Living a Holy Life

Ever wonder why your prayers are not answered? There are several factors that go into answered prayer. I talked about the will of God and praying in Jesus' name in my last post. Today I would like to talk about living a holy life.

What is a holy life? A question to ask myself is if there any known and willful sin in my life? For example, am I sexually pure, do I tithe, am I honest and truthful, is there any unforgiveness in my life?

1 Peter 1:19 commands us to "Be holy, as I am holy." Am I living in my old ways, giving in to the lusts of the flesh? Or have I disciplined myself enough to walk in the Spirit? Am I morally alert? God's desire, like any good parent, is to protect his children. I know in my life, when I have strayed and disobeyed, I reap a bounty of hurt and pain. I have learned that it is best to obey God, and leave the consequences to Him, as Dr. Charles Stanley says so often.

I can't go wrong when I obey God. Living a holy life to me means being pure, being honest, and being loving. It means exemplifying the character traits of God and eliminating any unwholesome thoughts, words, and actions.

How about you, beloved? Are you living a holy life? I encourage you to stand firm and walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh. The Lord desires to bless us, but cannot do so when we choose to deliberately disobey and live in sin. Think about this and let me know your thoughts.

The Power of Attraction

So you've all probably heard of the best-selling book called "The Secret", right? The premise of the book is that we can "attract" wonderful things into our lives merely by thinking about them. Thinking about them draws them to us; everything from riches, to good relationships, to good health. Now there is something to thinking positive thoughts, and visualizing what you want in life. With that, I totally agree. I don't want to burst your bubble if you read the book, however, there is a big BUT in this whole concept. The BUT is God. We can think about something all we want, BUT if it's not God's will for us to have it, we aren't going to get it. Period, end of story. I can dream of winning the lottery, making a million dollars or whatever, BUT God may have other plans for me. He only gives us what we can handle and some of us may not be ready to handle a million dollars :) Spend, yes, but not handle it wisely. The book has sold millions of copies world-wide. Do you believe in God's will? Or are you in total control of your destiny? Drop me a note - I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Until next time, stay positive and keep looking up

Words of Affirmation

Have you spoken a kind word today? Everyone likes to be told they are doing a good job, thanked for their service, or complimented on their new tie, shirt, hairdo or whatever. It's a small thing that doesn't take much effort, except to notice. A kind word can bring a smile to someone's face and isn't that priceless?

We never know what others are going through and a simple word of kindness may have more impact than we know. Words are powerful. The Bible exhorts us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and to let our words be like salt, that add flavor.

We all need to be edified on a daily basis. There is so much out there in the world that drags us down and makes us feel less than in some way. We are God's children and He loves us. That's all we need to know and believe. But sometimes we need a little reminder, don't we?

Today, let our speech be with grace, Lord, and help us to encourage and uplift others.

The Favor of God

Do you ever contemplate on the favor of God? I am constantly amazed at how much God loves us when I see Him in action, performing miraculous feats that I know are His handiwork.

For instance, this past weekend I was supposed to go to the beach with a large group of church friends. As we prepared, organized, and made arrangements, an ominous weather forecast developed - a hurricane was headed up the coast due to hit on the very day our group was headed into the beach area. Faithful group leaders extolled "full steam ahead" and I'm sure I was not the only one praying for the storm to not impact our trip. Upon arrival, all that remained of the storm were a few dark clouds and some wind. The sun soon appeared making for a lovely holiday weekend at the beach.

On sunday, I had my heart set on a delicious brunch at a local restaurant on the boardwalk. Church ran over, and I didn't arrive until after the breakfast hours were over. Bravely I asked a server if I could still order breakfast. "Lord, please let them serve me" I prayed as I watched him check with the manager and the manager check with the kitchen. "Only one more" breakfast order I heard the manager say - and it was mine! As the server delivered my much anticipated breakfast meal, I could only praise God for his great favor towards me.

Now I don't know how you see these things, but I choose to see God's hand. The hurricane could have very well hit the beach and the entire weekend would have been a washout. The manager could have stuck by the rules and refused to serve me.

Have you seen evidence of God's favor in your life? Have you asked for it? I'm positive you will see it and when you do, be sure to give God the glory and the thanks.

August Already

Wow, I can't believe August is here already: the final month of summer. How's your summer been? Have you made time to have some fun and maybe relax in the sun? Summer is a time to recharge our batteries and take things a little easier. Clothes and meals are lighter. Time for snowballs and outdoor concerts, for reading and being a bit lazy.

I've learned it's okay to be a bit lazy sometimes. In fact, it's actually healthy. Our lives are so go go go, always in a rush to go somewhere or do something. The body and the mind can only take so much activity. I think that's why we have the seasons. As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun (Eccl. 3:1). We were not made to be on the go constantly.

Slowing down has immeasurable benefits both physically and mentally. I know I can think clearer when I don't have so much on my mind. I actually am more productive because I have time to think things through. Besides that, feeding off the adrenalin high of constant activity puts too much stress on both the mind and the body over the long haul.

I plan to take full advantage of the last month of summer. Maybe take in a few day trips and spend some more time at the pool. How about you, dear one? How will you enjoy the last lazy hazy days of summer? Write me and let me know!

The Power of Words

Ever think about the words you use on a daily basis? See if you can catch yourself using the same words or expressions and then think about how they impact your mental state or that of a loved one. Our words can build up or tear down. The words we speak to others and to ourselves have more power than most of us realize.

Imagine if you meant to say to your son or daughter "What's bothering you?" but instead you said "What's wrong with you?" Think of the impact that would make on them.

In his book, Awaken the Giant, Anthony Robbins talks about changing the words we use to describe our feelings to either diminish negative feelings or intensify positive feelings. For example, instead of saying, "I am angry" he suggests toning it down by saying "I am peeved". Instead of "I am anxious" say "I am a little concerned." To increase our positive feelings, try "I am fabulous", "I am captivated", or "I relish the idea" instead of "I'm okay", "I'm interested" or "I like." Notice the difference?

Proverbs 18:21 says "There is life or death in the power of the tongue". James 1:19 implores us to be "Quick to listen and slow to speak." My mom used to say "Think before you speak."

What words are you speaking to those you love? Are they words of encouragement and edification? I know I can use some work in this area. How about you?

Are You Happy Now?

"I will be happy when the kids grow up." "I will be happy when I lose 10 pounds." "I will be happy when I retire." "I will be happy when I find a partner." "I will be happy when I earn x$".

Ever hear yourself saying something like this? We are expecting some external circumstance to make us happy. The truth of the matter is that we really don't need ANYTHING to make us happy. Happiness is a mental state of mind that we CHOOSE. As long as we structure our lives on something we cannot control, we will experience pain and unhappiness.

Things will never be totally perfect in our lives. There will always be some area, some relationship, some problem that needs attention. The key, I think, is to not dwell on what is wrong with my life, but what is good in it. Today I went for a walk, took a dip in the pool, and had a nice lunch. These simple pleasures give me great happiness and I am thankful for them all.

Abraham Lincoln once said " People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Life is too short. Today, will you make a choice to be happy?