(Just practicing.)
But don't count on me getting a cowboy hat. After all, I may be headed to Texas, but I'm moving into Austin and from what I have gathered so far is that much like Seattle, very few are actually from Austin. So, wear a 10-gallon hat if you want, but as for me and my house...
no way.
Hey. How is everybody doing on their "new year resolutions?" "Goals?"
Are you tracking well...seeing results? A few slips of the program but you are back on track?
Anyone fall off completely?
Did you get back up?
If you didn't, can I just remind you that the only way you can fail is if you don't finish? The only way you lose a game is if you don't play?
I have more... I could keep going you know..... (I play this venue alllllll daaaayyyyy)
It seems like there is a lot going on in the beginning of 2013... a lot of people really searching for a change in their lives, circumstances, values, etc. I don't know if the elections caused people to take stock in their lives, the economy, or perhaps many people just realizing that we can't rely on people or organizations to make us happy, fulfill our needs and be our end-all source. I know that for people who follow Jesus... he's REALLY up to a lot of stuff in people's hearts and lives. The updates, stories, blogs, posts I have been reading in 2013 are so encouraging.... God's really got some amazing plans for so many of us... well, for ALL of us actually!!!!
Hey, okay, so I have been typing and having a FB conversation with someone at the same time. (yep... multi-tasking means I didn't give either my full attention and actually slowed down my productivity. I have to write that because my husband reads my posts and he's constantly encouraging me to increase my capacity by stopping my multi-tasking.)
I'm pretty convinced that God has something to say here and so I'm going to just change directions and swing for some other fences... now stop browsing FB & Twitter so you can pick up what I'm laying down....
Okay, so here is what I think God is wanting to talk about today. Not that I called him, per-se.... but I started typing on my Iphone so fast and furious to my friend (with typos in FULL FORCE... WHO HAS THAT SMALL OF FINGERTIPS...GOOD GRIEF!) but my mind was so far ahead of my fat little fingers that I needed post the ideas here and hope they bless you this morning. (And, because quite frankly if this was my last day on earth I'd feel much better that I obeyed what God wanted me to do.) Like I tell my children, "we don't ask 'Why?' when I ask you to do something... we just obey... there are blessings when we obey...And when you learn to obey mom, you are learning how to obey God." Now, you have to read that with a sing-songey voice and realize that I probably lost you right about the same time as I lost my children because my answers are too long.
Moving right along....
Did you know that amongst all of the gun controversy right now, each one of us actually already pack the most powerful weapon on earth?
Yep... no registration needed but this weapon is carried by the young and old alike, the rich, the poor, the nimble and the feeble....
It is our words.
Don't underestimate them. God saved them for humans only. They can build up the mightiest of nations and yet tear down the very essence of a soul. What we speak can spur the ideas of mankind and yet wound a person so deep that they cannot go on another day.
Power.
The question for today is: "How are you using your words?"
If we take a few commonly accepted thoughts and put them together.. we see a chain reaction:
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so shall he be”
“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts
and actions can never produce good results … We understand this law in
the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental
and moral world—although its operation there is just as simple and undeviating—
and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.”
― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh
James Allen's book title was taken from the book of Proverbs in the bible (23:7) that reads "As a man thinks in his heart.. so is he." If we continue to look at the power of our thoughts... and we know that our words are just produced from what we are thinking... then we can begin to see the absolute power in the words we speak out loud.
Now, a disclaimer here are the words that don't come from what we are thinking. Those words, I will lump together in the bucket called "B.S." Because if we are saying words we really don't mean... then that is just a waste of air, time and space...right? And we all know these words... just take, for example, the words your kids must use when they are apologizing to a sibling. It is QUITE APPARENT when they have absolutely no heart intention behind their words. So lets just cast the "B.S." words aside and deal with the ones that are coming from our heart.
The Bible tells us this, about words:
and actions can never produce good results … We understand this law in
the natural world, and work with it; but few understand it in the mental
and moral world—although its operation there is just as simple and undeviating—
and they, therefore, do not cooperate with it.” (Luke 6:45)
Oh wait. Didn't we just read that? James Allen understood it when he wrote an entire book on how the power of our thoughts and words directs our path.
After all... our words have power. Let's just recall how the word started:
God said, "Let there be light... and there was light." (Genesis Chapter 1)
Notice how the Bible doesn't read, "God thought it would be cool if there was light so it just happened.) No. He had to speak it.
So what do YOU want for yourself in 2013? What were your goals, dreams and desires?
Are you speaking those out loud? Are you sharing those with your inner circle of friends... the ones that God put in your life to build you up, encourage you and keep you accountable?
By the way, friends, if you can't name 4 people that fit in that category, time to find some new friends!
You know, the friend I "chatted" with online via FB this morning was really hoping for an adventure for her family this year... which I assume to be some sort of location or job change. Yet she didn't want to share it with me because she was nervous that talking about it would make it "not happen."
You know, "jinx it."
What? WHAT?
That's not how we are to live, dear friends! We believe in a God that BREATHED the universe into existence. We believe in a GOD that said "light" and there was light. We believe in a God that gave us words to use and those words, when spoken, can cause Mountains to Move!
Disbelief?
Martin Luther King: "I have a dream...."
President Lincoln: "Four score and 7 years ago..."
Susan B. Anthony: "... women, as well as men...."
Jesus: "Forgive them....."
Now hey, I am preaching to myself dear friends... you poor souls just got sucked into the ride! Even this week, as I prepared for the pre-launch of my first published book... I keep dumbing down the end product. "It's not really a big deal... just a little book... it's only an E-book... it's not a binded-hard-cover."
What? WHAT?
No wait. That book idea was given to me while I was listening to a worship song 2 years ago. I did nothing with it until I ran into someone who started a new job and asked if I knew of any authors with original kids material. I said I had a story if they wanted to look at it and 2 weeks later, they replied that they wanted to pay for the full production of an animated version!
Two lessons here:
1. Speak words. Had I kept quiet during that conversation... the book would still be on a notepad.
2. It was God's idea he just happened to use me as the vessel... so don't shortchange God and the idea he planted in your heart.
Oh it's easy to dumb stuff down. Be afraid to "jinx" it. But let's call that for what it is. FEAR.
And God did not give you a spirit of fear... (I put it in Amplified version so you would catch this):
2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
If nothing else, today... be painfully aware of what comes out of your mouth today. Does is speak "life?" Does is speak "encouragement?" Even more pointed, ask yourself this... "Does that pay homage to Jesus or the Enemy?" Because trust you me, the enemy wants nothing more than you to doubt your dreams and your ability to reach them.
Your dreams are God-designed... so when we speak them we are likely to follow them. When we follow them... we are likely to reach them. When we reach them, we are changing the world.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretsky said, "You will miss 100% of the shots you never take."
So take that shot. Aim at the goal and then CONFESS IT WITH YOUR MOUTH.
Be blessed today.
