Cathy T Burns

Counselor, Teacher, Writer, Spiritual Director

Gratitude Redeems Life’s Struggles

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1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.

22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
and announce his works with shouts of joy.

43 Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things
and consider the Lord’s acts of faithful love.   Psalm 107: 1,22,43 CSV

23 The sacrifice that honors me
    is a thankful heart.
Obey me,
    and I, your God,
    will show my power to save.  Psalms 50:23 CEV

 

I often hear about and experience struggle all around me.

A young wife and mother with a husband battling leukemia.

A mother to be. experiencing a stillbirth of her loved child.

The only adult child, losing both aging parents within weeks of each other.

A floundering marriage of two wounded hearts battling to be loved.

A young adult beginning her life haunted by memories of abuse.

These are just some of the struggles I came in contact with yesterday.

With Thanksgiving is next week, how can these experiences co/exist with gratitude?

What is Gratitude?

Research would reveal many definitions from a scientific point of view and a spiritual reality.

Gratitude has a twofold emphasis, an appreciation for the goodness of life and the connection with something larger than themselves. I.E. to thankfully receive kindness from other people in the community as well as a connection (for believers in Christ) to the divine creator of the universe, Jehovah God.

Is Gratitude Possible through the Struggles of Life?

When a life has been steeped in suffering, disappointments, losses, illness or injustice, how can or why should we choose to live with the mindset of gratitude?

Gratitude is not only possible during a life struggle but it is highly probable. Gratitude is often strongest during or after a crisis.

The first Thanksgiving was initiated by the pilgrims as a redemptive response to the tremendous number of deaths after the first year of landing in a foreign world. It became a national holiday in the middle of the civil war and was officially designated to the last Thursday in November following the Great Depression.

In good times we become complacent and are less likely to treasure the gifts of comfort and security to which we have become accustomed.

In a crisis, we become acutely aware of our vulnerabilities, searching for strength and security through actions and connections of others. We also have a greater sensitivity and clarity regarding the goodness that is present in our world. This goodness is a light to a heart that is floundering in the darkness of a chaotic world.

The recent victims of the hurricane in Houston demonstrated profound gratitude for their rescuers and the security of the lives of family members. The gratitude was a grounding force that helped the victims press forward into recovery efforts restoring their homes.

 

How is Gratitude a Gift?

The benefits of gratitude have been affirmed in books of psychology and proclaimed in spiritual writings including the Bible.

Physically, the practice of gratitude can relieve stress, improve sleep, and decrease pain, improving the immune system and even rewiring the brain. Gratitude changes the perspective of any bad situation heightening the focus on the goodness that gives security and connection.

The biggest hindrance to having gratitude is an attitude of entitlement and self-absorption. This perspective is blind to the graciousness of others. In contrast, humility heightens the awareness the redemptive presences of blessings bring in the turmoil of life.

In Psalm 107 David writes about many experiences of crisis punctuated with the reality of God’s covering in that moment. The first verse, the middle verse and the last verse are some of the verses in that chapter proclaiming gratitude for the secure goodness of God’s love. These verses indicate the benefit of joy and wisdom in the practice of gratitude.

The sacrifice of a thankful heart in Psalms 50 is a soft heart, humbly honoring God, open to His leading. I get a mental picture of a childlike person captivated by the love of His Father, resting in His presences, confident in His power to save.

3 Spiritual Benefits of Gratitude

These passages outline the spiritual benefits of gratitude for the love of our Father. The gratitude of a humble heart:

  1. Instills Power – confidently receiving His power, creating resilience
  2. Inspires Purpose – lives life joyously and wisely, realizing redemption
  3. Initiates Peace – knows the presence of God is real, releasing anxiety

Gratitude Gives Clarity to the Reality of God’s Presence

The grateful heart is hope(full) hearted, leaning on the power, purpose, and peace of God in every situation of life. The promises of God never waver, His presence proclaims His promises. The practice of gratitude conditions our hearts to seek and sense, with clarity, the presence of God.

The lyrics of this song, The Presence of God, is an offer of thanksgiving for God’s persistent loving presence giving us hope, healing, restoration, and power, guiding to the end.

Father, release the hopelessness from my heart, filling me with your Spirit. I humbly submit to Your guidance and request that you open the eyes of my heart to receive the freedom of gratitude to perceive the reality your presence. Thank you for your everlasting loving kindness that is my anchor in this chaotic world and my light to a path of peace; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST MY LORD.  AMEN

 

Morning Reflections: Trust the Truth of God’s Love

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Milky Way behind the Natural Bridge in Yellowstone by NPS/Jacob W. Frank

Milky Way behind the Natural Bridge in Yellowstone by NPS/Jacob W. Frank

He counts the stars
    and calls them all by name.                    Psalms 147:4

He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession   James 1:18

 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  Ephesians 1:4

WE ARE HIS PRIZED POSSESSION! Those words penetrated my soul. It startled me how those words of truth,  seem to rise from the page, imprinting fresh on my heart. I have studied the book of James many times and I seem to be discovering this verse for the first time!

Our creation is vast, from the countless stars to the immense oceans of the earth. Elaborately created for our pleasure. We are at the top, the supreme, the first fruit, the treasured prize. To embrace and embody that truth should strengthen our souls, giving us a solid foundation on which to build our life.

Building our lives on this truth empowers our trust and sustains our hope in our God. When we become discouraged in the difficulties of this world, we can choose to be reminded of our God status.

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!  Psalm 43:5  (this verse is mentioned 3 times in Psalm 42 and 43. David expressed a common struggle of all mankind, pointing to the remedy of hope.)

Let my soul be at rest again,
    for the Lord has been good to me. Psalm 116:7

God gives us grace to even help us trust him! The following prayer brings to light the truth of God’s mercy and power:

Grant me, O Lord, to trust in you with all my heart; for, as you always resist the proud

Truth - Debbie Hannah Skinner

Truth – Original Watercolor painting by Debbie Hannah Skinner.

who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN (pg 515 Prayers for Summertime, Phyllis Tickle)

Praise be to our Holy God who treasures us enough to give us the grace to live in His light, to live free from fear and strong in faith!

Morning Reflections: Hope in the Hurt of Bad News

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bad newsSurely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. (NIV) Psalm 112:6-7

Our family has a new member, a 10 day old boy named Samuel. Samuel’s presence opens a flood gate of love, flowing from each member of the family. He will receive constant protection, provision and love, not because he has done anything to deserve it but because he was born into this family. He will be receiving constant love, nurturing and strengthening through any situation.

We choose to join God’s divine family when we profess Him to be the Lord of our life. As His  beloved children, we are made righteous, not by anything we have done, but through, his son, our brother Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) We have His divine favor, receiving constant love, nurturing and strengthening through any situation. If a human family can provide constant love, the divine creator provides more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:19-20)! In this world, unfair, violent and terrible things happen to good people.  As His children we will be loved, nurtured and strengthen through any bad news this world can create for us. Trusting His love, when bad news is a reality, is the only source of hope in this hurting world. God’s love and hope will shine bright through the darkness of this world. His family is for eternity(Ephesians 2:6), His love wins!

Loyal

I could never earn Your heart
I could never reach that far
But You have pulled me close
You’ve never let me go
I’m safe forever in Your arms
Your promises I can not break
And I know You will never change

Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
More faithful than the rising sun
This grace for me I can’t outrun
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal

You are always there for me
You listen every time I speak
You look into my eyes
You see the things I hide
And say that You will never leave
Your promises I can not break
And I know You will never change

Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
More faithful than the rising sun
This grace for me I can’t outrun
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal

When my world shakes
Your love remains unshaken
So constant, so perfect, unwavering
When my world falls
Your love remains unfailing
So constant, so perfect, unwavering
So constant, so perfect, unwavering

Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal
More faithful than the rising sun
This grace for me I can’t outrun
Your love is, Your love is
Your love is loyal

Written by Jason Ingram, Jonas Myrin, Paul Mabury • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC     SUNG by Lauren Daigle

Truth - Debbie Hannah Skinner

Truth – Original Watercolor painting by Debbie Hannah Skinner.

My heart is full, as I embrace, the presence of your love for me. With this love I am confident in any situation. By Your Spirit, give me the grace to release the anxiety, anger and fear I may have as I live in this broken confusing time. May the light of your love, living in me, touch lives, drawing them to the Truth of Your love.   in Your Son’s name, Jesus, AMEN

Morning reflections – The friendship of God

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Friend of GodGod Loves Me ALL the Time,

Forgives EVERY Time and

Listens ANY 

Time!

It is hard to conceive that the creator of the universe, holy, sovereign, omniscient and omnipresent God  considers me a friend. He is the perfect friend with the perfect love. His gift of friendship is an eternal reality. I ask myself, “Am I a friend to Him?” What can I do each day to be a loyal, faithful, friend to show him love and give Him joy?  His divine friendship with me is expanded to others as I extend myself to be the friend He is to me.

Good morning, Father thank you for the blessings of your protection and love. Thank

Truth - Debbie Hannah Skinner

Truth – Original Watercolor painting by Debbie Hannah Skinner.

you for the bond of Your Spirit in me. Give me guidance on how I may extend Your love today.  in Jesus name AMEN

4 Obstacles to Living Focused on the Spirit in You

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eye pexels-photo-30763 (2)But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! Ephesians 1:18 (The Message)

My vision had become gradually hazy with less and less clarity. Cataracts invaded my lens, an unwelcome aliment that caught me by surprise.To have these cataracts removed required an amazingly quick procedure lasting 5 to 6 minutes. The old lens was removed, under local anesthesia, and replaced with a uniquely measured lens, suited to my vision needs.

The results were startling. The clarity of vision was better than I had ever experienced in my life! The new clarity seemed to give me energy as my visual world became more easily assessable.

This visual transformation from a lens replacement is like the heart replacement gained when we take off our old self and replace it with our renewed spiritual self as a child of God. This presence of God within my soul gives me an intensity of energy that is like “nothing and no one else” can give me.

When I trust the divine reality of God’s presence within me, my heart gains a clarity and strength and I am then able to extend the same love and grace to others. Unfortunately, my fear based heart often keeps me out of focus with the reality of God’s love and  Spirit that is implanted in my soul.  This becomes an obstacle, hampering my new heart from controlling my perceptions and responses.

Last week, I spent almost 2 hours, online, attempting to complete airline reservations.   A “glitch” in the system, created much stress for me and was wasting my time. I felt powerless and disrespected by the endless technical dead ends and human errors. Ever felt that way?

I began to push back with irritable words. The person helping me with the reservation had to ask me to “be patient”. Those words penetrated my heart.She was patient with me as she tried to help my reservations become a reality. I had slipped back on my old heart of hazy distorted perceptions. The presence of my patience would have indicated that I was “seeing” clearly, through the eyes of my new heart. I would have realized the technical glitches  were not her fault and they were not about me.

There were 4 evidences that my heart vision was out of focus. All exist as reactions from my old heart wounds. They became obstacles to living with the clarity of God’s love.

1. Overloaded schedule – I have a habit of regularly cramming too many activities into my daily schedule, giving no margin to tolerate any delay. The busier I am the better I am, has been my belief. I believed that my value was defined by what I do. That was the old identity, my old habits. Habits are hard to break!

If I consistently embrace and live out my new identity in Christ I will have more margin in my day. I will be confident in my value as a daughter of an unconditionally loving God. Nothing I can do would make Him love me more!

This heart change removes the haze of fearful doing, giving clarity on how to respond to my circumstances, rather than letting circumstances define me.

2. Unrealistic expectations – I had an expectation that it should take only 30 minutes, tops, to make these reservation. I expected that the technology would be perfect and there would be a perfect backup if things did not go well. Truth is, technical difficulties are a normal reality and humans are imperfect. These glitches had nothing to do with me. I believed that if things go wrong, I am powerless. Correct beliefs are; I am only in control of myself. God will never leave me and He strengthens me. AND What people say or do is more about them and not me.

I can choose how I will respond to life. I want choose the fruit of the Spirit because God choose me as His daughter.  Sometimes I can not do what I want to do and I do the very thing I do not want to do…Paul had a similar problem, read Romans 7.

3. Pride – I selfishly thought I deserved better treatment. Impatience is the “fruit” of pride. Pride is the flip side of the coin of fear.  When I begin to fear I am not valued or in control,  I respond with a critical, irritable attitude because the circumstances are “making” me feel the fear. Correct beliefs are: I can not be made to feel a certain way, I can choose how to feel and how to act. God’s love will drive out my fear as I trust in Him.

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on thing and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”  C. S. Lewis

Pride is self focused, promoted by fear. Humility is God focused, promoted by love.

4. Negativity – Our brains have a negative bias. That means if we mindlessly allow our brains to react without a filter, the thinking will be negative. My reaction to the 2 hour experience took a very negative tone. Negative thoughts were dominating my brain, causing stress and unkind reactions.

A brain controlled with the filtered mindset of joy is less stressed, creating a forgiving, patient interaction.

“To live life you need a center of joy. ”    Tim Keller

To have a “center of joy” is to have a joy frame of reference. To delight in the Lord and trust his love and know you are His delight will produce a centering of joy. This fuels my ability to recognize the negative thinking, releasing its power and allowing my focus to be on the joy of living in His love. Seeing the world through the eyes of joy can produce the joy of humor. Humor in this situation would have defused the stress…Laughter is wonderful for the heart, body and soul!

God, the lover of our souls, has chosen to give us His Spirit. We must choose to trust His love and lay down our fear driven agendas and humbly receive His gift. His love is glorified in us when we choose to receive His grace filled light. We are then free from the bondage of our shortsighted (hazy) fears and we receive a clarification of His love that is startling to our flesh. This clarification removes all obstacles to living a life growing in the fruit of the Spirit.

The Lord is God, Who has shown and given us light [He has illuminated us with grace, freedom, and joy].  Psalms 118:27a  (AMPC)

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free…     Galatians 5:1 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT)

Please listen: The song Simple Pursuit brings to light the reality that “nothing and no one else” comes close to the perfect love of God!

Morning Reflections: The Light of God’s Truth, Love and Power

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pic hearts light 4For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; The Lord my God illumines my darkness. Psalms 18:28 (AMP)
For with You is the fountain of life [the fountain of life-giving water]; In Your light we see light.     Psalms 36:9 (AMP)

Holy Spirit, Truth divine,
Dawn upon this soul of mine;
Word of God and inward light,
Wake my spirit, clear my sight.

Holy Spirit, Love divine,
Glow within this heart of mine;

Truth - Debbie Hannah Skinner

Truth – Original Watercolor painting by Debbie Hannah Skinner.

Kindle every high desire;
Perish self in your pure fire.

Holy Spirit, Power divine,
Fill and nerve this will of mine;
Grant that I may strongly live,

Bravely bear, and noble strive.

Holy Spirit, Right divine,
King within my conscience reign:
Be my Lord, and I shall be
Firmly bound, forever free.
                           Samuel Longfellow

What a joy that we can live the light! A light of love placed in our souls by our Father. A love we can give – to bring light to the dark and broken of the world.  TO LIVE HOPE(FULL)

Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6

Listen to You Put the Light in Me and open your eyes to the presences of God’s light.

Reminders, Remnants, Resolution and Renewal

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insta hope full

Therefore, preparing your minds for action,[a] and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.         1 Peter 1:13 ESV

(Footnote) a. Greek girding up the loins of your mind

My house had exploded! My sweet family departed, returning to their homes, leaving remnants of a precious holiday week. It was a delightful disarray of scattered toys, dirty laundry, forgotten sippy  cups, stacks of games, left over desserts and used blankets close to the fire… all reminders of the past week sharing love, thoughts, fun and meals. I was not in a big hurry to put away these remnants. There was a sweet sadness that it was over.

What do we do with all the remnants and reminders of our past?  

Some reminders are glorious times of accomplishment and treasure. Other reminders are gross times of apathy and tragedy. I have known people who constantly cling to the remnants of a glorious past- trophies, degrees, bank accounts, honors etc.- those who are stuck in the past, failing to connect with the present. I have also known people who are fixated on their losses and failings, shackled with fear,  blinding them to the opportunities of the present.

I do not want to cling to the past, whether it was a gain or loss.  Clinging to the past shuts down progress and growth. Clinging leads to deterioration rather than just stagnation.  Clinging to the past creates a limited mindset, narrowing perception of opportunities and possibilities. Paul gives sound advice in Philippians on what we should do with the past:

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Philippians 3:13-15 (NIV)

“Straining” in the Greek means to “reach forth unto, to stretch one’s self forward, indicating direction.” We have a choice in the new year – to cling to the reminders and remnants of what is behind or resolve to reach forward to renewal. 

To resolve, to have a resolution, means to have an intention or aim, a commitment and a plan. What are the intentions of your new year’s resolutions? What motivates your new direction?

Renewal, in a physical sense, means to replace or repair something that is broken. Physically, things of this world are always breaking down, needing replacement, subject to changing value and fickle in being fully satisfying our needs.

Renewal, in a spiritual sense, is the process of being made spiritually new through the Holy Spirit. Spiritual growth has consistent benefit, ridding the old fears with new faith that is fully satisfying to all our needs. Are your resolutions aimed at soul solutions and plans to give the Spirit of God room to strengthen and renew?

To resolve to strain forward toward the “goal”, we must “gird” our mind and heart. In other words, we must prepare as a runner prepares for a race or warrior prepares for battle.

13 Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. 14 So stand firm and hold your ground, having [a]tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), 15 and having[b]strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. 16 Above all, lift up the [protective] [c]shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

a.Lit girded your loins, a phrase often found in the Bible, is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action or a coming event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. Before any vigorous activity the loose ends of clothing (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the wide band worn around the midsection of the body. The band (usually about six inches wide) also served as a kind of pocket or pouch to carry personal items such as a dagger, money or other necessary things. Gird up your mind or gird up your heart are examples of variants of this phrase and call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge.

Girding and straining to prepare to live forward is a focus we can choose. Our Father will fully supply what we need. We are not alone in our resolve.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.

The Lord gives his people strength.
    The Lord blesses them with peace.  Psalms 29: 4, 11 (NLT)

To receive the strength of the Lord we must “hope fully” in the grace of God. The grace that we will be made perfect and be one with Him for eternity.

Focus Forward on the love of God -Focus on the hope in God’s love that is in front of you, leading you forward – Live hope(full).

F oward direction – not looking to what is behind
O vercoming fears – with a trusting faith in His grace
C elebrating progress – perfection is not the goal but progress
U tilizing resources – Be aware of what God will provide
S training consistently – taking one day at a time
Resolve to renew!
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one god, for ever and ever, AMEN.                      The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle
 Danny Gokey’s song – Hope in front of Me– is a wonderful inspiration to look for the light of God’s love, no matter how bad it gets.

My Morning Reflections~ Live the Light!

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insta lightxmasAs dawn is breaking with the pink of first light, I am reminded of the power of light. The dark cold winter night transforms into a bright new day of promise. The dawning light gives way to warmth and clarity over the darkness.

The gift of God’s light, His presence in our souls, gives us clarity in understanding God’s power and love. His light leads to an inner peace as we feel joined to Him. We are never abandon in the darkness of this world.

In the Christmas season there are lights aglow down neighborhood streets and downtown businesses. Let the lights be reminders that Jesus, “the reason for the season”, brought God’s light to this world. A light given to us to defeat darkness.

Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, spoke these words as his voice returned:

78 Because of and through the heart of tender mercy and loving-kindness of our God, a Light from on high will dawn upon us and visit [us]

79 To shine upon and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace.    Luke 1:78-79 AMP

The darkness is defeated as dawn defeats the night. Christmas, the first coming of Christ, brings us the conquering light of peace.

Christmas is an invasion of the kingdom of striking at the heart of the kingdom of darkness              ~John Eledredge 

Are you (as a child of God) aware, and intentional utilizing the power of the divine light within your soul?

11 Do this because we live in an important time. It is now time for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The “night”[a] is almost finished, and the “day”[b] is almost here. So we should stop doing things that belong to darkness and take up the weapons used for fighting in the light.   Romans 13:11-12 (NCV)

Footnotes:

  1. 13:12 “night” This is used as a symbol of the sinful world we live in. This world will soon end.
  2. 13:12 “day” This is used as a symbol of the good time that is coming, when we will be
    Truth - Debbie Hannah Skinner

    Truth – Original Watercolor painting by Debbie Hannah Skinner.

    with God.

As a children of God let us keep focused on the mission and the ministry of living in and being the light. We can live beyond the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.  John 1:5 (NIV)

Footnotes:

  1. John 1:5 Or understood

Please do not take this gift of light lightly! 

Almighty God give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the daed, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with your and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. AMEN                                                                                                                             from The Divine Hours prayers for autumn and wintertime pg 300

Simplicity of Faith Heals the Complexity Fear

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instaquote purityI was astounded at the wisdom of the words of a  young woman who will never send an email or read a book. My friend, Sommer, is a thirty-some, born with physical impairments, limiting her to see the world through the eyes of a 5 year old.

OR is this limitation a source of illumination?

Loving and nurturing, she frequently carries a baby doll, living in her world of imagination. Bold and focused are her convictions, as she stops in a restaurant to lay hands (uninvited) on the shoulders of a soldier to pray. She sees God clearly, communicating with Him continually.

Her purity gives her a clarity of the reality of God’s love. 

One October morning, sitting on a porch over looking the Colorado river,  I was a recipient of her IMG_0155nurturing and prayers. I had severely injured my ankle from an ATV rolling over. Unsure if it was broken, I was confined to the porch with a day of ice packs.

Sommer was my constant companion of conversation and comfort. I had never had an extensive conversation with this young woman, assuming that her words would be elementary in meaning.

Her words illuminated the gospel message. She stroked my arm and softly reassured me that “Jesus loves you and he will heal you!” The purity of her belief in those words and the gaze of her eyes were healing. She then began to tell me the power of the empty tomb, in a way only Sommer could tell.

Her mind is simple but strong. She lives in peace with a pure focus of the love of God. She’s a shining example of how a purity of focus can give a clarity of vision. Fear blurs my focus with the confusion of multiple concerns blinding my sense of God’s presence and provision. 

The strength of simple focus on the pure trusting love of God can heal a hurting life. Mark 10 gives the account of how precious the simple, pure trust of a child is to the kingdom of God.

And they kept bringing young children to Him that He might touch them, and the disciples were reproving them [for it]. 

 But when Jesus saw [it], He was indignant and [a]pained and said to them, Allow the children to come to Me—do not forbid or prevent or hinder them—for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive and accept and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] positively shall not enter it at all.

And He took them [the children up [b]one by one] in His arms and [[c]fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them.  (Mark 10:13-16 AMP)

 Mark 10 also speaks of the hard heart of the Pharisees, in v5, who were blind to the presence of God and the weak hearted faith of the rich young ruler in v 24. Between v5 and v24 there is v15 where Jesus makes it clear that These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” (MSG). 

The lesson Sommer taught me that morning, was the need to focus on the reality of God’s presence and the faithfulness of His love – all the time, anywhere with the simple confidence of a trusting child. 

As the words of the song The Hurt and the Healer  I will “Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You” as I simply and completely fix my focus on God, giving me a clarity of vision to die to my fears and live hopeful and healed.

7 Mindful Choices to Heal the Heart of Uncertainties

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I watched the lunar eclipse in amazement, the unusual sight of the brilliant light of a ‘Harvest Moon” transforming into a redinsta eclipse 2dish dark “Blood Moon”. Like a continuous growing veil, the eclipse, captured the fullness of a bright moon, before diminishing it into a dark red, lifeless disk in the sky. Before the night ended, the “veil” was lifted and the glorious bright moon returned for it’s finale, as it set in the western sky just as the sun started to appear in the east.

The “veil” of the eclipse, diminishing the full light of the moon,  is like the “veil” of uncertainty that diminishes the confidence of many lives. We all have self doubts and uncertainties fed by our fears and led by our need for approval. We all want to be certain of our choices in purpose, life path, career, parenting, friendships, family connections, relationships, lifestyle, housing, ministry involvements, the list goes on. The reality is that we can not be any more certain of life outcomes than we can the Texas panhandle weather!

We struggle, seeking comfort in certainty and perfection only to be entangled with the fears of uncertainty and failure. This creates tension, building stress in our mind and body.  The stress heightens our emotional state of anxiety feeding our lack of confidence. Being comfortable with uncertainty is an action of confidence.

The authors of the book The Confidence Code explain that:

Confidence is not, as we once believed, just feeling good about yourself. If women simply needed a few words of reassurance, they’d have commandeered the corner office long ago. Perhaps the clearest, and most useful, definition of confidence we came across was the one supplied by Richard Petty, a psychology professor at Ohio State University, who has spent decades focused on the subject. “Confidence,” he told us, “is the stuff that turns thoughts into action (Kay & Shipman, 2014).

If we allow the uncertainties of life to capture our focus, we become doubtful, unsettled, and unsure. In this state of mind, we are hesitant to begin or finish projects (called procrastination), due to fear of failure or disapproval. We may also be negligent to speak up when it may have a positive impact on someone’s life. The bottom line is, we fail to act and choose to hide, allowing the fear of uncertainty to dominate our life.

A life focus defined by confidence is positive, sure, stable, and steady in spite of uncertainties. Action is inevitable when the fear of failure is bypassed. The focus of risk is minimized while maximizing the efforts toward making a desired outcome. As believers, followers Christ, children of God we should all live a confident life, empowered by the presence of God. The presence of God, His Spirit lives within us. We are intended for the Lord.

The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body [to save, sanctify, and raise it again because of the sacrifice of the cross]. I Corinthians 6:13b AMP

Our uncertainties veil the power and presence of God. God’s power and glory are revealed through our frailties. The Bible reveals multiple stories of faith depicting lives “super-sized” by the presence of God:

God asked an elderly couple, who were ready for retirement, to have a baby. He instructed a stuttering shepherd to speak to Pharaoh and to deliver an entire nation. He told a boy on a hillside to leave the sheep and kill a giant. He chose a teenage girl to carry the Savior of the world.

God doesn’t downscale people; He super-sizes them. He removes their comfort zones and throws them into the unknown, where His capacity overshadows their ability and they participate in the turnaround ministry of the God they serve.                                                 Charlotte Gambill, from Turnaround God

Intentionally and mindfully we must engage our brains to heal our frail hearts from the fear of uncertainty. The healing experience of divine empowerment is possible as we choose to engage our minds to focus on the following seven certainties.

C haracter of God – Invest time, thought and prayer to understanding Who God is, what are His attributes and promises. The names of God in the Bible help us understand His character. Trusting God is a paramount action toward healing a fear damaged heart. How can you trust if you are not familiar with the certainty of His character. 

For the Lord your God is living among you.
    He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
    With his love, he will calm all your fears.[a]
    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zeph. 3:17 NLT

E xamine fears –  Fears are a reality that must be faced and not stuffed. To understand the origin of your fears, which have become your automatic default, takes a careful examination of your past experiences and how they are influencing your view of your present reality.  Do your fears hamper your faith as an obstacle to your trust in God’s  love? The Israelites did not trust God’s provision or promises.

 For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with [a]the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; [b]neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe). Hebrews 4:2 AMP

R elease the fears – The resulting coping actions of our fears, such as worry, perfectionism, disengagement, negative thinking, over functioning, blaming anger, numbing out with addictions, are a few of the life choices we make seeking fear relief. They are destructive, creating a disempowering veil over our true potential. To turn from those fears, we must release and let go of the certainty that our fears will always define us.  Releasing them by depending on the power of the grace of God will weaken their hold on your life. Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you    Isaiah 26:3

T hink the Truth – Turning to a trustworthy God, who has given us a new identity as His children. Fearful hearts feel unsafe, unworthy, unloved, devalued, not good enough…. Fearful heart are fueled by Automatic Negative Thoughts which strengthen uncertainties.  We must choose to think the truth about the certainty of God’s claim on us, that we are  his beloved , forgiven and protected as He lives in us. This divine, certain love is highlighted by Jesus as He prays to His Father:

 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.  John 17:20-23 NLT

A ccept uncertainties of life    It is a certainty that life has uncertainty. This certainty must be accepted, not feared. Accepted, as we are empowered and loved by the creator of the universe. 

The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?  Psalm 27:1 NLT

I nstill hope    Resting in the promises of God gives us the hope we need to stay focused on Him and His faithfulness instead on our uncertain circumstances. Choose to be certain in your hope, empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13 NLT

N otice the present       Focusing on the certainty of the moment through the lens of thankfulness. To notice colors, beauty, comfort, the love of friendship, safety of shelter, your breathing, presence of provision, the sound of music, fragrance of flowers…etc. is a mindful choice that will enhance a calm presence. 

This is the day the Lord has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24 NLT

To live with the certainty and confidence of a child of God we must live holistically…fully receiving His love to fully live out His love we must choose to:

“…love the Lord your God with ALL your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” Luke 10:27 MSG

“…love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your strength, and ALL your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 NLT

God lives in us…..so” Whom Shall I Fear“ as the words of the song by Lincoln Brewster proclaim. We can live with the certainty of uncertainty growing confidence living in His presence unveiling the brightness of His power in our lives.