Thought For The Day 01/16/14

Living A Lie?

Post 1036

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http://awesomepictures.me/

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Never try to do anything that is outside of who you are. A forced smile is a sign of what feels wrong in your heart, so recognize it when it happens. Living a lie will reduce you to one.

 

Ashly Lorenzana

http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/author/Ashly_Lorenzana/

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Living a lie! Whether it is because we are choosing to remain closeted because of our own inner demons (which can range from fearing rejection because of sexual orientation all the way to the need of some people to act on what might be considered “unnatural” behaviors), living a lie defeats us and often renders us saddled with self loathing and guilt. And if there is any weapon that Satan enjoys using on the human race, it is GUILT! Not only can guilt make us feel dirty and unworthy, but it can also stand between us and our faith and seeing God’s love!

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The quote I included above is a prime example of living a lie. The woman quoted is someone with a brilliant mind. She is also a published author. It seems like her life must be easy, right? There can’t be any reason for her to live a lie, can there? The answer is YES! You see, Ashly is also a methamphetamine addict who supports her habit by prostituting herself….all begun when she listed her self services on a famous buy and sell website, in the now defunct “Erotic Services” section. Prostitution was all she knew, after all, having modeled her behavior after her mother. And it was through notebooks she wrote that chronicled her life, that “Sex, Drugs & Being an Escort” was conceived and given life. And still, despite some success because of her talent outside of the bedroom, her life path has not altered one iota and she seems content with her choices. But I doubt most of us could say the same thing!

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The Bible talks of two types of guilt. The first is what might be termed as “Godly”, because it is the guilt of someone whose heart understands the wrongness of the act. This guilt finds the sinner whose life is a lie, choosing repentance and seeking forgiveness for their transgression. It is the guilt talked about in 2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” This is the guilt whose stain is wiped clean by the sacrifice made by Christ on the cross, and this is how we mend this life of living a lie!

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The second guilt is more insidious. It is the guilt where our actions are condemned on all fronts by those who desire to torment us by holding our sins out for all to see! It is a guilt that erodes our sense of self. We feel ashamed and dirty and unworthy. And it robs us of our capacity to turn to faith and God. It is the same guilt that caused Adam and Eve to seek to clothe themselves in the garden. Genesis 3:7 NLT, “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” It is the guilt that is heaped upon us by the father of all lies…one who has opened the door of torment for the sole by intentionally trapping us in the mire of our own self loathing!

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The solution is an easy one but it is also a choice we must make. If we allow ourselves to be made victims of Satan, then victims it all we will ever be. We will never know the joy and love and peace that can be ours if we choose to live and act using our conscience and best judgement, and it is what we are promised if we but take that first step away from our life of lies! Isaiah 43: 25 ESV says it best. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins.” Now if God can find a way to forgive us our transgressions, why can’t we?

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Remember the words that Jesus tells us:

 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 12/14/13

Waiting For The Next Shoe To Drop

Post # 1002

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All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck – who keeps right on going – is the man who is there when the good luck comes – and is ready to receive it.”

Robert Collier
(American motivational author, 1885-1950)

http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/bad_luck/

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2013 has been a year for the record books in our family…..and not necessarily in a good way. In late February, a surgery led to complications which happened in March. Another surgery in early March led to complications later in the month. And then the complications that that happened in early March from surgery number 1, led to more complications in late April and early May. Etc, etc, etc! I really don’t need to continue. You all get the picture.

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Yes, never before in my life have I ever found myself waiting for the next shoe to drop, like I did in throughout 2013. And drop they did…..over and over and over again. But something miraculous happened in the process. I discovered an inner fortitude that I never knew was hidden there. AND, I found myself trusting and relying on my faith, more and more every day. You see, I remembered something that you all know. The saying, “If He leads you to it, He will lead you through it” took on a new meaning for me and my family. And despite a few lapses and more than a few days that I was scared out of my mind, I always returned to one thought. He will lead us through this trial!

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Philippians 4:6-7 ESV, reminds us of this so beautifully! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And of course, the Gospel of Matthew perhaps caused this idea to take root and bloom beautifully, through this passage from Matthew 19:26 ESV, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””

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Our faith teaches us that no matter the fires we face, if we turn our fears over to Him, he will provide us comfort and ease our hearts and minds. And I can say with the certainty of one who has walked through those fires, that this is absolutely, positively true. The moments I sat quietly, and closed my eyes and just looked to Him to know what was in my heart, I found a peace wash over me….and I knew I was prepared for that next shoe to drop, because drop they will. But as much as they drop, we are given the armor of faith to deflect them. You see, we never make this journey on life’s road. alone!

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“I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.”

 

Psalm 31:22 ESV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/17/13

This Is The Word Of The Lord

 Sunday November 17th, 2013

Post # 975

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Luke’s name – of Latin origin – indicates that he apparently was not of Jewish derivation. The earliest surviving testimony describes him as a Syrian from Antioch. His abundant acquaintance with the Antiochian Church, as well as his knowledge of literary Greek, both illustrated in his writings, supports this testimony.

Tradition and one text of St. Paul’s (Colossians 4:14) say that Luke was a trained physician. His Gospel exhibits a Greek literary style absent from the other Gospels and documents of the New Testament. Luke, apparently, was a well-educated man. His Greek was as polished as that of such classical writers as Xenophon. 

Luke’s association with the disciples of Jesus probably began after Christ’s death, in the early 30s of the 1st century. His Gospel reveals a special acquaintance with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and tradition describes him as a friend and companion of Paul and of Mark.

When Paul began his second missionary journey, about 49 A.D., Luke became a member of the party, joining Paul at the town of Troas and traveling to Macedonia with him (Acts 16: 11-12). Luke then probably remained at Philippi, rejoining Paul when he had finished his third missionary journey and was returning to Jerusalem (Acts 20:5, 26:18).

The Acts further say that Luke accompanied Paul when Paul was taken as a prisoner to Rome to be judged by Caesar (Acts 27:1, 28:26). The contents of Paul’s letters to Philemon (24) and Timothy (II, 4:11) reveal that Luke probably stayed with Paul until Paul’s death. A document called the Anti-Marcionite Prologue, which dates from the end of the 2nd century, says that Luke died unmarried in Boeotia or Bithynia at the age of 84 toward the end of the 1st century.

http://www.answers.com/topic/st-luke-s

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Today’s Gospel Reading

Gospel, Luke 4:1-13 

Jesus Is Tested In The Wilderness

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ ”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

 

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What Does Luke Mean?

Satan decided that the time was at hand to make null and void the purpose that God intended by sending his son to earth. He wanted to prevent, at all costs, God’s intent to give to man the ability to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven by the events that would occur on earth. And Satan viewed these temptations as a means of dividing the trinity.

Now the these three temptations are recorded in both Matthew as well as Luke (and while not exactly recorded, they were hinted at by Mark, as well), which serves to reinforce the significance of these things in what would be God’s plan for His son.

The three temptations given by Satan were: 

1. “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
2. “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
3. “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

All three are exactly the same things we all face every day. We all too often feed our baser appetites at the expense of our faith. We seek power and standing before we seek God. And in our greed, we seek to have everything and be God ourselves!

But just as Christ refused to bow down to temptation, he proves that He is living His life for His Father, and not Himself….just as we all must if we are to partake of the gift His death has afforded to us! 

Mandy

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Deuteronomy 26: 4-10 NIV 

The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor.

Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.

So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the first fruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.”

Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him.

Thanks Be To God!

Amen

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 10/16/13

FAITH…..A Mosaic!

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“Life is like a giant puzzle… and people are the pieces. Without each other, we will never be able to complete it. Allow each piece… each person, to be who they are. Don’t try to mold them… change their shape or color, file down the rough edges or remove them completely. No two puzzle pieces are alike and we serve a certain purpose. We need each other… we need to work together to make life complete.”

Tighmir I Sayles

http://ownquotes.com/quote/life-is-like-a-giant-puzzle-and-people-are-the-pieces-without-each-other-we/12160/

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We all live on a spinning ball…..one of many closely related balls circling through the heavens in a perfectly timed miracle of motion. Each of the many moving bodies that share our tiny piece of the universe remain independent of, and yet wholly dependent upon, all of the rest for their very survival. Remove the moon or another of the planets that circle the sun with us, and the entire dynamic of the winds and the waters and the bedrock itself that holds the entirety of our planet together will change. Yes, life as we know it will cease to exist.

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Now just as the whole of our universe is dependent on the balance of every thing in the heavens, so is the dynamic of faith wholly dependent on the millions of individual people who embrace faith’s various forms! Yes, each brings with him a unique history that had led them to this time and place in the world, which is why there is a place for every single one of us to seek out a source of comfort and nurture through a higher power that touches our very soul!

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There are approximately 20 major religions worshiped by approximately 6 billion people of faith. (There are also about 1 billion people who are Atheist, Agnostic, or another of those who are categorized as irreligious.) And while the names and specific tenets of each one of these religions may be somewhat different, there is one undeniable constant…..a commonality that weaves all the world’s religions together into an amazing mosaic of Faith. Every single one devotes itself to a worship of, and love and devotion to, a power greater than ourselves.

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Each one of those billions of faithful is a tiny piece of mosaic tile. Each piece is shaped a little differently. They are perhaps a different color and may even be made of a different core substance. Some of the pieces have been chipped by illness or divorce, or homelessness or any of the millions of barbs hurled at us every single day. And yes, the beautiful final masterpiece doesn’t just magically become! We may have to turn and maneuver and adjust each piece until it finds just the right place as a member of the whole! But my, oh my, the beauty of the final piece is breathtaking, indeed.

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Amazingly, faith’s mosaic is never really finished. Once those of us whose time is done leave, we make room for new life to emerge into the new family of mankind. And each new life begins a new row, or border or design in our mosaic. In fact, sometimes we may find ourselves re-creating our own little part of the picture, as we grow and continue becoming. We are, after all, a work in progress in all things, especially in our faith. Consider for a moment the piece of the mosaic that were the disciples.

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Again and again, the disciples, handpicked by the Son to accompany Him, to learn from Him and to carry on for Him when He was no more, exhibited little faith. Again and again they questioned and they doubted. In fact, Christ found more faith in a centurion. A ROMAN CITIZEN! The story relates a tale of the day a Roman centurion asks Christ for a miracle of healing for his servant. And when Christ offers to accompany the centurion to his home, the faith of the centurion was so great that he told Christ there was no need. You see, this man knew that a single word from the Son would heal his servant. He had FAITH….more faith than the disciples seemed to manage. And “….when Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Matthew 8:10, NIV. A Roman citizen….a centurion….and another piece of the mosaic.

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So think for a moment what the piece you bring to the beauty of this mosaic of faith will look like. Will it be symmetrical and perfect? Or will it bear a careworn ruggedness? No matter what your piece looks like now, there is always room for you to change it and present to God an enhanced and brightly colored tile of a life that celebrates His will for the life we live! If you have the courage of a centurion. And if you have faith!

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“When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him, and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and myservant will be healed. For I am also a man underauthority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

Jesus said to thecenturion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour. ” 

Matthew 8:5-13 KJV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 10/04/13

Mending What Is Broken

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http://media.photobucket.com/image/broken%20heart/tuankietnhc/Broken_Heart.jpg?o=163

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“I don’t know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every other part of my body is broken too.”

Author Unknown

http://www.lexiyoga.com/broken-heart-quotes

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This is a re-purposing of a blog that originally posted a year ago.

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How can you mend a broken heart? What balm is there to apply to the battered and torn remnants of our lost hopes and our dashed dreams? I don’t know about you all but I would almost rather suffer a broken leg or arm than a fracture of that fragile organ that is somehow the single most vital organ to the survival of the human animal. Think about it. Our brain may be the origin of our ideas which we then transform into the deeds we do. But interrupt the flow of the ruby red liquid that feeds all life, and the computer that controls everything else dies. Then think about what happens when the heart, the thing we hold responsible for the creation and capture of the promises we make to and with another…..shared love…..allows that love to die. There may not be a cessation of the functioning of our organs, but what dies is perhaps even worse. You see, a broken heart destroys the spirit, which is often an even worse kind of death.

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Now I am in no way a professional in grief counseling or anger management, but I can speak as one who has been there and gone on to live another day. Yes, it is our surviving the emotional trauma of heartbreak that so often teaches far more about the “stuff” we are made of, than the lessons that are to be learned from never having loved and lost.

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Understand that I am not inferring that there are no lessons to be learned from those successful couples who have survived intact their Silver, Ruby and even Diamond Anniversaries. There are! Yes, if you ever have questions about the stuff it takes for marriage to not just grow, but to thrive, as well, then go talk to the 80-year-old couple renewing their vows in front of family and friends, on the occasion of their Golden Anniversary! But what I am thinking of are the lessons we can learn from those heart-strings that have lost their song following a breakup! Here are a few insights to ruminate over!

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• We are really promised in the Bible that He will never forsake us, especially in our times of need. It says in Psalms 34:18, NIV, The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. And so the first step should be to unburden your aching heart and speak of your hurt to Him! The simple sharing of that pain can be immensely therapeutic, even if you are not exactly given an answer that will ease the ache!He promises in Jeremiah 29:11 NIV, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• It is OK to cry. In fact, it is almost necessary as part of the process of healing. God created us with the capacity to cry because He knows that shedding tears often provides us with an immediate relief of the heaviness that our cares can weigh us down with. And since greater people that us have wept bitter tears, including Abraham (Genesis 23:2) and even Jesus (John 11:35), we are in good company, indeed! He tells us as much in Ecclesiastes 3:4 NIV that there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
• Talk. Yes, talk to God, but also try to find a corporeal someone with whom you are comfortable sharing you greatest fears and hurts. Surrounding yourself with supportive people allows you the chance to share your burdens. Job 10:1 NIV, “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.
• Become proactive in your recovery by concentrating on things that you enjoy and are good at. Whether you adopt a hobby or you take up walking or jogging, turning that pain into positive action can go far in healing the physical components of hurt! Philippians 4:8 NIV says it well! Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
• Be willing to take that leap of faith I have talked so much about of late and dare to dream and even more importantly, dare to love again! Man was meant to stand and walk through this world with a help meet at his side. In fact, it became God’s plan for man when he saw his very first human, looked into his heart and found that Adam’s heart concealed the anguish of being alone! In Genesis 2:18 NIV we learn of God’s decision that none should walk the earth alone! The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
• And lastly, be willing to forgive. Forgive the one that hurt you and caused such upheaval to your life. Then, and perhaps even more importantly, forgive yourself for those negative labels you have affixed to yourself. It is natural to place blame for what happened on your own shoulders. But stop! You are not unworthy or lacking in any way! Give yourself permission to let go of the past and start a new beginning in your life. Give yourself permission to live again! Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV promises us, Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

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How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

Robin Gibb & Barry Gibb

I can think of younger days when living for my life
Was everything a man could want to do.
I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow.
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And how can you mend a broken heart? 
How can you stop the rain from falling down? 
How can you stop the sun from shining? 
What makes the world go round? 
How can you mend a this broken man? 
How can a loser ever win? 
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again.
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I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees
And misty memories of days gone by
We could never see tomorrow, no one said a word about the sorrow.
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And how can you mend a broken heart? 
How can you stop the rain from falling down? 
How can you stop the sun from shining? 
What makes the world go round? 
How can you mend this broken man? 
How can a loser ever win? 
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again.

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Click the arrow in the embed to view the YouTube video

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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 09/28/13

Me Thinks Thou Doth Protest Too Much!

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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Desmond Tutu

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/bullying

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Ever wonder about the phrase, “Me Thinks Thou Doth Protest Too Much? I know I have, and I have often felt its draw when I see people who sometimes wear their false faces in church. Now, to return to the original, some of you know that Shakespeare wrote the phrase…..sort of. The actual quote was spoken by Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, and the exact phrase was, “The lady doth Protest too much, methinks.”As is human nature. we have altered the words to better suit us, but have we altered the intent? Do we understand exactly what Shakespeare meant!

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In Shakespeare’s day, protest meant to “vow” or to “Declare solemnly”. However, today we have altered the meaning, and thus the intent, of this phrase. We recognize that when someone protests too vigorously, the intent is never received well. Instead, we are apt to suspect that the person saying  the thing is not being entirely truthful. And it is this that seems to somehow weave a thread of “untruth”when someone speaks exceedingly passionately, and at times, even with a hint of disdain or prejudice, when affirming that their beliefs are the one, true source of God’s word!  And I really have to ask why it is that people disparage what others believe?

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Unfortunately, those who are the first, and often the loudest voices of protest, are the least secure, in the strength of their own faith…..and life, for that matter! They speak in an attempt to lower others to the same level on which they live, because the idea that another might just be correct, is an unbearable thing to live with. But we can battle people like this, by becoming secure in our own strengths. But unfortunately, not all of those whose self-image is destroyed are that strong to be able to dismiss those slings and arrows. And those are the people who become so lost that they make choices from which there is no return!

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Interestingly, the Bible says more than a few things about people who belittle others. In fact, the Bible at times attributes this sin to Satan! Look at Roman’s 15:1-5 ESV, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

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Today we view people who attack and demean as bullies. And while I agree with Michael J. Fox, who has said that despite all the horrible things that someone can do, our dignity can never be taken away from us unless we allow it, It is still so hard to remain strong when standing in a thunderstorm of “hatespeak” and degradation from the mouths and minds of another. So what tools do we use to equip ourselves and our children?

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We must teach the social-emotional skills that can prevent and stop most bullying and harassment. Not only will we grow within, but we will grow without, by building healthy relationships. There are ways to set boundaries and become empowered when dealing with those who seek to demean!

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There is a website that offered a list of some proactive steps everyone (not just children) can take in defusing a potentially volatile situation with someone who chooses to hurt us. The site is: http://www.kidpower.org/library/article/bullying-questions-answers/

• Use awareness to notice a problem situation and move out of reach. Leave! Go to a place where you feel safe, and recharge your batteries.
• Tell someone to stop. Be proactive. Speak up. Telling someone to stop may not make them stop but it may make them think!
• Ask to join the discussion or conversation in a friendly, confident way. If you speak first, you will often discover that you will never speak last and in a defensive way!
• Find another person to interact with. Bullies are often few in number but with voices that make it seem like a thousand! Not everyone bullies and demeans!
• Be willing to go to someone for help….whether it is the law, a superior or a teacher. And if you feel like you are being ignored, be persistent! You matter and are important and as such, you DESERVE to be and feel safe…..ALWAYS!

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And if you need some more strength, turn to some empowering scriptures to nourish your spirit! Here’s a wonderful scripture of support! 1 John 4:1 ESV, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Or how about this verse from James 2:1-5 ESV, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” And here is my favorite! Galatians 5:22-23 ESV, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

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Finally, I want you to remember this quote written by A.A. Milne, but spoken by Christopher Robin to his ever faithful but ever the timid friend, Winnie-the-Pooh. “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” (A) And if you remember these things, and remember that  “During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you” (B), you can and will overcome all those who would seek to demean you and your life and your faith!

(A) http://thinkexist.com/quotation/promise-me-you-ll-always-remember-you-re-braver/357150.html

(B) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footprints_in_the_Sand

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But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 08/30/13

Looking Inside The Heart

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It is wonderful how much time good people spend fighting the devil. If they would only expend the same amount of energy loving their fellow men, the devil would die in his own tracks of ennui.

Helen Keller

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/good_people.html

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We are living on the brink right this very moment. And I am scared! No, I am not scared because I am worried for myself, but because I am worried for the lives and well-being of people everywhere whose eyes see only the outside of people rather than looking deeper and discovering what lies within each heart.

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What is the result of this disease of the mind and heart called intolerance, that is as infectious to the well-being of man as was the Black Death that killed 1.5 million people in the mid 14th century? Well, intolerance proves to the many that a few are incapable of accepting individuality and other unique qualities that are the signature of every single human being ever created by the Almighty!

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So now that we have identified the disease, what then is the end result of this infection? Well, intolerance of others breeds aggression. Aggression breeds anger. Anger breeds hatred. Hatred breeds violence. Violence breeds war. And war breeds even more intolerance! And I do not believe I am alone in praying that the human race can find a way to avoid that horrible three-letter word that has the potential to forever alter existence as we know it to be. But how? What can we do?

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Well imagine what we might just discover if we were able to burrow our way into the heart and mind of others! I suspect we would discover that for every single thing that is different about us, we would find perhaps a million other things that are EXACTLY the same. And isn’t that alone enough of a reason to try, at all costs, to end the mindset of power-hungry leaders who seek only to enhance their own position within their countries by choosing to totally disregard the lives of the people whose welfare they were entrusted with protecting?

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Now, please know that I do not, under any circumstances, seek to have any country employ violence if there is a possible diplomatic option available, because I know that sitting down and talking and even more importantly, LISTENING, can work miracles. It has done so in the past and I am certain that it will, in the future. But like so many in the international community, I can not see the face of another toddler with glazed eyes, gasping for breath, while a pile of others who have died lie in the same room just feet away.

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Yes, God commands that we not kill. And yet, we find again and again in the Bible, evidence that lives were taken by His chosen people, as He commanded. But what this shows us that there is a difference between taking a life with malice in one’s heart, and following His call for bloodshed as payment for crimes. And death under these circumstances, while never wanted, is, at times, wholly warranted! It is this difference that He shares with us in Samuel 15: 1-3 NIV, which is an affirmation, of sorts, that while war is never a good thing, it is sometimes inevitable given the sinful nature that is man’s curse to bear! “Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them….” Still….what would we really see in the heart of others, if we but take a moment to really look?

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There is a video that has circulated throughout the internet, that seeks to answer that very thing! It shares with us that we can never really know what is transpiring in the heart of another which is why we must always try to see the best in others, even if we doubt that the best even exists. But seeing through new eyes is only half the battle. Yes, we must see, but we must also live our convictions, and be an example to the world of what having a Christ filled heart can offer to humanity!

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This wonderful video is entitled, “IF WE COULD SEE INSIDE OTHERS’ HEARTS”: LIFE, and you may view this video by either clicking the URL or by pressing the embed arrow on the screen below.

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Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 06/30/13

A Reading For Sunday, June 30, 2013

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Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

The Apostle Paul
1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

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A History and Background

for the lesson

Paul is credited with writing a number of letters or dissertations to the Church in Corinth. These letters dealt with a number of concerns he had been made aware of. The first letter, which dealt with fornication, has been lost (see 1 Corinthians 5:9). The second covered additional issues and his third was a harsh and critical “comeuppance” which showed him to be a rather stern disciplinarian. This one is also lost ( 2 Corinthians 2:3-4; 2 Corinthians 7:8-9). But Titus’ response to him indicated that this third letter had served as a wake up call to the church and that many of the issues of concern were resolving, if not resolved. Which then prompted his fourth letter which served 2 purposes:

1. It was intended to be a comforting one to those who had realized the error of their ways and were choosing a path to salvation according to what were the wishes of Christ. (2 Corinthians 1-9)
2. It also served to defend his status to those who continued to oppose his authority with respect to both the church and his ministry, as well. (2 Corinthians 10-13)

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Of all of his letters, 2 Corinthians is, perhaps, the most autobiographical and details what his expectations were for this fledgling church. And while he really did not outline specific doctrine per se, 2 Corinthians contains many doctrinal truths that he held to be absolute for his followers, especially relating to his expectations for behaviors, and character. It also addressed those who would teach false doctrine and detailed what he believed was Satan’s role in all of the sins of the Church of Corinth!

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Brothers and sisters:

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As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;|with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

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2 COR 6:1-10 KJV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 05/30/13

I, Too, Am Human

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I am not a human being; I am a human becoming.  

Author Unknown

http://www.quotegarden.com/human.html

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I often have said (to myself, anyway), “Woe to the person who might want to climb into my head and invade my mind!” You see, I am known to have my share of dark thoughts, hidden away from the prying noses of many. I know you may think just the opposite to be true, because most of you know me solely because of what I share here. And while I have been known to venture down a dark path now and again, it generally ends up spinning itself into a fable much like Aesop’s, complete with an up-beat and faith filled lesson, given at the end, for you to ruminate over. The thing is that my all too human side is often the ever-present albatross slung round my neck, in so much of my life.

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• I worry,  even though I know these words:
  

  Matthew 6:34 KJV, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

• I am often frightened, even though I know these words:
  

  Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

• I am sometimes poor in spirit, even though I know these words:
  

  Matthew 5:3 KJV, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

• I hate sometimes, even though I know these words:
  

  1 John 4;20 ESV, “If anyone says, ‘I love God’, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

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I am human, and just like everyone else, I often hide the things that I do not want others to see…..and I hide it very well! So do you. So does everyone! Because I do not want you to think less of me because of my humanness! And then I remember my Lord and Savior, the human. And suddenly I can breathe once more. Because indeed, He was a human. Yes, Jesus was born sinless, as was Adam before the forbidden fruit. But unlike Adam who lost himself, Jesus did not. But that does not mean he remained ALWAYS both God and Man, in one. If He had, how would He have been able to really understand and sympathize with the very people He was sent to touch? Of course, the answer is, He couldn’t have!

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Christ lived and breathed and ate and talked and fought and yes, wept all too human tears during His lifetime. You see, He walked and talked and did everything else within the limitations of the human body that He was given. And even after suffering and dying and being resurrected, He remained a man….albeit, a changed man from the days before His sacrifice was made….but still, a man. Which is why we see his ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, as so exalted! You see, once He ascended, He became God once more! And yet, it is the time when He was man that makes the journey He made as He walked the earth so special, and one which we all can readily identify with! And I am so glad, because it teaches me that, in my very humanness, I too can look forward to the promise that I will one day dwell there, along side of Him! But for now, I still worry, I am still scared, I still hate sometimes and I am sometimes poor in spirit. Because I, too, am human. But one day……………………………

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9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For the Day 05/22/13

Broken Hearts, Shattered Lives

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“I don’t know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every other part of my body is broken too. ”

Missy Altijd

http://www.soundoflife.net/broken-heart-quotes/

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Once again we as a country and world are united by what seems to be the bonds of a heartbreak that is all too frequent, these days. We finally move beyond two tragedies that come from the hand of man just a little over a month ago, but now, inexplicably, we are faced with the tragedy that seems to come from the hand of God! Yes, the same God who we see as the hope and salvation of our world. And we ask, once more, the question whose answer proves to be as elusive as ever! You see, for every “WHY?” we ask, we are apt to be told, “WHY NOT?” And so we lose hope and we despair and we cry out the same words the Son cried out to the heavens from his dying on Calvary. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27, 46 KJV). You see, in that single moment, Christ’s humanness came to bear, just as ours does every day. With one HUGE difference. Christ knew His purpose and what His death would do to change the world. We often have fewer, if any, expectations that things will change!

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We remain mired in the despondency that our tunnel vision seems to afford us. Our vision is blinded by the sorrows and the trials that deliver them into our laps. All we view are the cruel and brutal parts of life, that seem to come at us like a snowball rolling downhill, fast and furiously gaining size and speed, until the moment we know that it will overtake and crush us…if not our very lives, then at least our spirit. And it can be then that those who do not have the resources of a supportive network insulating them, can fall under despondency’s spell, convinced that it will never get better. And so, for a brief, terrible moment, they lose their way. But it will get better! It always does! It is promised to us by ancient words, divinely inspired, all. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).

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Now, these words do not necessarily mean that he offers us the easy way out! Instead, He gives us hope or, as the Bible puts it, “confident expectation”, which is His assurance that we will gain the strength we need to meet, head on, those trials, and yet not be defeated by them! And before any one of you asks, NO! This is not a promise that we will not suffer the pain, or even agony, that the trials deliver. What it promises is that He will not permit the pain to destroy our spirits. It simply means that God ultimately will not allow those hardships to put us to shame or to confound us. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV). So take heart, all you who think His answer is “NO”! It is not a “NO”. It is simply, “NOT NOW”!

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FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE TORNADO THAT BROUGHT SO MANY YOUNG BEFORE THE GATES OF HEAVEN BEFORE THEIR TIME…

Friar Jeffrie Wallace

(written 05/20/13)

https://www.facebook.com/friar.j.l.wallace?fref=ts

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REQUIESCANT IN PACE….

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Réquiem ætérnam dona eis Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat eis. Requiéscant in pace.
Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotence Deus, pro universis beneficiis tuis, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.                

(Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, Who livest and reignest forever. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.)

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Lord God, source and destiny of our lives,

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In Your loving providence You gave us these children to grow in wisdom, age, and grace. Now You have called them to Yourself. We grieve over the loss of ones so young and struggle to understand Your purpose. Draw them to Yourself and give them full stature in Christ.

May they stand with all the angels and saints, who know Your love and praise Your saving will

 

To You, O Lord, we humbly entrust this children, so precious in Your sight.

 

Take them into Your arms and welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping nor pain, but the fullness of peace and joy with Your Son and the Holy Spirit

 

Amen

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“…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.“

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry