The Present

When we stay in the present, we realize all our needs are met by Divine Love and only by living in the past or future, do we lose our joy.   Matthew 6:34 states, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

In Psalms 56:3-4, it reads, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?”

Both of those verses are so reassuring as is God’s handiwork below.

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Sunset in the Mountains

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Anxiety or Peace, My Choice

As I watch my thinking today, I will bring anxious thoughts to the Truth of being and watch them shrivel and shrink in the light as shadows flee before the light.  Judgmental thoughts will be brought to light to see the nothingness of them.  Confusing thoughts will be untangled and cast away in the peace that I feel as I release all worries to God and wait for His directions to be revealed.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:5

God’s Humor

This morning it was brought to my attention that someone had made an innocent mistake and mentally, I judged it.  An hour hadn’t passed until I made a similar error since I had looked at a date wrong and was immediately reminded of Luke 18:11, “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘ God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.’ ”

Amusement and gratitude filled my being as I forgave myself immediately of my misjudgment of myself and another!

Illusions

Over the week-end, we went to see Star Wars and were vastly entertained.  When Hans Solo was killed, though, it took me a minute for it to register that it was only a movie, because I felt sadness and grief.  I later thought how similar it feels when it seems my feelings are hurt, or disappointment surfaces when my plans are thwarted.

The experience I felt in the movie may feel exactly the same!  But am I viewing an illusion?

The photo below looks like a reflection of a tree with leaves, when in reality, it is only Texas wild rice growing in the river and a tree on the bank with no leaves.  Do you see the correlation as you view certain challenges that may appear real?

True Purpose

As I have been reading the Bible this morning and pondering my true purpose, it dawned on me that my only purpose is to express God, which is Life, Truth and Love.  And as I am expressing Love, I can never be impressed by negative thinking!  They just cannot co-exist.

Seeing the beauty of the following photograph of a misty morning, I look for the beauty in all things today.  There is also beauty in a sunset or midday view.  Gratitude and humility fill my thoughts!

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Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth comes from trials and is proof of God’s Love.  It is never punishment, just as we were not being punished by the teacher in school when we were tested, but just making sure we understood what we were studying.

Lessons always become blessings when viewed properly.

Graven Image

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” was one of the commandments I thought I was certainly not guilty of breaking.  Of course, I didn’t have any stone idols!  Then, I realized it could mean any indelibly-printed image in my thoughts that sometime play incessantly.

Maybe, it could be a hurt, either real or imagined, from long ago or recent; or even a mistake I have made.  Don’t those become “graven images” if they are not ejected from our thinking and replaced with loving thoughts?

Fortunately, we have a loving God who brings a new day into existence where we can begin anew!

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Dreams

This morning as I awakened, I remembered bits and pieces of an unpleasant dream I had the night before.  So, rather than analyze it and attempt to figure out the meaning, I just simply shook it off!  The very same procedure should apply to a negative day time dream, just shake it off!  Don’t spend time trying to figure out the “hows” and “whys”, but focus on all the blessings we have.

Fear Not

This morning as I am studying and praying, I think of how many times in the Bible “Fear not” is stated.  It definitely must have some importance to this message.  Then I thought of “Love” and know that Love and fear can never co-exist.  If I am fearing something, I am not loving enough.

The Bible says that “Perfect Love casteth out fear”, and that means God’s Love, not human love which is not pure, but conditional.  Today I will consciously Love whenever fear wants to tempt me.