Coming up for Air

We've all had times when we feel  the need to "come up for air".   Well, this has been one of those weeks when I have greatly desired a vacation to some exotic place or a quiet country spa getaway where I could unwind and get some much needed r&r.  I quickly acknowledge that going on vacation doesn't mean that my behaviors & habits readily go in to vacation mode. In fact, many times I have felt the need to have a vacation after my vacation.  Since at this time I believe  my escape to that exotic island paradise or the spa is no where close insight, I began to reflect and review things that I could possibly address and help me to not only "come up for air" but possibly also address some other issues that may contribute to that feeling of "suffocation".  I'd like to share a few excerpts from one of my favorite authors, & female ministers,Joyce Meyer.   Just last night I picked up a copy of her magazine publication from February 2009 and in it was an article introducing her book  100 ways to Simplify your Life;  I thought Lord, You are always right on time! I would like to share a few thoughts I highlighted for myself. 

• "Focus- Do one thing at a time: Develop an ability  to give yourself to what you are doing. One  key to simplicity is realizing that quality is far superior to quantity."
• "Enjoy- Be satisfied with what you have: Life is the journey not the destination. To never enjoy the journey is to never enjoy life."
• "Change- Regularly reevaluate commitments:  We are not mules who spend their lives carrying a burden. We are God's children with a blood-bought right to peace and joy.  We often forfeit many blessings God has stored up for us because we are not willing to reevaluate commitments and cut out things that God is finished with or are no longer bearing fruit.  Just because you have always done something does not mean you should always do it."
• "Let Go- Don't be afraid to regularly reevaluate and make changes you need to make in order to keep your life on the simple track: God never asks us to do anything that wont eventually make our lives better."
• "Start Fresh- It is never too late to begin again: Hopelessness is a burden none of us needs to endure because, with God it is never too late to begin again.  He is the God of new beginnings."

Well, I think maybe I read enough to wet my appetite for more so I guess that will be one of the next books to add to my library.   Anyway SISTAs,  I believe that most of you could probably relate to my need to not live my life waiting for the next vacation or the perfect opportunity to get some r&r.  Instead the prayer of my heart is Lord teach me & show me how to daily be my best & to live my best life for Your honor & glory.  Therefore, I believe that we all can exhale as we learn how to simplify and allow the Lord to increase His joy; "for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

Daddy's Girl

Hey SISTAs!    I trust you all had a great week & are getting settled for a grand weekend. Seeing that most of us will be observing Fathers Day this Sunday I thought in this weeks blog we could share a bit on our relationships with our fathers; in particular the correlation between our relationships & our experiences with our earthly fathers & how that affects our perception of our Heavenly Father & how we relate to Him.  I have given thought to this off & on; well mostly when the Holy Spirit would be dealing about specific areas in my life. However, a few weeks ago one of the weekly lessons for the Sunday School class I'm teaching on "The Organic God", by Margaret Feinberg, challenged us to examine this aspect of our relationship with the Heavenly Father. Margaret shared how her experience of knowing her dad as being "big hearted" has affected her perception of her Heavenly Father as being big hearted.  Because in her experience, Margaret always found her dad to go "above & beyond" when meeting her needs/wishes, she has a belief & expectation of her Heavenly Father to be the same. This examining exercise has been uncomfortable for me. But I know that it is important to my continued spiritual growth & development. For there are ways in which my understanding of God can be strengthened by the relationship I have with my daddy, just as there are ways in  which my relationship with God can be unhealthy as I  "unintentionally project" on to my Heavenly Father experiences & ideas I may have had with my earthly daddy.  As Margaret Feinberg stated: " Many people naturally draw parallels between their earthly father and their Heavenly Father.  If  a person's dad was absent, always too busy, or rarely around, then a person may see God as uninvolved or distant.  If a person's dad was abusive, then a person may see God as harsh, judgmental, or even  cruel.  If a person's dad was performance-driven, then a person may see God as highly demanding.  At the same time, if a person's earthly father was loving, kind, generous, full of wisdom and grace, then a person may naturally see those attributes in God."

SISTAs I give you the same challenge that was given to me & others of my Sunday School Class: "Take a moment and prayerfully reflect on your relationship with your earthly father. Are there any ideas about your dad or experiences from childhood that you unintentionally project on God?  Spend time in prayer and ask God to reveal any of these to you.  Then, spend time in the scripture asking God to replace any false beliefs with a healthy, Biblically-based understanding of your Heavenly Father."

I pray that each of us will grow closer to our Heavenly Father knowing full well that He promised never to leave us nor forsake us!  May His love overflow in our hearts & may the spill over impact all others in our lives; yup even those earthly dads who may not deserve it.  Read & meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 as it is a good place to start.

Suggested reading:  The Organic God by Margaret Feinberg