A Joyful Mission

The Faith of a Mustard Seed

In Matthew 13: 31-32, Jesus gave His disciples a parable. In this parable, He states, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and sit on its branches. “. Jesus also stated this in Matthew 17:20, “He said to them, “Because of your little faith (when they had been unable to drive out a demon). Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Jesus was and is helping us to understand that we can do great things and can help many people in His name if we even have the smallest amount of faith. It helps me to envision how Jesus called His disciples to follow Him. Here was a Man who showed them wonders and miracles and in seeing all, they followed Him. They didn’t have any idea what awaited them, they simply followed and watched Him. In watching Him, their faith grew. Was their faith perfect? No. His disciples struggled just as we struggle today when we are called by God to do what we may think of as impossible. It reminds me of the Saints that are seen in the Catholic Church. Not everyone understands their purpose for being displayed but here it is. The Saints that we see in the Catholic Church are there to remind us that God calls regular humans to do His work on earth in His name. In other words, He calls us ALL to be Saints. That’s can be a pretty intimidating task sometimes and definitely humbling as well! (Related post: A Simple Kind of Love)

So what did I learn from this? I may not understand His purpose now, but I know He will reveal it to me when He knows I’m ready to receive it and learn and grow from it. My faith grows more substantial when I put it into practice. It’s like the crazy trust exercise where you turn your back on a group of people then fall backward and hope they catch you. However, with God, I already know that He will catch me! Also, each time when He catches me, He lifts me higher than I’ve ever been before!!

What can you gain from this? It can be scary to trust in someone that you can’t see but it doesn’t mean that He’s not there. God will give you what you need, then as you grow in your love and confidence with Him, He gives you more. Then you can take what you’ve learned and help others to grow as well. Remember that a tree doesn’t just grow fruit to look pretty, it’s there for our and others’ nourishment as well. (Related post: A New Chapter in the Book of Life)

Be Aware of Thieves!

Thieves take what doesn’t belong to them like our valuables, so naturally, we must be careful. However, the sort of thieves that we also have to be aware of, as well, are those people who are shallow and narcissistic. These are the people who do their best to steal our Joy in life. We must be aware of them also and keep them out of our lives.

So, how do we notice these types of people? We need to be careful to watch for those whose actions don’t match the words that they speak. These are people who will act caring towards you then turn around and talk about you behind your back and do anything that they can to jeopardize your successes. These are also the people who tell you what you want to hear and then do just the opposite or even do something that’s not in your best interest. These are people who will promise that they will take care of you then seem to forget that you even existed. These people may be our neighbors, coworkers, family, and, most importantly, our elected officials.

Perhaps the most difficult part for us is understanding how they can continue to give promises but then fail to live up to those promises, time and time again. Perhaps they keep giving excuses for why they didn’t (or even couldn’t) complete what they said they would instead of actually doing it. Perhaps they blame other people for their own choices. That is, to me, the biggest red flag of all.

Now, what can we do about them? There are always options. First, we have to follow our gut instinct. We need to pay attention to the words and actions of those around us. If they don’t match then that is our first clue. Secondly, we need to distance ourselves from those who don’t have our best interests in mind. Thirdly, we also need to see them for what they actually are. If it is a neighbor, a coworker, or a family member, then the best thing to do is keep your distance. If it is an elected official, then study up on that person and make your voice heard through your vote. Regardless of who they are, don’t let yourself become a victim of their conniving ways. Stay strong even when they try to talk down to you or belittle you for your values. Realize how much stronger you are for not having that poison in your life. Remember that Joy is your reward for having the strength to remain firm and diligent.

So, what did I learn from this? I have learned to stand up for what I believe. I have learned not to compromise my values for what others say that I should believe. I have learned to stand up for others who are bullied even though I don’t like confrontations. I listen to the words of others then I watch to see if their actions match what they are saying. In the end, I surround myself with people who love and support me and who make me a better person.

What can you gain from this? The freedom that comes with opening your eyes to how some people are, can at first be disheartening. However, once you’ve become wiser about them then you can begin to see how burdened those sorts of people are. Remember that you can’t save them from the rabbit hole that they are going down. You just have to realize that at some point that they will get what they deserve and you don’t have to go down that hole with them. In the end, realize that they are weak and you are stronger than them!

Counting My Blessings

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

So sorry that I haven’t been posting lately. There’s this little thing that happened to my family….. it’s called life. Let’s just say that it’s been a long first month of the new year!

However, all the things that have happened to us got me thinking about what I need to be thankful for. Kinda puts a different spin on things. Doesn’t it? As I stated in my previous post (Related post: Punishment or Lesson?), life happens to all of us. Some of the things that we go through are positive and some of them are negative. I have found that what gets me through in dealing with these sorts of events, is that I try to remember to count the many blessings I have instead of focusing on what’s going wrong. They might be small blessings but they are still blessings all the same.

In counting my blessings, I give them over to a God who helps me to get through. He helps me to put things in perspective and realize that at some point I will be able to get past it. It helps me to have faith and hope in God and know that He is with me during all my hills and valleys of life. (Related post: Traversing the hills and valleys of life with grace). There might be lessons that I can learn from it but I haven’t yet and realize that maybe I will in the future. It’s a matter of trust as well as anything else. It’s also Letting Go and Letting God have all of what affects me.

So what did I learn from this? I have found that when I give control of my life over to God then I’m not disappointed with the end result. God’s goal is NEVER to hurt me but to make me better. In going through struggles, He helps me to be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter, and friend in the long term. I see that as a good deal all around.

What can you gain from this? Peace is a powerful thing to gain when your world seems to be going crazy. You start to realize that there is a purpose behind everything that happens, and you may also realize that you don’t need to control it but just go along for the ride. (Related post: The Faith-Fueled Journey ). God will reveal what you need to know in time. It’s all about having faith and trust in Him and knowing that He will always be there when you need Him the most.

Punishment or Lesson?

I think that it was in the ’90s that there was a bumper sticker that said “S*** Happens”. It’s true and it’s called life. It happens to all of us. There is NO regard for race, creed, religion, or status in life. So, I guess the thing that we have to do is ask ourselves some questions then we can decide how to handle it from there.

Is this that happened to me a punishment or is it a lesson that I need to learn?

In thinking this through, I believe it is a matter of your POV (or Point of View).

If you always feel that it is a punishment, then you probably have a tendency to blame others for the cause. It’s more likely that you will continue to make the same mistakes over and over. Then yes, it is a punishment but it’s actually a punishment of your own making. The reality is that you have to change your behavior or you risk repeating the same behavior over and over again, which in the long run changes nothing. It’s a choice. You can either keep riding the Ferris wheel or choose to get off. You have to look within to make a change. Fear is what keeps you from escaping.

If you believe that it is a lesson then you most likely have a tendency to look at what you have done wrong and what you can learn from it. It’s the belief that change only occurs when you have learned something and have grown as a person. Trust me when I say that it’s never easy. If it was easy then we wouldn’t have so many problems, would we?

Yes, bad things happen and sometimes those things are not your fault at all and must be dealt with through doctors or the police/law or therapy. Just realize that you aren’t alone. EVERYONE has problems. Don’t let those who post things on social media always fool you into thinking that their life is perfect and they have no issues. If you can get that mindset in your head then it may help you to see your problem as not so bad, totally fixable, and may just an annoyance that you have to look at it as a “This too shall pass.” moment.

So, what did I learn from this? When I take the rose-colored glasses off, I tend to see the world and people how they genuinely are…….flawed. I can’t fix them, I can only fix myself (and sometimes I can’t fix myself at all either!) That is the lesson I’ve learned and am continuing to learn. It’s a constant conversation that I have with myself. So, I get it completely! I know that as long as I keep working on my mental improvement then I can become so much stronger than ever before. I also know that I will have my up and down moments in this life journey. When I’m at my lowest, I turn to God and give it to Him and when I’m on top of the mountain, I make sure to give God a VERY BIG thank you for getting me through!!

What can you gain from this? Courage. It doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be fearful of making a mistake. No, it means that you can grow through it and become better. You will still see the flaws and be okay with them. Also, learn to laugh at yourself. It’s amazing how many fun things I can find out about myself and others that help me to get through the day. Try and see if that works for you as well.

“Tag….. You’re It!”

My sister, Kathy, is so much wiser than she believes that she is. We recently had a chance to sit down and talk about different things that are going on in both of our families and at the very end of our time together, she spoke about how life is like a wrestling match (not that either of us watched it!). Saying that what if we can imagine ourselves in the ring and that we’re getting pummeled by life and all the things that occur that can beat us up and bring us down. Outside of the ring is your partner, the one person, that if you can tag them, then that person can go into the ring and finish the match for you.

Kathy reminded me that Jesus is like that. He stands outside of the ring and encourages us to reach out to Him. He wants us to say “Tag….you’re it!” so that He can give us that respite that we need. He doesn’t promise that we will never have hardships or even discouragement in this life. What He does promise is that He will be the one to carry us through the fight and He will help us to get to the other side. (Related post: In confronting the darkness, we can begin to see the light…).

Another thing that Kathy reminded me of is that it’s okay to be mad at God about your situation just as long as you continue to talk to Him. Don’t shut the door or even close the window to that communication. Trust me, we really, really need Him to help us to get through this life. Just think about where we would be if we didn’t have Him to lean on?

So what did I learn from this? I can’t always say that I’m happy with what I’ve had to go through, but I’m understanding more and more that I didn’t choose this journey. God chose it for me. There’s a purpose that He has for me and I don’t need to always know where I’m going. I have to trust in Him to get me where He needs me to be. (Related post: Which is the better choice, the destination or the journey?). I’m also discovering that I have been able to look back and see what He wants me to see after I’ve gotten through it. And He might even be using me to help someone else. Isn’t that something?

What can you gain from this? God doesn’t give up on us even as shallow and unworthy as we can be, sometimes. Since God loves us, even despite that, we should know that we can open up ourselves to Him. He sees all the bad things about us and still He wants to take our burdens. He wants to give us hope for the future. We just have to be willing to say, “Tag…you’re it!”

Adonia: Name of God

According to http://www.dictionary.com, “The plural and capitalized Adonai is used because, according to beliefs, God is the lord of all humanity and this is the “lord of all lords.”” Our God is a God of many names because of who and what He represents to us. He is our Creator, Provider, Shephard, and Healer. He is our calm in a raging sea. He is our comforter in our deepest despair. He is our peace in a world of pain. Actually,

He is…….. our everything. (Related post: God’s Love Language)

God doesn’t pick or choose who He likes and dislikes. He loves all of us but dislikes the choices we make that take us further and further away from Him. He loves all of us but is saddened when we turn away from Him and choose the world over choosing Him. He loves all of us but is saddened when we decide to fight against each other instead of choosing to show love toward each other even despite our differences.

As a parent of 2 young men now, I understand only a small portion of what God goes through. While I only have 2 children, God has billions of children and He knows everything that we go through. He knows every thought that we have. He knows our joys and our sorrows. It’s humbling to me that we have a God who loves us that much. He keeps giving us chances to change and hopefully recognize that what we do on earth will impact our next stage. It’s never too late until it is too late. Don’t wait until the end of your life to finally begin to reevaluate it. (Related post: Always Room for Growth).

So, what did I learn from this? I am always humbled by our God. He shows us compassion in so many ways. I don’t always understand the path that God has for me, but sometimes I feel like I’m Peter in Matthew 14: 22-31 who was fearful and doubted Jesus as He walked on the water. It’s a constant battle but I know that I’m not alone. God knows me and loves all of me even when I’ve brought all of my baggage along on this journey. God loves me even when I insist on carrying that baggage when He’s told me to leave it behind. God sees who I am deep inside, warts and all… yet still loves me.

What can you gain from this? You can’t hide from God. God sees everything. That’s not meant to scare you but affirm that He sees the deepest, ugliest parts within all of us and still wants us to be with Him. He wants us to open up those closed parts and expose them to the Light. He wants us to cry out to Him and then we will know that He will always answer. God wants us to know that no matter where we go or what we do, He loves us. We just have to stop and acknowledge it and then return it to Him. God sent His Son, Jesus and Jesus already paid the price, so, now, the prize is free.

The Lost Sheep

Too often, lately, I have seen that there are many people who seem to have lost their way. They have chosen to only follow the laws of the land instead of the laws of God. They bow down before the opinion of others instead of bowing down to the guidance of our God.

If you read the whole chapter of Ezekial 34, you can see that God foretold of what He would do with those who cause His sheep to go astray. Yes, this is in David’s time before Jesus was born but I know that our God doesn’t stop with His promises just because it was long ago. Throughout the Bible, we are repeatedly warned of the consequences of our actions. We are warned about what we should do and what the consequences are for what we fail to do.

We need to remember that we only have a finite number of years on this earth. That’s a very short time when you consider the consequences. So ask yourself these questions and think about the answers carefully. 1) Do you want to spend your eternity (after this life on earth) in heaven? Do you want to be with a God where everything that is beautiful surrounds you and there is no pain or sorrow? or 2)Do you want to spend your eternity (after this life on earth) in hell? Do you want to spend eternity in a perpetual fire where those who are wicked (with their thoughts and deeds) are punished forever?

God calls on all of us to preach to and pray for those lost sheep. We aren’t to shame them but instead call them to Him with understanding and forgiveness. We have to show them the same love that God offers to us when we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Related post: Father, Forgive Me.). If we do that, then we can show them that God doesn’t take us to task for where we have been but instead wants us to follow a new path that leads to Him in the afterlife. (Related post: A Blessed Path)

So, what did I learn from this? I’m not perfect but I know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. I also know that I need to trust God and know that everyone will have a day of reckoning, from the richest to the poorest and from the most powerful to the weakest. I hate waiting but I know that God’s going to take care of them in the long term. My job? It’s to help all those that I can help and get them to a deeper understanding of God. That’s the part that I can control.

What can you gain from this? Our God doesn’t care about perfection. There is no one on earth today who is perfect. He just wants us to try our best. We only have to look within and see where we need to make changes. That’s never easy but it’s necessary in order to become a new person who follows a new path to redemption. Take those mistakes that you’ve made and help someone else to see their new path as well. Remember that God loves you just as you are. There are no qualifiers with God. It’s just straight and simple love, which we can also learn to do with others as well.

Keeping Christ in Christmas

Photo by Jessica Lewis Creative on Pexels.com

Too many of us lately have been worried about the wrong thing during the Christmas season. No, I do get it…..there is so much to do like decorating, getting the right gifts, dealing with traffic and bad tempers, in addition to getting those presents sent off on time (with the least amount of cost). Now it’s also about having enough extra money to even have much of a Christmas!

What I’m referring to is that we are so busy getting everything perfect, we forget what the season is truly about. If you know the story of Jesus then you should know that His birth was not a perfect storybook setting. Christmas is not about all the things that we tend to worry about; instead, it’s a beautiful story of redemption for us. Jesus’ birth is God’s gift to us so that we could be with Him at the end of our life if we only take the time to understand who Jesus is (the Son of God) and accept why Jesus was sent in the first place. Remember that according to John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

So, in all that time of rushing, worrying, planning and shopping, take a moment to thank a God who loved us and continues to love us that much in the first place. Of course, it also means that everything will not be perfect, and knowing in your heart that that’s still perfectly okay!

So what did I learn from this? When I tend to get overwhelmed, I try to step back and take a deep breath. I pray, talk to friends and read my bible to help myself get into focus. I try to do that in every season not just Christmas because let’s face it, life can get complicated pretty quickly. I also need to remember that I have my family and friends who love and appreciate me and sometimes that needs to be gift enough for the season when everything else gets overwhelming.

What can you gain from this? I get it. I know life is hard. Especially when things keep popping up that you weren’t expecting. Try to remember the reason for the season in the first place. This season is about Jesus and His reason for being sent here in the first place was because of His love for all of us. Remember that we have a God who loves us with all of our many, many failings. We’re so lucky that He loves us despite that! So, my thought…..give yourself a break. Find the fun in it and take a good laugh at yourself instead. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine for what ails you.

The Difficulty With Waiting

I think that one of the most challenging things that we have to do is wait. We’re not very patient folks, most times. My personal hardship with having to wait on something is when I can see how and why that something needs to be done a certain way, and I’m having to wait for others to figure it out. I have to watch them continue to repeat a pattern and not seem to learn that they have to change in order to fix it.

I also struggle with waiting when I know that God has something for me but I have to wait on His time instead of my own. My usual choice is to rush ahead, then stand there and tap my foot as I wait for Him to catch up.

However, it doesn’t work that way, does it?

We have to trust God’s timing. We have to trust the steps or hoops that we must go through to get to where He wants us to be. There’s a reason for everything. I can’t say that I’ve always been happy with some of the places that God has put me. Its value has only come after I can reflect and see the lessons He was trying to teach me in the first place. The point is, is that I did learn the lesson and, of course, I am STILL learning.

We have to open ourselves up, which is a risk, I know. However, when we open up to God then we can start to see the benefits of waiting. According to www.lifehack.org, there are 10 benefits to waiting. They are 1) Priorities become clear; 2) Develop perseverance; 3) (develop) Productive habits; 4)Understanding yourself; 5) Rest and regroup; 6) Patience; 7)Resourcefulness; 8) Tolerance and empathy; 9) Capacity and 10) Gratitude. I highly recommend that you go to the link and read how each benefit is explained in further detail and then think about how it can help you in the long run. I think that you will become pleasantly surprised at what you discover about yourself!

So, what did I learn from this? If anything, I can say that I am certainly humbled! This waiting thing can be for the pits, but…… then I get it. I start to understand the purpose. It was never to punish me but to teach me. I also learned that God has immeasurable patience with me (and all of us, for that matter). I’m growing and becoming better although still far from perfect. I’m also finding that I like myself more and the person that God wants me to become. Yeah, so even though it is extremely difficult to wait to learn His purpose for me, I’m learning that I can be okay with that (for the most part 🙂 !!) (Related post: Always Room for Growth)

What can you gain from this? It’s amazing the growth that you can go through when you learn the benefits of waiting. There is a purpose behind it. You don’t have to understand it completely but trust that the answers will come in time and at a time when God knows that you are ready to see it.

Speaking Truths

I have found that honesty is one of the most challenging problems that humans have. Do you ever get the feeling that some people seem to feel that if they don’t say it out loud, then it isn’t really true? We may also realize that these are the same people who may believe that if they don’t admit it, then it can’t possibly be true! We have a whole lot of people in this world today who seem to be having that very problem! Of course, some of these people are the ones who seem to be holding the largest bullhorns! Some of these same people are the ones who may hold positions of power in our government, our media, and even some of our entertainers (whose only purpose is to entertain us, not give us lectures on right and wrong!).

The problem that I see is that they tend to think too highly of themselves. Perhaps they think that because they have some power, their opinion should matter over what we know and can decide about our own lives and what we choose for our own families.

So, how do we combat that mindset?

We speak the truth to ourselves and each other. We acknowledge that honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. We understand that while these are people in power, they will hear our voices when we continue to speak up and out about the changes that we want to see in our world. We vote with our conscious and with a clear mind toward the outcome that we want to happen. (Related posts: Correcting Our Course and The Value of Truth). Change can only happen when we take the initiative!

So, what did I learn from this? It’s never easy to admit fault; however, I have found that it is very freeing to do so. Yes, I can be and also have been humbled by my admission of being wrong, but I have also discovered that I learn so much more about myself as well during the process. I’m not perfect. None of us are. That’s what makes us human. I also think that it just makes us more likable in the long run.

What can you gain from this? You can gain freedom! When you’re honest with yourself then you begin to shed everything that weighs you down. Nobody is perfect. We need to start seeing those “really important people” as someone who has no value in our life unless they are there to help improve our lot in life. We need to see them for who and what they truly are and then act accordingly. Don’t put them on a pedal stool. They’re not that important!

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