Hello Ladies! I hope you are all doing well and if you are being challenged I pray that you are following the book and focusing on your thoughts. I know I have had a few "bumpy" days and I take it as an opportunity to practice what I've learned. Chapter 2 was awesome and the comments were even better! Let's read chapters 3 & 4. They are only 3 1/2 pages long each. May God bless you and your thoughts!
-L.Faith
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Perseverance equals success! Don't give up! It's not always coming in first place... ahhh but... it is always crossing the finish line! (It is finished) Giving up (on doing what's right) is not an option. I have actually given up on some things in the past. Looking back now I wonder how things might have turned out had I finish going to school to become an LPN? There are other choices I've made though, that I actually should have given up on long before I did. I regret that I didn't. I can look back and see how much my choices cost myself as well as others that I love. All I can do now is be a voice of caution and encouragement to others from my experiences and perspective.
Ch 3, Don't Give Up, simple yet profound. So many give up only being able to see the here and now. I've witnessed it and feel it more than I'd like to admit but God in me continues to cause me to rise up after every setback. The determined purpose, good thing I'm stubborn. Christ in me, the hope of glory. The encouragment in this chapter is enough to make any woman cry...ok well, at least it does to me. "When the battle seems endless and you think you'll never make it, remember that you are reprogramming a very carnal fleshly , worldly mind to think as God thinks. Impossible? NO Difficult? YES!"
God is in the business of restoration. I'm so thankful that he is also long suffering.
Personally for me worship is my turning point for emotional turmoil. I am a worshiper and I love to get lost in the presence of God by worship. Turn up Delerious, Hillsong United, Matt Redman and just let it all go in His presence. If you've not found yourself face down in worship ever, I strongly suggest it. I think the first time I did that was at my apartment at night but be careful because before you know it, it's late.
Ok, got a little side tracked. The chapter was awesome, as always. More on 4 later!
-K
These chapters hit a little close to home for me. (getting personal here) In the past year I have been the one to "give up". I had such a betrayal in my family and I turned from God instead of to him. I probably caused myself more grief by turning away and stayed on that mountain way to long. I was very prideful because I knew I was in the right. I was mad because the person that should of seen it my way didn't. That person still doesn't to this day but I am letting it go or it will kill me more inside than it has. I gave it to God.
In the last month though (after Kaitlyn and I's car accident) I started to check myself. When life flashes before your eyes, you stop and realize all what is important. I began to pray for God to change me "little by little" My whole life, I have had an over night change spiritually. It never lasted and it was not real. It felt real, but only for a moment.
This time, I want to hold on to it. Just like a healthy love between a man and a woman, I want a love with God that grows with time. Not a love that is hot and heavy in the early days and then fizzles out. That gets us into trouble and then feeling empty. I am tired of feeling empty!! Any of you women with me?
Ok...I will stop writing before I write a mini biography...LOL!! Oh wait, there is not enough room on here for that.
Love you all!!!
~~Sarah~~
I have an NIV Life Application Study Bible. As I was reading Gal. 6:9, I also came across these thoughts; " 'Our Wrong Desires VS. The Fruit Of The Spirit.' The will of the Holy Spirit is in constant opposition to our sinful desires. The two are on opposite sides of the spiritual battle." Sometimes, it can get discouraging to do right and receeive no thanks or any tangible results. But, in time, we will reap a harvest of blessings. In choosing life over death, God would like us all to choose life, but He doesn't force His will on any one. It is up to us, in every new day, in every new situation. We must reinforce our commitment to Him.
As for chap. 4, I don't believe God will take us home until we are totally renewed. Even if it is "little by little"...if it takes 99 years. It will all be worth it when we are able to give constant praise and worship to Him when we get to Heaven.
Speaking of failure, (page 40), the one good thing about failure, is knowing we tried. Hopefully learning a lesson, so as not to fail at it again. God Bless you, ladies!! Love in Christ, Roxy
I was impressed with the "keep on keeping on" theme that runs through Chapter 3 and then the encouragement to count every little step of progress you make in Chapter 4. When my grandchildren were small, I was often in the car with them on a long trip (defined as anything over 1 hour) They would get bored and restless so I devised a game called, "Chunk." I would decide how many "chunks" were in a trip, say 4 or 5 and we would look forward to passing each "chunk." When a "chunk" was approaching, I would tell them to get ready and I would count, very slowly, one, two three, and we all would shout, "chunk." It was fun and helped the trip seem shorter and more manageable. I need that type of thinking even as an adult. I get restless and discouraged with a long project so I have to break it down into manageable goals. To become like Jesus takes a lifetime but we can celebrate the victories each step of the way.
A word that jumped out at me during the study is, "responsibility." It's every Christian's responsibility to choose life at every turn as an example to those around us and future generations.
Let's keep encouraging each other to stay on God's path of a renewed mind and celebrate the progresses.
Here are my thoughts on Chapter 3. One of my favorite phrases is "You can have all freedoms taken from you except the freedom to choose your attitude." (this one is not in the book) The ones in this chapter that stuck out were "Choose to think we are going to make it" and "You will spend your time doing something, so it may as well be going forward and not staying in the same mess for the rest of your life."
Obviously it's normal, and even healthy, to grieve or be upset when you or a loved one is going through a tough time. But it's not healthy to dwell on despair. We have to "choose" to accept God's Grace to help carry us to a peaceful, even joyful, and positive mind. He offers his Grace freely but some of us just insist on carrying all the burden. He knocks at the door but we have to open it!
I learned to "re-program" my thinking 4 years ago. I just paid attention to my thoughts and replaced negative thoughts with positive ones. What I'm learning from this book is to let God renew my mind and to back up my thoughts with scripture. I'm not just thinking positive, I'm thinking Godly. Now, I still have my days when I feel "blah" but I feel almost empowered to know I can speak truth and scripture to my mind and lift my mood.
For now...Don't give up! and like my Grandma always says "Onward Christian Soldiers!"
-L.Faith
This day, I have chosen life and NOT death, either physically or spiritually - doesn't take much for us to think positively. Like the old adage goes, "inch by inch, life's a cinch, mile by mile, it's hard!". So let us all, live life inch by inch, asking our Redeemer for daily bread ( not just the kind we eat, but daily bread to sustain us spiritually) - I've read this chapter twice now and love the encouragement that I'm being given. Happy Easter to you all
Haha! I've caught up! lol
It's nice to read something that renforces what I've already been doing. God was working in my life WAY before I even acknowledged it! The things I've survived is just unreal. Had God not been with me, I know I'd not be here now.
I started changing my way of thinking from negitive to positive about 6 years ago. After about two years or so, I started going downhill again. Then, about a year ago, things changed again. I'd been back in the church activly for about a year or so, when I realized I was thinking negitivly again and that I needed to take my own advice again and give it to God. "The battle is Mine says the Lord" Don't know what verse that is, but it was for me! =)
Another one is in James I think. It says, "Blessed is the man who keeps on when times are hard." Or something like that. Again, me. So.....I started doing the positive thinking thing again.
The "keep on keeping on" thing I thought was cool. My Physics teacher would say that at least once a class last semester. It's so true. I now know that God will never put me into a situation that I cannot handle. I tell that to people that I know at times. I live my life by this advice, that and the Serinity prayer! It's my sanity. lol
Okay, well ttyl.
Candace
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