Sunday, September 3, 2023


Relationship. 

Just Thinking…

Oh to love those in our life as we want to be loved. Let’s talk marriage. 

We are so desperate and consumed to be respected by our partner and loved we can forget our own behavior, or “response” and only focus on theirs.

Something as simple as a spouse asking a question can be twisted to mean they are trying to manipulate and control.  Ok, maybe they are. But our perception is more important than their motivation.

Is it living in la la land to say - “love says we believe the best and hope the best from those we love”.

So, we set  boundaries and limits for those in our lives seems like taking control over our world, BUT

How about setting boundaries and limits for our thinking. 

For instance, while waiting for a test result… the “seed” of the thought is positive! Anticipating good news. Outside the boundary I have set is the negative.  Not allowed inside the boundary. 

Why? because the negative thought is unhealthy and full of fear.  I set the boundary by a fence that is built on the Word of God and His Promises.  Hence the photo I choose above.

Inside the fence is peace, love, hope, faith, joy and even singing and dancing !  Praising God, Thanking God. Trusting God!  Trees bearing the fruit of Christ. Healing, Victory !

This has merit ! When I deal with my spouse I “choose” to set the boundaries in my life to “Filter” what is being said with LOVE. And therefore I receive it in love. Not tainted by the pains and scars of the past. I can NOT be touched by anything negative. It’s a choice.

Exactly my thinking today. I have a fence around my mind and heart.  I choose to NOT allow negative thoughts IN.  My choice.  

Just my thinking today. And it brings me strength and peace.  I’ve used this photo on my iPhone to remind me. I have set the boundary of my thinking…. Praise God He is Faithful

Side note: Imagery is powerful.  When a negative thought comes at me I imagine my Rose covered Fence that surrounds my Mind and Heart - yes, it has a gate, but I choose to speak in Jesus Name - NO ENTRANCE  to thoughts that are based in fear! I then picture me inside the gate, protected inside the fence of my heart and mind Praising God, Thanking God for what he is doing, will do! Take the though and transform it by the Word of God!  Oh, those  fearful thoughts I take  and dismantle them with scriptures.  “Perfect Love cast out all fear”. “All things work together for Good…” 

 Painful Hurtful words can’t jump over my fence either. I KNOW who I am in Christ. I am a child of the living God and in Jesus I am worthy of Love.  

Just me thinking…..

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Broken People


 It occurred to me tonight as I listened to someone hurting over carrying a heavy burden (Family, work… life) that we live in a world of  Broken people.  Actually, I doubt there is one person in this world at this moment who isn’t or hasn’t been broken in one way or another.  Sure people appear to have “it all”.  But truth be told we are all have been or are broken.

Truth… has anyone ever escaped having their feeling hurt? How about being disappointed, let down.. maybe even feeling abandoned?  Notice I used the word “feeling”.  It may not have actually happened but it was interpreted that way.  

So when you feel like the world is crashing in on you.  Being pulled a million directions. Caught in a storm of everyone’s problems and dis-functional  ways/attitudes/behaviors. The closest ones to you aren’t able to meet your needs and or expectations. Then think …

Think on “these things” whatsoever is true, lovely and of good report.  Yes, A Scripture!

Truth is this:  when “we” are hurting we look to others to provide comfort, support, rest to our souls. Yet, the very people we may look to are also hurting, broken and needing help.  

Truth… only Jesus knows our heart, sorrows, burden, complicated feelings.  Only HE can meet them.  So have a little understanding and compassion that those who pull on you, need something that you can’t give… Stop, breathe and understand this TRUTH

Only Christ can soothe our soul and bring us a “moment of peace, joy, rest”.   Don’t look to the broken people around us to ‘give us a break” “not let us down”. Or to not place demands on us, or not give us what we need.

Truth - He is the. Truth, the light and the way.  

Broken People need Jesus - He is all I need (Song)…


Be Blessed - good night (yes, I’m rambling because I am tired) Buona Notte 

Monday, April 4, 2022

 Twisted Yarn

Each day I begin once again to start crocheting my story (my life). Thoughts are the yarns. Different colors and textures to continue defining who I am and what is my story. It is my prayer and hope that my story glorifies my Savior.  Kind of like  telling the story of my life in an artful and symbolic way- that is one of beauty and brings joy and hope to those who stand and view it. 


Feelings are a direct product of our “thoughts”.  Yes, I believe that is true. 
Example, tell a child who is unmotivated and sad to get in the car we’re going to Disneyland and suddenly they are full of happiness, joy and energy. Silly example but makes the point. We are moved and motivated by our thoughts.  Just thinking about what brings us hope, joy and love. 

Twisted yarn is just a visual to understand “a thought” that is not healthy or life giving. It shuts us down and can even paralyze us.  

The question is: Are we tuned in to pay attention to our thoughts?  When feeling down, or  unmotivated, or a queasy feeling in our stomach that things are just not right do we stop and analyze what’s happening? Or do we just plug along ignoring and not understanding why we are  not able to live fully in the moment as God intended?   

This is where I am right now…. A desire of becoming acutely aware of  “how am I feeling right now”?  I choose to walk in peace, love and positive energy.  All the elements that reflect who I serve. Which of course is that I serve the Lord, not myself.  Awareness!! Tuned in!!! 

To live in the light of Christ is to walk in light, joy, love, peace and fulfillment. 

Ok, so back to where I started.  Each new day I continue to crocheting the story of my life. I often get stuck with a negative or toxic thought. Yes, this is a twisted piece of yard (a unhealthy - toxic thought). 

First becoming AWARE  of a “twisted yarn” is so valuable
Next to identify what is twisting the yarn.  Yes, you heard right.  The yarn is twisted by a force. Negative forces are trying to destroy us. Ok, like the lies of the devil which are:  hurt, anger, disappointment…and yes fear is the root of most of these emotions. We are destroyed by fear. Fear of not being accepted or loved, the fear of  failure, the fear of loss, etc. 

Jumping ahead. How to untwist the yarn so it’s not just stuffed away to mess up and screw up the pattern of my beautiful life story? 

Well…. Actually, God’s word, His truth is what gives us the ability to untwist the yarn. And quite honestly it sometimes needs the healing of God.  

All of my jumbled thoughts today are to  say this:  I choose today to become more aware of what I am feeling and then to exam “what am I thinking about”.  Are my thoughts based in fear? Disappointment? Anger? Sadness? Ok, UnTwist them by meditating on His Word and Promises.  Claim in the Name of Jesus that what is twisting my yarn is Spiritual. 

 Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual .

Take charge of my story.  Become aware of my thoughts.  Choose to unravel the twisted yarn.  


Romans 8:31  “in all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” 


Ciao

Thursday, March 31, 2022

 Thoughts.

Who we are is comprised of our thoughts.  Recently I have been listening to a favorite author of mine. Dr Caroline Leaf, a NeuroScientist. https://drleaf.com/.  Her research is on our thoughts and the how they impact our life. Based in Science yet validated by the Word:  Philippians 4: 8-9.




This morning as an event unfolded I “felt” discouraged and sad. Attempting to regain my focus I thought about how “words” that trigger feelings and thoughts can just shut you down.   So, I choose to sit outside on this beautiful sunny day and in the heavy mist of sadness start praising God for his Goodness.  Within minutes the bird feeder I recently placed in to the yard had a little feathered friends come to visit.  I was beginning to become discouraged since putting up the bird feeder that the birds didn’t know it was there ! There they were, the bird feeder was coming to life.  

Like  a gift from heaven, with perfect timing in the breeze of praising God dispute my sadness a burst of peace flooded my being. My thoughts were directed to the birds and it changed my emotions.   

This prompted this analogy:

Some times our “thoughts” are negative - toxic. Thoughts are like yarn we are crocheting or knitting in the fabric of our life. Yes,  somewhat like when I am crocheting and the yarn becomes tangled. 

Yes, tangled yarn…. A unhealthy thought or reaction to words that trigger unconscious negative … feelings. But the Gift God has given us is “CHOICE”.  To take that tangled yarn and begin to unwind it… sometimes it needs patience and time to detangle, there are times we just need God to intervene and heal. But when it is untwisted and detangled it then can be “crocheted” into something beautiful and useful. 

What I am learning, by reading and listening to Dr Leaf, is that just “stuffing” our twisted up yard and not dealing with it can be toxic for our body and overall being.    (Dr Leaf talks explains our thoughts are Trees and her research validates how thoughts can change brain cells)

Our thoughts can be hijacked … yes,  Scripturally, we “wrestle against spiritual forces”.  Yes, it is something we must reckon with.  It is truth. Yes, we are body and mind… but how ignorant we are when we forget we are spiritual beings.  

Our “thoughts” are who we are, it is our spiritual being. 

So powerful are our thoughts.   The other day I wished I could have God just send me a transcript of my thoughts from the time I awoke until I lay my head on the pillow. Incredibly powerful if we had such an opportunity to review our thought life for the day.  How many thoughts were twisted yarn? Did I even recognize the twisted yarn being stuffed away in my brain?

Well,  you’ve now heard the rambling of someone who starts each day with one prayer. God help me to bring Glory to your name by my deeds, actions, words and ….thoughts!

Just Me Talking

Ciao

Thursday, March 17, 2022

 Lessons to be learned.  “There is value to every situation we face, good or bad if… IF we choose to learn and grow from what we experience”.  For instance,  What I have  experience through a myriad of emotions these past few weeks is empowering. Well, that is my choice to use the word “empowering”.  The antonym is debilitating.  That’s not happening to me.  My Choice. I can’t control what happens around me. I can’t control that despite all efforts my body is aging and susceptible to disease and illness. BUT I can control my thoughts.  I can take the negative and embrace it, not fight it, not stuff it away, not ignore it but…. Re-Frame it. Hold it up to Scripture (very powerful). Exercise my Faith and Trust in God’s promises.  Yes, become empowered and at peace.  

Now believe me when I say it’s work.  It is about self awareness.  It is about keeping focus and not being caught off guard.  But when you hear something that feels like ….. well, I recall playing dodge ball and having the ball strike me in the stomach so hard that I lost my breath.  Something like that.  Like being hit in the stomach and losing my breath. And even as I struggled to catch my breath the reverberation seemed to cause me to be paralyzed to where the thought of even calling upon God - feeling so let down- was not there. Shocking experience.  TIME.   That’s all I can say is it does take time to recover. Not much different than loosing a spouse. The disbelief is extraordinary.  But in time, healing takes place and your able to move again. 

Well, I got a little off track. The point is take those sad, negative and sometimes frightening experiences and when the thought occur, as they will, Embrace the thought and then re-weave it into the tapestry of your life. What did you learn about yourself from the negative experience? What did you learn about life?

Don’t let the devil hijack your thoughts.  When the dark ugly fearful thoughts enter your mind, and they will, capture them!  See them for what they are…. A tool of taking you down. Counter those thoughts with: Scriptures.  For instance, when a fearful thought enters Speak “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the World”  “For we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord”. 

Toxic thoughts seek to destroy us.  

Think on these things, whatsoever is true, lovely and of good report….. Yes, another scripture.

Lesson learned. Empower yourself by taking control of your thoughts.


Salute,

Me