Truth

Truth always wins. Doing right is never wrong. Being honest and trustworthy is the way to live. Perhaps a slight twist of the facts might bring a short term gain. A little misrepresentation might bring some short term satisfaction. But in the end truth always wins, so live like a winner.

Letting The Truth Unfold

The truth always unfolds into a deeper understanding.

Just to make sure that we know that we know what we know.  Everything we trust and think we believe while being tested will prove what is so.  When we are solid and sure, fear and doubt have no place in us.

Sometimes we think we got it all together and figured out.  Then unexpected surprises come.

Where is our trust level when that happens? 

Be honest and devoted to the truth. That will tell you how prepared you are to accept it or deny it.   

Today I will walk through this journey called life with strong ankle bones, armed with the truth to prove itself no matter what trial I may walk through.

One step at a time and one day at a time.  We are all human and fall short.  But that does not mean that we are not conquers of the Truth that will set us free indeed.  Amen!  We are ok and on our way! 

God Bless and have a Blessed week my friends!

The Business of Friendship

The point of having a FRIENDSHIP of LOVE is so that you can have a place to KNOW, SHARE and SERVE.

Tina and I have been friends for a long time and every year that is added it just keeps getting sweeter. God placed us together in the same family by marriage, our husbands are brothers. God made us sisters in Christ, sisters in law and best friends. We are both the kind of women who seek out truth, want our walk to match our talk and we also are very strong personalities.

Over the years we have noticed a pattern in our walk with the Lord and each other. He tends to keep us hand in hand no matter how far apart we are. There was a time we were apart for a year ( that's a story for another time)  and when the Lord reunited us we were learning the same things and could couple up hand in hand again. He uses her to teach me much. She sees things no one else does. She hears what I am saying when I am not speaking out loud.

Some think that BEING FRIENDS means you always get along, never have an issue.....always click!!   Best Friends isn't something you make happen....it is something the Lord grows and sometime the person He has linked you with isn't the easiest person to get along with but is the best person for your growth and spiritual maturity. Be Discerning....

 I can tell you BEING FRIENDS is work!!

It is having patience ......you know things about your friend they may not see about themselves and you have to love them anyway slowly being a light bearer while they are learning.

It is being honest........you have to be willing to share truthfully, being real and vulnerable, trusting.....or it isn't real!!

Its being alert....you have to watch your own behavior and thought/emotional processes....friendships fold because of selfishness.

Its being willing to learn........you have to have a teachable spirit....your friend sees those things in you that you don't know about or think you have.

FRIENDS is a BIG DEAL!!  It is SERIOUS BUSINESS!! It is also the GREATEST JOY!!

It is TO KNOW another truly.....It is TO SHARE yourself truly....It is to SERVE each other FULLY!!!

F and L'er

Starla

Carry with You These Gifts of the Heart...

Trust... that whatever happens,

there is someone who will understand.

Honesty... the feeling that you

never need to hold back.

Peace... in being accepted for

who you really are.

Beauty... in outlook

more than appearance.

Freedom... to be yourself,

to change, and to grow.

Joy... in every day, in every memory,

and in your hopes for the future.

Love... to last a lifetime,

and perhaps beyond.

D. L. Riepl

What a thought for me today...  These 7 things are gifts.   Very simple and what a blessing to have in life.  Take time to think today about these gifts and share them with the world.   = )

Tina Smith

Monday Motto - Be Realistic and Honest

Monday Motto : Be Realistic and Honest


Proverbs 25:14 Who ever falsely boasts of gifts [he does not give] is like clouds and wind without rain.

This past week I wrote a post called HELD ACCOUNTABLE. In that post I mentioned taking a spiritual gifts test where I scored a total of 1 out of 15 in the category of Mercy. ( I was not happy about that!! ) :0(

In this verse is states that who ever falsely boasts of gifts ....I would have told you that I am a fairly merciful person...because I love people ...and I can empathize with others....and I want to help people....(I don’t like to look bad ) But the reality is when it comes to --dictionary.com definition: being compassionate or having kindly forbearance toward an offender or an enemy --- I personally would like to show them the letter of the law. I dont have natural mercy for offenders....but if I find others are unkind to someone and my feelings become affected I want to defend them --i dont know if that mercy or not...???

When you believe something or speak something that is not true then -- we become -- a cloud and wind without rain. Believing and speaking things that are not real are good for nothing, just a passing cloud that is here today and gone tomorrow ---they hold no weight!!! ...no substance...

It is only when we can be honest with ourselves and others that we are able to do something about what IS...

God desires that we call those things that be not, as though they were. (Romans 4:17)

I can not have faith to be more merciful if I am not willing to be honest about how non-merciful I am. Only then ....when I am realistic...seeing truthfully....can I have FAITH to call forth the MERCY of God up out of the SPIRIT that lives within me. As long as I falsely believe I am ok....I am only relying of my own WORKS of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Those false beliefs make me in need of MERCY...

Lord thank you that you know how to show us TRUTH about our humanness and need for you. That we can see YOU, that we can rely on you to be what we are weak in through your strength and not our own. Thank you that I can see that while I am not so merciful, I am however in need of much mercy and that you Lord are the ultimate source of MERCY for us all.

F & L'er
Starla

Motto Monday - Stay Connected

Monday Motto : Stay Connected


Proverbs 18:1 He who willfully separates himself and estranges himself (from God and man) seeks his own desire and pretext to break out against all wise and sound judgment.

I read this verse and it just caught my eye.

Considering the fact that I am the type of person who is melancholy and a bit on the introverted side, I am one who willfully separates when I am hurt, angry, or upset in anyway. I have a habit of auto-isolation. I don’t want to be that way, But I am. I struggle with it. Pray for me!

It takes me great effort to reach out. I naturally want others to believe that I am GOOD! Well guess what I am learning....they can see that I AM NOT FINE!!! They can feel my vibe when I walk into church that I AM NOT GOOD! But nonetheless I keep up this idea for myself and my own so called sanity ... that I am good!!!

so lets bite into this and see what it is made of....

willfully separates --that means purposely disconnect myself from other people

and estranges -- that means to turn away from, keep at a distance and treat others like strangers

seeks his own desire -- wanting what I want when I want it ( example --I'm mad and I will only become happy when so and so does what makes me happy)

and pretext --that means to conceal the true purpose, to put up a misleading appearance ( example --Im fine!! *smile* when inside I am angry, hurt and need prayer but I am being willful and seeking my own way)

and all that is just NOT WISE

On the surface this may not seem like that big of a deal --besides we don’t want the whole world to know our business right??

The problem is that doing this is actually a prideful  my way or the highway kind of attitude.

I am sooooooo busted!!!! The WORD tends to do that !! huh??

A few years ago ...heck a couple of months ago I would not have written such a lay me open kind of blog post...but I believe that Friendships of Love is about KNOW, SHARE, SERVE. It is getting to KNOW others, to SHARE who I truly am, and finding a way to SERVE each other through that knowledge.

This past week I was able to SEE myself in the moment and say I am ALRIGHT with a shrug of NO IM NOT to my Pastor. ( I know! - not the best but I mustered a little reality there ..come on gimme some credit ..lol)  He had a great sentence to share at that moment that caused changes for me that week that I needed...if I would have pasted my smile on and went the --I'M GOOD *smile* way --I would still be in this same spot not dealing with any of it and continuing my willful way. Now I am a few more inches further than I was last week and seeking answers and being honest about where I am.

How many times have I not done that and missed out on having people lift me up in prayer...LORD knows I need it!! Stay Connected because we need truth and we need people.

Hmmmmmm seems that I sort of did a continuation of last weeks post Be Present ...

Thanks for listening

F & L'er

Starla