Star-fish

The following is a response I gave in my college class regarding receiving godly counsel:                          Benjamin Franklin said, “He that won’t be counseled can’t be helped.” I could have used counsel in my early days as a school administrator, but instead I received harsh advice after something had gone wrong. Soon I became a survivalist in my skill developed, just trying to keep from getting into trouble. I was surrounded by managers, ones who kept their heads down and eyes averted to keep from getting singled out, but there was nary a leader to be found.             I was too young and naïve to know better, so I pushed on trying to make change and make a difference with my staff and students. But managing situations was what was expected and since I had little experience with administrative or personnel problems, learning was random and completely l...

     I just discovered today that a friend had a terrible loss in her family. She noted that she felt guilt over the situation. I too experienced such feelings, at a young age over the death of a loved one, and then later in life as well. After much "discussion" with God, He reminded me that I didn't have that much control. That I needed to reminder that He was the One who decided when these people would die, not me.       No matter how bad my relationships may have been with them at the time of their deaths, I did not cause their deaths. And I did love them, even if I had been upset with them or the situations they were in, so I needed to just grieve-no guilt. I needed to release the "whys?" and "what ifs?"to God and say "thank you" for the time that I had with them on this earth.       That's it. There is no more that I could do. And neither can you, so cry…many tears…streams of pain for them and for yourself. Then wash your fac...

     Failure is one of those things that most of us try quite hard to avoid, yet I hear successful people say over and over, it is what made them who they are today.  Colin Powell once said, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”      For me, Romans 5:3-5 (NIV) speaks to why we fail in life and why we must continue to pick ourselves back up, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”       Peter failed three times by denying Christ Jesus. He wept bitterly when he recognized his sin. Jesus forgave him and gave him a great ministry. I wonder if Peter would have been so bold for Christ if he hadn't failed so miserably to begin with in his walk with the Lord. I wonder how many opportunities have slipped through my own hands to reach the lost   due t...

     Recently, due to a class discussion question, I was thinking of the reasons I had for fearing the doctoral journey: ·       Fear of failure-not doing well on a project and receiving a poor grade, ·       Fear of rejection-not receiving positive reviews during classes and the dissertation, ·       Fear of embarrassment-not finishing the doctorate and others knowing of my failure, and ·       Fear that I might not be able to do it, then what does that tell me about myself?      But as a believer in Christ, the Bible reminds me many of times to not be afraid, and to trust in God alone, not in my abilities, and not others influences whether good or bad. Some scriptures, from the English Standard Version Bible (ESV), I lean on in times of doubt, frustration, and fear are as follows: ·       Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, for ...

     Last night I got an 86% on a paper I had worked many hours on. I was so discourage, confused, and then MAD! So mad that as I went to pray last night, I told God I didn't have the words to pray, due to being so upset.      This morning when I awoke, in my spirit I heard, "Are you ready to talk now?" "Yes, Lord," I thought, feeling silly for my behavior from the night before. In that quiet time with God, I felt He was reminding me that emotions such as fear, anxiety, worry, and anger are not from Him. He said I needed to separate myself from such fleshly emotions and draw on Him in those times to give me Spirit-filled emotions and discernment instead.       He reminded me, in my reading this morning from God Calling for June 8th, that the body and the spirit are not one. That often in this world, I desire to feed the body with things that are not godly, when I need to be feeding my soul with things of God. I need to be reading the Bible,...

     The children's saying, "Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words can never hurt me," couldn't be further from the truth. The Bible talks a lot about words and how we should be extremely careful with our choice of words. The following scriptures are just a few that remind me that my words are powerful, thus I need to be judicious with how I use them: Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.  Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. James 3:4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small pa...

       Does it feel like something is getting between you and God? I sent the following email to a friend who has been struggling to sleep lately. If it speaks to you, speak to God, He's up all night:         Today is the only day you can change. You are not your emotions. You are not your lack of sleep. You are a child of the Most High God, regardless of your circumstances. Trust in faith that God is bigger than all your problems and has answers already on the way.  Our past is over, there's no going back (not that I'd want to) and our future is not in our hands. Your sleep issue is a tactic of the devil as well. The bad thing is you are under attack, but the good thing is you must be doing something right for the Lord or Satan wouldn't give you a second thought.  Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,...

     Today, I spent hours reading and highlighting an article for my college class. But when I was finished, I still had little idea what the article was about. The terminology was way over my head and the statistical results were even more foreign. Yet, these scientists and researchers are some  of the same people who say the Bible makes no sense!       One factor they were applying in the article was "luck" and its impact on presidential success. They believe in luck, but not God? I would much rather put my faith in a God who sent His Son to speak the truth of salvation and everlasting life, simply and without bias. All can come, no luck or special lingo need, just faith in Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.       Thank you Lord for being the Maker of the World, so You understand that we need simplicity to comprehend Your ways. Psalm 146:6 (NIV) He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them--he remai...