Step on it...

A few months ago, our church's theme for the month was:

Be of Good Courage!

A lot is to be said about Courage so let's just start with Encarta's definition:
Courage is the "quality of being brave: the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action."*

It's an interesting definition because it can be summarized in a 2-word command from God:

Listen and learn...

Just this morning, I was discussing one of my children's homework with him. He was supposed to write on the topic:

"What I want to be when I grow up"

Being the great mom I am, I started trying to guide him by giving him ideas...and then I put my foot in my mouth when I said, "you can also say that "I want to be a father."" I had barely finished my sentence when he said emphatically:

"I am going to be a father... that's not something I need to say I want to be."

Immediately, the Holy Spirit "tapped" me and said "imagine the faith of a child."
The assurance and finality in his words and tone reinforced something I've always known...when you know what God has said about you - hold on to it, don't haggle about it.

May God give us such childlike faith that holds on to God's promises unwaveringly.



P.S. I will be a grandma (in some decades to come)...thank God for that promise...

"May you live to enjoy your grandchildren." (Ps 128:6 -NLT)

Why do I need privacy?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?

Well that was a question that popped in my head when I read this...

Discover (& release) the lion in you...

Last year, we talked about how we should learn from lions (http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.com/2010/01/learn-from-lion.html). Afterall, we are related to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah so we might as well...be like Him. God stunned me again...as usual - a few weeks ago, my husband saw this piece while looking for something else...

see how God makes provision for a vision...simply amazing

Self-first is not selfishness...

I know you may not agree with me off the bat...

well, neither did I until I got some more insight.

I feel very strongly about this because of how "giving" some of us are (P.S. I know the right word may be  generous; but "giving" appeals to me at this time). So let's go on...

Be empowered...

God has spoken once, twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God. (Ps 62:11 Amp)

I wonder how many of us have seen and meditated on this verse.

Well, the past 2 weekends God said one thing and made me hear it twice.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

Some of us may have seen this poem before, I got it several years ago and recently, I was led to look it up and share it...my comments are in purple. When I read such pieces, I can't help but wonder why "Author unknown" is so famous & yet "unknown"...like the author of this one.
 

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is,

you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,

it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty;

to provide you with guidance and support;

to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a Godsend, and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Letting go can be tough - we all need to have the courage to leave* some relationships too. Think about it, sometimes you are the person who is in that other person's life for Reason. When your assignment is done, "get up and leave." It is easy to overstay our welcome in other people's lives and it usually leaves a bad aftertaste.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,

because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

Likewise, learn to let go and move on. When you've become fond of someone, it's difficult to just get up and go but when you realize that this may be the time for that person (or you) to be a blessing to another person, it puts everything in perspective. Not letting go could result in messing up all the pleasant memories you may have had from that "time together" - because the relationship is stale...

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,

and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

If you're in someone's life for a reason...be reasonable and leave when the ovation is highest.
If you're in someone's life for a season...it pays to be a seasoning that adds value and be seasoned enough to know when it is time to step back.If you're in someone's life for a lifetime - you might as well be giving life in the things you do and say.

Each time I read this piece, I cannot thank God enough for a friend or 2 (including my husband  of course) who have come into my life for a Reason, Season and Lifetime...I celebrate one such person today...

Happy Birthday dear reasonable, seasoned & lifetime friend
- when I count my blessings, I count you twice (Author unknown)

Reference
*http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.com/2009/11/secret-3-courage-7-courage-to-leave.html

Think on this...

Last year, I was thinking of this quote attributed to Rev. Theodore Hesburgh:

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."

Then another thought crossed my mind:

One of the best things a wife can do for her husband, & for herself, is to love his mother.

What do you  think? Would be great to read your thoughts...

At the risk of prempting your thoughts, think about this Irish Proverb:

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.

P.S. We thank God that for us, we are both our husband's wife and his sweetheart. Do everything within your power to keep it that way for life; you've got the power -

it's all in your hand & heart.

Everyday is your day...

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love. ~

Mildred B Vermont

I find this quote an interesting one because I've never seen a "part-time" mother. Whether you're a work-away-from home, work-from-home or stay-at-home mom, nothing can change the fact that you're a mother all the time. I remember being on a trip sometime ago and when I called home, one of my children needed help with homework. As God will have it, I was able help "across the miles" - one example of what I mean...

The bottom line is: All mothers are working mothers. ~ Author Unknown

I also like these 2 quotes - they are like 2 sides of a coin for me:

Side 1:
Mother – that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries. ~ T. DeWitt Talmage

Side 2:
I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

~ Abraham Lincoln

The point here is as a mother as the custodian of your children's hurts and happiness, challenges and conquests and every other thing, we must be praying mothers...because prayers always get to the root of the matter. Robert Brault put children's expectation of mothers very well: If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. Our children should be able to say that confidently and continuously.

That quote feels like a challenge for me especially since Marion C. Garretty put it differently: Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. Obviously, I need to pray to "empower" my children to do the impossible - with God on their side.

"Everything is possible with God" (Mark 10:27b - NLT)

This seems like a great place to stop and wish us all:

Make Motherhood a great experience for yourself - not just today or whichever day "Mother's Day" falls/fell on where you live. Enjoy everyday as it comes because like I've said before and will continue to say: 

Everyday is "Mother's day".

Whether their feet are still in your hands or not, they will always be in your heart - which means they are with you wherever you are. 

Sophia Loren put it succinctly: When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

So thinking about the first quote, I'd rather say:

"being a mother is one of the highest paying jobs"

- the only other job that tops this is being a soul-winner - which every Christian (mother or not) should be too - because "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise." (Prov 11:30 - NKJV) and "Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever." (Dan12:3 - NLT) 

The Mindset...

I got a similar story in an email over year ago...stumbled it again and felt I need to share it...

One guy was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a rope tied to their legs. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well", trainer said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and at the age, its enough to hold them, as they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. they believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." He was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were. Their powerful and gigantic creature has limited its present abilities by the limitations of its past.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life holding onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? how many of us refuse to attempt something new and challenging because of our so called MINDSET?

Sapphire says:
Darren L. Johnson is correct: "We all talk to ourselves. A major key to success exists in what we say to ourselves, which helps to shape our attitude and mindset."

It doesn't stop there, God always talks to us directly, through others and through His Word. We must learn to be still so we can hear Him and learn to live by every word that proceeds out of His mouth while pulling down every thought that wants us to disregard God and His plans for us. With God, we can do all things - don't let your past take strength from your present or rob you of tomorrow's successes. Your past is past...your future is greater than the sum total of your past and present - say that to yourself, believe it & live up to it! 

Step on it...

To me, those 3 words encapsulate Joshua 1:3:

I promise you what I promised Moses:

‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you

In other words, to get any piece of the Promised Land, God expected the people to know, believe and act on all His promises...in short:  

Let's compare this to Peter the Water-walker...he had to "step on it" lay claim to that title. Likewise, God expects us to take possession of His promises to us - by "stepping" on them.

Every promise of God is like a piece of land that can be owned or lost. The first step to knowing what can be yours is by taking a step - making an effort to find out and know what can be yours...that sounds like a circular reference so let's break it down. To know, you must read the ultimate Book of Promises - the Bible and then, like Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

"Take the first step in faith.

You don't have to see the whole staircase,

just take the first step."

Remember, the Bible says: "For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance." (2 Cor 5:7)

To walk -  by faith or even on water - we need to decide to and eventually have to take steps - even if they are baby steps. Think about it, you walk confidently today because you took baby steps - they must have been shaky at first but with time became stable...

Likewise, take a step to claim God's word. We all start with baby steps and as we spend more time with God, we grow in our confidence in God - of Who & All He is. Before you know it, you'll be "running in faith" just to "step" on as much of the "milky and honey-paved" land and life He has promised you...

Faith is taking the first step

even when you don't see the whole staircase.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

It starts with the first step to get to the top of the staircase and you know for us Christians, the sky is not the limit...our limitless God is.

So take some time to dig into the Word of God, locate His promises to you...then Step on it!!