Prayers for Buffalo

I’m sure you’ve heard on the news that Buffalo, New York was the latest victim of the wave of senseless, mass killings that continue to plague this country. Even though it happened about 25 minutes from where I live, and in a part of town that I rarely go to, I am still very shaken by this. Good people in my city lost their lives, or had them negatively changed forever.

In addition, I am very angry at this. I know this space is reserved for positive thoughts, and I do have some encouragement. In a lot of ways I don’t know what to think, nor what to do. It is in situations like that, where I resort to the only thing I know what to do, and that is to pray.

This may upset some people, but I must say that I am rather sick of life in the good ol’ D.S.A (Divided States of America) these days. People hate each other, mass shootings are daily news stories, the land of the free has more restrictions than I can count, and common people can’t even afford to live anymore. I can do my part, and so can you. However, we can only do so much. We need God’s intervention. Now!

God does respond to prayer. I know some of you are wondering where He was when this was happening. I wish I had an answer for why He allows these things to happen, but I don’t. I just know that when I leave things to Him, He comes through. Always.

This situation is happening all over this country. It was the first time people in my city have had to cope with this. If things don’t change, it won’t be the last. I ask you to join me in prayer for Buffalo, and for the protection of every other city in the States. We need the madness in our country to end sooner than later. I believe prayer is powerful, and we can use it as one of the ways to unite and change the country and the world for the better. Thank you 🙂

You Can Have Greater Control of Your Circumstances

If only you could control the circumstances in your life. How great would that be? I’m sure you would cherish the ability to live the life you want to live, to have the things you want to have, and to be the person you want to be.

Well, who says you can’t? I’ve been studying the power of the mind for over a decade now, and I still receive constant reminders that you and I, and anyone can have far more control of the circumstances of life than we realize. I do my best to share these reminders with you here.

So how can one exercise this greater control? Simply by controlling your thoughts. The foundation of life is in the mind. Whatever happens there, happens in the outside world. That is why it is so important to pay attention to what you are thinking. A Bible verse I’ve shared here often is Proverbs 4:23. It says to “guard your heart (which is your mind and deepest thoughts) above all else, because it determines the course of your life.” Another translation says to “be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.”

In some ways, this is difficult to hear because many of us think negatively on a much more regular basis than we think positive thoughts. Knowing that these thoughts affect our lives is not very comforting! However, the part that is comforting is that we can have full control of our thoughts! And if we can take and maintain that control, we can affect our circumstances. I fully believe that it is much easier to control what I am thinking than to try and control the many circumstances in my life. It may seem difficult to do, but I can tell you that with experience, it gets easier and easier. It then becomes even more natural and more rewarding after you see the positive results.

At this point, I know what you may be wondering. Does this mean all of my negative circumstances will disappear if I simply maintain positive thinking? I wish I could say it would. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that all of your negative circumstances will completely disappear. However, I know that God communicates with us throughout our lives in various ways, and sometimes negative situations are ways he uses to do so. Sometimes they are wake up calls, and oftentimes they are used to bring us to something greater. For whatever reason, they are part of all of our lives on this earth. I can say this, though. The more you control your thoughts and keep them focused on God’s truth and His principles, the more joy and happiness you will experience. And even when the negative situations occur, they will be easier to deal with and much more short-lived.

I am sure you have heard these reminders many times, especially if you regularly read my articles. Whether it’s your first or thousandth time, I remind you (and myself) again. Take time each day to watch what you are thinking. Deliberately think beautiful, positive thoughts. Visualize the situations you want to experience, the life you want to live, and the person you want to be. Exercise that control of your mind that you all have. After that, take the actions that you feel led to take. I strongly believe (and know from experience) that you will see very quickly that the circumstances in your life line up according to the thoughts in your mind. They always do anyway no matter how you think. So why not take control and purposely create the life you are looking for. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Can Negative Thoughts Be Productive?

I’m going to do something a bit unusual for this post. If you regularly visit this site, you’ll know that I do my best to promote positive thinking, and focusing on God’s truth about us. However, today I’m going to go in a different direction and promote….gasp….negative thoughts???

No, I haven’t become a hypocrite and say one thing and act in an opposite manner (although I am sometimes guilty of that). I haven’t changed my mind and decided that what I’ve been reading and writing about is untrue. Instead, I am applying some very helpful information I’ve studied, sharing it with you, and hoping that it can help all of us.

I’ve written several articles about how harmful negative thoughts can be. If we think negative thoughts, they ultimately play out into negative situations in our lives. I’ve also read and shared different techniques to deal with these thoughts. One very helpful one is the idea of re-framing. This idea is that whenever you notice a negative thought, immediately catch it and replace it with a positive thought. It can be any positive thought, or one opposite of what you were first thinking. For example, if you catch yourself thinking that you are not worthy of something, stop and think of reasons that you ARE worthy. If you don’t feel healthy, think of what it would be like if you were healthy. Those are just some examples.

Recently, I read of a very helpful technique in dealing with negative thoughts. This has produced a great amount of mental healing and personal freedom during the first few weeks of this new year. I read the idea in Rhonda Byrne’s book, “The Greatest Secret.” Several of her books like “The Secret” and “The Magic” have had life-changing impacts on me, and this one is no exception. In fact, I think I like this one best because it is more of an application process instead of just providing information, which is exactly what I need.

Anyway, here is the technique…. one of the greatest reasons negative thoughts cause negative situations in our lives is because we tend to resist them. We know negative thoughts are harmful to us. We don’t want them. So what we do, is we fight the feelings they cause. We fight to try to rid our minds of the thoughts. What happens when we do this though, is we add fuel to their fire.When we resist something, it just causes more if it. Even though we’re trying to do good and rid ourselves of the negative thoughts and feelings, we are doing more harm because we are still remaining focused on the negative situations.

The freedom bringing suggestion given in the book, is to welcome the negative thoughts instead of resisting them. At first, I disagreed because this seems counterproductive. So we’re just letting these harmful negative thoughts rule our minds? No. We are just saying they are welcome. Now, we can add a little more to this. Ms. Byrne says that when we do this instead of resisting, we take away the power they have on us. Eventually, the negative feelings go away. To add to this, she says that any of these same negative feelings that have built of over time also gradually disappear.

Again, I was a bit skeptical at first, but I decided to give this a try. It didn’t even take a day to realize the truth of this. One of the greatest negative emotions I feel is guilt. I am often slow to act, fall short of my potential, and I regularly feel like I could and should do more for people. As I thought about this, I realize how much this has built up in my mind over time. I don’t like to feel guilty, so I fight it. The result is usually more of it! So at that moment, I decided it was OK for me to feel guilty. However, what happened after that was even more amazing. As I accepted the feeling of guilt and that it was OK to feel that way, I started to automatically re-frame the negative thoughts (the technique I discussed earlier). I felt God speaking to me. I felt like He was saying that the guilt that I was holding onto was just my own thought, and it wasn’t His. I was reminded of several Bible verses to back that up, like there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Like the fact that every sin I’ve ever committed, and every mistake I’ve ever made has already been forgiven because of His death on the cross. On and on I was provided these positive reminders.

I then tried this with other negative thoughts too. I don’t often get angry, but one day there were just several things my wife was doing that were just bothering me. I’m sure you’ve never had that happen to you, but it was happening with me. And it’s not like she was doing it on purpose. Anyway, I caught the negative thoughts as they were happening. Normally, I would try to fight it because I don’t want to think negatively of her. However, I instead welcomed the thoughts and allowed myself to be bothered. After only a few minutes, the negativity lightened, and we ended up having a very nice conversation about something. Lengthy conversations between us don’t happen like they did before, but this was a very pleasant one. What was happening is that, as I accepted and allowed these negative thoughts, I actually felt more positive!

I am realizing more that thoughts and feelings are just that. They are not who I am. More importantly, they don’t control me. I control them. And it is important that I control them because, even though I say they don’t control me, the quality of my thoughts and feelings ultimately controls the quality of my life and circumstances on the outside.

I share this with you because it has been very helpful to me. The process of simply allowing the negative thoughts without resisting them and without letting them control me and determine who I am has been extremely enlightening and liberating. I challenge you to try this as well. Don’t go looking for negative thoughts. However, when you do notice that you are thinking or feeling negative, make yourself aware of it, and welcome the thoughts. Know that it’s OK to have those thoughts, as long as you don’t allow them to overtake you. If you’re like me, you will notice some mental counter arguments. You will feel a release of that negative thought and others like it that have built up in the past. Then those negative clouds eventually disappear, allowing the great light in you to shine uninhibited. That is definitely something to think and feel positive about. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Focusing on The Meaningful

In the past few days, I have seen several messages about a particular topic. You know what that means. God is talking to me again. He is trying to remind me of something. This happens a lot when I am in close contact with Him.

I am being reminded that the circumstances of life, my successes and failures, the ups and downs of this world are not what really matter. What does matter is the love of God. I am being reminded to focus on God, His love, and His kingdom. That’s what means the most. And the ironic part is that, when I focus on God and His kingdom, presence, and righteousness, the other things all fall into place. The circumstances are positive. There are far more successes than failures, and far more ups than downs.

I’ve already seen the positive benefits since I’ve refocused on the meaningful. When I see and focus on God in others, the relationships are good. When I feel God’s presence in me, I feel a wonderful peace that matters far more than any circumstances.

I am not saying that life doesn’t matter. We have every right to celebrate the great times and mourn the bad. However, what matters so much more is the inner world. God’s presence is in you and with you. Place your focus there and you will experience heaven on earth more often than not. I know from experience this is true. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Two Words to Help You Find Joy

One of the main goals people have is to experience joy in life. For some, it is easier than others. One of the greatest questions is how and where to find that joy.

People seek joy in many different places, such as life experiences, relationships, money, and careers just to name a few. Another question is, why do so many people have a hard time finding joy? I have learned and been recently reminded again, that it’s because they are looking in the wrong places for it. I have often been guilty of this myself.

So how and where do we find this joy that is so often elusive for so many? I can sum it up in two words…. Look inside. Look inside what? Look inside you. It’s so simple. In fact I believe it is too simple, which is why so many people miss it. There are verses all over the Bible that state that the spirit of God is in you. Since that spirit is in you, it is a part of you. You are in union with it! And one of the fruits of that spirit is joy.

You don’t have to go looking for joy. It is already in you and already part of your being. You automatically carry joy, along with the other fruits of the spirit such as love, peace, self-control, etc. with you wherever you are.

Knowing you are already the joy you are seeking, the challenge is to switch your focus. Instead of seeking joy, let the joy that already are shine out from you. How do you do this? There are many ways. What has worked for me is to focus on that joy in me, and also to focus my thoughts on the good in everyone and everything else. Another idea is to watch your thoughts. Remove any thought that interferes with the joy that is already part of you. Doing this follows the Biblical advice to take each thought captive. Feed your mind with joyful thoughts. Ones that are good, noble, and praiseworthy, which is another bit of Biblical advice. Remove the ones that have the potential to cloud the light of the joy that is in you.

I realize that this is a very simple, and basic post. However, as I mentioned before, this concept does not have to be complicated. Remember that joy is already yours. You already have it and are it. Instead of seeking it, let it shine forth brightly from you, without any interference. The Bible says it is God’s will that we are joyful always. Why not follow this advice and deliberately experience this joy that is a part of all of us. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

God is Doing Something New…For You!!

As I did my Bible study this morning, I was lead to this inspirational reading… “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it”? This is from Isaiah 43:19. Another version says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it”?

I’ve read this verse many times, and it has always inspired me. However, it especially did today. As mentioned in my previous post, I am feeling very optimistic as we end this year and begin the next one. This verse confirmed my optimism! I feel like God is telling me to continue in the direction I am going. He is telling me that He has already begun the great work in my life, and it is up to me to see and seek His blessings.

The same is true for you. God is ready to do a great thing in your life. He promises that! I challenge you to see the great things He has already done, and to look out for the blessings that are coming next, knowing He always comes through.

If you are looking for a bit of optimism this year, I hope this can help. God can and will do a great work in your life. He has actually already started it. Can you see it?

Merry Christmas and a Hopeful New Year

First of all, to those that celebrate, a very Merry Christmas!! I’ve been away from this space for a while, though now finally have some down time to return to what I love to do..writing!

I’ve enhanced my knowledge significantly in the past few months, and feel the desire to share. I am also hoping to apply this knowledge to make 2022 an excellent and rewarding year.

Do you ever feel that you are on the verge of amazing things happening? That’s how I feel about the start of this new year. As long as I work hand in hand with God, allowing Him to call the shots and moving in the direction He has me go, I know I will experience greatness this year.

I certainly hope your hope and optimism for this coming year is very high as well. Know that God is with you, and follow His guidance. You will experience greatness as well. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

The Importance of the F Word

During the past few weeks, I continue to be shown the significance of the F word. It is very important that I place my attention on it and use it as much as possible. The reason is that…

OK, stop it! I am not talking about THAT F word. I know you were thinking it. Seriously, I try to avoid thinking about and using that other F word. I’m sorry, I should stop now before this blog post becomes cursed. Anyway, there is another word that I keep being reminded of. I’ve written about it, I’ve heard sermons preaching it, and it has been part of almost every reading material I’ve come across in the past few weeks (do you think God is trying to drive it into my head and asking me to share?).

That magical F word is focus. Focus on what? It’s come up several different ways. Mainly, the discussions have been about focusing on positive thoughts. Focusing on whatever is “true, noble, right, lovely and admirable” according to Philippians 4:8 in the Bible. Focusing on who God says I am, not the false thoughts that I have or others may have about me. Focusing on the good in everyone else. Focusing on the fact that God is constantly working for my good. Focusing on the fact that in God I have all things, and all things are possible.

That’s a small sample of where my focus and your focus should be. Another reminder with this and why it is so significant is that what we experience in life is a direct reflection of what we focus on. If we focus on those things I mentioned, we experience situations and circumstances that back them up! If we focus on what’s wrong or what’s missing, that is what we will continue to experience. It’s such a simple formula. Yet so many (and I certainly add myself so many times) try to do things the hard way by trying to change the circumstances instead of the mental focus, which is the root of the problem. I’ve said it many times, but this is so liberating to me because it gives me full control! No one in this universe except for me determines my thoughts. It’s all in my control. Only you control your thoughts. It’s simply a matter of controlling your thoughts (remaining focused on them) and then letting the circumstances play out accordingly. If you like the thoughts, you will like the circumstances!

So keep reminding yourself of that F word… FOCUS! Constantly check in with your thoughts, to make sure they are high quality, just as you want your exterior life to be. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more rewarding your life will be. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

 

You Can Quickly Realize Your Heart’s Desire

What would you say your greatest desire is today? I’m sure it’s a question you can answer quickly and easily. We all have things in life that we desire. That’s a good thing. We should get excited to think about our greatest desires. The problem is that sometimes people actually become disappointed and depressed when discussing their greatest desires. That’s because they focus on the fact that they don’t have it yet. I certainly understand because I’ve been there myself. However, what if I told you there’s a way to see your desires realized sooner than later?

I will start by saying that sometimes God purposely makes us wait for our greatest desires to be realized. That could be because the timing isn’t right, or possibly because He has something even better in store for us. However, there are many times where I believe we can make the decision that helps speed up the process. I believe often times God is waiting for us to make that decision.

I was doing a Bible devotion recently and came across a verse I’ve read many times. However, it never really got my attention this way. The verse is Psalm 37:4. It says “take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Another version says to find your delight in the Lord. Then He will give you everything your heart really wants. My favorite translation sums it up perfectly…seek your happiness in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

For me, the key is in that last translation. We as humans tend to seek our happiness from external things. In some ways, there is nothing wrong with that. God has created things on this earth for us to enjoy. I love my family and other things like sports, music, oceans, etc. The problem with that is that all of those “things” can somehow disappoint. My favorite sports team lose. Sometimes the ocean gets rough and destructive. Sometimes the people in my life that I love disappoint me. The bottom line is that, no matter how much I love some people and things in my life, they are not perfect. They cannot always guarantee happiness. On the other hand, when I put my trust and joy in the Lord, He never disappoints. Ever!

There lies the key to quickly realizing your heart’s desires. First and foremost, seek your happiness in God. Spend time in His presence. I recently wrote an article about increasing your joy in life. I wrote that the key to increasing your joy is increasing the amount of time you spend recognizing and enjoying God’s presence. This Bible verse is saying the same thing. When we truly seek and enjoy the presence of God, our joy increases. And God promises that when we do that, He will give us the desires of our heart. And here’s another great thing about this. I believe that when we spend quality time in God’s presence, our desires line up with His will. And when your goals and desires line up with His will, that’s when prayers are often answered sooner than later. God also promises that when we seek Him first, all things are added unto us. We don’t have to worry about how we will get things. We are already taken care of as long as we focus on God first.

Once again I will say that I believe your greatest desires can be realized quickly. The dictionary definition of delight is to take pleasure in or to give joy or satisfaction to. When you take pleasure in what God has already done for you, and you experience joy and satisfaction in spending time with Him, He will bless you! Not only will your greatest desires be realized, but I believe God will bless you way above and beyond what you would even expect. So whenever you can, instead of seeking joy and satisfaction in the external things, seek them in His presence instead. I firmly believe you will see your desires realized sooner than later. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Please Forgive Me For Being Selfish

Happy New Year to all of my faithful readers! As I write this, it is the first week of February, and this is my first post of 2021. In fact, it’s my first post in several months. I really have no excuses for my lack of writing. No major stressful situations going on, even though that potential certainly exists in today’s world. I can’t even say it’s because I can’t think of anything to write because there is plenty to talk about, especially for what I usually write about.

So why haven’t I been writing? As I thought and prayed about this, I was convicted in a major way. I realized it’s because I am just being selfish. My writing gap comes at a time where my readership on this site has grown to the highest level than I’ve ever had. I’ve also received many compliments about how these articles have been a great help to some people. So why stop writing now? I think it happened for several reasons. One is that I still have a tendency to let doubt creep in. I think thoughts like, how could anything I have to say positively affect people? No one cares what I have to say. Can I really help anyone? I not only allow those thoughts in but act on them by procrastinating on my writing instead of listening to God’s voice who says that, since what I have to say is coming from Him, it can have great impacts on people.

I also tend to let laziness get in the way. I do not function well in the cold dark days of winter in Western New York and tend to get a bit down emotionally during these months. Still, I need to stop using that as an excuse and stay active. Writing is one of the ways I can do that.

So once again I will apologize for being selfish. Perhaps some people don’t think my writing is good or helpful. Perhaps it is difficult to become motivated to write. However, I feel like God is telling something. I regularly ask Him how I can be used to make a difference in this world while I am here. I believe He is reminding me to use the great knowledge He has taught me, and make myself available for Him to use me as a vessel to communicate His love, peace, and truth. It’s not up to me to decide whether I am worthy or good enough for a task. It’s just a matter of being obedient. So now I am getting my typing fingers ready, and seeking to communicate what He wants me to say. I am so sorry to keep you waiting. More to come very soon 🙂