Act by Responding Versus Reacting
For those of you who may not know, my brother Jeffrey was in a serious motorcycle accident, and on August 24, 2013, he went to be with the Lord. For that reason, there has been a delay in my blog teaching. I wanted and needed the time to grieve and process the many different emotions, thoughts, experiences, lessons, and connections that his death held for me.
I have often expressed that I do not believe in coincidences, but I firmly believe in the God-incidences of life. So, keeping that thought in mind, I want to honor my brother’s memory and our family’s love for him with the song that has accompanied CHG #11 since 1999. It became popular in the early 90’s. I have listened to this song hundreds of times, and without fail, I am moved to tears for the meaning it has in my life at that time I take it in, and that has happened once again. Please get yourself comfortable, sit back, and relax. And as you do, reflect on the verses from Micah 1:1-3, that support CHG #11. Focus your mind, ears, and eyes to the following lyrics, and then click here for the angelic sound of Mike and the Mechanics, and their song, The Living Years. After you have pondered upon the lyrics and music, consider how the last verse in Micah speaks to you about the Lord’s coming.
Every generation, blames the one before
And all of their frustrations, come beating on your door
I know that I’m a prisoner to all my father held so dear
I know that I’m a hostage to all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years
No crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thoughts
Stilted conversations, I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got
You say you just don’t see it, he says its perfect sense
You just can’t get agreement, in this present tense
We all talk a different language, talking in defense
Say it loud (say it loud)
Say it clear (oh say it clear)
You can listen as well as you hear (as well as you hear)
It’s too late (it’s too late)
When we die (ooh when we die)
To admit we don’t see eye to eye (we don’t see eye to eye)
So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
And it’s the bitterness that lasts
So don’t yield to the fortunes
Sometimes see is fate
It may have a new perspective on a different date
And if you don’t give up and don’t give in you may just be ok
(So say it say it say it loud)
Say it loud
Say it clear (oh oo say it clear)
You can listen as well as you hear (as well as you hear )
(Because it’s too late it’s too late)
It’s too late when we die (oh when we die)
To admit we don’t see eye to eye (we don’t see eye to eye)
Our SW from August 21, 2013 was to read Micah 1:1-3 in its entirety. Then we were to put CHG #11 into practice by paying attention, listening, and looking at what Micah 1:1-3 was telling us in light of the Lord’s coming. When I examined these verses, in other words, paid attention to them, listened to them, and looked at them, I was first taken in by the title, Grief over Samaria and Jerusalem. Grief has certainly been the word to describe what I have gone through over this past month. And as I gravitated to this word, I also felt a special closeness and identification with the Lord in terms of His character. Like me, God’s Word was showing me that God has a history of grieving for the people He loves and has created. The exclamatory words – “Attention!” “Look!” “Listen!” are messages that come straight from God. And in the context of these verses, God is grieving over His people who are also going to grieve as a result of their refusal to respond to Him by giving Him their attention, looking to Him for how to live, and listening to His words of wisdom, since after all, He is God.
The people of Samaria and Jerusalem are no different than you or I. We have also chosen to not trust God or obey Him at times. Eventually, and sometimes sooner, and sometimes later, we face the consequences of our choices. If you are a parent, you know all too well the heartache and grief that you deal with when faced with a teen or adult child that continues to choose the path of destruction or the young child that consistently and defiantly disobeys you. That’s how God feels about each and every one of us. Destructive and painful life styles can be avoided or changed, but for whatever the reason – for whatever the thinking might be, the focus is on self rather than God. And the motive is to get what I want rather than what I need.
“The Lord is coming!” (Micah 1:3)
Oh my goodness, the vast reality of what those four words entail! The Lord’s coming has, and always will be, about God being a patient, compassionate, and loving Judge. God is a judge that cares so much for us that He will confront us with our destructive, cluttered- up, sinful living that can cause not only physical death but eternal death as well. God is a Judge who offers an escape route to rescue us, if only we would choose to return to Him and live out the dream and purpose He has for us. But, there are those of us who will react to this message with rejection, as portrayed in the song, The Living Years. Though it is about a relationship between a father and his son, it could be representative of any relationship that reacts to not accepting or considering what is being said , and thus the clutter begins – blaming, frustrations, bondage, silence, disagreements, defensiveness, quarreling, bitterness. and anger.
CHG #11 is telling us that our clutter will lessen if we respond to life rather than react to it. How do we do that? I will make it simple. It is in Micah, and it is in the lyrics to The Living Years. It all boils down to just one word. LISTEN. Listen to God’s Word and listen to those He has sent to you on His behalf, and then finally, listen to one another.
It is my prayer that you will respond to this week’s SW rather than react to it by rejecting it. I ask the Holy Spirit help you in being able to honestly evaluate how you are thinking and feeling in regards to this week’s teaching.
In one word:
Identify what causes you to grieve.
What sets you off to react rather than respond?
What change can you make to start responding?
September 25, 2013
August 21, 2013
Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #11, Part One
Act by Responding Versus Reacting
I hope that as you considered this past week’s SW, you became more aware of those areas in your life that could be indicative of how you may have a tendency to live with extreme thinking, feelings, and behaviors. Extreme living can really put one’s body into a state of disequilibrium, and ultimately, it can play havoc with your health - mentally, materially, emotionally, situationally, spiritually, physically, or relationally. By engaging in some self examination, I hope you were led to seek the Lord’s help because He will always show you how to make changes that will be less destructive to you while blessing you with a healthier lifestyle.
♥ My clutter builds up when I am inattentive. Inattentiveness is often due to being distracted. There is a need to establish focus, and this goes back to applying CHG #9. Inattentiveness can also be due to trying to do more than one thing at a time. Multitasking has no biblical backing at all and goes back to applying CHG #1.
♥ My clutter builds up when I do not listen. Not listening was addressed in CHG #8. Both CHG #8 and CHG #11 are based on Scriptures that emphasize our need to listen with an exclamation mark! God’s Word reinforces just how much our not listening creates our clutter.
♥ My clutter builds up when I am not looking. Not looking implies that I am not looking at what I need to be looking at. It can be the need to have direct eye contact with another or to honestly evaluate what I am being blind to seeing.
♥ My clutter builds up when I ignore the Lord’s warnings. Unfortunately, we can deceive ourselves into believing that we are the gods of our lives instead of God.
I hope that as you considered this past week’s SW, you became more aware of those areas in your life that could be indicative of how you may have a tendency to live with extreme thinking, feelings, and behaviors. Extreme living can really put one’s body into a state of disequilibrium, and ultimately, it can play havoc with your health - mentally, materially, emotionally, situationally, spiritually, physically, or relationally. By engaging in some self examination, I hope you were led to seek the Lord’s help because He will always show you how to make changes that will be less destructive to you while blessing you with a healthier lifestyle.
CHG #11 says: Act by Responding verses Reacting
As a nurse and a believer in the healing
relationship of Jesus Christ, CHG #11 has continuously been the driving force
that has inspired me to develop a healing model that is representative of The Clutter
Class Curriculum. Over the past 14 years, I have devoted much of my life to
developing this healing model and curriculum.
My motivation has stemmed from a very personal and heartfelt longing to
be healed and freed from the extreme living that I have experienced in my own
life since childhood. Many of the issues
that I have faced have been a revolving door of anger, anxiety, multiple
addictions, sexual identity, ADD, and ultimately, what is just downright
sin. The Clutter Class Curriculum is a
healing model that does not negate the traditional medical and nursing models,
but it is an adjunctive health model that is spiritually rooted and inspired by
The God of the Bible and His Word.
Drugs are too often seen as the first line of
defense, especially when it comes to the emotional, psychological, and behavioral
issues that are so common in our culture today.
“The Twelve Clutter Healing Guidelines” are the alternative first choice
to drug therapy. These guidelines are
the answers and approach to anything
that builds up or piles up in our lives, be it called ADD, addictions, stress, sin,
or dis-ease. IT’S ALL CLUTTER!
CHG #11 is
about taking responsibility. It’s about
each of us learning how to respond rather than react to the stimuli that tends to set us off. When “The Twelve Clutter Healing Guidelines” are
implemented, God’s healing and freedom will be experienced.
Let’s examine CHG #11, and see what this
CHG implies as being the basic cause of clutter when this guideline is not
applied.
♥ My clutter builds up
when I do not act by responding. In other words, I need to slow myself down to
think before I speak or act. (CHG #1)
♥
My clutter builds up when I react. When I am impulsive or reactive it is because I do not slow down to think
before I speak or do. (CHG #1)
Therefore,
when I act by responding versus reacting, I lessen
my clutter and this brings healing to me.
The
Scripture to support CHG #11 is from Micah1:1-3, “Attention!...Listen!...Look!
The Lord is coming!”
What does Micah 1:1-3 imply as being the root cause of my clutter?♥ My clutter builds up when I am inattentive. Inattentiveness is often due to being distracted. There is a need to establish focus, and this goes back to applying CHG #9. Inattentiveness can also be due to trying to do more than one thing at a time. Multitasking has no biblical backing at all and goes back to applying CHG #1.
♥ My clutter builds up when I do not listen. Not listening was addressed in CHG #8. Both CHG #8 and CHG #11 are based on Scriptures that emphasize our need to listen with an exclamation mark! God’s Word reinforces just how much our not listening creates our clutter.
♥ My clutter builds up when I am not looking. Not looking implies that I am not looking at what I need to be looking at. It can be the need to have direct eye contact with another or to honestly evaluate what I am being blind to seeing.
♥ My clutter builds up when I ignore the Lord’s warnings. Unfortunately, we can deceive ourselves into believing that we are the gods of our lives instead of God.
Therefore, when I am
attentive, listen, and look, while also applying these actions to the Lord’s
coming, my clutter will be lessened and this will bring healing to me.
This week, your SW is
to go to Micah 1:1-3 and read these 2 verses in
their entirety. Begin to put CHG #11
into practice by paying attention, listening and looking at what Micah 1:1-3 is
telling you in light of the Lord’s coming.
August 7, 2013
Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #10, Part Five
Become Rooted and Balanced in God's STEM
Space
Time
Energy
Money
What pressure or effort are you feeling or experiencing?
How is the life style of extreme living exhausting you of all of your resources and putting you out of balance.
Who or what has been your fulcrum outside of God and His Word, and how has it been working for you?
Space
Time
Energy
Money
As I reflected back to the posts from
April 25, 2013 and May 30, 2013, I was flooded with example after example of
the deep rooted healing that has blossomed and brought balance into my life as a result of
planting that desirable seed of healing. Because Jeremiah
29:11 was the Scripture that represented that healing seed, I have also consistently
witnessed the reinforcement that comes from believing that God does know the
plans He has for me, and far better than I do.
Those plans have repeatedly provided me with the promise of a hope and a
future. This past year has been a real testimony to the healing that has
come to me on so many levels. In the
June 20, 2012 post, I identified my clutter category as “situational.” It was related to all the outside chores of owning my home and caring for the pool and major landscaping and
yard work that came with it. Here are
some examples of the healing that resulted in my being rooted in God’s STEM:
SPACE: Healing has come as
a result of my living space being greatly reduced.
I went from a 4 bedroom home to a 2 bedroom condo. There is minimal indoor up keep, and even
though I still have a pool, in addition to tennis courts and a golf course at
my disposal, there are no outdoor chores involving me. I get to enjoy the
amenities without the burden of being care taker. There was a time when this space was needed, but
no longer, and I have truly appreciated the simplicity of having less.
TIME: With less space to
care for, it has enabled me to enjoy so much
more time in loving my family and friends. We have all been blessed with longer periods
of time to be together as we have been more available to nurture and care for
one another. In this mix I have also
given myself permission to take more time to
relax, watch a movie, take golf lessons, or even nap.
ENERGY: I have more energy
because I am no longer overwhelmed by all the work that my living space
required of me, especially after working my Home Touched Business all day. I also have more energy
because I recognized the boundaries that I needed to implement so that my time was spent in relationships that filled me with love rather than robbed me of love.
MONEY: First of all,
there is no price tag that can be put on one’s health. Having said that, I am
so grateful for the Home Touched Business that God has actually grown in this
past year and has richly blessed, even in the midst of my “Get a ways” to Valpo.
Though I have had some very high
medical expenses, I can tell you that God has provided me with every penny that
I have ever needed. My health has
greatly improved over this past year, and I devote most of it to prayer and to
the changes that God has brought to me as they relate to how I have used His STEM. I am
the best that I have been since being diagnosed 2 years ago with 2 rare
cancers. And get this. In order to make my travels more comfortable,
I was presented with the opportunity to buy a “like new” used SUV through one
of my friends. What a great buy and investment
it has been.
I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the
picture of how less clutter does bring greater healing when the clutter healing
guidelines are applied.
“I am the Lord and I do not change. That is why you
descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.” Malachi
3:6. When I reflect on these words that are the Scriptures for
CHG #10, I am so thankful for what God has done for me. In truth, left to our own ways, without God,
we will destroy ourselves. It is not God
who destroys us. He came to us in human
form out of a desire to show His love for us, not to destroy us, but to save us
from ourselves. Open the Life Recovery Bible to Malachi
3:6 and you see that this verse comes under the chapter heading: A
Call to Repentance. Read on and you
learn that God is pleading with people just like you and me who are in denial
about how they are living. They scorn
God’s laws and they fail to obey Him.
God’s plea is simple, “Return to me and I will return to you.”
I have said it so many times and in so
many different ways, and I will continue to say it:
Your
Greatest Clutter is Spiritual
Without God you are doomed for destruction in
this life and for eternity. It is not my
message. It is God’s message. He loves you and He wants a relationship with
you in this life and for all of eternity. There is no more important message than this
one. 
God and His Word is the
fulcrum for leveraging balance in our lives. Think about the shape of a fulcrum. It’s like a triangle, and in the spiritual
realm, that triangle is represented by the Trinity being Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. Here are some SW questions to
ponder upon:
What weight or load are
you continuing to carry? What pressure or effort are you feeling or experiencing?
How is the life style of extreme living exhausting you of all of your resources and putting you out of balance.
Who or what has been your fulcrum outside of God and His Word, and how has it been working for you?
Keep in mind: The fulcrum does not stay in one place, it moves
to where it is needed to give balance. My life depends on God to be my fulcrum with
all the highs and lows. He is the Only
One that can balance the weight and pressure of
what I face. He is the everyday example
in my life that I constantly go to for support!
My balance is dependent upon me to ask God for His support in all I do. I need
to daily seek His face in every moment of every day. Since everything is His:
His Space, His Time,
His Energy, and His Money,
I need to learn from Him on how to use it and balance it.
Let’s get rooted in
believing the following: God owns it
all!
We are not on this
earth to be the focus. We are on this
earth because God is to be our focus. He
is the focal point, the fulcrum. We have confused all that God has given us as
being the “why” for why we are here.
Consequently, we erroneously focus on wanting to accumulate more. God
has given to us what we have so that we can ultimately glorify Him. He
has told us to go out in the world and make disciples of all nations. How can we do that if the focus is us
and not on Him? Over thousands of years we have lost our
focus on why we were even born. Make
the decision that God and His Word are your fulcrum, your support, and your
focal point, and then marvel at how your life gets balanced
out.
This week I specifically
pray for any of us who deal with the addictive patterns of extreme living. I ask the Lord to please free us from our
extreme thinking, feeling, and living that causes us to get so out of balance that we are like a rubber band that is being
pulled at from both ends and is about to break.
We will be talking more
about this need for balance when I introduce you
to the next CHG. It’s CHG #11 and it says: Act by Responding verses Reacting.
July 24, 2013
Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #10, Part Four
Become Rooted and Balanced in God's STEM
Space
Time
Energy
Money
What has it been like for you as you have been approached by temptations, trials, and troubles? Was it with an acknowledgement of God’s Joy, and a desire to endure them with patience?
Looking back over some of my own trying and specific trials, I’d have to say that initially my behavior was not very reflective of God’s Joy or His presence in my life, until I gained some new insight. As I looked at CHG #10 in relationship to the personal trials that I was facing, I realized that if I wanted to grow deeper in my communion with God and others, then I needed to recognize that when my feelings get all stirred up, especially with irritation, impulsiveness, frustration, defensiveness, and anger, I need to acknowledge that those feelings as red flags for me. In other words, they are a warning to stop! They are not just a warning to slow down or move forward with caution. If I ignore those red flag feelings, then I can become emotionally imbalanced and that effects how I handle the space, time, energy, and money that God has graciously given to me to use. If I choose to not heed those red flags, I run the risk of not modeling the patience and love that conveys God’s Joy in my life. I can become disrespectful for how I treat and use what is on loan to me, which includes everybody and everything. When I react rather than respond, which is CHG #11, I have a tendency to cut others off. I speak louder and I become more argumentative, abrupt, and impatient. When I recognize those red flags and stop to think rather than react, I am better prepared to experience the balance that comes from being patient and a willingness to endure, which means that I will be called to bear, stand, suffer, tolerate, sustain, or undergo, the temptation, trial, or trouble I face.
In my past, I often equated joy with how happy I was. What I have discovered, is that it is hard to be happy when you are sad or grieving. But, I can be joyful when I am sad or grieving. I can have Joy even when I do not feel happy.
What is Joy?
Joy = Rejoicing
Joy = Well being
Joy = The source or cause of my delight
Joy is what lives in me. It comes from within me.
Who is Joy?
Joy = Christ
What is Happy?
Happy = Luck
Happy = Chance Happenings
Happy is what exists outside of me. It comes from that which surrounds me.
It used to be that when I wanted to wish someone well, I would say, Good luck!” Now I say, “Blessings!” Life is not about some chance happening, it is purposeful, and blessings come from an intentional God, not some lucky charm. So whatever you are going through, peace or storms, highs or lows, jubilation or sorrow, count it all joy, because your joy is not by chance happenings. Your joy is secure in Christ. Philippians 4:4 says, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!”
When it comes to the symbolism that represents CHG #10, think of a long stemmed red rose, and its roots reaching deep into the ground. If you go back to the April 25, 2012 posting, you will see the rose diagram that I provided for you. I talked about the STEM being the acronym for space, time, energy, and money. This week, your SW is to think about yourself as that rose and to see how God uses its symbolism to speak to you about how you have grown in relationship to the seed you wanted to plant. If you need some reminding about that seed, go to your notes or journaling for the May 30, 2012 posting. Look at the SW and the one word you circled to be the seed you wanted to plant: healing, hope, love, or truth.
In addition, here is the Scripture that backs up CHG #10. “I am the Lord and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.” Malachi 3:6. We have talked about how God is constant and He is our anchor. We on the other hand are changing all the time. This week go to your Bible and look up Malachi 3:6 and reflect on the meaning that this Scripture has for you, and in the process, I pray you enjoy the journey and see the blessings.
Space
Time
Energy
Money
What has it been like for you as you have been approached by temptations, trials, and troubles? Was it with an acknowledgement of God’s Joy, and a desire to endure them with patience?
Looking back over some of my own trying and specific trials, I’d have to say that initially my behavior was not very reflective of God’s Joy or His presence in my life, until I gained some new insight. As I looked at CHG #10 in relationship to the personal trials that I was facing, I realized that if I wanted to grow deeper in my communion with God and others, then I needed to recognize that when my feelings get all stirred up, especially with irritation, impulsiveness, frustration, defensiveness, and anger, I need to acknowledge that those feelings as red flags for me. In other words, they are a warning to stop! They are not just a warning to slow down or move forward with caution. If I ignore those red flag feelings, then I can become emotionally imbalanced and that effects how I handle the space, time, energy, and money that God has graciously given to me to use. If I choose to not heed those red flags, I run the risk of not modeling the patience and love that conveys God’s Joy in my life. I can become disrespectful for how I treat and use what is on loan to me, which includes everybody and everything. When I react rather than respond, which is CHG #11, I have a tendency to cut others off. I speak louder and I become more argumentative, abrupt, and impatient. When I recognize those red flags and stop to think rather than react, I am better prepared to experience the balance that comes from being patient and a willingness to endure, which means that I will be called to bear, stand, suffer, tolerate, sustain, or undergo, the temptation, trial, or trouble I face.
In my past, I often equated joy with how happy I was. What I have discovered, is that it is hard to be happy when you are sad or grieving. But, I can be joyful when I am sad or grieving. I can have Joy even when I do not feel happy.
What is Joy?
Joy = Rejoicing
Joy = Well being
Joy = The source or cause of my delight
Joy is what lives in me. It comes from within me.
Who is Joy?
Joy = Christ
What is Happy?
Happy = Luck
Happy = Chance Happenings
Happy is what exists outside of me. It comes from that which surrounds me.
It used to be that when I wanted to wish someone well, I would say, Good luck!” Now I say, “Blessings!” Life is not about some chance happening, it is purposeful, and blessings come from an intentional God, not some lucky charm. So whatever you are going through, peace or storms, highs or lows, jubilation or sorrow, count it all joy, because your joy is not by chance happenings. Your joy is secure in Christ. Philippians 4:4 says, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!”
When it comes to the symbolism that represents CHG #10, think of a long stemmed red rose, and its roots reaching deep into the ground. If you go back to the April 25, 2012 posting, you will see the rose diagram that I provided for you. I talked about the STEM being the acronym for space, time, energy, and money. This week, your SW is to think about yourself as that rose and to see how God uses its symbolism to speak to you about how you have grown in relationship to the seed you wanted to plant. If you need some reminding about that seed, go to your notes or journaling for the May 30, 2012 posting. Look at the SW and the one word you circled to be the seed you wanted to plant: healing, hope, love, or truth.
In addition, here is the Scripture that backs up CHG #10. “I am the Lord and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.” Malachi 3:6. We have talked about how God is constant and He is our anchor. We on the other hand are changing all the time. This week go to your Bible and look up Malachi 3:6 and reflect on the meaning that this Scripture has for you, and in the process, I pray you enjoy the journey and see the blessings.
July 4, 2013
Red, White, and Blue Wisdom
As we celebrate the birthday of our country, I pray
that you have a blessed and safe 4th of July. I was compelled to share some of our
forefather’s quotes that were in a 4th of July ad in the Fort Myers,
FL News Press, sponsored by Hobby Lobby, Hemispheres, and Mardel Stores. They
are so reflective of CHG #10.
George Washington – “It is the duty of all nations
to acknowledge the providence of God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His
benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor.”
John Adams – “…Our constitution was made only for a
moral and religious people…”
James Madison – “Before any man can be considered as
a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor
of the Universe.”
Thomas Jefferson – “And can the liberties of a
nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a
conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?”
John Quincy Adams – “Is it not that in the chain of
human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the
birthday of the Savior?”
God – “If My people who are called by My name will
humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their
land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
July 3, 2013
Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #10, Part Three
Become Rooted and Balanced in God's STEM
Space
Time
Energy
Money
What did you learn from your SW when you Googled the words “scripture count it all joy?” The first Scripture reference that came up for me was from the King James Bible. The King James Bible was one of the earliest Old English translations of the Bible and it is a challenge to read and comprehend. The second reference came from the New King James Version, which is much easier to follow and understand. And as I have said before, The Life Recovery Bible, which uses the New Living Translation, is what The Holy Spirit has put on my heart to use when teaching the clutter healing model because of its easier read and appeal to one’s heart, especially if you are not accustomed to reading the Bible.
The Scripture reference for counting it all joy comes from James1:2-3.
♥ (King James Version)
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
♥ (New King James Version)
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience
♥ (New Living Translation)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Here is how I have highlighted and organized my thoughts as I have meditated on James 1:2-3 based on the above Bible translations:
1. As believers in Christ, which is what brethren or brothers and sisters are, we are to count all temptations, trials, or trouble as joy. This thought is certainly not a worldly view, but it is most assuredly God’s view for how we are to live in this earthly world. Having this kind of Godly perspective is what will help us to become rooted and balanced in God’s space, time, energy and money.
2. All temptations, trials, or trouble, are a testing of my faith. We talked about this faith testing when I presented CHG #9. Abraham was our example in learning how to focus and surrender control to God.
3. Why does my faith get tested? Because it produces the patience to endure.
This coming week, your SW is twofold:
♥ Ask the Holy Spirit to help you face your temptations, trials, and troubles with Joy, as you learn to patiently endure.
♥ Consider the difference between Joy and happiness.
Space
Time
Energy
Money
What did you learn from your SW when you Googled the words “scripture count it all joy?” The first Scripture reference that came up for me was from the King James Bible. The King James Bible was one of the earliest Old English translations of the Bible and it is a challenge to read and comprehend. The second reference came from the New King James Version, which is much easier to follow and understand. And as I have said before, The Life Recovery Bible, which uses the New Living Translation, is what The Holy Spirit has put on my heart to use when teaching the clutter healing model because of its easier read and appeal to one’s heart, especially if you are not accustomed to reading the Bible.
The Scripture reference for counting it all joy comes from James1:2-3.
♥ (King James Version)
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
♥ (New King James Version)
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience
♥ (New Living Translation)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Here is how I have highlighted and organized my thoughts as I have meditated on James 1:2-3 based on the above Bible translations:
1. As believers in Christ, which is what brethren or brothers and sisters are, we are to count all temptations, trials, or trouble as joy. This thought is certainly not a worldly view, but it is most assuredly God’s view for how we are to live in this earthly world. Having this kind of Godly perspective is what will help us to become rooted and balanced in God’s space, time, energy and money.
2. All temptations, trials, or trouble, are a testing of my faith. We talked about this faith testing when I presented CHG #9. Abraham was our example in learning how to focus and surrender control to God.
3. Why does my faith get tested? Because it produces the patience to endure.
This coming week, your SW is twofold:
♥ Ask the Holy Spirit to help you face your temptations, trials, and troubles with Joy, as you learn to patiently endure.
♥ Consider the difference between Joy and happiness.
June 19, 2013
Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #10, Part Two
Become Rooted and Balanced in God's STEM
Space
Time
Energy
Money
First of all, I want to honor the man who has been most significant in my life. Today is his 80th birthday, so I want to say, “Happy birthday, Daddy, and I pray that this upcoming year brings you a renewed strength and balance as you enter into a deeper relationship with our precious Heavenly Daddy. Our Father loves you so very much and He created you to be His gift to the world. Thank you, Lord, for my earthly Daddy and the love he has blessed us with.”
This past week your SW was designed to help you get clear on what has been causing you to depend on your self-wavering decisions and actions rather than asking God for His unchanging and grounded constancy and supportive direction. As you listened to the song, “Count it All Joy,” I asked you to identify in one sentence what the cause for a lack of joy could be in your life.
Every time I hear these words, “Count it all Joy,” I am taken back to the first and only time in my life when I felt like I had lost my joy. I had actually verbalized this feeling to my mother-in-law, after being separated from my husband who was her son. I will never forget how she responded, “Colleen, you will feel it again.” For more than a year, I lingered on her response of hope as I waited and wanted to believe in what she had said, even though I had no idea of how that would happen. But it did. The process was a slow and gradual one, but it did take place. It was the result of moving away from my wavering self dependence, and looking to the rock solid dependence of God, and more specifically, being open to God’s Son, Jesus, who I came into a relationship with over the next few months.
It was my relationship with Jesus, and His Word, that brought that feeling of joy back into my life. Up to that point, I did not comprehend that my feeling of joy had always been the result of God working in my life. I attributed joy to the people or circumstances that I wanted or that existed, but I discovered that joy has only one connection. Joy has no tie to people or circumstances that are welcomed or unwelcomed. I discovered through God’s Holy Spirit that Jesus is my only source of Joy, and I had been unaware of this Truth. Joy is not just a feeling. Joy is Jesus and His presence in my life at all times, no matter what I am facing. Now I am aware that my feeling of joy is because I know Joy! And because I now know this, it does not matter what I go through in this life, I can still feel Joy because I know Him. Jesus is the One I am rooted in and find my strength and balance in.
After posting last week’s blog, that introduced you to CHG #10, I read these words in my devotion the next day. It focused on Joy, and the word Joy was capitalized, because Joy is a person. Joy is a man and Joy is God. Joy is Jesus. And here is an example of the personal history and intimacy that we can have with Him. This devotion that focused on my journey with Joy was on the anniversary date of my divorce. Here is what God wanted me to hear in “Jesus Calling” for June 13th: “I am creating something new in you: a bubbling spring of Joy that spills into others’ lives. Do not mistake this Joy for your own or try to take credit for it in any way. Instead, watch in delight as My Spirit flows through you to bless others. Let yourself become a reservoir of the Spirit’s fruit. Enjoy My Presence, which permeates you with Love, Joy, and Peace.”
This week your SW is to Google the words “scripture count it all joy.” See what comes up for you and what you learn. We will talk about it next week. May you be blessed with Joy in this upcoming week.
Space
Time
Energy
Money
First of all, I want to honor the man who has been most significant in my life. Today is his 80th birthday, so I want to say, “Happy birthday, Daddy, and I pray that this upcoming year brings you a renewed strength and balance as you enter into a deeper relationship with our precious Heavenly Daddy. Our Father loves you so very much and He created you to be His gift to the world. Thank you, Lord, for my earthly Daddy and the love he has blessed us with.”
This past week your SW was designed to help you get clear on what has been causing you to depend on your self-wavering decisions and actions rather than asking God for His unchanging and grounded constancy and supportive direction. As you listened to the song, “Count it All Joy,” I asked you to identify in one sentence what the cause for a lack of joy could be in your life.
Every time I hear these words, “Count it all Joy,” I am taken back to the first and only time in my life when I felt like I had lost my joy. I had actually verbalized this feeling to my mother-in-law, after being separated from my husband who was her son. I will never forget how she responded, “Colleen, you will feel it again.” For more than a year, I lingered on her response of hope as I waited and wanted to believe in what she had said, even though I had no idea of how that would happen. But it did. The process was a slow and gradual one, but it did take place. It was the result of moving away from my wavering self dependence, and looking to the rock solid dependence of God, and more specifically, being open to God’s Son, Jesus, who I came into a relationship with over the next few months.
It was my relationship with Jesus, and His Word, that brought that feeling of joy back into my life. Up to that point, I did not comprehend that my feeling of joy had always been the result of God working in my life. I attributed joy to the people or circumstances that I wanted or that existed, but I discovered that joy has only one connection. Joy has no tie to people or circumstances that are welcomed or unwelcomed. I discovered through God’s Holy Spirit that Jesus is my only source of Joy, and I had been unaware of this Truth. Joy is not just a feeling. Joy is Jesus and His presence in my life at all times, no matter what I am facing. Now I am aware that my feeling of joy is because I know Joy! And because I now know this, it does not matter what I go through in this life, I can still feel Joy because I know Him. Jesus is the One I am rooted in and find my strength and balance in.
After posting last week’s blog, that introduced you to CHG #10, I read these words in my devotion the next day. It focused on Joy, and the word Joy was capitalized, because Joy is a person. Joy is a man and Joy is God. Joy is Jesus. And here is an example of the personal history and intimacy that we can have with Him. This devotion that focused on my journey with Joy was on the anniversary date of my divorce. Here is what God wanted me to hear in “Jesus Calling” for June 13th: “I am creating something new in you: a bubbling spring of Joy that spills into others’ lives. Do not mistake this Joy for your own or try to take credit for it in any way. Instead, watch in delight as My Spirit flows through you to bless others. Let yourself become a reservoir of the Spirit’s fruit. Enjoy My Presence, which permeates you with Love, Joy, and Peace.”
This week your SW is to Google the words “scripture count it all joy.” See what comes up for you and what you learn. We will talk about it next week. May you be blessed with Joy in this upcoming week.
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