Written in sand

Have you ever judged a person or situation only to get a completely different response to what you were expecting? Isn't it strange when someone reacts in a completely different way to what we expected?

Jesus did that when He refused to judge the woman caught in adultery. In fact He challenged those present by saying, “He who has no sin caste the first stone.” Then He began to write in the sand. They all left.

None of us know what He wrote in the sand that day, but I can only guess, can't you? Let's be wary of judging people based on our own perceptions. Let's give people a chance to show us who they really are and no matter what, let us show love with an open heart!

Porcupine

I don't know if it has happened to you, but I know it has happened to me. Someone does or says something and totally irrationally you bark back a response and go into defend mode like a Porcupine sticking up its quills.

Why does that happen? The reason it happens is because somehow what has been done or said triggers a very painful memory and our response is to find some violent way to protect ourselves. This is because whatever pain we are carrying has not fully healed and we receive the message as a dagger heading for our wound to inflict further damage.

How should we respond to people when their quills go up? With love, compassion, empathy and some more love. Think of love like a blanket and as we throw it over the porcupine we are able to approach and then wrap our arms around it to assure it that our intentions are good.

Love does cover a multitude of sins and conquers all our fears.

FB Quotes

Have you ever noticed how on one particular social media website a lot of the pictures with quotes posted on them are usually motivational quotes? I have. Why do we feel the urge to post these and share them?

Because we all need encouragement or motivation. Life in our complex world is so rushed and stressed and all some people need is just a word of encouragement.

Next time you see a colleague looking stressed or a little down, how about going to them and putting a hand on their shoulder and just saying, “hey, I know how you feel and chin up.”

I'm sure their face will light up with a smile and that warmth will soon become contagious :-)

Thicker soles

To my disappointment my both shoes of my little black suede boots cracked across the middle on the same day last week. On Friday night I thought I would scout Clearwater mall and see if I could find another pair I liked. Nada!

Saturday morning meant the hunt was on again, so this time I decided to try my local Hub store. Bingo! I found a cute set of black short boots and this time with much thicker soles. I'm sure hoping they will prove to be much stronger and last longer.

In our faith too we will find that there are times when we thought we had a sure thing and it proves too weak to sustain us. It is at times like these when we need to search the word of God and do a little bit more than just glance over a few scriptures, but dig in and ensure that we have a strong grasp on scripture.

To achieve this it helps to have a bible study guide. There are many wonderful scholars who have taken the time to study scripture and put it across to us in ways that make it easier to understand. If you don't currently have a bible study guide, then I encourage you to try and get one as it will be very valuable to you in your spiritual growth path.

Take the hand

So often in life we face situations where life has clapped us hard.  We feel down and out and we cannot make sense of the disaster we find ourselves in.

It is at times like these that well meaning friends try to come alongside us to help.  Honestly sometimes their advice sucks, but there is always that one friend who tells us the truth whether we like to hear it or not.

Sadly our pride often stands in the way and even when we finally realize that they are right, we are unwilling to listen.

I'd like to encourage you to take the hand.  Reach out and grab onto what they are offering you and you may just find that your path to success is quicker than you think.

So simple

Have you ever seen something, an idea, a business or even a product and thought to yourself, “That's so simple, why didn't I think of that?” Well, that is because so often we complicate life to the point where even the obvious goes completely unnoticed.

Faith is like that. It really is that simple, to just believe in Christ and the resurrected life that He offers. We sometimes read scripture and try to find some complex deep meaning when all the while the truth is right in front of us.

I'd like to challenge you today to look at faith a little more simply and just believe. After all, Jesus said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed....” Allow scripture to speak to you about the simple truths of God and you will find yourself deeply touched.

Dishes, dishes, dishes

Two hectic days later I finally had to catch up on dishes. Three loads later they are finally all done. Okay, I do have a small counter top machine, just thought I'd mention that before you pictured my entire kitchen full of dishes.

Catching up on dropped tasks can be really hectic. Thankfully our relationship with God is not a task we have to perform, it is just that, a relationship. God values every minute we take to turn our thoughts towards Him.

All God longs for is for us to turn our hearts and thoughts towards Him whenever we can. Yes, we do need to spend time in the word to grow in our relationship with Him, but communion with God encompasses our entire walk with Him and not just our learning.

So next time you collapse into bed and remember at haste that you have not had much time to fellowship with God, simply say, “Lord I love you,” and I can guarantee you it will bring a smile and warm the heart of God.