Start this new year by flushing those things you don’t need.
Flush the anger. Flush the pain.
Flush negative thinking and self degradation.
Flush laziness, apathy and procrastination.
Let it all flow away from you and embrace those things that are best.
Embrace love. Embrace peace. Embrace joy.
Embrace positive thoughts and self evaluation.
Embrace determination, tenacity and advancement.
Let it consume you and propel you to a better tomorrow, a higher mountain top.
The valleys may come. The storms may rage.
But if you are pressing forward toward the best ahead, you can learn to dance in the rain.
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 I do,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.
Your perspective is guided, cleared and clouded by that filter.
You can choose to allow your filter to be filled with your pain or your victory.
You can choose to create your filter to be filled with good things or evil.
Th choice is yours.
Choose today for 2023.
Choose well.
Extra Note: I love coffee, but it’s not a great filter filler for my life. 😉😂
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.”
You can plan and prepare, or you can simply let it roll on in.
But it will not be stopped.
It can catch you unaware, or you can come ready.
The choice is yours.
What will you do?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Don’t wallow in regrets, but correct, repent and make amends.
Look forward to tomorrow and acknowledge it.
Don’t jump ahead in what could be, but plan, pray, and prepare.
And live today. Be present. Be attentive. Be engaged.
Savor and reflect. Cherish and embrace.
Today is for the taking and the making.
Don’t miss it.
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Matthew 6:25-27
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
There is such a push in modern culture to do the same things, wear the same things.
There is such a demand to be the same as everyone else, compare and correlate.
If you are a follower of Christ, He never designed for this pattern.
Look at His disciples. Look at His creation.
Peter and John seemed to be polar opposites.
Snowflakes and raindrops are never identical.
He called you to be you, tempered by His Spirit, molded by His Son.
Find yourself in His design. Find yourself in His plan.
You’ll be amazed at what you discover.
You’ll be overwhelmed by what you reclaim.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
No matter who you are, where you came from, where you’re going,
We all have a prison to live in.
It may be your career, your education, your ambition that demands your concentration, your dedication.
It may be your possessions, your economic status, your greed for more that commands your toil, your allegiance.
There is a prison, and it beckons your name.
It may be your pain, your heartache, your past that haunts your thoughts, your recollections.
It may be your anger, your temper, your impulse that forces your allegiance, your agreement.
There is a prison, and the door is open wide.
It may be your children, your spouse, your family that claims your devotion, your approval.
It may be your health, your well-being, your countenance that orders your commitment, your adherence.
It may even be a wall of bars you’ve allowed someone else to control the size, the depth, the yielding of your attendance that confines your submission and your surrender.
We all have a prison waiting, which one will you choose?
You can also decide love, joy, peace, and goodness will be your eternal home.
This prison will bring more freedom than you can ever imagine.
Then, you’ll want to lock the door and throw away the key.
Choose well. For once the latch is turned, you may never leave your abiding cage…
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
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever amansows, that he will also reap.
Ok, so this meme is posted to be funny, and I hope you’re laughing.
But honestly, there’s a little bit of truth here, and realistically, on both sides.
We can’t go around “locking people out” of our lives every time we dislike what they say or do.
Yet, for our own well being, there may be times that we need to lock that door.
If you’re feeling quick to agree or disagree with me, I’ll urge you to pause.
Your feelings of justification or accusation may not be accurate once you hear my thoughts…
In this culture we are living, it seems everyone can be offended, and everyone is demanding tolerance and acceptance.
In this modern society, everyone screams to “let me be me,” and if “you don’t, you hate me!”
Candidly speaking, this is a dumb statement on both ends of the spectrum.
If you are in the camp of those who are quick to gain offense and demand acceptance, in actuality, you are forcing that of me, but yet, I’m not allowed to do the same of you (because then, I’d be intolerant).
If you are in the camp who states emphatically that my disagreement proves my hatred, then in reality, you have just pointed the finger to the very thing you are doing to me (because now you are “hating on” me).
Both responses are unfair and unreasonable.
Both reactions are illogical and quite biased.
If you are truly desiring relationship, these expectations are one sided and selfish, and they only bring toxins and codependency.
If you are truly looking for companionship, these pressures are pompous and even narcissistic, and they only bring death and destruction.
If you are truly seeking connection, then you’ve got to have some give and take.
If you are truly pursuing friendship, then you’ve got to become less demanding and a little more understanding.
And this is when the decision to open the door or close it becomes essential.
Not because we need to go around locking out every controlling or domineering person we encounter,
And not because we need to become people of only rules and regulations; there must be second chances for mercy to flow.
But rather, we need to open the door wide to those who welcome, warm, refresh, strengthen and challenge the heart.
And we need to close it to those who demean, ridicule, imprison and manipulate the soul.
Learning when to lock the door and expand it takes a lifetime of wisdom, love and self-control.
Learning takes a lifetime of failing and succeeding.
It’s a hard lesson, but it is attainable.
It’s a arduous journey, but it is worth it.
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Amos 3:3
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I’ve heard it said, “Be careful the bridges you burn. You might need that passage again one day.”
At times, this can be so very true, for I believe some people simply don’t know who their friends are.
At other times, I want to scream across the chasm of experience and life, “Burn it! Set a bonfire and run away!”
You may be reading this and think, “Ohhhh, here we go. She’s got unforgiveness. She’s got a bitter root.”
But I have to disagree.
I’ve got wisdom. I’ve got experience. And I’ve got a brain.
Sometimes, there are bridges that need to be lit with a blow torch and never again embarked.
Granted, I’m not telling you to burn every passage you desire, and I’m no saying every disagreement in life should end in an explosion.
But I’ve watched too many sit still in the middle of abuse.
I’ve listened to too many stories of the narcissistic control.
I’ve witnessed too many who remain in the toxic fumes of dysfunction and lose hope.
This is when I want to cry out to send help.
This is when I want to carry the gasoline and the torch and say, “Light it.”
Yes. There are some bridges in life that must be burned to restore strength, vitality and love.
Draw on foresight, common sense and know-how.
Lean on knowledge, maturity and expertise.
Rely on truth and reality and forsake fantasy and lies.
Then, you will light the match with confidence.
Then, the destruction will leave and peace can come.
Then, Hope will be welcomed to abide.
So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
There was a girl who got through the day with routines, laughter. and some memes...chores, laughs, smiles, and some cats...food, naps, plus coffee too...then yoga for the win... a warm bath, some books, and You Tube📺-hdtj💜
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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