Through the Lens of Love

Ephesians 4:2New Life Version (NLV)

2 Live and work without pride. Be gentle and kind. Do not be hard on others. Let love keep you from doing that.

Romans 15:7New Life Version (NLV)

7 Receive each other as Christ received you. This will honor God.

Proverbs 4:23New Life Version (NLV)

23 Keep your heart pure for out of it are the important things of life.

I’m currently reading a book that my grandfather had given my father who had given it to me.  I actually opened the book last Friday not realizing what day it was until after I began reading, it was my parents 44th wedding anniversary.  My father was looking down on me and nudging me to read this book.  In fact, I remember when he gave it to me, I internally rolled my eyes, like a teenager would do, and put it on my shelf.  The book is titled “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino.  In this book, he lays out the principles we should live by in order to be successful.  

The first principle is this: “View everyone and everything through the lens of love”.  This can be easy for some, but not most of us.  You have to have a change of perspective.  You have to have an open heart and mind.  You have to “check your face” and attitude.  God intends for us to reflect His love.  When faced with adversity, it is hard to confront it with silence and slap it in the face with the phrase, “I love you”.   

God intends on us to live a life feeling loved.  For those who don’t know His love, how will they unless we greet them with that love.  

It is not meant to be easy on our own, but “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you…If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:7-11).”

Be Blessed!  

My Prayer

Exodus 18:17-18Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

17 “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.”

Psalm 46:10New Life Version (NLV)

10 Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth.

Life can be very chaotic.  To the point of where we fill out time and life with the little things that don’t truly matter.  After really digging and reflecting on my heart and life this summer, I realized that I had a huge issue with “gluttony”. Not gluttony of over eating, but gluttony of over scheduling.  This is a prayer I wrote after a good, soul searching summer.  

My prayer…

As I come home from a reflective summer in Nashville, I feel excited, anxious, full of life, and strength.  This past year my plate of life was full.  Full of planned activities and events.  My goal was “to do more and be more for others”.  In doing that, I was saving the leftovers for my family.  I was swimming up stream and having no emotional energy for my family.  Even when I was present with my family, I wasn’t truly “present”.  The list that I had in my head was ongoing and taking up my brain space to the point that I could sit and be with my kids, but I truly wasn’t “being” with them.  

So I HAVE to change.  I’m going to take what has been engrained within my heart and soul and put it into action.  I’m going to block out periods of time for my devotionals and time with You.  I’m going to spend more time with Adam and being intentional about that time.  I’m going to pour into others, but not at the expense of the ones I love most.  I will set boundaries and arrange my schedule so that I am not stretched beyond my mental abilities.  

In this next season of life, I pray that I stay strong in giving time to my faith, marriage, kids, and our business.  Lord, please help me to stay focused on these goals that you have laid on my heart.  

Your loving and devoted daughter, 

Laura 

Row Boat vs. Sailboat

Isaiah 26:3New Life Version (NLV)

3 You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You.

Psalm 62:8The Message (MSG)

7-8 

My help and glory are in God

    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—

So trust him absolutely, people;

    lay your lives on the line for him.

    God is a safe place to be.

James 1:2-4The Message (MSG)

Faith Under Pressure

2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Row Boat vs. Sailboat

This summer a dear friend and I were reflecting on different times in our lives and how God has really steered us through them even when we didn't understand “why” we were in that season.  Enters the “Row Boat vs. Sailboat” analogy.  

When we are in the midst of rough seas in our lives, we tend to work harder to stay ahead.  We start to loose focus and work harder to beat the winds around us.  We feel like we have waves coming at us from all sides.  We want to take charge of the direction we are going.  We keep our minds focused on our goals and destinations.  You have a “rowboat” mentality.  

Instead, we need to let God flow through us naturally.  We need Him to work in and through us to guide the boat, but let the wind do all of the work.  His wind is a lot stronger than our work.  God doesn’t intend to make us work harder, but to reflect and learn from situations and more forward.  We can do this by staying focused on HIM and Him do His work in and through us.  Let his love be the wind in our sails.  

Be Blessed!  

P.S.

Katherine Caputo, you are a dear friend that reminds me that God is large and in charge.  Love you sister!

Encourage

1 Thessalonians 5:11The Message (MSG)

9-11 God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.

Proverbs 27:17The Message (MSG)

You use steel to sharpen steel,

    and one friend sharpens another.

Ephesians 4:29New Life Version (NLV)

29 Watch your talk! No bad words should be coming from your mouth. Say what is good. Your words should help others grow as Christians.

This week marks the end of a 2 year chapter with a group of students.  In August of 2015, I could see anxiousness, lack of confidence in themselves, fear of failing, and some needing community.  These feelings are not feelings that can be measured on a test.  There is no data that can drive my instruction in these areas.  However, I take it upon myself to make these areas a priority.  I roll my sleeves up and begin working on their hearts.  Why?  Because without confidence, the feeling of being at ease, and/or knowing that they are accepted for who they are, life is going to be more challenging.  

Yesterday, I handed out a piece of paper with each students’ name. (Thank you to the dear friend who gave this activity to me.)  Their peers where to write one word to describe that person.  It was neat to see how they view one another.  “Teacher”, “friend”, “cool”, and “beautiful” were a few of the words.  But then came words like “epic”, “gifted artist”, “dedicated”, “hard working”, and so many more.  These words where then taken and put into Wordle (as seen below).  The larger words are the words that are mentioned the most when typed.   

The students that walked into my classroom in 2015 are not the same students walking out of my room today.  They have a confidence about themselves that looks different.  They have built friendships and a community that will be remembered.  No, it wasn’t, and isn’t, always pretty, but they have each developed a confidence within themselves.  I know this because of the words that they put down for one another.  

So as Christians, lets do what God intends us to do, build one another up not tear each other down.  We need to walk around on a mission to make others feel welcomed, invited, confident, and loved.  With each of us on that mission, those little words make a big difference in a defeated heart.  

Be Blessed!  

*This is the last Thoughtful Thursday until August.  However, I will be sending one last message within the week of good reads I have for the summer.  I have made it a goal to read 1 book a week altering between a few genres.  I would like to share a few with you as well. *

Change is...

James 1:4The Message (MSG)

Faith Under Pressure

2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Romans 5:3-5New Life Version (NLV)

3 We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. 4 When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope. 5 Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.

My parents always told me that anything was possible.  If I put my mind to do something, I could achieve it.  They also instilled in me that they didn’t raise quitters.  Make a commitment and stick to it, was their motto.  In my 20’s, I didn’t really hang onto those words.  I was strolling through life, riding the roller coaster of ups and downs.  I was successful in some areas, but lacking in others.  Professionally I was doing well.  Personally, with my marriage and taking care of myself, I was doing OK.  After time, “ok” wasn’t going to cut it.  I had to make some changes.  I had to dig deep and really look at myself.  Where does my heart really lie?  I had to have a mindset change.  I needed to put all excuses aside and make some CHANGES.  I knew that this was something He had placed in front of me.  I even remember telling the women at my Bible Study, I felt like God was telling me NOT to jump and move forward.  Well, that was NOT what God was telling me.  Instead, He was asking me to jump and make a change.  

God has a mission for each and every one of us.  Wherever you are, you are meant to be in that place.  Plant you feet and take in the view.  There are really bad days and some really awesome days.  However, be prepared for God to interrupt “normalcy” to dig you up and replant you somewhere else.  Change is a scary word, but in order to be more and do more, we have to try “change”. 

On the other hand, a difficult event may happen in your life that you don’t understand, God is still with you and working through that with you.  It may not be something you understand at the moment, but later, God will reveal the “why” behind that happening.  

“God is often working behind the scenes of your life, orchestrating HIs destiny for you.”  (Steven Furtick, 2016)

God knows our path and which direction we will go.  We just need to Trust.  He is orchestrating it all for the good.  

I love sitting and reflecting on the past 4 years and seeing how my life has unfolded with the simple act of trusting and making a change, which has lead to so many other changes.  I also love sitting and wondering where He will have me go next.  What will my future struggles be?  What will those struggles teach me?  Sometimes you have to just let go and trust.  

"I will trust in you" by Lauren Daigle w/lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXMPNXXnCls

Be Blessed!

Mental Battles

Proverbs 4:25

Let your eyes look straight in front of you, and keep looking at what is in front of you. 26 Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure.

Romans 12:2New Life Version (NLV)

2 Do not act like the sinful people of the world. Let God change your life. First of all, let Him give you a new mind. Then you will know what God wants you to do. And the things you do will be good and pleasing and perfect.

2 Samuel 22:40New Life Version (NLV)

40 For You have dressed me with strength for battle. You have put under me those who came against me.

Today I had a conversation with my mom about being more for others.  What does that mean to you?  To me, it is doing and being all that I can for the people in my life.  Sometimes being more for others is planned, but most of the time it is random.   This weekend my family and I took our annual Mother’s Day weekend vacation.  I took a well needed “brain break”.  In the midst of that, I was in the moment with my kids and created memories.  Memories that they will hold onto for a long time.  However, as I stepped back into the daily routine on Tuesday, my brain started thinking about all the opportunities I had missed or how I didn’t keep track of something I should have been on top of.  I literally became my own enemy, fighting the battle of negativity in my own head.  This is a battle I have to prepare for daily.  

“Plant beauty, grow beauty.  Plant thorns, grow thorns.  Time will allow for either.”  

(Lysa TerKeurst, Uninvited) 

Putting on my “armor of God” is where that all changes.  In that moment, of course after fighting my thoughts for a few minutes, I realized that I didn’t miss out on those opportunities or loose track of myself.  Why?  Because I was soaking up the moments with my family.  I gave God those thoughts of negativity.  I thanked Him that no one else could see the battles that go on inside me.  I thanked Him for his grace and strength.  Today was a new day.  I took a step forward and began my day with the attitude that I will do what I can in the moments sitting right in front of me.  I’m going to plant as much beauty with my words and actions.  Why?  Because this reflects His love and that is my purpose.  If I plant those negative thoughts and dwell in them, I’m planting thorns that will continue to take over like weeds.  So, today, whatever your mental battle is, give those “thorns” to Him and let Him plant a beautiful garden of thoughts for you.

Be Blessed

Leap of Faith

Hebrews 11:1-2The Message (MSG)

Faith in What We Don’t See

11 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

James 4:14-15Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

14 You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.

Jumping and not knowing what is on the other side is scary.  It is a large leap of faith.  ”It’s putting your belief and trust in something or somebody outside of yourself, and then acting on that belief.”(http://getmorestrength.org/daily/leap-of-faith/)

This mountain goat could choose to stay on the side that he is comfortable and familiar with.  He does not need to jump to the other side, but he is curious.  Curious if the other side has more to offer.  Curious if the other side has richer soil which provides more vegetation.  Curious to know…  So with a running start and without a thought, he takes a large leap into the air and focuses on what is directly in front of him.  Not on what is below him.  He trusts that this leap will carry him to the other side.  He isn’t for sure what is on the other side, but his natural instinct, gut feeling, is telling him that it is necessary to take that leap of faith.  

We get so comfortable in life at times.  So comfortable, that we become still and stagnant.  We are not doing justice to ourselves or others in those stagnant “seasons”.  We even ignore the tugs that are pulling us into a different direction, an unfamiliar direction.  Why not take a leap of faith?  Get uncomfortable.  The quote, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you” has popped up multiple times in the last week for me.  Being uncomfortable, scared, anxious, builds up the momentum for you to do something great.  You are going to grow, stretch, and mold into a new chapter in your life.  Little leaps of faith pop up and interrupt our lives frequently.  Large leaps of faith pop up less frequently, but still occur.  Whether it is large or small, take courage, pray, and take the step HE is wanting you to take.  Because if our focus is on Him on the other side of the cliff, we will land firm, on our feet, on the other side.