How easily we forget...

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose." ~ Robert Byrne

Nixing Anxiety

On the way to work this morning, I heard a great message by Jack Graham on The Word 100.7.

He talked about the source of anxiety in our lives, and even though he made several great statements, this is what stuck out to me the most.

When we are anxious in our hearts, it is because our eyes are on our own desires and not God’s will. When we are only focused on what WE want, then we begin to manipulate circumstances to try to get our way. This is futile. This manipulation will only bring about anxiety because we will spin our wheels and still not get our wish. Instead, when we focus on what God intends for our lives, we are filled with peace, knowing that He is working all things together for good.

Proverbs 12:25“An anxious heart weighs a man down...”

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message Bible)

“Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.“

Think on this!

"A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement. "
~ Bo Bennett

What dreams do you have? Are you taking action towards achieving them, or simply still dreaming?

DREAM BIG and then do something about it!!

Much love,

Who do I have to blame?

"Life and successes are not about luck. They are about deliberate choices and
decisions." ~ Cecelia Stoll (ENVP Arbonne International)

I am where I am because of deliberate choices I have made. I have no one to blame but myself.

Come alive!

I love this!!

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman

Personable God

I love how our Father is such a personable God. I often think of Him as the One who sits “high and mighty” in the heavens. The One whose powerful voice spoke the world in to existence. The One whose strong hands formed the very bodies we inhabit. Yes, He is that. Yes, He is grand. So marvelous, wonderful, amazing, awe-inspiring, spectacular, and on and on I could go about how much of a “god”, God is. Yes, He commands and deserves our reverence. Yes, we should humble ourselves daily to Him. And one day we will even bow in full submission at His feet. However... when I read the verse below, I reminded of a loving, compassionate, caring Father who is close to us. Who loves us just where we are. A patient One, who despite all our flaws, loves us and delicately reveals Himself to us. I love this verse in The Message Bible. It reminds me that God is real. His love is real. His desire to show Himself to His children is real. The Author of this passage is having a very rough day, or maybe even a rough year. The poor guy just can’t catch a break. (Sound familiar?) Things are tough for this guy... He’s tired and he can’t quit see God in it all. And from the depths of his heart he is (humbly) asking God to cut him some slack.

Psalm 90:12-17 (The Message Bible)

Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we'll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
we've seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you're best at—
the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

Ah. What a great God! That He would desire for us to call out to Him from our depths - and ask for mercy. So often, I forget that He cares in that way. We don’t always have to be “spiritual” with God... Just honest. And He will lovingly accept us right where we are.

New Bible Study!!

My sweet sis-in-law Brooke, suggested we start a Bible study. I have really missed having one, and am very excited to start up again. However, one thing has come to my attention – I am a Beth Moore snob. (Thanks to my other sis-in-law, Jenni). I’ve done the Beth Moore study “Believing God” and have forever been changed because of it. Now it’s hard for me to want to do any other (non-Beth Moore) study. Brooke recommended this book and I was like, “Oh, it’s not Beth Moore?” I really just said that in my head, but that's what I thought. But, this book looks really good too and God can use anyone to speak to me, not just the wonderful Beth. So – here’s the book we are going to do and I thought I would share it with you to see if anyone else has read this book, or read anything by this author before! I’d love to know what you think.

Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety: Becoming A Woman of Faith and Confidence By Elyse Fitzpatrick

And click here to visit her website.

And just to let you know – I’m over being a snob about the whole thing. I'm really looking forward to it and really think there is a lot in my life that this book could relate to. =)