Showing posts with label Words of Wisdom Wednesday. Show all posts

Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Speak Life

What was the last positive thing you said? What about the last positive thing someone said to you? If you needed to wrack your brain, it probbbbbably means that you indeed live on this world. This ugly, messy, depressing world. Okay, okay, not all is terrible, but I can get down on this world sometimes. There’s just scandal after scandal, violence after violence, that it can just drag me down, you know?

Living in this digital world, it’s easy to forget ourselves and hastily judge others when we don’t know the full story. It’s easy to text something negative in person rather than say it to their face, or comment something judgmental on their post rather than tell them in person. And just look at mainstream media. They focus a whole lot on the ugly, which honestly gets depressing. No, our world isn’t getting better, but we can definitely shine lights to others by speaking life to them. Guess what? Your friend over there probably already knows how to fix their problem. Who knows why they might appear to not be moving forward, but sometimes what that friend needs in their day is a little encouragement.

 What if one person decided not to judge someone that actually deserved to be judged? What if that inspired others to be uplifting as well, and they started encouraging others around them? Forget the what-ifs…this already happened. Christ didn’t judge us even though we totally, utterly deserved it. He inspires me and you to encourage others and speak life into others lives as well. Who knows how He uses me to influence. Friends, words have power. So choose to speak life.

 I’m a pessimist. I’m also the firstborn. Those put together, added to my stronger personality (ahem…😳)  and my spiritual gifts of teaching/pastoring often lead to me criticizing and judging others. It’s not okay and I apologize to anyone I’ve offended in that way, but we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Speaking life is a struggle for me when things aren’t going my way. It’s hard to do the right thing when everything seems wrong. But you know what? Oftentimes those hard things have a great reward at the end of the road.

 My pastor has been challenging us to speak life to others rather than speak words of death that can drag others down. We don’t know how much our words affect the next person. You have no idea whether or not that person is going through depression or couldn’t care less about what others think. Besides that, God calls us to speak life as well:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen ‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭4:29).

So what now? I urge you,
SPEAK LIFE when things are going great.
SPEAK LIFE when you feel discouraged.
SPEAK LIFE when nothing is going your way.
SPEAK LIFE when you’re happy.
SPEAK LIFE to shine that beautiful light God gave you.

 Have a blessed week, and dare to speak life in all situations!


Note: this graphic was made by me. Please do not steal! If you would like to use it, you can contact me through the contact form.
Speak Life Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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12 Days of Christmas 2016 - Day 2: Sons of God

Image result for the son of god became a man cs lewis

Ahh, good old C.S. Lewis. Author of many books, ranging from theology to children's fiction, Lewis was a man of God. He was also a poet, theologian, broadcaster, and Christian apologist. The following quote is a great reminder of what Jesus did for us when He became a human on earth.
The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.
This quote is like a palindrome. Here's one way to break down this quote: Jesus became a man so that we could be like Jesus. I like to go to the Bible to check things like quotes, since it's the ultimate truth. Galatians 3:26 (ESV) says,
For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
This verse backs up Mr. Lewis' quote, and really thinking about the statement that we can be sons of God just blows my mind. Being sons of God doesn't just mean being God's child - it means we're heirs of Christ, like Paul in Roman 8:17 (NIV) writes.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
When I read that, all I can say is wow. For me, at least, it's amazing that I can even say I'm God's child. Think of it this way: what if you met a kid, and that kid told you she was the daughter of one of your favorite bands? The fact that that girl's parent is in that band kind of ties to her identity. If you were related to a celebrity (or maybe you already are!), how would make you feel? I personally would feel, well, kinda special...maybe set apart even. The same way is with God -- even more so with Him, actually. If you are a Christian, then you are already a child of God; an heir of the Most High God. Do you live like you're the child of a King? Are you aware of what Jesus had to go through so that you could live as God's child and heir? Think of the quote. Jesus became a man so that you could live like him. I encourage you, especially during this Christmas, to really think over what it means to be a child of God and to live like it. Live like sons of God.
12 Days of Christmas 2016 C.S. Lewis Children of God
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Image result for ralph waldo emerson every artist was first an amateur

This year, I started playing volleyball. To give you some background, I was the kid in P.E. who would be the last one running back from that pole...the one who would try to kick a soccer ball and instead somehow trip over my own feet...the one who never played any team sports before until fifteen. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is that I don't use my mad athletic skills very often. So when I told my parents I wanted to play volleyball, they were, well, surprised. Especially my dad. He was all, "What? You really wanna do volleyball?" I mean, he was pleasantly surprised. He and my mom met playing volleyball, and they both love the sport.

On the first day of volleyball, my mom and I quickly rushed out to buy volleyball gear. At one o'clock, I walked through the doors of the gym, nervous, excited, and anxious all at the same time. There were some girls there that I recognized from my former homeschool group except, great, they didn't seem to recognize me. Since the first week was figuring out who would be on what team, we mostly did drills without much teaching. The warehouse-like building had little-to-no air-conditioning, and the huge garage doors covering one side of the building was barely open. It was stuffy, sweaty, and tiring. I was so frustrated with myself that tears actually formed in the corners of my eyes. I could not serve. I passed the ball so crookedly that my partner had to run after it every time (embarrassing!). I could not spike or set. I was literally questioning why in the world I had decided to do this. Seriously! What was I thinking? I wasn't exactly a sporty girl. That would be my younger sister. And yet here I was, in this heated court, trying and failing to do so much as serve the ball over the net from the ten-foot line. It was not pretty. Anyone who saw me then probably thought I looked a sight.

American writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said, "Every artist was first an amateur." Well, that would've helped me out a lot on the first day of practice! My expectations were set much too high for a beginner like me, and I was caught up in the negative.

Looking back, even after two months, I have made massive improvements. I can serve underhand over the net. I can pepper the volleyball to a teammate without her chasing the ball too often. I still can't set very well, but I'm working on it. :)

Sometimes, we get caught up in that little ditch on the road and forget the path leading us to success. The path will have ditches and curves. There will be changes and struggles. But you know what? Every athlete was first an amateur. It's okay if you make mistakes. My coach says, "You can either cry from your mistakes, or you learn from them." Failure helps us learn what we were doing wrong, and adjust it so it works. If you're learning a new language, new subject, new sport, or something you've been working on for a while, take heart. If you keep at it and try your best, you will succeed. It may not be as fast as you would like, but, little by little, you will make progress. 
Failure Perseverance Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Corrie Ten Boom


What a great question. Essentially, Corrie ten Boom was asking, is prayer mandatory or optional in your life? Is it something you use to guide your life, or only when you're in need? See, life is like driving a car. What is your steering wheel? Is it money? Popularity? Clothes? Without a steering wheel, well, you wouldn't be in that car for very long. What is guiding you through life? If you don't really pray unless you're in urgent need, then prayer is your spare tire. If you pray on a daily basis, then prayer is your steering wheel.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 declares,
"Pray continually."
You can never pray too much! You can pray while you're in the car, while you're falling asleep, while you're at school...anywhere, any time. God is not limited to time. He is outside of time (hard to understand as humans since we're bound in time), so He hears your prayers even if it's one in the morning. 1 John 5:14 says,
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."
What an amazing verse. We can be confident when we pray that God will hear us if we pray in his will. Is prayer guiding you like a steering wheel, or is it just your backup plan, like a spare tire?
Corrie ten Boom Prayer Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Corrie ten Boom



Corrie ten Boom was a strong, godly woman living during World War II. Even amidst many trials , she entrusted her life to God. No one knew what would happen after World War II. Corrie resisted the danger of trying to rely on herself to get through her life. Especially in her life, during that time period, her future was definitely unknown. Yet Corrie decided to surrender it to God, who did know the outcome of the war.

Are you entrusting your unknown future to a known God? Sometimes, with the confusing circumstances of this world, we tend to try to control our future. We think we can "do it all," but really, God is the one who holds everything in place, including your future. Like Corrie ten Boom says, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
Corrie ten Boom Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Prayer


Sometimes, life gets hard and we find ourselves trying to stand up with our own strength. But during the hardest times, it's better to kneel and find strength through talking with God. Philippians 4:13 says,
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
 When you kneel, you will find God helping you stand with His strength. As 2 Corinthians 12:10 states,
"For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Prayer Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Mother Teresa

795 million people in the world are starving today. You might think, Well, I can't give food to all those people, and just avoid feeding people altogether. Frankly, it's quite easy to do. But if you read Mother Teresa's quote, you don't have to feed a hundred people; just feed one person. The next time you see someone in need, take the time to "just feed one." The deeper meaning of this is not just feeding the hungry; it's helping the needy. This doesn't necessarily have to mean the homeless guy on the corner wearing rags, it could mean the girl eating lunch all by herself at school. People in need of food, clothes...Jesus. Take the time today to "just feed one," whether that be giving food to the homeless or talking to the lonely or sharing the gospel to the spiritually hungry.

Matthew 25:34-40 NIV:

     “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Mother Teresa Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Gandhi


So true. A weak person will go the easy route after a fight and hold a grudge, not admitting he was wrong. A strong person, however, will go the hard route and humbly admit his wrongdoing.
Gandhi Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Ronald Reagan


I don't know about you, but these words are sobering to me. People who are for abortion are already born...so they're basically saying it doesn't matter that those babies lose their lives even though we get to enjoy ours? Our culture has become ME-centered. We are so stuck in ME that we can't reach out and help others...or save others' lives. Everyday, roughly 125,000 unborn babies are aborted - murdered - before they have that chance to live in this world. That's 125,000 babies that could've been born. What does the Bible have to say about abortion? Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV says,
"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."
Do you value your life? Every life is a gift and has a God-given purpose. Never, never waste it. There's only one life to live, so choose wisely and live in love. A few years ago in AWANA (a kids' club where you memorize Bible verses, play games, and learn more about the Word), there was a project in which you write out the following and decorate the page:
Jesus
Others
You

This was an encouragement to put Jesus FIRST, then OTHERS, then YOU. If women and others around the world followed this, many babies would be saved. Think about it. If you put Jesus first, you'd obey His commandments and choose life. If you put others first before yourself, you'd think about that human baby's life and save it. If you put yourself last, you wouldn't think about "wasting" your life having to care for a child - you'd think about caring for a child who could grow up and change the world. Psalm 127:3 ESV states,
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward." 
Are you going to choose LIFE or DEATH? I don't know about you, but my choice is LIFE.
Choose life Ronald Reagan Words of Wisdom Wednesday
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