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Forever Friend

Forever Friend

In the course of life's journey
we rub shoulders with many people,
Some are warm and open,
others afraid and closed.
Some we connect with,
others come and soon are gone.
Some linger awhile.
But every now and then...
either through fate or by chance
or because of a Higher Power...
In an unexpected moment
we are touched by a smile
that lingers in the memory.
We meet again and the more
we do the more we know
that we have met a friend
and we'll be friends forever.
Next to God
there is no greater gift in life
than a forever-friend.
I hope that we can be such friends.

-- Dick Innes
(c) Copyright

This poem, Forever Friend [8"x10"], beautifully
produced is available
On SALE at: http://tinyurl.com/forever-friend

Opening

Why hadn’t I seen that the price of being safe — is the cost of being solitary? Why hadn’t I seen that distrust can destroy a life? ~ Ann Voskamp

Friendship is a laying bare open kind of thing unless you of course are like most of us women out here who hold the everyday kind of friend at arms length. Fears, mistrust, old thinking messages from days long gone still play, and sourness is sunk in deep.
I have wondered for many years why I liked to be so solitary within my own spirit and soul. I often thought of myself as a person who was open and willing to be vulnerable. I was a bit blind because I found out that while I may have spoke the truth of what I felt or knew within, I held my arms in a great stretch between me and another.
I was in a protective mode. Childhood and teenage dagger wounds in my heart where to fresh for me to move on. I wasn’t willing to be hurt….even though I was as touchy as porcupine. Hurting me was as easy as a heart beating. It just happened. I was a long been wounded soul looking for love with spikes on.
But being alone and being unknown was too much for me and I would guess it is also to much for you. So what do you do? YOU REACH OUT. Not to many and any but to one in particular. One you have a draw to. One God given friend. That is what happened to me. It is through this friendship that I have learned much about myself and her. It has been a friendship of depth. A friendship of asking what, when, where, and why --the hard questions. Lots of people don’t like this kind of heart digging…and I didn’t until I started to feel the pleasure of realness. The shiny polish of shallow acquaintance - arms length friendship - wore off and I yearned for deep fellowship.
Its not easy ….it requires a love of the truth and grace for another and yourself. We are a people of hiding. Like Adam and Eve in the garden with the fig leaves. We do the same thing. We hide and dodge throw up our defenses, blaming, and accusations. All of which I did and still do as I am working through the layers of my inner mind and heart.
None of this is even possible without Christ and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. His sacrifice has secured us the position and standing of righteous. So through that we can walk this truthful, real and open relationship out.  The Holy Spirit brings the understand through revelation, and for us these revelations have often come as we bare our scars and reveal our shadowy sides to each other.

Who can bear living the whole of their lives and never learn what it means to really be a friend?
~Ann Voskamp

Jesus calls us HIS FRIENDS. With Jesus I can tell Him anything and He loves me still. He knows my darkness, hurts, fears and dreams. He doesn’t use them against me, he uses them to heal me.  He encourages me as I am in His presence. He counsels me in His ways. He teaches me about myself and more importantly about how to be more like Him, and I believe that the more we are like Jesus the more we will be this kind of Friend.
STARLA
linking with:

 

Quote for Sun September 11, 2011

"Terror and tragedy have made us more aware of our vulnerabilities and mortality ... We're living through a time of testing and consequence, and pray that our wisdom and will are equal to the work before us." - Condoleeza Rice
#Bible http://j.mp/r94Zsz

1 Corinthians 1:5 (TLB) (Devotional)

He . . . has given you a full understanding of the truth. -1 Corinthians 1:5 (TLB) There is never any conflict between true science and our Christian faith. It is my own feeling that when all of the truth is known, it will be found that the Genesis story is a wonderfully accurate record of what took place when the world was created. This may be a telescoped record, giving only major points, but I believe it is scientifically accurate. To discard the Bible because we do not understand everything in it, or in the world, would be a foolish thing to do. Let me also suggest that teachers should confine themselves to those areas in which they are qualified. I have known unbelievers to attack the Christian faith through their teaching, even when they did not have the remotest idea of what true Christianity is. For instance, one does not send an art critic to write up a football game, or a sports writer to evaluate a painting. Ask God to give you the wisdom to keep things in their proper perspective, and,mdash;above all,mdash;faithfully read your Bible and pray every day. If you do, God will give you the faith and wisdom you need to meet any problem.

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7377
#Bible http://j.mp/or8dqy

The balance of Grace

Ok…

So I am listening to Lysa TerKurst and Ann Voskamp talk about their lives.

And Lysa says I get asked this question allot “How do you do your life? with many children, writing, speaking engagements and everything else too, how do you do it? How do you balance it?”

and the interviewer lady said :  Balance isn't real! right?

I listened a little further and I stopped the video and just sat with that thought …..(repeating it to myself  - BALANCE ISN’T REAL …

and at first I am thinking WHAT!!?? wait a minute!!

I need balance….if I don’t balance I will be off over here to long and miss this and that and what about….and all this stuff going off in my head.

and then I hear the Lord say “that is what my grace is for.”

My heart kind of sank …and I started to write this, because I feel that I understand myself and what I am learning better when I write it out.

If God’s grace is for our balance then all my striving to balance home, church, friends, family, laundry and dinner is for nothing!!

But If I am relying on my own strength then NO WONDER I am constantly straining myself to do better, organize, get it right, get it on the calendar. Perfect my inconsistencies and fix my “look” of laziness and craziness.

(Now there is nothing wrong with improving…what I am talking about a need for “balance” called PERFECTIONISM that causes you to think down if your stuff isn't done or will cause you to miss a God Appointment because you need to do that stuff. )

I know I am not the only one here!

The Key is Grace -like the gyroscope…I found this little diagram:

 

(source)

What is the ultimate GRACE --Christ who gave His life for us!

Romans 11:36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

If we keep our eyes on CHRIST in the center of it all….

( in the midst of all our mess, and issues, and timetables, and running errands  )

IF we keep our eyes on HIM…WE ARE BALANCED! (can you believe??)

When we Pray to the Father ( Output axis) and love others ( input axis) all while our eyes are fixed on Christ ( Spin Axis)

we walk in HIS WILL!!

How much more balanced could we be than in HIS WILL!!!

If Christ …If Grace is your Axis, MY AXIS - then I can allow myself to be IMPERFECT in His PERFECTNESS…I can allow myself to let go of the need to BALANCE LIFE….and instead LIVE IN GRACE!

I can do His will, as He asks and allow myself grace for the dishes not done because I am walking His way…and not mine.

BTW--  …Lysa said “ I DON’T!!” Balance is a slippery term :0) and Ann said “ Christ is our Axis, he is our balance point! :0)

Amen Girlfriends!

I get it! How do you feel about balance and are you trying to find it?

 

Friendship of Love,

Starla

Monday Motto: Live Praise

VERTICAL PRAISE
I read that in a book we are reading for devotion on our worship team.
I makes me think of a beam of light coming straight out of my head with words  above my head like:
  WORSHIP, PRAISE, THANKFUL, GRACE, PEACE
God is so amazing …
He made us FULLY BUILT INSTRUMENTS for Praise….
But we have to PLAY our instruments!!
If you SING ……sing praise
If you’re a SPEAKER….speak praise
If you are a DRUMMER….drum praise
If you are a MOTHER…..teach praise
If you are a CHRISTIAN …..LIVE PRAISE!!
Be a walking upright praise machine!!
Learn to tune your instrument ….don’t worry about how it sounds…
GOD HEARS SWEET SOUNDS IN HIS EARS! 
STARLA
linking up:

Follow not that which is evil, but that which is good .

Follow not that which is evil, but that which is good . . . -3 John 11 We must get this fact firmly fixed in our minds: we live in an upside-down world. People hate when they should love, quarrel when they should be friendly, fight when they should be peaceful, wound when they should heal, steal when they should share, do wrong when they should do right. I once saw a toy clown with a weight in its head. No matter what position you put it in, it invariably assumed an upside-down position. Put it on its feet or on its side, and when you let go it flipped back on its head. Unregenerate people are just like that! Do what you may with them and they always revert to an upside-down position. That is why the disciples to the world were misfits. To an upside-down person, a right-side up person seems upside down. To a sinner, a righteous person is an oddity and an abnormality. A Christian's goodness is a rebuke to the wicked; his being right-side up is a reflection upon the worldling's inverted position.

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7320
#Bible http://j.mp/nHWIzl

Quote for Thu July 14, 2011

"If faith is the gaze of the heart at God, and if this gaze is but the raising of the inward eyes to meet the all-seeing eyes of God, then it follows that it is one of the easiest things possible to do." - A. W. Tozer
#Bible http://j.mp/oyVyxS

Isaiah 61:1 (Devotional)

The Lord hath anointed me . . . to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. -Isaiah 61:1 Viktor Frankl in his book, Chr(34)Man's Search for Meaning,Chr(34) describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He said, "Each man has within him the power to choose how he will react to any given situation." God has given us the power of choice. Some people today do not wish to accept the responsibility for their actions. They blame society. They blame the environment. They blame the schools. They blame the circumstances. But Adam sinned in a perfect environment under perfect circumstances. We can't blame it all on somebody else. We must accept the blame ourselves for our part. Society is made up of individuals. If we have social injustice, we're the ones who are wrong; we're part of it. Let's accept our responsibility to do something about it.

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7319
#Bible http://j.mp/nhURx2

Monday Motto: To the best of your ability

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

There are things that only you can do. God created you able to do those things that you are gifted in. Many things we do are routine, every day life things….like laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping.

But some things you do simple give you joy. They are creative and inspiring. Those things are your ABILITY.

In all these things IF we commit them to the LORD, He says that He will establish the plans. And if GOD is behind us then we ought to do it with ALL OUR MIGHT!!

AMEN!

F and L’er

Starla

My Quote of the Day

"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.", Mother Teresa

If we understood

WHAT A GREAT QUOTE ....

 

If we understood the power of our thoughts,
we would guard them more closely.
If we understood the awesome power of our words,
we would prefer silence to almost anything negative.
In our thoughts and words we create
our own weaknesses and our own strengths.
Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts.
We can always replace negative with positive.

~ Bettie Eadie

Freedom

http://www.mountainwings.com/past/11185.htm

Carrots, Eggs or Coffee Beans Movie

http://www.flickspire.com/m/LifeSecrets/CarrotsEggsCoffee#.Tg85sEpQRFo.gmail

Reality

 

 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.

- Marianne Williamson

give

 

 

 

-BIBLE POST - http://www.thebiblepost.com/which-path-are-you-on

 

Good stuff found!!!

 

LORD let us be givers even as Your SON has given to us.

 

F and L'er

Starla

 

Dance!!!!!

Your life within God's arms,
Your dance within God's arms,
Is already Perfect!
- Hafiz

Life is like dancing.
If we have a big floor, many people will dance.
Some will get angry when the rhythm changes.
But life is changing all the time.
- don Miguel Ruiz

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance.
- Lee Ann Womack

Today is your day to dance lightly with life,
sing wild songs of adventure,
invite rainbows and butterflies out to play,
soar your spirit, and unfurl your joy.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Change

Change

 

The nature of life is constant change. The world is not the same today as it was yesterday, and it will be different still tomorrow. We can be victims of that change, or we can proactively drive change.

 

Without change, there would be no butterflies.

- Anonymous

 

If we don't change, we don't grow.

If we don't grow, we aren't really living.

- Gail Sheehy

 

We must be the change we wish to see.

- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

 

Welcome change. Without change, we would always remain caterpillars.

 

Embrace change. Spread your wings. Fly high and free.

 

Drive Change, don't wait for change to drive you.

- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

 

 

There is one that never changes.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 

Where we need change we can count on Him to help us. 

The Pencil Maker and The Pencil

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL

5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1. EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK .

2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4. IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENING'S, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

 

- quote found on FB page friend – Renita – Thank you!!

 

Life is like that isn't it!

Be Blessed and Hang on

 

F of L'er

Starla

Let God Choose

Let God Choose As for God, His way is perfect! Psalm 18:30 Let God choose for you, it will be the right decision. Let God guide you, it will be the right direction. Let God plan for you, it will be in the right timing. Let God measure for you, it will be the right portion. Let God help you, it will be the right care. Let God instruct you, it will be the right teaching. Let God prepare you, it will be the right training. Let God counsel you, it will be the right perspective. Let God fight for you, it will be the right outcome. Let God work in you, it will be the right result. -Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer http://roy.dayspring.com/2011/05/let-god-choose.html

Quote

"Knowledge of God can be fully given to man only in a Person, never in a doctrine. Faith is not the holding of correct doctrine, but personal fellowship with the living God." - William Temple
#Bible http://j.mp/kXAC8f

Quote to ponder

"Now the great thing is this: we are consecrated and dedicated to God in order that we may thereafter think, speak, meditate, and do, nothing except to his glory. For a sacred thing may not be applied to profane uses without marked injury to him." - John Calvin
#Bible http://j.mp/muEz5T

Quote

"Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.", Benjamin Franklin

My Quote of the Day

"The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.", Benjamin Franklin

Monday Motto: TRUST

Sometimes trust is hard for people.

 

I know it was hard for me. I grew up believing it is best to candy coat your thoughts and emotions  for people because it was received better that way.

This made it very difficult for me when I met Christ who asked of me to "cast all my care upon Him." How could I do that when I had been living a life that was a bit of a fairy tale.  I lived in denial more than reality. I had become so fearful to be honest because I had been hurt when I was.  So learning to trust that I could be honest with this God who loves me has been an interesting journey. I discovered more about who I am and who He is as I slowly began to speak truthfully to myself and to Him about my situations, hurts and needs. The healing is amazing. Its like coming alive --when you didn't know you were dead.

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding.

 

My understanding was : If I am truthful, people will hurt me.

 

His understanding for me was: If you are truthful ...LIFE BECOME LIGHTER BECAUSE I CARRY THE LOAD.

 

Have a blessed Monday

 

F and L'er

Starla

Romans 12:10 (Devotional)

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love . . . -Romans 12:10

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7259
#Bible http://j.mp/iY9q5W

Proverbs 20:3

Proverbs 20:3 It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

To Know and Not to Do

To Know and Not to Do

I like what a Buddhist monk once said, "To know and not to do is not yet to know." To translate that into our Christian terminology it could be, "To believe and not to act is not yet to believe." In other words, if I say that I believe that without Christ people are eternally lost, and never do anything to point or even to help point others to Christ, do I really believe that people without Christ are lost? And if I say that I believe that Jesus is coming again and that the lost will be left behind, and I never do anything to help point them to Christ, do I really believe that Jesus is coming again and that the non-Christians will be left behind?

So I agree with the monk who said: "To know and not to do is not yet to know."

To help share the gospel become a People Power for Jesus Partner. Click on http://www.actsweb.org/people_power02.php for more information.

    -- Dick Innes

Comfort & Ease & Pleasure

WHEN comfort and ease and pleasure are put AHEAD of duty and conviction, progress is ALWAYS set back.

 

I read this statement & it really stuck with me...  So I thought I better share it along with where it came from. It is a good read.  Something to take time to think about & see where it leads you in thought.  Hope it blesses you just as it did me!

 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. -1 Peter 5:8 When I was in the hospital in Hawaii, I read again of the shocking events which led up to the destruction of the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor. On that fateful day of December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked. We know now that that attack was invited by our failure to be always vigilant. The result was the destruction of our fleet—the cause was tragic indifference. When comfort and ease and pleasure are put ahead of duty and conviction, progress is always set back.

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7245
#Bible http://j.mp/m1UFIu

Above is a link that I just love that I found & down loaded on my cell phone.  There are Bible readings on there, quotes, teachings from Joyce Meyer's & devotionals! = )

Have a Blessed Day!
--
Tina

Something to Think About

Starla & I were asking ourselves these questions on Easter Sunday, very thought provoking....& some were tough to answer to!

 

Thought question:

 

What are he top 3 qualities you look for in a friend?

 

What is your favorite sound?

 

What makes you feel secure?

 

What's the number one change you need to make in your life in the next 12 months?

 

What was the most defining moment in your life during the past year?

 

In one sentence how would you describle your relationship with your Mother?

 

What's something new you recently learned about yourself?

 

Let God Arise

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
"Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered..."
(Psalm 68:1, NKJ)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria
Let me ask you today, what are you letting arise in your life? In other words, what are you focusing your words, energy and thoughts on? You might say, "Oh, Joel, it's just so hard right now. I've lost some money." "My health doesn't look good." "Somebody walked out on me." No, you're focusing on the wrong things. You're letting defeat, discouragement and self-pity rise up. Why don't you turn that around and say, "God is still in control. Somebody may have walked out on me, but I know God is going to bring me somebody better." "I may be hurting right now, but I know God is the restorer of my soul." "I may have lost money in the stock market, but I'm not worried. I know God is my provider. He is supplying all of my needs. He is fighting my battles."
When you start giving God glory and letting Him arise in your life, you can't stay defeated. Your enemies will be scattered! They'll tremble at your words of faith. Begin right now by declaring God's goodness in your life and let Him arise so that you can move forward in the victory He has for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, I repent right now for allowing any negative, self-defeating thoughts or attitudes rise up in my life. You alone are my God, and I put my trust in You. I bless You today and always and choose to look for the good things You have for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
— Joel & Victoria Osteen

My Soap Box

 

Dear friends, Again, I have stepped off My Soapbox because Barbara wrote a piece that I really felt you should read. See if this isn't instructive and applicable for where you and your spouse live. Dennis Do you know that unwinnable "Whack a Mole" game at your local kids' pizza place—the one where the machine pops up plastic moles and your mission is to beat them back down as fast as they pop up? Conflicts in marriage are like that game; they keep popping up even when you don't want to play anymore. A week ago, my husband and I were in another unwanted skirmish in our marriage. Same topic, same emotions, round gazillion! I've been disappointed many times that our issues are not resolved cleanly. They aren't black and white. Over the decades of our marriage, our repeated disagreements have settled into several categories: parenting values, decision making, money, sex, and travel. Victory, a conditional one, was declared in only one of these: parenting … and that was simply because time ran out. The others demand ongoing engagement. Your own recurring marital battles may be over finances, in-laws, jobs or other situations. No two marriages battle the same combination of issues. Yet there are similar patterns. The "we're traveling too much" conflict was the one that caught us once again last week. My husband's mother affectionately called her son a "road runner" after the cute cartoon character that was off in a flash everywhere he went. I thought it was sweet. I should have paid attention to the truth she was speaking. Not that it would have changed my decision to marry him. But his road-runner enthusiasm for travel, adventure, discovery, and conquering enemy territory has caused more ongoing stress and conflict in our marriage than any of the other areas I mentioned earlier. (By the way, I love to be home.) Our recent conflict began when I realized we were over-committed. Again. Somehow the schedule monster had eaten up more days than we realized and suddenly we were facing the enemy of miscommunication with no escape. Feelings of mistrust, lack of protection, lack of support, and anxiety resurfaced as we confronted the fact that I need more time at home than he does, but he needs me to go with him, and support him, and do life with him. Neither is wrong. It's what we do with the clash of those colossal differences that matters. Like peeling an onion At the core of this conflict, and at the core of any other recurring conflict, is fear. For me it's fear that I am not really valued for what is important to me. If I perceive that Dennis is constantly scheduling us to the brink, pushing me to my limits, then I come to believe he hasn't heard me, that he doesn't get it, and therefore that he doesn't love me. At the same time, if I refuse to adapt, to grow, to risk the stress of following him, then he perceives that I haven't heard what he needs, that I don't get it, and therefore I don't really care about him as a person. It's like peeling the layers of an onion, rather than declaring victory. Each time we clash over this issue, and others, we are in different circumstances in our lives. I needed margins for different reasons twenty years ago when I was parenting full time. He needed my partnership for different reasons, too. Each conversation can peel another layer off our individual coverings so that we can see ourselves and our spouse more clearly than we did before. Our perceptions of ourselves and of each other are vastly flawed. We forget that most of the time. So while I don't believe we declared victory this time, that we'll never argue or disagree over travel ever again, I do believe we peeled away another layer. I see more clearly that I need to work on my attitude about following my husband, that I need to rejoice that my husband wants me with him, and that I should trust God with this situation that He has given me for my good. During a recent snow storm, our office building closed for the day. Dennis and I decided to enjoy every minute of the glittering snow-covered day, so we donned our winter gear and went hiking in the woods. On the way back, which was all uphill, I paused to catch my breath. As we stood there panting, my husband said to me, "I'm not going to push you anymore." It had nothing to do with the travel issues, but I realized in that promise that he heard my words to him. He allowed me to be who I was in that moment—needing a pause in the action when he didn't. Next time you are chopping an onion, remember that those layers represent more than a pungent cooking ingredient. To the one who perseveres in marriage, each layer pulled back takes you closer to the heart. Though often accompanied by tears, as happens with onions, the progress made is satisfying.

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This was so good I had to share! 

 

God Bless!

--
Tina

God Given Brain Power

When you upgrade your brain in any single context, you get a free upgrade in each and every context of your life.

When your brain enables you to feel confident and empowered when interacting with one person, your brain can enable you to feel this way in all contexts. If you can be creative in one area, your brain can be creative in many similar areas. If your brain can concentrate when you read one thing, you can concentrate in other areas as well. If you were able to cope well with a specific difficult person or difficult situation, it means that the inner resources that enabled you to do so are stored in your brain and your brain can access them with other people and situations. When you are able to create or access the states of happiness and joy at will, it means that your brain can do this over and over again in many other contexts

~ Rabbi Pliskin's
I really like this part:

 If you were able to cope well with a specific difficult person or difficult situation, it means that the inner resources that enabled you to do so are stored in your brain and your brain can access them with other people and situations.

 

You know how at times you feel like you are going around the mountain on the lesson train again???

 

This statement is wonderful to remember!!

 

If we were able to make it once ....we can do it again!

 

Most likely there is some refining that the Lord wants to do.

 

God made us able..... He created our brains to be used at our full capacity and potential...

 

Literally making nothing impossible to us.

 

We  just need the GOD - COMBINATION to open the lock called THE MIND OF CHRIST in us.

 

PS...guess what we have it...Tap into that today!

 

1 Corinthians 2:16 b     ....BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.

 

 

 

F & L'er

Starla

Smile...life is Good!

Like a Light Bulb

Friendships are so important.

Having time with your friend makes you feel great….and it is a much needed thing as in all relationships.

A close friendship provides a safe place to talk out struggles and what you are learning in life, revealing where you are, how your heart is faring in this wild wild world.

Having someone to talk to and bounce thoughts off of gives you a type of mirror for your thoughts and can help you see where you are blocking your own truth with lies, distortion, or ignorance.

I am lucky and truly blessed to have an amazing best friend.

I believe God put her in my life for purpose and that purpose has caused much growth in who I am as a person. I have been through the ups and downs and ins and outs with her and we are closer today than when we began over 11 years ago.

Even if we are talking to other people at the time and the other walks in the room if we meet each others gaze we light up…life is just so much brighter when she is in it!! ( It really is like when you were a little kid and your friend came over and you ran off together to have some grand adventure, share secrets and make pinky swears and vows of never ending friendship)

Maybe you want a friendship like this….

Is there someone you are drawn to but also you have an internal fear that is keeping your from opening up to close relationships?? Reach out! You may be surprised. One foot at a time.

Maybe you have one …

Keep opening up in honesty and truth, building trust, willing to be vulnerable, and hang on tight. No relationship is without its rollercoaster moments. You will either value the relationship and work hard toward togetherness or you will drift apart.

Maybe yours is just beginning…

Feel the excitement and enjoy every moment of discovery with your new friend…build goodness, truth, love and honesty into the fabric of your friendship….and don't forget to share your excitement. Your friend needs to know how much they make you happy.

GOD MADE FRIENDS…WE NEED THEM!!

(whether we think we do or not…we do :0)

F & L’er

Starla

Dont block your Gifts!

FEAR

Some of things that breed fear...

rejection : will I be accepted??
pain: will this person hurt me like so and so did?
abuse: will I be used again?

These things cause distress to the soul.

Knowing that I can change how these affect me by choosing well what I think about them gives me HOPE.

How can we do this ...

BY RENEWING OUR MINDS!!

Direct your mind in a TRUTH direction....and see what happens!


F & L'er
Starla

do you hear what's there?

Friends help me sort through my emotions. They show me when I'm overreacting. They gently correct me when I'm lost in catastrophic thinking. They ground me. They love me. - Mary Demuth

 

I love this quote because it is so very true.

 

Friends truly are a gift from God. I am so very thankful that God has created FRIENDS. Not all people are FRIENDS. Most are acquaintances, people we barely know. A FRIEND is different - we totally let them in.

 

On this blog we have a little side bar acronym for friends

Fight for u
Respect u
Inspire u
Encourage u
Need u
Deserve u
See u

They fight for you. Fight for you to Love who you are because they do.

 

They respect you. Respect that you have your own opinions, ideas, wants and needs. They don't expect you to be like them or think like they do and they are ok with that.

 

They inspire you. Inspire you to reach higher, be better, look further because they tell you what they see in you and because you believe them when they speak - you try!

 

They encourage you. Encourage you to never give up on yourself or God.

 

They need you. Need you to do all those same things they do for you.

 

They deserve you. Deserve to see the true you. Deserve your honesty. Deserve all the things you hold back because God made them able to handle it - how do you know? because they are still there and you feel real when you are with them.

 

They see you. See your light shining within and call to it. See your faults and don't fault you. See your hurts and don't discount them but don't let you sit in them too long. See who you are and simply LOVE YOU.

 

On the Friendships of Love facebook page I posted this:

A friend is, as it were, a second self - Cicero  Tina and I were having a conversation about friendship. How when you are standing in front of your true friend, you don't try to hide or conceal yourself. It is within these true friendships that you see yourself clearly because your true friend (a second self) is a mirror for you to see the truth.

 

I got to thinking a little more about that mirror part... it is not that they mirror you (look like you or think like you) but that like a mirror in the bathroom, you walk in and take a look and you see what is there. A true friend allows you to be who you are. So while you are talking to them --you hear what's there-- you see what your heart looks like, you see what your mind looks like, you get a glimpse of what your soul looks like, you get some objectivity. You see parts of yourself you don't usually get to see because around other people you are not being fully you. A friend really is a wonderful gift.

 

I am so thankful for MINE!

 

Do you have one of those kinds of friends so that you can HEAR WHAT'S THERE?

 

F and L'er

Starla Smith
Smile...life is Good!

Shipwreck From Within

Shipwreck From Within

   A sample of Daily Encounter by Dick Innes

"Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked."

1 "Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," also wrote a story called 'Ninety-Three.' It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to re-tie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the [loose] cannon was greater than the fury of the storm."2

Life's certainly like that. Not always, but more often than not, it isn't the storms without that cause us the most problems, but the storms that rage within us;such as a spirit of bitterness, jealousy, pride, greed, etc., etc. Other "loose cannons" are unresolved hurt, anger, a lack of forgiveness, guilt, lust, and so on. These, if not confronted and resolved, can readily cause shipwreck of our relations, our faith, or even our life. Some "loose cannon people" in organizations also need to be brought under control before they destroy "the ship."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your Word that reminds me to live with a clear conscience. Please confront me with any issue in my life that could, if unresolved, lead to shipwreck of my faith, relationships, and even of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT).
2. Brett Blair, Cited on www.eSermons.com.

It's Not...

It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong;
not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich;
not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned;
and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity."
~Francis Bacon Sr.~

James 4:7 (Devotional)

Submit yourselves therefore to God . . . -James 4:7 You have a tongue and a voice. These instruments of speech can be used destructively or employed constructively. You can use your tongue to slander, to gripe, to scold, to nag, and to quarrel; or you can bring it under the control of God's Spirit and make it an instrument of blessing and praise. The 20th-century version of James 3:3 says, "When we put bits into the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we control the rest of their bodies also." Just so, when we submit to the claims of Christ upon our lives, our untamed natures are brought under His control. We become meek, tamed, and "fit for the Master's service."

http://www.billygraham.org/dailydevotion.asp?articleid=7195
#Bible http://j.mp/ewIR3a

 

--
Tina

Job 32:7

Job 32:7 (The Message)
 6-10 This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:
   "I'm a young man,
   and you are all old and experienced.
That's why I kept quiet
   and held back from joining the discussion.
I kept thinking, 'Experience will tell.
   The longer you live, the wiser you become.'
But I see I was wrong—it's God's Spirit in a person,
   the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.
The experts have no corner on wisdom;
   getting old doesn't guarantee good sense.
So I've decided to speak up. Listen well!
   I'm going to tell you exactly what I think.

This was one of those times when I read the Bible & thought, "Wow the Bible really says that..."  This read has stuck with me for weeks & I just had to share.

Happy Wednesday!

True friend

Everyone looks for that person with whom you find your true self crawling out of its usual shell. That day you meet a true hearts friend is scarier than nightmares that wake you in the night. The reason being is you suddenly feel a yearning for connection and intimacy that is so strong it shakes you to the depths of your soul. I believe that God will connect you with the person or people who inspire you to be more than you are....why? Because God has given them special sight - His eyes - to see and help teach you, your worth, helping you touch and reach for your dreams. They have a special sound that is just for you...its your personal  trumpet blast to awake and arise. They call forth your courage and determination, begging you not to hide your face but to stand fully in who you are created to be. There is a friend for you...
But you must be careful, often that friend comes in a package that won't back down when your defenses roar. Will you run,  will you deny, defy, or just plain hide....or will you embrace a journey with someone who will strengthen you, challenge your norms, and call you out when you are off in left feild. Take the journey, you won't be disappointed. I'm not ....thanks Tina its been real!

Starla

.

BE CAREFUL OF HER TEARS

Written in the Hebrew Talmud :

 

"Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears.

The woman came out of a man's rib.
Not from his feet to be walked on.
Not from his head to be superior.
But from the side to be equal.
Under the arm to be protected,
and next to the heart to be loved."

 

WOMEN ARE VERY PRECIOUS......

Action

A very good word = )

Direct Link: www.JohnMaxwellTeam.com/Action

TRUTH's feet

It is good to express a thing twice right at the outset

and so to give it a right foot and also a left one.

Truth can surely stand on one leg,

but with two it will be able to walk and get around.

 

- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

This on is good enough to repeat a few times!

Enjoy!!

 

F and L'er

Starla

snitz6 sent you this page: A Prayer -- Max Ehrmann

http://www.stumbleupon.com/to/s/3Td9Rv

TiNa

A friend in the Storm

When it feels like life has failed you
and your mind's been cast in war,
please remember Love's forever;
I will pass you through this door.

You don't cry alone in battle,
even when you think you've lost.
Please believe this truth, My winner:
Heaven paid your victor cost.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

Excerpt from the devotional gift book A Friend in the Storm by Cheryl Ricker.

 

God is so good....He knows when we are facing storms, trials and sadness.

I am so thankful that He sends those who can walk along side and support us and just be there.

Be a blessing !! Stand along side ...someone needs just the presence of Christ within you today :0)

F & L'er

Starla

Life is GOOD!! So Smile :0)

Kerrie Roberts Outcast-Great song!!

Thought:

God uses the weak to lead the STRONG.

Knowing Your Place

While reading my emails I came upon something wonderful!!!!

Knowing who we are in Christ, what He has done for us, and where we now stand with Him

is so important for the believer ....

 

There is NONE LIKE OUR GOD!!!

 

Knowing Your Place

You are seated with Christ at God's right hand...
Nothing is higher than that !
God loves you with an everlasting love...
Nothing is deeper than that !
He invites you to drink from the river of His delights...
Nothing is purer than that !
He shares His heart with you in communion...
Nothing is dearer than that !
He watches over you with tender mercies...
Nothing is kinder that that !
He is with you and will never leave you...
Nothing is nearer than that !
He leads you according to the counsel of His own will...
Nothing is wiser than that !
He faithfully feeds you from His word...
Nothing is truer than that !
He is in you and joined to your spirit...
Nothing is closer than that !

-Roy Lessin @ DaySpring - Meet me in the meadow

I hope you enjoyed that and feel more secure in where you stand just from reading it....

God is so good to us!!!

F & L'er

Starla

Little bit of Love

Love is Gain - Pain is Strife - Die Krupps  

When we love we gain much.

I like to think of it like this....

When we love all these follow...joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

But when we are in Strife....we only gain PAIN.

Sorrow, quarrels, division, hatred brews beneath the surface.

I like this quote because it is so plain to see the TRUTH of it.

LOVE this day VALENTINE's.....and continue to walk in it the rest of the year. :0)

And remember GOD is LOVE seek after HIM hard!!

To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.

David Viscott

 

F & L'er

Starla

Real Cool LOVE

 

This is truly emotion, it says 'Oh My God'
This is Heaven come down to Earth,
This is like Dark Chocolate,
This is like my Favorite Hair Do, This is smiles, and Happy
!This is the best of Gods Creation, at least I believe so,
This is very Cool,
This can create a smile in anybody
This is really cool Love

- Ronnie Liotti

 

I love how she expressed this LOVE

 

F & L'er

Starla

QUOTE FUN!!

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt." – Mark Twain

Ever insert foot in mouth before ???

Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment." – Barry LePatner

Well I guess the only way to learn is THROUGH ..huh?

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." – Peter Ustinov

I think LOVE is a good habit to have...how about you?

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." – Albert Einstein

Have you ever been afraid to ask a question or not wanted to be asked questions....somewhere in there is a seed for deception.

and 1 more:

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." – Dr. Seuss

Does anyone else think Dr. Seuss was pretty smart.:0)

Thanks for Listening

F & L'er

Starla

Reality Check

Sometime we get complacent...

 

Ever been there? Satisfied with the way things are.

 

And if we are not careful we can move right into apathy...

 

unemotional, unaffected, and generally just not interested.

 

Nothing wakes us up better then GOD

 

He wants us engaged and plugged in....feeling fully our lives...being present...

 

Keeping our eye on the NOW

 

and preparing for the tomorrows of our lives and letting go of the yesterdays.

 

God sends many things to wake us up....

 

LOUD PEOPLE --to show us our intolerance

 

IRRITATIONS - to show us our impatience

 

SICKNESS of LOVED ONES - to show us our disconnection

 

One of my New Years Resolutions was: WAKE UP & BE PRESENT

 

This is not as easy as I thought....but I will not give up.

 

The point of it is to be open to the ways God will bring me a WAKE UP CALL.

 

Then be willing to be present........

 

even when I want to HIDE

 

even when I want to DENY

 

even when it HURTS

 

Thanks for listening...just a little mental purging :0)

 

F & L'er
STARLA

 

 

How God made you!

I found this quote this morning .....

 

"My mother sat me down and said, ...you are beautiful to me but must know that you are beautiful for yourself. You should also be aware that true beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which means that how beautiful you are to other people is always going to be subjective to who is looking at you at that time, and since you will always be looking at yourself first, you should find your own beauty and feel good about who you are." She went on to tell me that I needed to take the time to identify those things that I found to be beautiful about myself but also celebrate what I thought was weird or unusual because those were the special things that God had given to me that made me different from everybody else. I learned how to appreciate, embrace, and enhance those special things so that they would shine rather than be hidden...We learned to love and identify with what made us uniquely beautiful."

 

BeNeca Ward  (born 1976);
Author Of "3rd Generation Country, A Practical Guide To Raising Children With Great Values"

May we all begin to see ourselves like that :0)

 

Have a great tuesday!!

 

F & L'er

Starla

Appropriate Trust

I was clicking on my phone in the app STUMBLE UPON ...if you have never tried it check it out. You can find some really cool stuff.

 

I came upon a page that had the definition for APPROPRIATE TRUST.....

 

What do we normally think of trust being from say in the context of relationships :

 

*the ability to not fear harm in a relationship

 

*something committed or entrusted to one's care for use or safekeeping

 

these definitions just be the way they are worded provide the thinking that the person trusting someone else expects the other to do them no harm and to keep safe their heart and mind ( what they know of you)

 

So here is the definition that I found :

 

TRUST: to trust that your partner or friend will behave according to their fundamental nature.

 

Fundamental: principals or basics that are foundational

 

Nature: the instincts or inherent tendencies directing conduct, characteristic disposition; temperament

 

This kind of trust then becomes a stretch to our inner being. We tend to believe that people should think and do things like we would. So matter of trust and truth become interesting interactions between people. So to trust that someone will behave according to who they are....frees them from having to behave according to what we think....and vise versa.

 

Suddenly the dynamic matters of expectation within trust issues must fall.....

 

and that brings in the option of CHOICE....

 

We can choose those who think and act and are as close as like us....

 

or we can choose to bear with, endure, learn patience with those who aren't  like us....

 

BUT EITHER WAY WE CHOOSE ---we will have to use this trust in all our relationships. 

APPROPRIATE TRUST...to trust that your partner or friend will behave according to their fundamental nature.

 

Interesting info and thoughts

F & L'er

Starla