The Lies We Believe

Every day we’re faced with the choice of what we will believe about ourselves. There will be voices of lies and truth. What we choose to listen to can and will change the trajectory of our life. I ask, “What will you believe about yourself today?”

There is greatness inside everyone of us that God wants to manifest. Purpose and plans that lead to peace and an abundant life. However, if we’re listening to the wrong voice we will never get there.

I came across this picture while searching for quotes on Pinterest. If you take a few minutes and take it in you will see the powerful message it tells. In a time where we’ve excessive bullying at all levels I can’t help but ask, “What lies are you believing about yourself?” The reality of this picture caught my attention as I see so many with potential caving into the lies of others and the media who seek to steal their hopes and dreams while creating confusion over their identity and so much more.

I pray today you will not listen to the voice of lies and will listen for the voice of Truth. The voice of One who sees your beauty and potential. The voice of the One who looks at you with love and acceptance. The voice of the One who came to speak life and not death. May it be that you believe in all you were created to be and so much more.

“The Lord your God is in your midst. A victorious warrior He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17

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God’s light shining into our dark places.

His Light and Truth infiltrating our thoughts and motives,

while disarming the power of darkness as we surrender to His ways.

Do you hear Him calling from the heavens, “Be strong and courageous!”

How I love the Word of God!

Only in surrender of self can we find our way in Christ as He lovingly and gently moves us into his ordained purposes! So we wait. We listen.

And He faithfully empowers and we are set free!  He calls us His own!

…The Father knows me and I know the Father. (John 10:14-18)

Will every day be perfect? No.  Will there be days we struggle? Yes.

But may we never forget, the more light we allow in

the less darkness there is to overcome.

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.  

Psalms 18: 28 & 29

Praying God’s presence will light up your world.

Love well, Lorna

It’s Just A Taco

 

It’s just a taco I thought after the guy I was dating turned his head and blurted out, “Must you always be so accommodating!”  He really wasn’t asking a question.  It was more out of frustration he spoke those words.

Guess what, its months later and I’m still thinking about his comment and if asked today, my response would still be the same.  “It’s just a taco.”

You see, I’ve learned over the years to pick and choose my battles, and how to use my words.  Although I don’t always use them correctly or in the right tone I am aware more than ever how important our words are and how damaging they can be when they are not spoken with love and respect.

That evening we decided to share an appetizer at Tommy Bahama’s and we agreed upon Ahi tacos!  When they arrived he discovered they were not what he thought they were and did not want them.  I suggested we send them back and get something we both liked and that is when he responded with “Must you always be so accommodating!”  I gently told him yes, it’s just a taco.  He then proceeded to tell me how all day long he gets his way. (It’s because he is a business owner and not because he was dating me)

Clearly by now my head was filling with all kinds of things I wanted to blurt out but I did not because life is short and why would we want to not make others happy!

Although we’re no longer dating the question still echoes through my mind. You see, it’s my desire to have a mutual loving relationship and not one that is demanding of its own way. I’ve noticed the older we become the more set in our ways we become and less flexible. I don’t want to be one of those women that demands her own way!  However, it’s important to not lose oneself in our relationships.  We need to stay true to who we are and how God made us. I can say one thing for sure and that is when it comes to decision making I don’t have a problem.  More times than not I trust my judgement and when there are things I believe strongly in I will not be so accommodating.

I share this experience because it’s something I don’t want to change about myself, and one I hope the next guy will appreciate about me.  As I reflect on past relationships I want to take note of things I’ve sacrificed and may have lost as much as what I’ve learned.  Being accommodating, flexible, and giving is part of who I am and I don’t want to lose those qualities because it’s taken years of growth and hard knocks to learn how to be less selfish and stubborn.

I’ve learned relationships are about give and take.  You can’t go wrong when you can be self-sacrificing. Life and tacos can’t always be about us!  We’re no longer 2 years old and in need of what we consider “MINE” or “I WANT”.  It’s time to learn how to share and make ourselves more accommodating to those around us for the sake of love and learning.  Not to mention, peace.

My recent trip to Sedona affirmed my desire for more of God and how he created me. By having time to be by myself I discovered how freeing it is to just be “me”.  No agenda. No trying to impress someone. I could just be me!

When I returned I was more convinced than ever to continue on the path of being the best I can be in all of my relationships. I believe it will be more rewarding when we just do us and not pretend to be who others say we should be.

Our character and qualities of life are not to be taken lightly but to be shared for the good of others.  When we do this we can almost always guarantee a good and happy ending.

Life & Love Require Action

The past few months have been a whirlwind of events, holidays and a life changing trip to Israel.  In the midst of all the joy and celebration life has availed me I often find myself having to make hard decisions. Such is life!  However, I’ve discovered the best part of life is LOVE.

Anyway you want to look at it, we were created to love and be loved. Unfortunately, love doesn’t always mean sunshine and roses!

There have been deep insights uncovered revealing my heart and soul as I’ve learned to let go and let love in.  What I’ve discovered is there have been times I’ve loved well, and others, not so well.

As I continue on in life I desire to keep learning and growing in this area so I can give to others what God has so graciously given to me, and that being the unconditional gift of love that was meant to set us free.  It’s a love that sometimes feels uncomfortable and other times, too comfortable. It’s a love providing strength and courage while allowing self reflection in hopes of enhancing one’s experience with love.  It’s a love exuding forgiveness.

I’ve found one perfect example of this love in the story of John 3:16 and the more I study and stumble in and out of love in this not so merciful and gracious world I discover what matters most is how I reflect that love.  No matter where I am, be it in a relationship, the store, the gas station, work, home or with a friend how I love is important.  How we love is important. It’s vital to our very soul and the soul of others.

So, I share today a bit of wisdom from a recommended book by a friend, The Seven levels of Intimacy by Matthew Kelly.

“But in order to love you must be free, for to love is to give yourself to someone or something freely, completely,  unconditionally,  and without reservation. It is as if you could take the very essence of your very self in your hands and give it to another person. Yet to give yourself to another person,  to an endeavor, or to God you must first possess your self. This possession of self is freedom.  It is a prerequisite for love, and is attained only through discipline…The problem is we don’t want discipline. We want someone else to tell us we can be happy without discipline.”

I highly recommend this book to those in every stage of a relationship as it touches on all levels as well as the dynamics surrounding those levels as you make your way into a deeper and lasting freedom with God and others.

Let me leave you with this thought from page 63:

“With your self in hand,  you can choose to freely and completely give yourself to another person in the mystery of love.”

Thursday Night’s NightCap

 

So, I’ve decided to add a little zest to my blog by adding a Thursday Night’s “NightCap” to send you off into a deep slumber!

Tonight we have, What Tagline Speaks to You? 

Ever wonder who makes up these cute, funny and inspiring “taglines”? I do. I often wonder where they were when they thought it, said it or prayed it. I wonder if they were happy, sad, angry, fed up or just filled with deep emotion for someone or something. I am confident many of these will be familiar to you, and some you may have even quoted for one reason or another. Maybe some have been a friendly reminder of how life goes on.  My wish for you tonight is that you will find one or two that will leave you encouraged and thinking, what if…I was encouraged, happy, relieved, feeling stronger and possibly feeling freed from something. What if a word helped get me through the day or the night.  What if someone left me a word that was magical, inspiring and life changing…What if this NightCap of words resonated truth and hope within me and something changed.

Slogan/taglines:

A day without laughter is a day wasted

Accept what you can’t change. Change what you can’t accept.

Bloom where you’re planted

Counting other people’s sins does not make you a saint

Do small things with great love.

Do something each day to bring you a little closer to your dreams.

Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket.

Dreams don’t work unless you do.

Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.

Live in the moment. Live what you love. Make it happen. Make mistakes.

Please and thank you are still magic words.

Rejection is not fatal. Seize the moment.

Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places

There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

Some of my favorite Proverbs. In a sense they’ve become my “taglines” as they bring comfort, encouragement, wisdom and inspiration to my day and night:

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Reckless words pierce like a sword but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul

He who walk with wise grows wise.

A gentle answer turns away wrath.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.

A friend loves at all times.

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Happy 4th of July!

Freedom: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.

As we prepare to spend the day celebrating may we be mindful of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. How blessed we are to live in America the Land of the Free and the Brave!

We’ve seen and read over the years and most recently how people have been fighting for their freedom to live the life they feel is right for them.

We know freedom can mean different things to different people. But the bottom line is this, we’re FREE to express what that means to us because of the men and women who sacrificed for us and the freedom we live in today. We live in a country that was built on the principles and character of God.

A country that offers freedom to love, live, choose, worship, dress, work, freedom of speech, and so on. And life goes on. We fight for causes pulling at our heart-strings and those which keep us up late at night.

We choose what we feel is right and best for us. We speak out for the things we feel strongly about. We dress to express. And we worship what feels right for us and offers the inner peace we long for and were created for.

And yet, many find themselves missing “something”. In all the freedom one can find they are searching for more. More purpose. More love. More freedom.

It’s my hope today as you celebrate the 4th of July that you will be mindful of how much God loves you. The intent for life on earth from the beginning of time was to bring freedom to love, live, choose and experience peace. Freedom is not a new concept to life, it was present from the beginning of time. (John 8:36)     

“You my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”      Galations 5:13& 14