improvement, but anyone who hates her, I ask you to go to a third world nation and compare. I ask you to travel to the war torn countries around the world and see if youād prefer their fate.
I ask you to visit the nations who love her and wish they could be like her. Ask them how you should cherish herā¦
Happy Independence Day!
And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
Jeremiah 29:7
Faith Over Fear Brings Freedom
Sometimes, you just have to saddle up and ride the horse scared.
Sometimes, youāve just got to take a deep breath and dive in deep.
Sometimes, youāve got to put one foot in front of the other and keep climbing.
If you donāt, you may never see the landscape from the mountain too.
If you donāt, you may never experience the exhilaration of exploring the utopia of the abyss.
If you donāt, you may never realize that he courage you had hidden deep within.
So, take the plunge.
Take the ride or die.
Chase the dream and see what is to come.
You never know the freedom of success until you do.
And David said to his son Solomon, āBe strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord Godāmy Godāwill be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
1 Chronicles 28:20
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58
the grizzle grist mill 