Friday, October 23, 2009

Stop Hindering Yourself

Well, I don't know how well-written this post will be, but here goes...(Actually, I don't consider too many of my posts to be well-written. Instead, I consider them as well-meaning and well-intentioned efforts. [Insert slight laughter.])

Ok. You've gotten past what others had to say about you and what they may think about your current actions. The question before you know is, "Are you hindering yourself?"

It's time to reflect on how you are stopping yourself from moving forward. What are you doing to keep yourself from moving forward? What are you not doing? What thoughts are you thinking that's keeping you from moving forward? Does any of the following sound familiar?

* If I speak, will my words be heard or will they be disregarded? If they're disregarded, what's the use in speaking?

* Will I fail? Failing is a part of life. There is no way to get around it because no one is perfect. Instead of focusing on the failure, focus on what you learned from the experience. Take this newfound knowledge and try again. (Failure IS an option)

* Although you are taking action to reach your goals, will you reach them? Will your dreams be fulfilled?

These types of questions will cause a person to stall. Why are you stalling? What are you concerned about? Whatever it is, take this into account. If everyone and everything has has been moved out of your way, then you are the only one stopping you now.

It's time to release the preconceptions we've been holding onto. What else could you lose that you haven't lost already? Your losses--while hurting deeply--have moved you forward by expanding your thinking, creativity, and even your abilities.

What more is out there for you if you would stop hindering yourself and take just one more step forward?


"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." (Proverbs 13:12 KJV)

Sunday, October 18, 2009

And Still We Wait

I read the following devotional by author Dorothy ValcĂ rcel. For those who have wondered why they are in a waiting period or why they have to go through a waiting period, I thought she gave a great explanation as to why.

The Fullness of Time


"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalms 27:14 KJV)

"Trust in the LORD. Have faith, do not despair. Trust in the LORD." (Psalms 27:14 GNB)

A New Perspective On Criticism

The following video is by Maritza Parra, an author, speaker and trainer.

In this video, Maritza explains how those who criticize you are really projecting their negative self-thoughts onto you.

Ignoring Negativity

You can visit Maritza Parra's blog by clicking here.


"If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job." (Luke 14:28 GNB)

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Is It In You To Finish? (Part 3)

To read part 2 of this entry, click here.

This is a continuation of the topic "A God-Ordained Hurt" with the subtopic "A Monumental Blessing".


The Roman soldiers have led Jesus to Golgotha, the place of His crucifixion. His cross has been laid on the ground and they lay Him on top of it. Holding down one arm, the executioner drives a stake-like nail into His wrist. He cries out in pain, and then He thinks, “Why am I doing this? Clarissa is going to be disobedient to My Word. Yet not My Will but Thy Will be done. I will praise You, Father.” Then Jesus’ other arm is held to the cross as the executioner drives a nail into that wrist. He cries out again, and this time He thinks, “But she’s going to backslide, yet I trust You, oh Lord.” Then His feet are nailed to the cross. There’s another cry of pain, followed by the thought, “But for at least 30 years of her life Clarissa is going to be unhappy that she was born. Yet I trust You, Lord.” Finally, Jesus’ cross is raised into the air, and He begins to experience an excruciatingly painful death. The weight of His body hanging from the nails is pressing down on His lungs, and it’s causing Him to suffocate slowly. Each breath that He draws is more painful than the last, and He thinks, “But God, she is going to lose faith in my Word when the circumstances in her life do not agree with My Word. Yet, Thy Will be done.” And as if the thoughts weren’t enough while He was hanging from the cross, there were people taunting Him saying, “If You’re the Son of God, then save Yourself and come down from there.” Jesus could have easily came down from the cross, He had that power and so much more, but instead He remained for your sake and mine. With the thoughts flowing, and the taunts and jeers, and the horrible pain that He was suffering, Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” However, instead of coming down off of the cross, Jesus continues to hang there. After six hours of this incomprehensible pain, He cries out again with a loud voice and then He dies.

Why did God ordain this hurt in Jesus’ life? It was for the monumental blessing that it would supply to the nations. When Jesus died with His arms outstretched, it was to welcome you into His arms. “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Though your sins be as scarlet, He will wash them white as snow. It was a God-ordained hurt, but it brought about a monumental blessing. God bless you.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Is It In You To Finish? (Part 2)

To read part 1 of this entry, click here.

This is a continuation of the topic "A God-Ordained Hurt" with the subtopic "A Monumental Blessing".

When I speak of a God-ordained hurt, I’m not talking about those situations where you were disobedient and the circumstances that followed due to your disobedience. I’m talking about those situations where either: 1) you have absolutely no control of what’s going on in your life (take the stories of Job or Joseph as an example), or 2) those situations in which you believed you were being obedient unto God but your circumstances are not matching up to God’s Word. What’s worse in such conditions is the knowledge that you have the ability to change things and turn them around. To use a statement I heard a minister say, “Nothing requires more trust than submitting to suffering that you believe in your heart is the will of God when you know that you could take some action yourself and relieve that suffering.” In such times can you use the power that God has placed in you to remain there or will you run? There’s a quote that says, “Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.” Can you dare to be different and wait for the monumental blessing that is to come if you stand in the midst of a God-ordained hurt?

The ultimate example of such a God-ordained hurt and of someone daring to stand through it is in Jesus and His death on the cross. If you would permit me, I would like to dramatize Jesus’ death on the cross, and I’m going to ask you to imagine with me the thoughts that could have been going through Jesus’ mind as He hung on the cross. I ask that you will pray for me, because I understand this imagining might be a stretch for it does not state in God’s Word all of the thoughts that ran through Jesus’ mind or all of His reactions while He hung on the cross. In this re-enactment I’ll be considering Jesus’ humanity, not His divinity, for in the English Standard Version of the Bible Heb 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Just to forewarn you, I’m going to be using parts of my life, so I don’t want you to be shocked by what you hear and miss out on the point of the illustration. Instead, think on the things in your life that Jesus might have been thinking about as He was nailed to and hung on the cross.


To read part 3 of this entry, click here.

Continue To Stand Out...

This is a condensed version of a quote from an Apple Computer:
Here's to the Crazy Ones...The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently...they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things...They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy...Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
Continue to be a square peg and stop trying to fit into a round hole. Who knows where your life might take you if you're willing to branch out and break free from the norm?


"Every tree is known by the fruit it bears; you do not pick figs from thorn bushes or gather grapes from bramble bushes." (Luke 6:44 GNB)