Encounter Meditation : Breathe

https://youtu.be/mScShRIK3ew

Why Christians Doubt

I just read this in one of my small books on page 12.……"Bill's parents consulted their pastor who suggested that he and Bill work through a new book he just finished reading: The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel"

This is so amaising, i just watched this film last week on Amazon. Then I purchased it from Amazon.

 God-Incident!!!!!

The antidote to cynicism is Curiosity

Your New Best Friend: Curiosity

Hope is the ultimate antidote to cynicism, but both remembering that and knowing how to live it out can be difficult in the grind of everyday life. 

One of the best things you can do is to fuel hope is to cultivate your curiosity. Most of us are born curious. Think back to when you were a kid. You had a million questions. But somewhere between your preschool years and today, your curiosity died. 

As I was reclaiming my optimism and learning to trust, hope and believe again, I noticed something: curious people are never cynical, and cynical people are never curious. Think for a minute about the wonderfully curious people you know. You’ll quickly realize that the curious are always interested, always hopeful, and always open to new possibilities.

So, I decided to become more curious. In fact, I wonder if that’s one of the things Jesus had in mind when he pulled the little child aside and stood him in front the crowd to tell a bunch of adults that unless you become like this toddler, you won’t enter the Kingdom of God. Among other things, kids are wonderfully (and annoyingly) curious. 

If you want to be less cynical, be more curious.

Like most things, curiosity is a habit that can be nurtured. Here are five small things you can do that will help you become more curious:

1. Schedule Thinking Time

When was the last time you felt curious while you were in a hurry? Plan time to breathe and explore. 

2. Ask Open-Ended Questions

The curious ask broad, probing questions—and then sit back and listen. 

3. Give Fewer Answers

The restraint you develop in not giving answers to everything will make you challenge your own thinking, ask yourself more questions, and encourage you to dig deeper. 

4. Dream More

Cynicism makes dreams die. Stop settling for the probable, not the possible. 

5. Ask Two Pivotal Questions

The curious ask, “Why?” And they ask, “Why not?”

Cultivate curiosity long enough, and hope will begin to flourish. And when hope flourishes, cynicism doesn’t stand a chance. 

Prayer: Lord, there was a time when I was far more curious than I am today. Help me to become curious again. Defeat my cynicism, and fill me with the wonder of a child—to listen, wonder, be amazed and stand in awe of you and everything you’ve created. Amen.

Matthew 18:1‭-‬3 NIV  .... At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Comparison is one of the 7 Deadly Sins

Was praying this morning about the emotions I was having with Libby...I was lead to this video 

https://youtu.be/wK1UsrrBU8o

I didn't think I was envy but after watching this video God had highlighted so much. 

Envy is one of the 7deadly sins

Insights For My Black Journal

These insight have to go with my black journal entry for the 9th of October 2021.

3:2-3 The world is full of deceivers. We must be especially alert for those who offer recovery plans that exclude God. The false teachers Paul mentioned demanded that Gentile Christians obey the Jewish law of circumcision in order to be saved. The apostle stood against this claim, reminding the Philippians that only God through Jesus Christ could bring them deliverance. This message is for us, too. If people claim we don't need God for a successful recovery, we should walk the other way. Programs that depend on our actions will never succeed for long. Until we admit that we are powerless to help ourselves, we won't succeed in our recovery.

 3:4-11 Paul made a detailed inventory of his past behaviors-including his religious activities and found nothing worth hanging on to. He threw out his past life and replaced it with his new life in Christ. We should engage in an honest inventory of our own heritage and accomplishments as Paul did.

 As we compare the value of our past accomplishments to the power offered by Christ, we will find the new life God offers is the obvious choice. Our personal inventory helps us discover that the things of this world can't satisfy our eternal needs-only God can. 

3:17-21 On the human level, we need to pattern our lives after those who, despite difficulties, have successfully lived for Christ. Those who fail to examine themselves end up spending all their efforts living only for themselves, enslaved by destructive habits and dependencies. Full recovery, however, can be experienced by trusting Jesus Christ and following in his steps. Some of us may wonder if we will ever get beyond the pain we experience on a daily basis. But even if the pain remains throughout our lives, we will be changed completely when Jesus Christ returns.

4:1-3 Since we know with certainty what our ultimate destiny is, we can confidently face the hard ships of life. Paul set a good example for how to grow spiritually and encourage others in their growth. To encourage these two Christian women to reestablish a harmonious relationship, he com plimented them on their previous service to God. He was assuming that they were humble enough to take criticism and change for the better. When we keep a close watch on our own life, as Paul did his, we will be better able to hold others accountable to their recovery commitment.

12-STEP DEVOTIONAL

STEP 6 : Attitudes and Actions

BIBLE READING: Philippians 3:12-14 

We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

Getting "entirely ready" to have God remove "all" our defects of character sounds impossible. In reality we know that such perfection is out of human reach. This is another way of saying that we are going to do our best to work toward a lifelong goal that no one ever reaches until eternity.

The apostle Paul expressed a similar thought: "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfec tion for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.... Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:12-14).

This combination of a positive attitude and energetic effort is part of the mystery of our cooperation with God. Paul said: "Work hard to show the results of your sal vation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him" (Philippians 2:12-13).

We will need to practice these steps the rest of our lives. We don't have to demand perfection of ourselves; it is enough to keep moving ahead as best we can. We can look forward to our rewards with the hope of becoming all that God intends us to be. God will strengthen and encour age us as we do so. Turn to page 915, Isaiah 57.

 

Jesus Is Calling Devotional

OCTOBER 9 YOU HAVE BEEN on a long, uphill journey, and your energy is almost spent. Though you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand. I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me. There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain. You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following. I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you. You can ventilate safely to Me because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective. Complaining to others is another matter altogether. It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage. Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out. As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart. JEREMIAH 31:25; PHILIPPIANS 2:14–15 Reflect on your complaints during this phase of your journey. How could you better handle the stresses and strains? First, take hold of My hand. [Your Response Here]

Encounter Meditation : See What You Believe

I stared with great interest as the outside temperature gauge on my car slowly crept closer and then just past freezing.  Praying the soft mist wouldn’t turn to freezing rain. Navigating through the cold misty freezing night, out of caution I let my speed drop but was anxious to get back to a warm house, still an hour away.

See What You Believe

The only proof of my destination was a blue dot on my car’s navigation screen.   I couldn’t see my house but I loved knowing it was there. I couldn’t feel its warmth but I believed my family was there waiting for me.  The anticipation brought me inexpressible joy. But for now, I kept watching the temperature drop.

 

The theme of this meditation from 1 Peter 1 is belief.  Belief in the steps toward the destination, even when you can’t see the whole path. Or as St. Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.

Let me pray a blessing over you that the proof of your faith, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  And even though you haven't seen Him, love and believe in Him. May you be filled with the love of God and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always, Amen.

 

In a turbulent uncertain world we can expect fear and frustration, but allow those personal moments of disbelief to center you back to believe in a very certain God of peace and hope.

 

Also, stay alert for opportunities that God might use you to bring hope and belief to another.  They won’t be hard to find. Who can you help guide towards home as you offer them hope and something to believe in again.

 

Take all the time you need...but when you are ready, whether at first light or evening shade, be intentional to believe in what you do not see for the reward of this faith will be to see what you believe and there encounter God.

See What You Believe

Listen Now

Text from Counterfeit Comforts Book

Counterfeit Comforts

We are not purposefully rebelling against God. We are a hurting people doing the best we can. Those around us might be judging, but God is not judging us as much as we might think He is, or at least, not in the way we think He is. God looks at our motives. Our Lord sees through our behavior and into hearts. That is why He can love someone like David from Bible so dearly even though David made huge mistakes. David had a man killed and the Father still called him "a man alter His own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14). That should give you some peace regarding where you have fallen short. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that our actions do not matter or have consequences. Paul expresses this clearly when he states that grace does not give us a license to sin:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?..Romans 6:1-21

What I am talking about here is that God looks at our hearts and He has a lot of grace for us as we are growing. If you are reading this book, then you are a seeker. You are someone who has a heart for God and a desire to live in His will and in His ways. What is wonderful about God is that we do not have to be perfect before coming to Him. He will take us just the war we are. He is not disappointed in us. He is focused on loving us back to health and healing our deep wounds. He knows once our roots are tended to, our fruits will reflect that To receive healing, we need to go beyond the surface symptoms and deal with the roots.

Page142.

Chapter 16

Roots

If the root is holy, so are the branches. Romans 11:16

Uncovering the Roots

God works with us from the inside out. If what within us is sound, then our outer life reflects th wounds and unresolved hurts-produce unhea bear the fruit of counterfeit comforts in our below the surface and uncover the roots behi patterns of behavior, healing begins. Let's ex more common and universal roots beneath co

The Root of Rejection and Abandonment

 Relationships are extremely effective in exposing roots. Anytime we have a strong emotional reaction it is a signal that there is an area in us been triggered.

Page 143

Declan's Prayer For Job Interview

This was a conversation with my grandson Declan yesterday. I was so happy that he text me to pray for him. It even made me cry. 

Well he just phoned there and said he got the job. All the Glory be to God.

God is good all the time. And all the time God is good. 😇🙏🤗

I love when this happens. I was on Facebook there and saw this post . Amaising ❤️

Hyssop

Hyssop has came up 4 times now and when that usually happens I sit up and take notice. It's usually God speaking to me.

The first :  I was looking for herbal teas on Amazon to help with my gut and I came across Hyssop Herbal teas for lungs, respiratory system, gut, immunity. All the symptoms I have so I ordered them.

Second time: The thought that the word hyssop was in the Bible. Don't know were the thought came from so I Google and found this link about hyssop

Third time : I had a meeting with Louise from living waters and I was telling her and she said a friend of hers told her about them years ago and she knew about it in the Bible.

Fourth time: I came in from Hamilton and my books had been delivered from Amazon. The one I started to read first was 

And on page 25 guess what 😳 YIP!!!! The word hyssop

So I can't wait to try these teabags but also dive more into all the info I've gathered

This is so app for right now with this COVID epidemic.

My Baptism 3 rd November 2013

Page 17... Book's. -

Kings Church, 3rd October 2021. Lindsay may speaker

Book- if you want to walk on water You need to get out of The Boat. Matthew 14: 22-33

• Lord if it is You tell me to come 

• Most of life happens in the boat.

• Life changing moments barriers Head / Heart.

• Faith gets us out of boats---Focus on Jesus.

Putting down Scotlands weather again.

when I was watching it reminded me of My Baptism..

There were a couple of things that stood out on my day.

1. Song from my favourite film at that time it was called "Twilight" and the song was Love you for a Thousand Years.

2. Ian Lawrie's.. Said to Go boldly were no man has gone.. another film/series star Trek

3. On the tables were worksheets and it was about N

building the walls that were pulled down by the enemy-

He used the rubble that was around. 

So sometimes we think things cant be used again but they can.

Robert brought the message that day

 

Here is a picture of me 🥰