Thought For The Day 04/17/14

   

     1 CROSS

+ 3 NAILS

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   4 GIVENESS

Post 1131

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God understands our prayers even when we can’t find the words to say them. 

Author Unknown

http://quotegarden.com/god.html

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None of us really like looking into the mirror. I know I do not! Like most, I do not like viewing the flawed and very human face that stares back at me. Every careworn line reminds me that the life I have is marching forward at a rapid pace. I see the changes that are taking place in my life reflected back at me, and I just know that I am not ready to face these changes. To acknowledge them means that I must accept not just my strengths and accomplishments but my failures as well. It requires that I examine the values and ethics that I have embraced and professed to others around me! Am I so filled with pride that I can’t understand or accept that living life every day necessitates an occasional therapeutic cleaning of my house?

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I don’t want to become a prisoner of myself. And yet, when I can’t find the capacity to forgive myself, that is exactly what I am doing! Harboring those failures in our hearts is just as toxic to us as if we took some poison. And yet, if we can, somehow, find the strength within to let go of those doubts, we will experience such relief, and feeling of liberation! Christian author Lewis Smedes, an expert on relationships, once wrote, “To forgive is to set the prisoner free….and to discover that the prisoner was you.”

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Now the question becomes, can we somehow find a way to forgive ourselves? Even though we know that we need only to ask for that very same forgiveness from God, and if our heart is true and our plea earnest, He will absolve us of our sins. That is the promise we were given by the simple addition problem you see in the title of today’s post! Why then, is it, that so many people who profess belief can’t bring themselves to see the forest for the trees? What is it about the human animal that keeps us from finding forgiveness within our own hearts?

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God’s shoulders are broad indeed. He knows intimately the pain and humiliation we feel from the failures in our lives. But nothing we feel can ever compare to the pain and humiliation experienced by His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was rejected at every turn by a world he was sent to help. He was tortured and put to death by those people and God not only permitted it but actually created him for that single purpose! And yet, Jesus found the capacity within to forgive human kind with his dying breath, for the sin they did not realize they were guilty of committing. And in that one breath…..his dying breath…. Jesus gifted mankind with the strength to forgive ourselves!

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Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8(NIV)

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Copyright © 2011-2014 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 03/01/14

Forgive

Post 1083

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http://devotionalchristian.com/bible-verses-forgiveness/

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Forgiving is love’s toughest work, and love’s biggest risk.  If you twist it into something it was never meant to be, it can make you a doormat or an insufferable manipulator.  Forgiving seems almost unnatural.  Our sense of fairness tells us people should pay for the wrong they do.  But forgiving is love’s power to break nature’s rule. 

Lewis B. Smedes

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

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There can be no loss greater for any human being than losing a child. It is not a loss I have ever personally experienced so it is doubtful I can truly commiserate with those mothers who have. I can but watch, from afar, as tears flow and difficult decisions are made including funeral arrangements and other attempts to memorialize the life that was lost before even really having the opportunity of living. I can but look with admiration as the tears stop and the continuing of living with a profound emptiness, begins for these families….for these mothers. And it is with the heart of being a mother, that is my only connection to these families….to these mothers! Although I see the pain from fathers, and siblings displayed with such heartbreak, there remains a profound difference for mothers, and that IS something I truly understand!

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A mother experiences the instinctive nurturing of an embryo even before sharing the wonderful news with her spouse and the rest of the world, that a new life is joining the human race. A mother feels the growth of this life in utero with each pound gained and each millimeter increase of abdominal size. A mother feels the first movements of that growing life and the fierce protectiveness of her child begins. Every loud noise produces a protective hand over an ever-expanding belly. The response of a baby in utero to the sound of their mother’s voice….soft, caressing, soothing….will often find a quieting of the babe who has not yet seen her face, and is another experience so unique as to be one never forgotten! And the pains of labor so intense and so quickly forgotten as a tiny human is placed in arms that have been aching to hold this miracle for 9 months, commences, and becomes an immediate part of her heart and soul. Such is my capacity to understand the mothers who have lost a child.

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And knowing first hand everything that goes into the creation of the miracle that is motherhood, it is with a tremendous sense of admiration that I tell you of the capacity of one of these mothers as she finds the strength to forgive. A woman of such profound faith that her belief in the power of forgiveness to truly release pain felt in a heart still raw in its grief, is worthy of not just acknowledging but embracing as well.

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Ohio school shooting victim Demetrius Hewlin was blessed with this mother. Phyllis Ferguson told an interviewer, “You have to accept things done and move on.” And with her next breath, she added the words she would tell 17-year-old TJ Lane, whose action took her beloved son, “I would tell him I forgive him because, a lot of times, they don’t know what they’re doing. That’s all I’d say.” And those three words, I FORGIVE YOU, say it all!

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Phyllis Ferguson, you are my hero and a person whose character is worthy of emulating. And, having spoken the nearly impossible, I believe you have pleased our Heavenly Father, most certainly earning your place at his side one day, in a wondrous place where you will be reunited with your precious son, Demetrius! Yes, you are indeed blessed!

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And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

John 20:22-23 ESV

 

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 01/31/14

Forgiveness = Empowerment

Post 1052

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“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”

Catherine Ponder

http://thinkexist.com/quotations/forgiveness/

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Forgiveness! Perhaps the hardest thing a human can do…..whether it is to forgive himself or another! I wrote the following post in 2011 but I was compelled to re-look at my previous posts that had to do with forgiveness, prompted by a very simple, but extremely compelling blog that a friend, FAITHFULNIBBLES, wrote today: (http://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/30136485/). So I have decided to re-share this writing from my early days of faith. You know….when dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Mandy

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Since the beginning of times, man has sought to live as part of a community. This was necessary for survival of what is truly a fragile life form…a human being. A community afforded its members added protection from predators and more individuals hunting or foraging meant greater success in finding food sources. A community also allowed for a safer environment for the rearing of children and for the exchange of information key to growing and learning and surviving in the world. And while, for the most part, we no longer need a community for life and death type of supportive nurturing, the emotional support afforded to the members of a community or extended family today, remains just as vital and necessary. Which is why there is no heartache more acute than the pain that is felt as the result of betrayal by a loved one, family member, or friend.

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Today, the organization and banding together of a group of people, all with a common purpose, remains a fundamental necessity today and it is why we have sought to establish ourselves into various communities, consisting of (but certainly not limited to) towns, churches, businesses, companies, etc. Even today, we grow and thrive physically, mentally and spiritually, because of the knowledge and wisdom we have gained from the free exchange of information within our group. However, there can come a time when we forget that the best things in life are the result of our affiliation with others. We begin to think only about ourselves and our own selfish needs and so we may betray the trust and confidences that others have placed with us as friends.

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Even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was not immune to betrayal by those who were closest to him and whom he dearly loved. Following the Last Supper, Jesus retired to the Garden of Gethsemane, to pray to God and to begin preparations for the events that would transpire. Jesus knew what the future would hold. He told the disciples of the betrayals and denials that were to come. And while Jesus was able to forgive all who caused Him such sadness, we who are all too mortal, often have a much more difficult time with the act of forgiveness.

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What is the real motive behind our propensity to hold onto anger? Are we secretly hoping to hurt the person who wronged us right back? Unfortunately, feeling that way usually hurts only one person….US! When we hold onto anger we are not happy…we are not contented…we are not at peace with ourselves.

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What we need to look for is the good that can often arise from the bad. That it exists is just as real and absolute as is a forest that becomes reborn, following the consuming flames of a wild-fire. And it is that re-birth that teaches us more about our inner resources and the “stuff” we are made of than almost any other conscious choice we can make in our life. The ability to forgive empowers us and keeps us from being a victim even though to do so may go against our nature. But forgiveness is what faith teaches us we must do and we must trust that God will give us the inner resources so that we can accomplish this usually difficult, often painful, but always empowering act that He expects.

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“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.””

1 John 2:1 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 11/04/13

Changing Every Day

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I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

Michael Jackson

Man In The Mirror

http://www.metrolyrics.com/man-in-the-mirror-lyrics-michael-jackson.html

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We generally think nothing of the frequency with which we change our clothes. In fact, for most people, they routinely change their attire at least 2 to 3 times every day, depending on the day they will be having!

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When we wake up, we generally remove our sleeping attire, wash our faces, brush our teeth, and we don the clothes we need to wear for the work or activity we will be engaged in. Often, our dress will vary from what our friends and even others in our family might wear.  For example, my husband wore a uniform to work. I wore business attire once upon a time. A farmer might wear clean dungarees and a lawyer a suit. Then at the end of our work day, we might unwind and done some casual sweats until the time comes to bathe, and prepare for our night’s rest by putting on sleep wear!

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We change over and over with seldom a thought as to what it is we are doing. In fact, for most, it is as automatic and routine as is the singular act of eating. And yet, think for a moment about why this has become our habit. I don’t know about you, but the thought of walking around with a billion of the skin cells or drops of perspiration I have shed during the course of my day on the clothes I am wearing makes my head spin! Yes, I don’t have to, but I do not want to offend anyone by choosing to wear something that is soiled!  And while I bet you have never had your laundry associated with your sin, it is exactly this same reason why we must make a conscious choice to change our hearts and our minds, and embrace the gift that we have been offered by the sacrifice made by Christ. Yes, it was His shed blood that has washed us clean, just as absolutely as our washing machine does the same for our clothes.

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The entirety of this promise is explained in Hebrews 10:5-14 NIV, “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’” First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

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Being reminded of this gift is not enough. You see, it is not a gift we can earn, nor do we automatically deserve it simply by virtue of the fact that we live and breathe. Yes, it is a gift offered to all, but it is a gift that becomes ours only when we choose to receive it. We must repent and confess our sins and accept that His sacrifice is our salvation. It is then that we are raised and born anew! Need further proof? Just read Hebrews 10:19-25 NIV, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.“

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So why not take the same care with your soul as you do with your attire! Seek out and embrace the gift of the promise of eternal life. It is as easy as simply reading, and meaning these words from Romans 10:9-10 NIV, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Then, and only then, will we not only make the change, but we will allow the change to remake us!

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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 08/08/13

Forgive By Faith

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The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Mahatma Gandhi

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

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My “THOUGHT” on Tuesday generated a slurry of responses from friends who follow my postings every day. The thing that I found the most surprising was that the views expressed were so diverse and I began to wonder if there is really behavior that we bear witness to that is so horrific that to forgive the act becomes an impossibility. For example, is it possible to forgive those who flew planes into multiple buildings on American soil a dozen years ago? Or can we ever forgive the parent who beats a toddler nearly to death simply because they did not have the capacity to stop crying when they were told to do so?

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Yes, we can all think of acts of horror so great, that to forgive takes more than we think we can muster. But then I remember words from one who was able to forgive despite being abused and tortured beyond what most of us could possibly ever endure! Remember Luke 23:24 NIV, “… Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing …”? And as I recalled those words, I remembered why I need to forgive! What I said to those whose discussion about forgiveness went on for more than a day, was the following: “I don’t forgive because it changes them. I forgive because it changes me!”

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Since forgiveness goes against our nature, we must forgive by faith, whether we feel like it or not. To forgive releases us from the resentment that we often find ourselves trapped in when we are hurt. You see, when we are hurt in some way by another’s actions, we become a victim. We feel weak, powerless and for each hurt we endure, a little piece of our sense of self is lost. But when we forgive, whether or not we ever forget the wrong that was done to us, we become empowered. We take back our sense of self and we regain peace within our hearts, minds and souls.

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There is something else that is perhaps even more important for us to remember. To forgive others is God’s command to us! Yes, forgiveness is a decision of our will, but it is also motivated by our will to act in a way that we know is GOD’S WILL and is pleasing to Him! And He wants us to forgive over and over and over again! How many times? Matthew 18:22 NIV, “… Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” And it is this that leads us to what is perhaps the most important reason for us to forgive! We of faith do so because we know that we must forgive others for our Father to forgive us our own trespasses! And of all things of faith that we embrace and commit ourselves to doing, it is this that we do, because we recognize that to forgive will change us now and forever!

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For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14-16 NIV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 08/6/13

 Forgiveness 

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“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”

Lewis B. Smedes

http://thinkexist.com/quotations/forgiveness/

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If there is one thing that we as adults must teach to children, it is the importance to forgive. And it’s really a shame that we have to! Not because we should not forgive but because our little ones are natural “forgivers” since children are born with an innate capacity to forgive simply because they live in the moment. You see, it is not until we grow and experience all of the things life hands us, both good as well as bad, that we understand that there are consequences for our actions and the behaviors we engage in. Which reminds me of a “Ha Ha” I once heard!

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One day a mother heard her seven-year-old son screaming. She ran into the next room to see what was wrong, and discovered her two-year-old daughter was pulling the hair of her brother. Finally disentangling the tiny fingers and freeing her son from his sister’s iron grip, she explains to the boy that he will have to overlook what his sister did. “You see, she is just a little girl and she does not know what it feels like to have her hair pulled!”

Turning away to go into the other room, suddenly she hears her little girl screaming. Spinning around, she asks her son what happened. He answers his mother, “Now she knows how it feels!”

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We as adults have no such expectations that we can live vicariously and with little concern for how our behavior affects others. You see, we know how it feels! We are sophisticated enough to recognize that human behaviors are much like a row of Domino’s placed on a table. Leave them alone and there they remain….upright, undisturbed, perfect! But do something as simple as slam a door or blow in their direction, and the chain of events for their demise begins. Once one tips over, the others follow, and before we realize what has happened, we are left with a mess on top of the table. But because we DO know what the effect of slamming the door is likely to do to those Domino’s, just as we know what it feels like to have our hair pulled, we will censure our behaviors accordingly. And perhaps that means saying “I’m sorry”, before something bad happens that we can not fix or take back!

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Matthew 6:14-15 NIV reminds us, “14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” We are all human. We are all tempted to behave in ways that are wrong. But when we recognize and admit these weaknesses, we take the first step in forgiving ourselves, and once we do that, it becomes easier to forgive others. The same thing happens when we confess our weaknesses and sins to God. God is a loving and forgiving God.  He alone knows our true hearts. He alone is our judge. And He promises that if we are truly repentant, we will always receive His mercy!

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Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen

Matthew 6:9-13 KJV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 07/24/13

A Birthday Wish

Today’s blog is about anger. That is because it has been my lot for a few days. However, there are people in my life that take me beyond the visceral emotions that color today’s post. One of them is my daughter-in-law.

Somehow, Melissa seems to get her birthday wishes on days my blog is about negativity but she is one person in my life that takes me to my better place. I love her dearly and if I could have had a hand in choosing the perfect mate for my son, it would have been her!

Happy Birthday to my darling Melissa Bruscella! I love you to the moon and back!

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Blowing Off Some Steam!

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Anger always comes from frustrated expectations.

Elliot Larson

http://www.searchquotes.com/Anger/quotes/about/Frustration/

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I have found myself pushed to my limits in the last 48 hours. Yes, the steam is escaping from my ears and I am discovering that because I have become angry at one particular entity, that suddenly I am angry at the whole world! I was nasty to the woman who does my hair, I was short with Landon’s afternoon daycare teacher, and perhaps, worst of all, I found myself snapping at my husband, which led him to snap back at me, because he was just as angry and frustrated as I was! And the amazing thing is that neither of us was angry at each other, but we were both angry at the SAME THING!

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Our emotions are so like a snowball rolling downhill! The more they roll, the faster they gain both size and speed. And the larger they become, the more difficult they are to control. This is the same whether the emotions are positive or negative ones, which is why the euphoria of love can drive us to do foolish things exactly like the despair and unhappiness of anger can sometimes drive us to do the exact, same, foolish thing! And whether or not we believe in the Lord, that we all find ourselves victims of this weakness is our lot! After all, we can not escape the human frailties that became our destiny the moment we first drew breath at birth. But are there some lessons that our faith can teach us about this? Absolutely, although it is not always easy for us to see them….which is one lesson I am learning the hard way today!

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1 Face the real issues

We must accept that human beings become angry. The question then becomes are we angry because we have allowed our pride to dominate our behaviors? Well, if so, its time to put aside our angry spirit and try to exercise self-control that is sometimes so very hard. So take a moment, take a breath and re-focus our minds to a peaceful place, and then re-address the issues that are disturbing to us!

2 Unresolved anger is always bad.

Man’s anger is never good nor does it ever accomplish what we need, whether it is a human need or a faith need! Which is why we are told to listen and learn from these wise words found in James 1:19-20 NIV, 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Sometimes saying I am sorry accomplishes much even when the fault for the situation is not ours to bear, just as biting our lip when we are a hairs breadth away from stepping into the fray, can often smooth those ruffled feathers.

3 Live for Jesus Christ.

He has a plan for us all and as such, there is a purpose for every trial that comes our way. But if we remember to do the best we can to live the way we know God expects, that is the moment when we open ourselves to an understanding that there is a lesson worth remembering for every experience we are faced with….both good and bad!

4 May God destroy every last lie we speak!

Always remember that with anger sometimes comes the inevitable LIE! Yes, as much as we hate to admit it, sometimes we cover up our weaknesses with a falsehood which, while we mean it to boost our self esteem, only serves to erode our strength. So look to assume responsibility for your own mistakes and you will often discover the emotions of anger dissipating! Yes, when we are broken and turn to God, does He not welcome us and help us to overcome the sin that is wrought by our pride?

5 At day’s end, put your anger to bed and the next morning, replace that anger with love.

When we carry anger over day after day, we may find that anger transitioning into wrath. That is what happens once we allow those negative emotions to simmer. We feel even worse and the worse we feel, the angrier we become. But try replacing that anger by doing something good for another person. Suddenly, the weight of what has become all-consuming is lifted when we replace an angry spirit with a loving one!

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Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Psalm 37:8 KJV

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry

Thought For The Day 07/03/13

Casting Stones

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http://blacksnob.com/storage/paula%20deen.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1371739784797

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“When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself.”

Louis Nizer
“My Life in Court”

http://forum.quoteland.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/487195441/m/1981997786

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There are probably few of you who do not know who the woman is pictured above. Paula Deen was a single mother, poor and full of insecurities that very nearly kept her homebound, save for one thing. She had a fire that burned inside that told her that all things are possible when you search for and discover your divinely endowed talents. Some see that fire as bravery. Others call it the voice of God. But whatever description you choose, it was enough to move a mountain! And so rather than let herself continue on that downward spiral that those saddled with such obstacles often find is their lot in life, Paula Deen acted on this newly discovered bravery, and she made a life for herself and for her boys, and in doing so, carved out her very own niche in history. Until, that is, one fateful day recently, when that hard-fought success came tumbling down….like a house of cards. And all because she made a mistake!

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Was it a HUGE mistake? Well, it depends on your very own culture and race and beliefs! You see, she is accused of acting and speaking and thinking in a manner that can be considered to be racist against the African-American community! It is a mindset that, unfortunately, is all too prevalent in our world, especially the world of the “Old South”, which nurtured the Deen family. However, prejudice is an all-pervasive and learned mindset whose victims can be any and every person who is a tad bit different! Whether such attitudes color our thoughts and behaviors against a person because of their race, or whether it is directed at a group of people because they worship in a different way, or whether it is hurled at a slightly overweight child walking to the bus, there is nothing that erodes self esteem and feelings of worth more, than hate speech and thoughts that demean a fellow human being!

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That Paula Deen has paid a heavy price for this mistake, none can deny. Her endorsements and sources of financial backing are jumping ship faster that the speed of light! She has said she is terribly sorry for what some consider to be the unthinkable. I believe she is truly repentant, and I believe it is more than because of the monetary things now lost. I believe she knows in her heart what happened has diminished her in the minds of some and I believe Ms Deen prided herself as being a strong role model for many women, and especially single mothers, in our country. Unfortunately what I believe carries little weight in the global scheme of things. You see, still, there are many who long to pick up that stone, take aim, and fire it at her! Which makes me wonder how we can have possibly grown so little in our heart of hearts since that day 2000 years ago, when Christ wrote some words in the earth (the documentation of which appears below in the verses from John Chapter 8!

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Remember Christ’s lesson about not being quick to condemn when one is not blameless and tempering justice with mercy? They are lessons whose meaning are just as important today as they were then, which is why the lesson has endured in Christian thought….and even has found itself part of our vernacular today. How often have we each said the phrase, “Let the one who has never sinned cast the first stone”?

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Paula Deen asked for this on camera and the press blasted her for saying it. But it was her tears that spoke far more to me! And all I know is one, single, solitary thing! The person wielding that stone, most certainly WILL NOT be the sinner who is writing this post!

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8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more

John 8: 1-11 KJV

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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 05/31/13

Overcoming The Unseen Handicaps

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In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.

Francis Bacon

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

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Reaching out to those who are handicapped in faith and helping them in overcoming the invisible “disability” that accompanies that, is something that I try to do every day….but perhaps not for the reason you think. You see, it was after I became “handicapped” in body that I became “handicapable” in faith!

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Did you know I was confined to a wheelchair for an extended period of time because of a neurological disease? No? I’m not surprised! You see, today I walk erect, and on my own two feet. And most people who see me often notice the limp. Then they look down, and notice the brace on my right ankle and think, OK, she’s hurt herself. Most people don’t know that I lived my life as one paralyzed from the waist down for a period of time. Yes, I can walk today although I will never again have the sensation of a normal person from my knees to my feet, nor from my elbows to my fingertips. And yet it was every single day it took to overcome those limitations, that gave me the fortitude to take a chance on pursuing more when it came to God and sharing His word. It really is amazing what you find yourself capable of when you are really put to the test. And then I hear about something so heinous…..so callous……that even I have difficulty reminding myself that it is not my place to act as judge and certainly not to execute any judgement against a brother or sister in life!

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Two different occurrences come to mind in recent days. The first was the execution of a young man….a father of a two-year-old child, who was killed in the United Kingdom, simply because he was a soldier. He was slain by radicalism, which is the worst kind of perversion of all true interpretations of what God (or Allah) desires of those who embrace him as their divine being! The thing is that once we are faced with this kind of assault against the very sensibility of our humanity, suddenly we forget the basic lessons we are taught by our own worship of the Almighty. You see, from Genesis 4:1-26 through the Gospels of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we are told again and again, to turn the other cheek! Can it be any clearer that in Matthew 5:39 (ESV), “But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” And yet, who among us wants to pick up the first stone, and toss it right through the jail bars that now hold the alleged perpetrator of this heinous act? Most of us? Probably! I must confess that, for the briefest of moments, even my mind was drawn in that direction, which is why I have tried to share, through social media, that the moment we allow ourselves to be drawn to that mindset, we become just as fanatical as the ones who were compelled to destroy what their twisted mind had told them was a threat to the essential beliefs that Allah preached and which form the basics of the various Islamic faiths.

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The second was a story of some wealthy mothers who conceived the idea of hiring the handicapped when visiting Disney World because of the rule that says that someone who uses a wheelchair and the people that accompany them, can bypass the lines and enter the rides ahead of other waiting patrons. And presto….Dream Tours Florida, was born. All that’s needed is that you be able and willing to pay $130 an hour, or $1,040 for an eight-hour day, and voila…..your handicapped tour guide will lead you right to the front of the line! [a] And while this is not the same physically violent act that the first was, it is just as despicable, in the eyes of those who embrace the laws of God, and of right and wrong and morality!
[a] http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/disney_world_srich_kid_outrage_zTBA0xrvZRkIVc1zItXGDP

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Everywhere we look we find people who live lives with little trace of what we might think of, as the basic tenets of faith. Instead, they embrace some mutated perversion of the teachings of their faith, disseminated by those who have even less sense of morality, than does an ant. (In fact, I even dislike insulting ants by associating them with some of these people that preach hate, instead of brotherhood, a core value known to every colony of ants, although not between some differing colonies come to think of it…..much like these differing fanatical sects!)

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Well, before we know it, someone envisions and then acts upon some new, dark dream, that can have only been conceived and then implanted into the womb for ideas that is the mind, by Satan himself. It’s amazing how frequently this seems to be happening these days. And whether the evil is an abomination of faith or simply an abominable choice, they all serve to undermine our character and the very fiber of our hearts and souls that serve as our moral compass along life’s journey! All a prime example of the worst kinds of unseen handicap man is guilty of…….man’s inhumanity to his fellow man! But we do not need to let it infect us! We can’t let it infect us. We are so much better than that, which is why we must, at all costs, find it within to forgo vengeance and embrace all the strength we can muster, and turn the other cheek! Again and again, if need be!

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30 And Jesus answering said, A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked [on him], and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him], 34 And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave [them] to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 

Luke 10:30-37 (KJV)

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Copyright © 2011-2013 “MandysPath” Ministry