Mary – Page 15

God Time

February 23, 2017 by Mary

Each day is a new day and each day allows us new opportunity to evaluate and search our heart. Have you ever met someone that just seemed to light up a room and find yourself thinking, “Gosh, whatever she has, I want some of that”? That’s what it’s like to be filled with God’s light. It shines through us for others to see, igniting a fire within them. This light can’t be bought and we can’t pretend to have it. It comes from within as a result of a loving relationship with God and a true and faithful heart.

I want to encourage you this week to dedicate 15 minutes each day to spend time alone with God. You don’t have to do anything special or pray special words. Just dedicate 15 minutes during your day to have a one on one with God, sharing with him your hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties and disappointments. You’ll be surprised at what your heart will reveal!

A Journey of the Holy Spirit

February 20, 2017 by Mary

I believe that life is a great journey. The journey is not necessarily a journey of flesh, but a continually flowing journey of the spirit. Each new experience, be it bad or good, has a spiritual component. How these experiences affect our souls, our being, our thoughts and our hearts is a spiritual reflection.

My abiding faith is in a loving Creator, Jesus, who came and died for us, our Heavenly Father.

I believe that the works of those who inspire and encourage us along the journey are divine, for God is inspiration. He works through people; all races, colors and ethnicity. Often, history has shown that religion is a great divider of people because while we are practicing rituals and law, we neglect that the foundation is LOVE. As a Christian, we know that Jesus came as Perfect love, that we might love.

When we love, we accept others rather than judge. When we love, our minds are set on those things that are pure and lovely, noble and true.

I was once on the staff at a church where people did not want the poor to sit next to them on Sunday. They spent so much energy judging that they forgot about love and the works of the Holy Spirit. Each of us has a deep and abiding need to feel loved and accepted and a sense of belonging. It is a basic human need.

There is a world out there that needs you! A world that needs your gifts and talents, a world that calls out to you to use your passion, a world that is calling you back to what you truly love. The world needs you to continue on your journey, fully clothed in the Holy Spirit, where wisdom is known and we are filled with love and acceptance, regardless of our differences. In the Holy Spirit, we are also less self-critical and more self-loving because we understand through supernatural wisdom that God created us for a purpose and the time to execute our purpose is now.

Is the life that you are living the life that wants to live in you? “Purpose is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s needs.” Frederick Beuchner

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” Denis Waitley

As you go through your day today, think about your daily journey. The Holy Spirit is within you. What kind of journey are you taking? Are you climbing mountains? Are you down in the valley? Are you learning new things about yourself, the love of Christ, acceptance? We are beings made in the image of Christ and the Holy Spirit is part of our DNA. It is not something from which we can separate ourselves.

Embrace it, dwell in the things above and glorify God through the Holy Spirit in all that you do. Remember that it is a journey…a never ending journey. Some days we get it wrong and we mess up and sometimes we are right on spot.

xxxooo.

Mary

A Note About Worry

February 16, 2017 by Mary

A Word Of Encouragement

We all go through times of fear and uncertainty in our lives, but the Lord tells us not to be dismayed, but rather, give everything to him, casting our cares through prayer and petition. Petition means talking with God about the needs in our lives, asking for his help. It’s so amazing that we have a God who listens and cares about our needs!

This week think about how much time you spend worrying. In Luke 12:25-26, it says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”…Worry never solves a problem; it can actually create problems for us, such as lack of peace of mind, emotional ups and downs, and ill health. The bible tells us in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Sometimes we spend time worrying about the problems we foresee for tomorrow and things we expect to happen.

Take some time this week to write out some of the burdens that you carry. If you have enough room on your paper, write them all. After you have made your list, spend some time in prayer over the list. Ask God to help you let go and give him control. Put the list in a safe place and when you begin to worry about those things on the list, bring it out again and pray over it. Ask God to reveal to you what he would have you to do to solve each of these issues in your life. Take notes when things come to mind. Set reasonable goals for yourself. Ask God for his perfect peace and favor.

A Week of Prayers For You!

February 13, 2017 by Mary

Monday: Dear Lord, help me realize today that the words that I speak are a reflection of the state of my soul. If I speak ill of others, negativity and profess gloom and doom for myself, please help me to recognize it and come to you for help. Help me to seek a quiet moment alone with you to give you all of those things which weigh heavy on my soul. Help me to live, laugh, love and fly freely today. Please help me to breathe life into situations through my words, rather than death and/or sorrow. Help me to build others up, fill me words that bring joy and laughter help me to teach and heal others through the use of my words today. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Tuesday: Lord, I know that you created me in the image of yourself and that you know even the number of hairs on my head. Help me to better understand the love you have for me, therefore realizing my own value. Give me a voice to speak kindly to others about my own needs and those things that are healthy for myself. Help me set boundaries that will make me a healthier, happier and whole person. Lord, please help me understand that I am not in control of the reaction of other people when I choose to set healthy boundaries for myself. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Wednesday: Dear Lord, please help me to be everything that you created me to be. I want to live in a world of possibilities and forgive myself for past mistakes and failures. I recognize that you forgive me too and that you want the best for my life and that you long to give me the desires of my heart. Thank you for beginning the process of healing in my life today and showing me that you love me just as I am. Please open new doors of opportunity for me and help me to walk through them, unafraid. Help me to walk one step forward at a time and know that when I feel afraid you are walking alongside of me. Amen.

Thursday: Lord, thank you for letting me see that I have choices. Thank you for showing me that I have allowed my own words to define me in the past. I have allowed my words to control situations, sometimes holding me back from doing and being everything that I can be. I will re-think my words today. Please help me to see them in a new light. Please help me to recognize how certain words can inhibit my personal growth. Thank you for bringing it to my attention Lord. Amen.

Friday: Lord, thank you for filling me with laughter and joy. Thank you that I can laugh and that I have people with whom I can laugh. Thank you that even though I have grown, I still have a child-like sense of wonder Please refresh me and help me to feel free enough to be playful today. Take my burdens and make them light, Lord I release them to you today. Amen.

Saturday: Dear Lord, I understand that you stood for something, that you came to this place to teach us and that you are not only a great teacher and healer, but also a great philosopher. Lord I am asking you to help me recognize what is important; what things are non-negotiable in my life and personal philosophy. Help me to develop a strong life philosophy by using my past experiences as a teacher and my hopes and dreams for the future to guide me forward. Thank you that I am strong and capable and not afraid. Thank you that I am willing to walk through whatever doors of opportunity you open for me in the future. Amen.

Sunday: Lord, you say in your word, “the body is the temple of the holy spirit” (1Corinthians 6:19). Please help me take time to rest today, realizing that even you took time apart to be alone and pray. Thank you for helping me understand that rest renews my mind, my body and my spirit and that in the quiet, restful times that I create for myself, you speak. Help me to not be so busy “doing” that I am uncomfortable just “being” and that being busy is not always productive. I will think about this in the coming week. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Giving Thanks, Stressing Less: Day 2

January 11, 2017 by Mary

Mary’s Rules For A Healthy Holiday

Get Enough Rest: I often run myself down during the holiday just by moving all the time–shopping, wrapping, cooking, and being a perfectionist, expecting everything to run smoothly and create a super-duper memorable holiday for everyone who shares it with me.

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Ask For Help: Before I became really sick with a chronic illness, I never asked for help. I realize that I thought it easier to do things myself because everything would be done the way I wanted it, no questions asked. Once again, perfectionism.Avoid perfectionism and ask for help. People genuinely want to help.

Start Early: Whether you are having a large crowd for the holiday or just your immediate family, my advice is to start early. Starting early allows you time to rest, focus and enjoy the season. Sometimes we rush through life in such a frenzy to get things done and reach a goal that we miss the journey along the way.

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Remember The Reason For The Season: Stay focused on the reason you celebrate. Doing so will put all the other details into perspective.

Simple Is Better: Avoid cluttering up your house with too much stuff. We receive so much visual stimulation from television, department stores, and magazines during the holiday that there is an unspoken expectation that our homes should look the same. Garlands, wreaths, candles, trees, lights and tons of holiday trinkets. Simple is always better. When we simplify, we create more opportunity to enjoy simple gifts…family, friends, contemplation, thankfulness and wonder.

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Be Nice To Your Budget: Commercialism tells us that we need to go out and buy, buy, buy. This is not the reason for the season, this does not promote simplicity, and does not help with a tight budget. I find the most meaningful gifts are those that were given from the heart, and took some time to create or think about. Sometimes the gift of just being together with people you love is more than enough.

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Potluck For Gatherings: Whether you are expecting a large crowd or 2-3 people, ask everyone to bring a dish to pass. This is part of the giving and sharing process and makes people feel needed and useful.

Develop A Holiday Self-Care Routine: Stay on track with exercise–if you do not exercise, the holiday’s are a good time to start, even if you only do it 15 minutes or park your car far away in the parking lot of the mall and walk briskly into the store.

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We all have “danger” foods–those which we know are our weakness, those which we know cause us a flare up of some sort or that we eat too much of and end up feeling sick….say “NO” to danger foods.

Do not over indulge. Leave the table once you are full. If you’re worried about getting a second helping of pie, slice yourself a piece and put it away for later.

Make sure that you schedule quiet time/down time for yourself. Use this time for personal renewal. You will have much more energy to share with others when you feel rested and renewed.

Sometimes I think it is strange that while so much has changed in our society, women often still carry an internal social norm that we are responsible for making everything perfect during the holiday–cooking, cleaning, decorating, baking, shopping, etc. Carrying the weight of creating perfect scenarios to bring people joy and happiness often comes at the cost of our own health and well-being. I realize that we do it because we love doing it, but faith helps us to have balance in all things. This season, remember the simple gifts of love, laughter and togetherness are the most important. By practicing balance in all things, you will stay healthy and happy for your family.

Being sick for a long time made me take a closer look at the things that are important to me and also reach out for help, which in turn makes people feel needed and valued. I hope you will do the same.