It’s all about Choices

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Hello my Positive Friends.  I’m excited about starting our regular study on September 22 at Prestonwood Country Club in North Dallas.  We also have a new study starting on September 23  in Allen.  Both are during the lunch hour 12 – 1.  I hope you will join us.  Here’s a thought for this week:

“Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.”   Barbara Johnson.

Life is tough, but we do have choices.  We have a choice about our attitude.  We have a choice to make positive changes and do things differently.  We have a choice to trust God and believe he will give us strength.  We also have the choice to despair and wallow in self-pity or fear.

What are you choosing to hold onto right now in your life?  Are you holding onto the right to grumble and complain because things aren’t going well?  Decide today to release that right to rehearse your hurts and instead begin to pray and thank God for the glimpse of hope.

Are you choosing to only see the faults in someone around you?  Decide today to stop dwelling on his or her bad qualities and instead look for a treasure or blessing that person brings to this world.   And yes they do bring something.

Are you angry right now at a person or at God?  Choose to forgive and let it go.  Choose to move on and stop replaying past hurts.  Choose to be happy once again, instead of bitter and miserable.

Now I’m not saying these choices are easy.  In fact they are not at all easy,  yet we have a God who loves us and wants to help us make wise choices.  Do you lack strength and the ability to make wise choices?  Pour your heart out to God and seek His help.  “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

Always Learning

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This past week at PWC we had the honor of learning from our friend Thelma Wells.  Thelma taught us to be aware of the enemy’s schemes and to put on the armor of God as we read in Ephesians.  Thelma’s words encouraged us all to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word each day.  God is always teaching us.

Possibly one of the most positive words in the English language is “Learn.”  Yes, if we are to grow and mature we must be continual students of life.  We learn from our mistakes, our challenges and our life experiences.  Instead of becoming overwhelmed by discouraging situations, we can turn them around by saying to ourselves, “How can I learn and grow and become a better person because of this?” 

As the kids head back to school in the month of September, let’s remember that we never stop going to school.  Every day brings its own set of lessons.   We learn about people, we learn to be flexible, we learn a new skill, we learn to be patient, we learn new ways to be thankful.  Observe, listen, grow.   A teachable spirit is a great asset.

The  Psalmist said, “Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.”  Our greatest teacher is the Lord himself as we look to Him to lead us and guide us each day. 

We will begin our study of the book of Philippians in Sept.  We look forward to seeing  you!

Precious Rest

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This week at PWC we have the blessing and privilege of Thelma Wells speaking with us.  She is a gifted and godly speaker and author.  I know your spirit will be uplifted as you hear her message of hope.  Join us at Prestonwood Country Club, on Preston just north of Arapaho in north Dallas, from 12 – 1.  Cost is $18 for buffet lunch.  See you soon!

Here’s a devotional thought for you

For the last few days I have had the privilege of spending some time in beautiful San Diego, California.  Now for those of you who have been to San Diego, you know that the weather there is pretty much perfect all year long.  It remains a consistent 65 to 75 degrees; a glorious reprieve from the Texas heat.  Just as it is good to take a little break from the hot summer weather in Dallas, it is also good to take a little intentional break from the heat of our busy and overloaded lives. 

 

In the Old Testament we read that God designed a plan for the Israelites to rejuvenate themselves each week, and it is a plan which can still strengthen us today. God told his people, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. (Exodus.” 20:8-10). God wanted his people to be set apart from the rest of the nations by having a Sabbath day – a day of rest  from their normal activities. It was for their own good so they wouldn’t become “burned out” or live in a constant state of stress.

 

Do you take time to refresh and rejuvenate from the hustle bustle of your week?

Our loving and caring Father knows we need a time of regular refreshment.  But we must be deliberate about setting aside a time of Sabbath.  The word “Sabbath” in the original Hebrew literally means “to rest.”  Ask yourself, what is work to you and what is rest to you?  Do you have a time when you stop and rest  each week?  Personally, I began setting aside Sunday afternoon as a time of rest and reflection, praying for God’s help and guidance for the coming week.  I decided to step away from answering emails, returning phone calls and running a lot of errands on Sunday – as those represent work to me.  In it’s place I read, rest and pray which brings refreshment to my spirit and helps me start off my week feeling renewed.

 

Stop and think, what can you do differently to create a time of rest at least once a week.  It may be small changes, yet deliberate ones which open up the possibility to experience more calm in your weekly routine.  As moms, encourage your children to do the same.  In our overly active and involved culture, it is hard to carve out a time for solitude and rejuvenation, but I believe this is why we have so many stressed out families and kids.

 

Charles H. Spurgeon spoke of the Sabbath not as a form of legalism, but as a blessing.  He said the Lord’s day for the Christian, “is to him a joy, a day of rest, of peace and of thanksgiving. And if the Christian can earnestly drive away all distractions, so that you can really rest today, it will be good for your bodies, good for your souls, good mentally, good spiritually, good temporally, and good eternally.”

Thanks for the Memories

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Next week we are looking forward to having Thelma Wells as our speaker. Be sure to RSVP to Donna: Dskell@roaringlambsministries.org
See you Tues Aug 25 at Prestonwood Country Club!

Here’s our weekly word of encouragement:
This past weekend I participated in a glorious reunion of the Chapel Choir from First Baptist Church in Dallas. Hundreds of choir members from over the past 50 years converged in the sanctuary in downtown Dallas for this historic event. Personally, my life has truly been enriched by the friends I made and the lessons I learned from being a part of this amazing and unique group. We traveled to Europe together and sang in the cathedral of Notre Dame, then on to London and Vienna and several military bases in Germany. From California to Washington D.C. we faithfully sang with the joy of the Lord and had a great time doing it.

It is good to reflect on the blessings God has brought us throughout our lives. In fact it is important for us to remember God’s goodness and never forget His faithfulness and kindness to us. I think about how God challenged the Israelites as they approached the Promised Land. We read his words in Deuteronomy 8:10 – 11, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.”

God warned his people to continue to turn their eyes on Him because He knew that once they became comfortable in the land, they could easily forget what God had done for them and they would become proud in their hearts. Isn’t it the same for you and me? Sometimes we become so caught up in our life activities that we forget to thank the Lord for all He has done and will continue to do in our lives.

Certainly we should not live in the past. And we must be careful not to continually replay hurts, mistakes and bad memories from the past. Yet remembering God’s goodness ought to be a vibrant part of our lives. As you consider God’s faithfulness in your own life, what can you thank Him for right now. I want to encourage you to rejoice in God’s loving-kindness. Thank Him for the people He has brought into your life over the years, thank Him for some of the ways He strengthened you through difficult circumstances, and of course thank Him for some of the wonderful situations He has allowed you to experience as well. As Paul said, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:17

LukeWarm Living

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Mark your calendars for PWC Tuesday, August 25. Thelma Wells will be our speaker. You won’t want to miss this very special opportunity to hear her.

Now for an encouraging word for God’s Word.
As a child, I remember running up to a drinking fountain while playing in the park, putting my lips to the water and expecting cold refreshing water to relieve my parched lips and throat. But instead of refreshment, I got yucky warm water! Yes those were the olden days before they had refrigerated drinking fountains (oops, I just dated myself). There were times when I would simply spew the lukewarm water out of my mouth because it was so very unappetizing.
It’s interesting, but in the Bible we read that God talks about spewing lukewarm water out of His mouth as well. In the book of Revelation we see God’s messages to the early churches. He told the church at Laodicea,
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:15 – 22
Think about it; both cold water and hot water are useful. Cold water is useful for drinking, and hot water for bathing ourselves or boiling food. God wants his people to be useful in the kingdom, not just sitting there warming up to our environment. Yet the real lesson to the church at Laodicea was actually the message of how to be useful in God’s kingdom. God urges them to stop being self-sufficient, self-centered and self-indulgent. Instead he invites them to depend on Him. That same invitation is open to us today to abide with Christ, dwell with Him, and find our sufficiency in Him.
Let’s consider in our own lives, are we leaning on Christ or are we depending on ourselves in our own self-sufficiency. Are we useless like lukewarm water, or are we refreshing like cold water? Are we simply just warming up to our environment or do we offer the traits of hot water springs which are cleansing and healing to the body? Let’s listen to Jesus’ message as He stands knocking at the door of our hearts. Let’s invite Him in and abide with Him every day.
If you want to see and hear me give this message then go to http://www.webtv4women.tv

Today’s blog was inspired by a sermon I heard this Sunday given by Stephen Bramer.