“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Henry David Thoreau
As it turned out, however, that was the beginning of my journey to faith. Now I can understand, and even relate in my relationship with my husband. Today I strive to make my faith my first priority. Yet, there will always be those who think that putting faith first can lead to becoming a church-aholic. Dana, a friend and missionary in Indonesia, always included in his newsletter prayer list: “Pray that I will please God.” He was a full-time missionary. Wasn’t that enough to qualify him as having put faith first? Since those days I’ve learned that just having faith isn’t necessarily putting God first, it’s the daily behaviors, decisions, choices, and how we handle temptations that reveal where our faith falls in our list of priorities. When I genuinely make God my top priority, it will be reflected in everything…what’s on my schedule, my attention to my health and fitness, time management decisions, work/life balance, financial choices, my tone of voice, my attitude, the willingness to apologize, to do the right thing regardless what others think of me, whose strength I rely on when tempted, and so on. Applying this lesson is not easy. I’ve been working at it for years and still I have friends lovingly point out (on a somewhat regular basis) areas where I need to improve. I’ve also recently heard a description of how God is right there at every point ready to help me with any of the daily challenges. Even when I’m not putting God first, God is still there waiting for me to ask for help, whether it’s help not to procrastinate, or to avoid a food I’m allergic to, or to say ‘No’ when needed, or… Do you profess God is the most important thing in your life? Are you careful to include God in all your daily challenges? If not, what one thing will you do today to practice making God your first priority?
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“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” Rick Warren
When this major crisis hit (I cancelled my wedding 9 days beforehand), it was like garbage in-garbage out. Every painful memory from the past came back to haunt me. Every hour, even every few minutes, my mind detoured to the past. I was virtually paralyzed, unable to do much else. My pattern of stuffing my emotions with food or watching movies ceased to work. I was in crisis, crippled by my garbage emotions: anxiety, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, resentment and fear. My only option was to face them and replace them, but I didn’t know how.
Lord, thank You for the resources from the books: Lord, Heal My Hurts, by Kay Author, and Twelve Steps And Twelve Traditions, by Alcoholics Anonymous, that gave me the tools to examine past hurts and replace them with serenity and contentment. Amen “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 What are your thoughts?
Libby Note: Rick Warren (1954- ), an American evangelical Christian pastor and author, he’s the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, co-founder of Celebrate Recovery, and the bestselling author of many books including The Purpose Driven Life which has sold more than 30 million copies. “There is a courtesy of the heart. It is akin to love. Out of it arises the purest courtesy in outward behavior.” Johann Wolfgang Goethe
They continued to go on about how my horn had made them jump and their hearts were racing. “Mine too,” I said, but that made no difference to them. They were angry and I was the cause, no matter how justified I was at honking my horn.
Today we think of children as just ‘short people’ rather than second-class citizens. We have laws that protect children’s rights, advocates for their needs, and encourage mutual respect and kindness in schools. We’ve come a long way! Or have we? Someone once said, “Courtesy is taught at home by parents who act courteously toward their children.” But, since a generation that might have missed out on common courtesy in their homes are now having children of their own, today's kids may not always get the benefit of having common courtesy role-modeled. So, those not in the habit of practicing common courtesy at home, who will teach them to be courteous to a stranger? Have you experienced a lack of common courtesy recently? Do you get frustrated with how uncommon common courtesy is becoming? What can you do today to role-model courtesy to others? Lord, help me continue to be courteous to other even when they are not always courteous to me. Amen “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you…” Colossians 3:13 What are your thoughts? Libby
“Being a marathoner was about something way bigger than me. It was about inner strength, perseverance, discipline, faith… It took me coming in thirteenth to understand what it all meant.” Meb KeflezighiI was giving an introduction to a class when my boss appeared in the doorway and asked me to step outside. She explained she’d received a comment from someone who had taken the class the prior day. As a result I was not to teach the class any longer.
I thought I had done the best thing for the students—being trained by one of their own—and in developing advanced skills for the content experts that might further their careers. Days later I discovered what the ‘comment’ was. Someone had said something about using experts to deliver the training. I explained to my boss the comment was a compliment, not a complaint. My boss was not aware that following the introduction I sat in the back of the room only to support the novice trainers. But still it hurt to think my boss would assume the comment was a complaint rather than a compliment without asking me, or observing the class. I felt misunderstood, but worse I felt injured by my boss who had earlier been my supporter, my advocate who had previously worked to develop my skills for further advancement. It was some time before I was able to see God’s hand in it. As a result of the experts teaching the class, one of them became a trainer. In fact he filled the opening when I left to take a position as a quality consultant in our division…a job my boss recommended me for, much to my surprise. It can often take a retrospect view for me to see God working in my life. Do circumstances seem like they’re mounting up against you and there’s no way out? Is it so dark that you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak? How will you respond today to endure the present situation, believing that God’s hand is in it for your good? Lord, may I never forget Your faithfulness in past situations, because it helps me understand that often Your plan is bigger than just me and my current circumstance. Amen “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:4
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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