Just Continue That Thought...

  A thought by H. Norman Wright from his book,  When the Past Won't Let You Go   (p. 10). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) This can be so true. Norman says, "I’ve heard a number of reasons why some don’t want to face their old wounds.  • Some don’t want to admit that what happened to them actually happened.  • Some believe if they admit to the hurt and pain of the past, they are in some way different or damaged and not useful to others. They want to see themselves as okay, but they don’t. They definitely don’t want others to know to avoid being judged or offered unwanted advice.  • Some are afraid to confront the painful past. That’s understandable. There is fear that experiencing the pain again might be too much to bear.  • There is also the fear that confronting the past may require change, which opens the door to failure." He goes on, "The reality is that to move from being a ...

A thought by H. Norman Wright from his book, When the Past Won't Let You Go   (p. 8). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes we are, but... Norman says, " But many live in the expectation of the future. For many, these two times are permanent. Do you ever wonder why we waste so much time not living in the present? 'Many are distracted by the there and then rather than the here and now .' ( 1 )" He goes on, "Consider the thoughts of a man whose past could have destroyed him: We bear the imprint of the past as it is, not as it might have been. What actually happened is irreversible, and so are the consequences. In that sense we are powerless. We can spend the rest of our days reviewing and wishing and imagining and scheming, but we will never be able to alter what has already happened. The past is simply there, influencing everything we do. The best we can do—in fact, the only thing we can do—i...

A thought by Gary Chapman from his book,  Seen. Known. Loved.  (p. 21). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That's good news! Gary says, " God wants you to know that He sees you at your best and your worst and He chooses to love you regardless. So often, feeling loved is about being seen. For words of affirmation people, we try desperately to make ourselves seen so that we can get the reward of being told we are seen and liked. We dread feeling invisible and work hard to receive the words of affirmation that help us feel confident that we are seen and loved. This is what is so incredible, for better and worse, about social media. We can make ourselves seen in a way that was never possible before. We make ourselves seen . . . by posting pictures of our lives, snapshots that tell the world we are here. However, have you ever posted something only to have almost nobody 'like' your post? What’s even worse, perhaps, ...

  A thought by Gary Chapman from his book, Seen. Known. Loved.  (p. 18). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is so true! Gary says, " For people whose primary love language is words of affirmation, unsolicited compliments or expressions of encouragement mean everything! Hearing the actual words 'I love you' makes their day. Hearing the reasons behind that love sends our spirits skyward." He goes on, "The problem: Words of affirmation are powerful, but for many of us, we just can’t get enough. Comments and likes in our social media feeds make us crave for more and more words of affirmation. The more we get, the more we want. Reagan, for example, is a words of affirmation woman. By her early thirties, Reagan had become a stay-at-home mother of two beautiful children. While she was living a life of love with her family, she began to compare herself to her peers. She often wondered if she was a good mom,...

  A thought by Lisa Whittle from her book,  Jesus Over Everything  (p. 79). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Now this may not be for everyone, but it should be! Lisa says, " It’s not unlike the 'I can eat this because it’s available to me, but should I?' principle. Most of us wouldn’t consider eating doughnuts for every meal. We could; we are free to. It is not illegal. We may have the money, and no one is telling us no. But is it good for our bodies? Is it best for us in all ways—will our brains function well, and will we have the most energy? Of course the answer is no, and we are mature enough to be able to tell ourselves no, to do what’s best for the bodies we care enough about to withhold something from them. (We also operate with common sense, which more of us could greatly benefit from in other areas of life instead of trying to justify them with our intellectual arguments.)" She goes on, "Denial of...

A thought by Lisa Whittle from her book,  Jesus Over Everything  (p. 56-57). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) He makes the difference. Lisa says, " Love is stronger than fear, betrayal, anger, resentment, doubt, disappointment, and, yes, judgment because we chose God and God is love—the ultimate love. It’s ours if we want it, choose it, and pray to live it, every day. When someone is unlovable and we love that person anyway, we are shadowing God. This is what being a Jesus follower means. We may think loving someone is about them. But, ultimately, it’s about Him. Our behavior flows from there." She then says, "But it’s not just that real love is strong, though that would be enough. It is that it is strong er. It is the 1 John 4:4 principle: 'You, dear children, are from God and have overcome . . . because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world' (NIV). Love has overcome many ba...

A thought by Lisa Whittle from her book,  Jesus Over Everything  (p. 52). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is so true. Lisa says, " So often you can find us being the hardest on someone we see reflected in ourselves. We feel put off by the things we recognize as places we need to work on, sins we struggle with, characteristics we deeply wish away. It’s easier for us to judge people than to deal with the fact that we are disappointed in ourselves or to work on getting better. The way we judge others for the things we recognize in us is a sign that we are struggling to love ourselves, first, which makes it impossible for us to love another." She goes on, "A life of judgment never fulfills and results in feelings of loneliness and resentment. It may be easier to choose judgment, but it’s healthier to choose love. C. S. Lewis said this: "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart w...