3-16

Today is March 16, 2010.


In order to make sense out of what I am going to write, I need to explain a couple of things about myself. I am a Christian, what I would call a "practical" Christian. I have given my whole self to the Lord and have gone strong since 1985. However, I have a hard time with some Christians that are religious. Not to be confused with spiritual. I am not much into every other word having to say "If God leads, or lets me, or wills, or allows me." I feel that sometimes we show unnecessary fear. I see it like this: If my son asks me to take a class on Mondays and I say yes, it is settled. But when Monday comes around and he asks again and begs and pleads and does this EVERY MONDAY I would wonder what is wrong with him, wasting all this time and energy for something that it was already understood. Worse yet, if he couldn't get me on the phone and missed the class because he didn't hear my voice (again) approving his going there, then I would be upset with him and even think:"What is wrong, you had my permission!" I wonder if God sometimes thinks that about us-in a much nicer way than me-: "Didn't I tell you it is OK to go to the grocery store without having to ask Me (again)?"

That is how I view many instances when God has already set situations in motion since the beginning of time: "Be fruitful and multiply." He wasn't specific. If we want one child or ten I guess He would leave it up to us. "Go and subdue the earth and its living things". To me that means if you want to move, or change jobs, or read a certain book, or anything at all, we have the freedom, if you don't want to, you don't have to. God would approve it either way and would present us to the new life challenges whatever we do, wherever we go. I believe that's why He gifted us in certain areas. We can put all those ingredients together and make our own decision whithin His moral compass and pre-set boundaries, feeling free to exercise our God given mind, desires and emotions. It is safe to say that I don't see the devil under every rock and God on every move I make. I have the "Promised Land" but I will get there by going through the desert. Our daily battles are ours to fight, and yes, He is with us as we go.

Having said all these, I woke up this morning and a Facebook friend had in his status John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." I always liked this verse, it summarizes God so nicely. A few minutes later, in preparation to going to the bank to make a deposit, I wrote today's date, 3-16. Interesting. After I added up the deposit amount and less cash, the total was...$316.

If anything at all, these "coincidences" made me pause and contemplate this verse for a few minutes. There is so much power in those words, thank you Lord for giving us a way out of perishing to new life. I took this as a little gift to me, that as I travel my "practical" journey I can't forget He is supernatural and will remind me of it every so often. Thank you for that, my Lord.

Another Thought

It is usually my familial kitchen table that inspires my writings.  My thoughts, however, come and go all day long.  I love to see people's eyes light up when they discover that they have choices about their thoughts.  I find it reassuring that the mind is not a helpless mass of directionless neurons, unable to respond to commands.  But controling our thoughts does not happen by accident.

Just as we train our muscles to go from flab to tight, or we train our spirit to go from darkness to light, we can train our mind to go from dread and despair to truth and reality. I said "truth and reality" because most of our dreadful thoughts are not based on truth, but fear.  Overcoming fears is a great place to start receiving truth - truth about a situation or thought.  Isolation makes our fears grow like mold on humid surfaces.  Close relationships help us center when our minds decide to run wild.  But the real work is to train ourselves to learn "to take every tought captive." This could be a constant minute by minute choice for some people.  Some of us will do this by intaking truth through God's word daily. Others will first need repairing of the mind from past experiences before being able to accept truth. We are all in different places, but we are all the same: we all fall short of God's glory and are in need of a Savior. 

Fear, despair, doubt, insecurity, self-destruction - all need to be taken captive and replaced with peace, rest, trust, confidence, and self-protection.  God has secured a place for us, He has given us good instructions for dealing with our own battles. We are instructed to take up our cross daily.

The problem may come when I get tired and unwilling to take up my daily cross and instead, begin to question and doubt.  I start to think too much, just like Eve when she was deceived after having had clear instructions directly from God as to what not to do.  If she, so close to God, was deceived, what hope do I have?  "Our Body Will Follow Our Thoughts," "We Are What We Think," "Self-Talk Is The Most Important Conversation We Have All Day," are just a few reminders that we are responsible to actively work on our thought process.  Awareness, distraction, Scripture, deep breathing, relaxation, music, prayer, friends, are just a few examples to achieve this capture.  So I declare today I will think about ..."whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-I will think about such things."

More Thoughts.

It has been a long time since my last post, and might as well been years that went by. Life changed since the holidays and I am going along practicing all the tools I have in my tool box. Although I don't like this road I am traveling I realize I could not have done it in the past. I feel equipped and grounded, loved and prepared. Since God's will is pretty much a mystery, I follow along hoping for the best, yet preparing for the worse.

I had a client one day tell me that she thought God's plans were like a sick joke; because He was in control, nobody knew the outcome. I was saddened and surprised at first by her belief. Then, I had to give it some thought. That's when I realized that faith is the glue that brings it all together. We either have it or not. Even with lots and lots of faith God will be God and will do what He had already planned. Even without faith He will do the same. So, does it matter what we do with it? Can we change God's plan and mind? I used to tell my kids: "Imagine a girl praying to marry this guy, and then two more girls praying to marry the same guy. Obviously God can't say yes to all three of them. Maybe one will get the guy, or none of them. Let's pretend one of the girls gets the guy. She will be praising the Lord and think great things about Him. At the very same time two other girls will be disappointed and unhappy. One of them may say she did not like the guy that much after all, and move on. The other girl may just say God is a joke and leave Him. "

It is not so much about what God does or does not. It is about how we receive it. He would have done it anyway. I believe He may grant us some prayers according to His will, but mainly it is about our commitment and devotion, believing and following even when the outcome is not what we wanted. He hasn't changed nor will He ever change. “He is the same today, yesterday, and forever.” We, on the other hand, change and become what we allow us to become.

Our faith will be tested, no doubt about that. It is easy to say I will follow Him forever when I am having a great moment in life. My friend just lost her 23 year old daughter to leukemia. To say she didn't struggle with her faith would be a lie, yet she is being refined and purified until the day she sees he daughter again.

We can jump out or stay in. The choice is ours. We may even wander off for a while, hopefully to realize that there is no better place than inside. To all my friends going through hard times I can honestly say: "I understand, hang in there, we will make it through together and hang on God, who, although we may not understand completely, knows what's best."

Another Milestone, Congratulations Christa!

Yesterday was my daughter's graduation from Cosmetology College. Once she takes the State license test she can begin working on her profession.

Christa is very creative, artistic and talented. Even since she was a little girl she loved to paint, draw and create. It was only natural that she would choose a career in that field.

About 17 years ago when Christa was about 3 years old we were driving somewhere and all of a sudden she asked: "Mommy is that Heaven or Hell?" As I turn my head somewhat surprised by her question, I noticed we had just past a cemetery. Her inquisitive young mind was already trying to understand the spiritual side of her, as we were cultivating it daily with bible stories, church, Sunday school and talks about our Lord.

My prayer for my kids was always first about their spiritual life and second about their career choices. Today I praise God because her choices have consistently been about her love for Jesus even when it cost her worldly prices. I have seen her wrestling with options that seemed right at the time but also knowing God had a better plan for her. Christa has been able to discern her own question about "Heaven and Hell" and has grown to trust her Savior to guide her. I am forever thankful to God for my little girl.

If anybody wonders what I responded to her cemetery question: "It's neither Heaven nor Hell, their bodies are there but their spirits are either with the Lord, or without Him."

Christian Meditation

Joshua 1:6-9 (New International Version)

6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Meditation on God's word yields the highest wisdom.  On Psalm 119 there are several verses where the writer meditates on God's decrees, precepts and wonders. 
Psalm 119:97-100 (New International Version)
97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.

Christian meditation is one of the better ways to receive insight of what God is trying to say in His word, making His followers wiser than their enemies.  Meditation simply means focused thinking.  I always say if we know how to worry we know how to meditate.  But, the meditation needs to concentrate on His word, not the worries and cares of this world.  I know when I spend time in His word I come out centered, understanding life more clearly.  I feel a sense of peace and security that I lose as soon as I wonder off from Him.  The pull from the world is very strong;  God's voice is soft.  I have to choose to be there listening to it, filling my heart with it. 

Meditation is as ancient as cultures.  Christian meditation is different from eastern meditation because Christian meditation focuses on God and His teachings; not on mantras.   There is a part of us that receives better when we are in solitude, quiet, relaxed.  Our spirit is uncluttered of the many competitors it has all day long.  My peaceful mind is able to concentrate and internalize His precepts and decrees.

There are so many things to meditate about from the bible.  We can meditate on His unfailing love:
Psalm 48:9 (New International Version)
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.

Or on His works,
Psalm 143:5 (New International Version)
5 I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.

Or as mentioned above, on His decrees and precepts, on His word and His love for us. 

There are many physical benefits from Christian meditation as well: it calms the racing mind, especially when there are compulsive thoughts taking over.  It may help reduce blood pressure, and it calms anxiety by reducing cortisol and adrenaline release. 

Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinks within himself,  so he is."  We are what we think, self-talk is the most important conversation we have all day.  I want to make those inner-talks about God and His love for me by meditating on His word.

To Think or Not to Think...

When I think good, healthy thoughts, my brain creates new neuro-path ways instead of trailing the old well known road to negativity. Science tells me that, I teach it, I use it in my own life. This is true for all of us. However, it isn't that simple. It requires a complete, radical transformation of who I am at my core. It challenges my beliefs from birth and requires lots of work. And like anything worth pursuing, the payoffs are great. 

I wish I could have a "delete" button and -voila'- I start fresh. Decades of negative thoughts, stress and anxiety, depression, self-doubt, self-criticism, perfectionism, victim/ worrier thinking, and more makes these thoughts familiar and comfortable. I don't fight the habit because it is what I know. One lady said: "I don't want to get out of Hell, I know the names of all the streets."

God even gives us Scriptures to dwell on that will help change the neuro- paths to where they need to be:

Philippians 4:6-8 (New King James Version)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Then why is it so hard to do? Why do I dwell on the bad thoughts instead of renewing my mind?

Partly because it is a default setting, I go there automatically; my sin nature takes me there with ease. To transform and renew my mind I need to make a conscious effort that requires diligence, will and work. It could be compared to working my muscles when I exercise. It takes work, for the most part it is not enjoyable, but once I begin noticing the rewards of my hard work, I find motivation and a desire to continue.

The good news is that I begin to create these new neuro- paths that help me bring my thoughts into captivity much faster that before. Dwelling on "What ifs" that most likely will never happen is not God's plan for my life. Trusting God means giving up trying to control everything, yet being good stewards of what is within my responsibility to manage. There's a big difference.

As I sit here contemplating life, I begin to recount Jesus' life. He had many reasons to feel sorry for Himself, but I doubt very much He did. I am sure He didn't go through life thinking how unfair His lot was. I wonder if He ever felt self-conscious when teaching, say, the sermon on the Mountain or the Parables. Did He ever worry Himself sick with feelings of inadequacy, or self-doubt, or drive Himself crazy with perfectionism or self-criticism? Did He ever feel like telling somebody off? How about road rage pushing other donkeys out of His way? He didn't even own a donkey, He walked everywhere he went and I am sure His cholesterol was fine; after all He got plenty of exercise and ate lots of fish. He spent time with the Father in regular basis, plus He loved people and had compassion for them. Even those who hated Him, falsely accused Him, even those who crucified and killed Him.

I am told to be more like Jesus as I walk the walk. What does that mean? I wonder what life would be if I got up in the morning and made a list of things I were to accomplish that had nothing to do with my own gain. What if my to do list was: 1. Go to Kaiser and visit three terminally ill patients, 2. Bring a meal to a sick friend, 3. Go Christmas shopping for homeless children, 4. Love your family regardless, 4. Expect nothing, 5. Love some more. Could I ever do this and not think about me, me, me, and my needs, and my wants, and my fitness, and my need for vacation, and the list goes on.

If -and that's the operative word- I was able to do that, would I be happier? Could it be that I am extremely self-preoccupied, self-absorbed, self-ish? It is a well known fact that in third world countries people have almost nothing yet they are happier. Need produces a bonding experience that removes "the have to have this to be happy" deception. I many times wonder if it would even be possible to ever experience His life to the fullest. Is suffering what helps me to become closer to my King?

As I write this blog, I am surrounded by sad situation after sad situation that is happening to Christians around me. Is it becoming an epidemic? Where does one go to not catch it? There is nowhere but back to Him. Is that what it will take to bring us back to Him?

I sound like Solomon in Ecclesiastes! I guess I am mourning with those who are mourning today.

As Jesus was a "man of many sorrows," so are we. Yet He promised "not to leave us nor forsake us." As I go through the valley of death He is walking along side with me. As I, in the physical realm, believe and internalize His many promises, and dwell on them, I begin to create new hopeful neuro- pathways in my brain that will help to bring together my body, mind and Spirit to be of one accord.

Sarai (last)

Rest in Peace Sarai Moreno Britt (1986-2009)