“We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” John F. Kennedy“Stick to the facts,” said a co-worker. It was so easy for me to fall into the trap of speculation. I would justify it when work-related projects were the topic, I’d say I was anticipating potential problems and designing alternate solutions…a.k.a. ‘Plan B.’
Lord, You have been faithful in the past to show me my next step; and I trust if I encounter success You’ll also show me how to celebrate and set new goals. Amen “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” I Thessalonians 5:24
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“If you’re fighting your problems, you’re already on the losing side.” Canon GlennonYears ago I tried the liquid protein diet (and almost died), but I did lose a lot of weight in just six days. So much in fact that none of my jeans fit any longer. But the worst of this experience was a rumor that started about me...that I had an abortion.
But, a good friend advised me, “Only a guilty person needs to defend themselves. Give it time and the truth will become known.” Waiting was excruciating. I asked for prayer, "Please pray for peace in the midst of the storm." Before long I began to feel at peace. God’s comfort settled over me like a warm blanket on a chilly night. I no longer fought the illusive, intangible problem that had no reasonable solution. Are you fighting a ghost of a problem?...Twitter, Facebook, etc.? Do you long to defend your innocence? What will you do differently today to switch to the 'winning side'? Lord, the cares of this world are many; help me remember to bring them to You and trust that You have a better solution than anything I could devise. Amen “Do not be afraid or discouraged…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” II Chronicles 20:15 What are your thoughts? Libby
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Plato
They couldn’t backspace and tweak the first sentence for minutes or hours. When I first started to write I could literally spend hours on the first paragraph. Hence the term ‘analysis paralysis.’ This kind of writing never leads anywhere…I learned the hard way. Like those with pen and paper or a manual typewriter, we must just begin. Start! Do something. There is plenty of time to edit later. Any published writer will tell you that editing is far more enjoyable than getting that first draft onto the page.
Lord, help me not get stuck in analysis paralysis, or thinking it has to be perfect before I move on to the second sentence; help me leave room for Your inspiration where my work really begins to be creative. Amen “…one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead; I press on…” Philippians 3:13-14 What are your thoughts? Libby
Note: Gladys Louise Smith, a.k.a. Mary Pickford (1892-1979), a Canadian actress and producer whose career spanned 50 years; she was one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has earned the name “Queen of the Movies,” credited as having defined the ingénue archetype in cinema.
Note: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) an English novelist, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer; best known for her novel Frankenstein. She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, Percy Shelley, the famous English poet and philosopher. Herself a philosopher and advocate for women's rights of the day; her father, William Godwin, was a political philosopher and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a philosopher and feminist. “Some people won’t love you, no matter what you do. Some people won’t stop loving you, no matter what. Go where the love is.” Eleanor Brown
I still had to work with her but I chose not to socialize with her. I suppose she interpreted it as being stuck-up or self-righteous, but it was more important for me to take care of myself and remain neutral toward her. Being new in town and knowing few people, testing the waters as I tried to make new friends was my way of being careful to befriend only people that were encouraging, friendly, and kind. We enjoyed our time together that day. Although, I didn’t regret the self-protection choices I took twenty years earlier, I may always wonder if we could have been friends sooner if I had not been so ‘neutral’ and avoided her. I discovered sometimes rather than look for Love, in order to "go where the lover is" I need to be the one to take Love with me. “Where Love Is, There God Is” Leo Tolstoy Are you in a situation where you are enduring rather than flourishing? Are you able to be kind even when others are not kind to you? What will you do this holiday season to “go where the love is” by taking Love with you? Lord, help me get better at being a peace-maker and loving others who are not necessarily friendly toward me. Amen “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Eleanor Brown (1973- ), novelist, anthologist, editor, teacher, and motivational speaker. She is the New Your Times and international bestselling author of novels The Weird Sisters and The Lights of Paris.
“It was then I learned that gratitude is the best feeling I would ever have…it is perhaps the genesis of all other really good feelings in the human repertoire.” Lewis Smedes, after almost dying
So when an acquaintance suggested I begin to keep a ‘gratitude journal’ writing at least three things I’m grateful for at the end of each day, I topped each page with: “What I learned today was…”
Or I’d think how my social life was virtually non-existent. Then I’d write, “What I’m learning is…my one year old puppy is calmer and less likely to misbehave when I spend more time with him.” After several weeks of choosing to look for the gratitude in each day, I went from what I called was a ‘half-empty’ perspective to a ‘half-full’ perspective. My life hadn’t changed much in that time, but I found myself less depressed and enjoying my days more. Do the unfortunate parts of your day come to mind first? Is your glass half-empty as opposed to half-full? How will you alter your perspective and enjoy the blessings of a grateful heart?
What are your thoughts? Libby
“The most valuable gift you can give another is a good example.” Unknown Author“Don’t bother to talk to her about God, it just makes her shut down and push God farther away.”
They moved in and I enjoyed the company. Baby Delilah's cry was so quiet I could barely hear her. I’d never been around a newborn before. Delilah's mother was very protective; after all we were virtually strangers. For weeks she saw me read my bible at night and have a quiet time in the morning, but I never spoke to her about God. Eventually she let me hold Delilah and even feed her.
St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all time and when necessary use words.” Is there someone who might be watching how you live your life? Does your life reflect the faith you profess? What will you ask God for today to ensure you are living a life that reflects the good news of God’s grace and mercy to you? Lord, thank You for teaching me the lesson of how important a living witness can be; and, that there is always someone watching. Amen “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3
What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Saint Francis of Assisi, a.k.a. Giovanni de Pietro de Bernardone (1181-1226), an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher know for founding the Third Order of Saint Francis (among other church Orders); he is one of the most venerated figures in church history, also widely remembered as the patron saint of the natural environment and of animals. “All music jars when the soul’s out of tune.” Miguel de CervantesI don’t remember what upset me. Had someone said something to me, or had I said something to someone else and was under conviction to apologize? Maybe someone (even me) had not measured up to my expectations. Was I running late for an appointment, or was it merely the evening’s traffic?
In those days it wasn’t second nature to turn my thought to God for comfort. Even today, I’m sorry to say, it’s still too often a last resort. Yet, it always works. It always calms, putting my problems into perspective. As my sister used to say, “In light of all eternity, how important it is?” Do you get distracted when your problems are weighing you down? Can music sometimes be annoying? What can you do to calm the problems you are facing today? Lord, when I strive to find some earthly means to quiet my mind, remind me again that You are the true source of peace and serenity. Amen “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. Or, as the New American Standard version translates Psalm 46:10, “Cease striving and know that I am God.”
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.“Why do people get so upset when I offer suggestions?” my mother asked. “Because your suggestions are ‘street smart’ gleaned from years of living. When someone has seventeen letters after their name, they rely on their education and years of experience, and rightly so.” When my mother feels like she’s being shunned or intentionally ignored, it’s more likely because she’s viewing the response from a dark perspective because her help is not readily accepted. She’s from that generation where the parent-child relationship is all they know. They have no role models for adult-adult relationships with their kids, neighbors, co-workers or even strangers, that happen to be younger than them.
The other day I heard someone say, “bless them, change me,” as a sort of prayer. I now have a mantra that takes me to the mindset of choosing to see comments in the light rather than in the darkness, in love rather than hate. This is helping me not respond in darkness or hate, but to see the light and respond in love. Do you have people in your life that ‘rub you the wrong way’ with their comments? Do those comments make you want to respond with words you'll later regret? What can you say that will remind you to shift your perspective from darkness to light and respond in kindness? Lord, save me from myself; my thinking that every comment is about me. Help me see through Your eyes and see light and love. Amen “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 What are your thoughts? Libby
Note: Maya Angelou (1928-2014), an American poet, author, screenwriter, actor, singer, dancer and civil rights activist. She is best known for her first in a series of seven autobiographies, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and is attributed to be “the black woman's poet laureate.”
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” C.S. Lewis I once heard someone say, “I’m a loaner. I used to think I was terminally unique, that no one could understand me…” My response was the typical bobble-head-nod signifying I could relate to feeling ‘terminally unique.’ When I was young, I thought no one could relate to the struggles, challenges and fears I faced. But then I met someone and by accident I let one comment slip. She echoed her struggle in that area and we instantly became friends. Others can be compassionate or even helpful, but there’s something about that person who can understand, the one who can relate. That was 35 years ago. Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend. Even though we haven’t seen each other for months, it was as if no time had passed. Friendship. When I’m in a group of people that share a common interest (e.g., writer’s group, ministry, book club), there’s usually one or two people that I have more in common with – quilter, raised in the same city, fans of a particular sports team, author, or hobby. We might sit together, talk in the parking lot, or go for coffee apart from others in the group. Friendship goes beyond acquaintance or even team dynamics. Friendship is personal and deliberate. C.S. Lewis also made the point that we can’t avoid acquaintances in life, but some people might live a lifetime without ever experiencing genuine friendship. Do you have friends who hang with you even when you’re separated by miles? If not, could it be an aversion to sharing your personal life with someone? What will you do today to foster a deeper relationship with an acquaintance or colleague or neighbor or relative or…? Lord, thank you for that special connection that happens in our soul which makes possible a close friendship with one or two people out of a group of acquaintances. Amen “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
What are your thoughts? Libby Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. “There is a courtesy of the heart. It is akin to love. Out of it arises the purest courtesy in the outward behavior.” Johann Wolfgang von GoetheDakota. An interesting name. It reminds me of Joe Montana who shares a name with a state. I was looking at the prayer cards for the children in our church when I saw this solo name on a card.
I may not know Dakota well enough to say that I love her by any of the common definitions of love. Yet, as C.S. Lewis teaches in his book The Four Loves, storge is a Greek word for love that is translated: affection. Storge is the word for the affection of those around us, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances, and those in groups we belong to but may not know personally. Storge bridges age boundaries, social standing, economic status, likes or dislikes, and even our views on politics and religion. Funny thing…I care about Dakota even though I hardly know her, because I can relate to her situation. According to Lewis, storge (affection) is the closest to the way God loves us; which in Greek is call agape: unconditional love.
Note: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), a German poet, novelist, playwright, and philosopher; his second novel, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, was considered the fourth best novel ever written by German philosopher Schopenhauer. Ralph Waldo Emerson selected Goethe for his book Representative Men about the six most influential men in history to date...others were Plato, Napoleon, Shakespeare.
Note: C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, lay theologian, lecturer and Christian apologist. He held academic positions at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (1925-63). Although most all of his published works (in four genres) are still in print, he is best known for The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. |
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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