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Trust. Don’t Be Too Late

A Mini-Minute with Pam: Trust. Don’t Be Too Late

Continuously following

Don’t be too late… Easter is fast approaching. Each year, naturally the focus is on Jesus’ sacrifice. His death. For you. For me. But what if this year is different. What if Jesus came this very hour just as you finished reading this post? Would someone else have to shut off your computer or would you still be there to do that?

Will you join me in this prayer?

Your love is amazing, Lord Thank you for going to the Cross for me. For my sin, so I don’t have to. Lord, what do I have to do, in order to put myself in the path of Your blessing? I believe the answer is to have a heart response to your invitation to join your Family. And to be content in You. To be prepared for Your coming back for Your own. To KNOW in my KNOWER that YOU are LORD of my life.

What if my scenario above happens

Are you ready? There is a story of a workman that was always the first out the door when the siren sounded for the end of the work day. When asked how he was able to consistently do that, his response was simple. “I stays ready so I don’t have to get ready.” What about you? ARE YOU READY? Or are you hoping for more time to GET ready?

Don’t be too late

It is a matter of trust. Do you believe any day now you could hear the shout of the Lord and the trumpet blasts to announce his coming for His own? Are you one of His own? Things are pretty bad right now in the country. In the whole world, actually. There was a big gathering in DC this week and the cell phone coverage was unavailable for a period of time. It caused quite a stir. So many signs point to the possibility that we need to STAY READY. When He comes, will you GO? Or will you be left behind?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Lean not on your own understanding
In all you ways, acknowledge Him
And He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Some versions say, “…And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Is Easter just giving up stuff?

Many people focus on the call to discipleship as a call to self-denial…specifically at Easter time. That is often the case. Giving up something. Dying to your own desires. But the Christian life is more than just giving up stuff. Rather, as you draw closer to the Lord, His desires become your desires. Your will begins to closely align with His will. It becomes more about the amazing relationship that develops between you and Jesus. The closeness. The freshness each day. The joy of “belonging”. You are His and He is yours. Forever. You don’t—you can’t—do ANYTHING to EARN that. It is a gift to those who CHOOSE to TRUST HIM. His call to you is to follow Him unceasingly. Unconditionally. Always seeking to know Him better. Seek Him in the Scriptures. Don’t just read the Bible. LOOK for HIM on every page. He’s there! Waiting for you!

Moment by Moment

Discipleship for a Jesus follower is day-by-day. Delighting in Him. Desiring to make Him happy. To FEEL Him smiling at you. To believe that He knows what is best for you. Do you fully trust Him? Walk toward His Light. Don’t sit in the darkness.

Related Post: Stunning Realization. Easter

Looking closely at Psalm 57

“He (David) was facing multiple dangers and what bothers him most is the slander, gossip, and criticism surrounding him. Verbal cruelty can do just as much damage as physical abuse. He refuses to respond with hateful words…

“God’s presence is the only safe place when life seems to be falling apart and we are wounded by the words and actions of others. This habitual practice of prayer and praise in such times is David’s lifeline. It can be ours as well.

“Instead of spending sleepless nights worrying about what he cannot change, he uses these hours awake to find suitable expressions of praise and worship… Do you know how to speak to your soul like that?”

Almighty God, there is nothing too hard for you! When I face hardship, keep my mind and heart fixed on who you are.

— Encounter with God

Until next time.

Personality and Jesus

Do you know who God created you to be? Have you ever stopped to think about how your personality affects the way you interact with others? Find out more in this new book by Pamela A. Taylor.

Personality and Jesus

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Filed under: Mini-Minute with Pam,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Who is Your Valentine?

A Mini-Minute with Pam: Who is Your Valentine?

Valentines Day is a great day for some and for others, a deep loneliness or depression takes over. What about you? Are you looking forward to it, or dreading it?

I want to tell you a story about a woman that had everything. Privilege. Health. Talent. A great swimmer. And a wonderful family. She has the most amazing husband in the world. Ken Tada married her AFTER her accident jumping off the dock, and becoming paralyzed from the neck down. He knew how hard it would be. It makes me think of the sacrificial and deep love that Jesus has for you. For me. Jesus left the “privileged” life of Heaven. He gave up His own life in every way. He is our “Valentine”. He CHOSE to do that. Just like Joni’s husband. Personal sacrifice. For love. Not many find Ken’s kind of deep HUMAN love. But there is One that loves you even more than that…

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered…”

Hebrews 5:7-9 (NIV)

When life changes your plans.

Joni Earekson Tada is an author, painter, public speaker and a quadriplegic. Her story is well-known, but what she has to say to us may be a bit difficult to hear. Joni is not a stranger to the world of suffering. She was very young when her life was forever changed on an ordinary day while swimming with her family.

She broke her neck in a diving accident.

We know her now as a beautiful soul fully surrendered to God. But it was not always that way. Of course…it was all difficult to accept at first. She had been an active young woman. But God had given Joni a loving family and at least one good friend that patiently helped her to see her life was not over. It had just taken a different path. She has learned obedience through what she has suffered.

Mindset matters.

Her other-worldly mindset gives her the strength to endure through her life challenges. Challenges that most of us cannot even imagine. Things we take for granted. It has been said that Joni begins her day EVERY day with the realization that she needs God “desperately”. It is not a theory for her. It is a reality. She simply cannot do even the simple tasks of “life” without help.

Reality check.

Joni believes that the “really handicapped people are those who don’t really know of their desperate need for God.” Amazing perspective from one confined to a wheelchair, needing someone to assist her with everything she does.

Jesus paved the way…

Through Jesus’ “reverent submission” He became the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. Jesus’ suffering made it possible for Joni and for you and for me to endure until we meet Him face-to-face. Amazing love. Love that gives us wisdom to understand the concept of the necessity to grasp the idea that we truly are beginning each day “needing God desperately”.

What about you?

It is in accepting that fact – that we need God desperately – that we are empowered to follow wherever He leads.

Related Post: What If God Has A Love Language

Who is Your Valentine?

Food for thought

This week as you celebrate Valentines Day:

  • Can you honestly say that God is your FIRST love?
  • Do you stop daily to remember how how much you actually DO desperately NEED HIM for absolutely everything?
  • Is time with Him your FIRST priority every day?
  • Is He your last thought before sleep, or are you busy rehearsing the next day’s “to do” list?

How can we do anything but love Jesus desperately for all He has done so we can be with Him throughout all eternity. Talk about a “Forever Love”. THIS is it! Every day is Valentines Day with Jesus. When you look for Him, you will see Him EVERYWHERE in your life. He loves to lavish you with displays of His love. Seek Him and you will find Him. He’s creative. Sometimes you have to do a deep search, but He is there. Everywhere. Are you with me?

Who is Your Valentine?

Until next time,

Personality and Jesus

Do you know who God created you to be? Have you ever stopped to think about how your personality affects the way you interact with others? Find out more in this new book by Pamela A. Taylor.

Personality and Jesus

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
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www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Holidays,Mini-Minute with Pam,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Multi-tasking in Your Head

A Mini-Minute with Pam: Multi-tasking in Your Head

Man with box on head

How do you get from a sigh to a song?

Do you have trouble resting and just being with God with no agenda? He knows we need that. Are you multi-tasking in your head, like I was? Constantly ruminating about all you must do. Trying to figure out every angle so you don’t miss anything. Wanting to measure up. Trying to do so much for the Lord. I’ve spent years. Dumping lots of money. Hiring experts. Looking for someone to help me find God’s plan for my life. Many coaches. Many classes. Seminars. Counselors. Teachers. All different, but they all claimed they had the answer for me. I believed them. More thinking and doing.The only problem was, it was one size fits all. All of this “naval gazing” only produced more frustration.

I never measured up to the expectations

It only led to frustration. The Ministry Insight Leading From Your Strengths assessment actually began the journey to sanity and a degree of peace. It was a good place for me to start. (I’ve actually written a trilogy about discovering personality strengths, embracing them, and living them out in your day-to-day.) We are all different by God’s design. Embracing that is the first step to leave the SIGH behind) But something was still missing. I knew God was not surprised at my despair. I knew He was not angry with me. I knew He would show me the way sooner or later. The problem is, I didn’t measure up to expectations. And like you, I wanted “SOONER” rather than “LATER”.

None of the experts gave me the peace I longed for.

I could not find someone who would simply listen to me without trying to fix me. Kinda like Job’s friends. I know God sees me. God hears me. God cares. So, what was wrong with me? Have you ever felt that way? I read a book about Oswald Chambers. He claimed to know the SECRET. And you know what? He DID! He discovered the secret; but only after years of searching, disappointments, and isolation with his family while serving the Lord in China.

The sigh MUST come before the song.

God has a process. We must die to our own plan before He can raise us into His destiny for us. So, all of this struggling is actually part of His plan toward our maturity in the Lord. The Psalms are a great example. Most if not all Psalms begin with the sigh. The sadness. The loneliness. The searching for significance. Talking honestly to God. And by the end of the Psalm, there is usually breakthrough. My guess is that each Psalm could have taken months or perhaps years to compose. Because the discovery definitely takes time. Focused time.

Can a person actually bring that peace to another?

No, they can’t. Only God can. But first, God wants us to hear ourselves telling Him in detail what we believe the problem is. Confessing our unbelief, despair, fear, anger, or whatever emotion we are feeling. If you don’t feel like talking to Him about it, then tell Him that, too. He already knows anyway, right? Of course that is right. God knows everything. So, first I had to learn to be honest with God and with myself.

Israelites vs Joshua & Caleb

Which do you want to be? Spies went into the Promised Land. They all saw the problems. Most SIGHED and feared the size of the giants. They saw it as Giants vs the Israelite people. They saw no way of winning. But, Joshua and Caleb saw it as Giants vs God ! They saw the problem of the Giants, too. But they didn’t stay in the problem space. Rather, they knew their God was more powerful than any enemy. More powerful than any giants. In a sense, they were SINGING God’s praises of possibilities. They saw no way of losing. Which group do you fall into on most days? Be honest with yourself. Be honest with God. He already knows anyway. He just wants to know that WE know that He is BIGGER than any problem we face.

The right path

Little did I know that this entire process was the right path all along. Little did I know that God would lead me to discover the same secret as Oswald Chambers. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it lonely at times? Yes. And it still is sometimes. Not God AND (something or someone else)…But…Realizing that we all have a God-sized vacuum and only when we allow God and only God to totally fill it up to the brim, do we find the SECRET that Oswald Chambers discovered…that God has creatively been telling us all along, in various ways. The secret?

I AM

God is actually saying to us, “Everything that you are NOT, I AM! “ Everything! Absolutely everything!

There is just one more important thing I need to mention: Only if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and if you have a personal relationship with Him, can you live like that.

Do I believe that? YES! Do you? If not, would you like to? It is a choice only you can make.

All are invited to come into relationship with Jesus but sadly, not all do.

Until next time…


Personality and Jesus
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Filed under: Mini-Minute with Pam,Personality Strengths and Weaknesses,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

My Prayer For You This Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from Loaves and Fishes Coaching

 

My prayer for you this THANKSGIVING:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I am reminded of one of the first sermons I actually HEARD. The pastor said “If all we receive is our salvation, it should be enough.” Amen? Amen!

So, this Thanksgiving, as we remember all that the Lord has blessed us with, may we begin with gratitude for our salvation. All else is OVERFLOW.

And, as with the cornucopia, may your overflow flow over to all you meet each and every day from now until you see Jesus face-to-face.

In Jesus’ Name!

Be blessed to be a blessing!

Thank you for all you do.

My Father: Experiencing God's Love A-Z

Pamela Taylor invites you to join her in this interactive acrostic devotional journal designed to draw you into the extremely personal and abundant love God has waiting for you. Experience the "Just ask..." of His love for you!

My Father: Experiencing God's Love from A-Z by Pamela A. Taylor

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Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Spiritual Life,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

What If There’s a Cure?

A Mini-Minute with Pam: Do Not Dwell in the Past

Woman with headache
I was unhappy. Nothing pleased me. People got on my nerves. I felt down on myself. I’d made so many bad choices and I was paying the price for it all. I was miserable. I EXPECTED to be treated poorly be others and they did not disappoint.

Would I ever be happy?

As my Dad would have said, “I felt lower than a snake’s belly” and it wasn’t getting any better. I knew the principle that: We become like whatever we focus on and I was focusing on how bad my life was and what a miserable wretch I was. Would I EVER be a mature Christian? Would I ever be happy? It seemed impossible with the circumstances I was enduring.

Then…

I had a kinda mindset shift. I simply could not make myself be better. A “light” went on in my spirit.

Only God…

I remember the day I prayed: “Lord, keep me from a complaining spirit.” And it has become a daily prayer. I am still becoming like whatever I mediate on, but my meditation has shifted to the wonders of God rather than the awfulness of Pam.

Do Not Dwell in the Past

Often grumbling is the by-product of something in the past. That was the case for me, anyway. So many betrayals and so much heartache. But…God has something to say about all of that. He has expectations for His children. He expects obedience. It’s a choice, but for God’s “kids”, it’s not optional. He expects obedience because He knows what is best for us. He makes it very clear. He  tells us to not dwell in the past, rather, He says in His word to use His cure…

God’s cure

“Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing.”

Isaiah 43:18-19

Making excuses

We might think it is no big deal. But an Anchor devotional got me thinking with this statement: “Grumbling seems like a small sin compared to many. Why should it matter if I complain a little as long as I do the right thing? But like a child who stomps her feet on the way to make her bed, a grumble says NO, even though actions say Yes.”

God’s cure

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Philippians 4:6

But, everybody does it

Even though everybody does it, there are consequences. God has some things to say about following the example of the grumbler crowd.

Jesus said, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”

John 6:43

“…Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.”

1 Corinthians 10:10

“Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the judge is standing right at the door.”

James 5:9

Stating the obvious

It is not a small thing. God is blessed by an attitude of gratitude. I want to make my Heavenly Father happy. Don’t you? Scripture makes it clear that we are to do everything in the joy of the Lord, rather than with a grumbly spirit. And we do that by choosing obedience with a smile. Why? Because attitude matters to God AND to others. God looks at the heart attitude over the outward actions.

Viruses

Discontent and complaining are like spiritual viruses, infecting others. Complaining against God’s provision is complaining against God Himself.

I think God’s LOVE LANGUAGE is OBEDIENCE. He tells us if we love Him we will obey Him. Let’s make a pact to consciously decide to use God’s cure for the virus of complaining. Join me? Do not dwell in the past, instead, let’s CHOOSE JOY! And walk in it daily!

Let me know how you are doing. Leave me a note in the comments box. Let me know how I can pray for you. To God be the Glory!

God bless you bunches!

Do you need encouragement in your walk with God?

I offer one-on-one coaching and would love to come alongside you to help you become the woman God created you to be.

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Mini-Minute with Pam,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

If All I Had…

A Mini-Minute with Pam

Lıfe preserver and book
My Omaha pastor said, “If all you have is your salvation, that should be enough.”

That was more than 40 years ago and I still ponder that statement. It pops into my mind often. Powerful.

Can we just stop our world for a minute and honestly think about that one sentence. Can we actually live our daily lives like that? Is Jesus truly enough? Or do you need more?

Do we walk in a state of contentment that God is our Father and that you and I are continually in His care?

Do you live you life with your eye on eternity with your Lord?

Or do you live in survival mode: Just for today? Is busy-ness your idol? Or is Jesus your “Hero”? Is He enough? If not, why not? And what can we do to change our mindset?

In Psalm 56:12b, 13 “I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death.”

Psalm 56:11 “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

God bless you bunches!

Until next time…

Do you need encouragement in your walk with God?

I offer one-on-one coaching and would love to come alongside you to help you become the woman God created you to be.

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Mini-Minute with Pam,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

I Was Blind But Now I See

Blind man walking
I was blind but now I see!

Do you ever flirt with temptation?

I know there are times that I do.

How close do we allow ourselves to get to temptation?

In the Bible story, the man was born blind. What if he had been tempted to believe he would always be blindly stumbling around?

Yet, he took a chance. He believed. He trusted. He obeyed.

After applying mud to the man’s eyes, Jesus told him to go wash it off.

The man obeyed and was given the gift of sight. Just imagine his joy! He could now physically see the One who healed him. Jesus.

Then along came the Debbie-downers.

People were skeptical. They asked the man if his Healer was a sinner? The man realized that was not his “call” to say.

But he did absolutely know one thing. And he proclaimed the truth of it: “I do not know whether He is a sinner and wicked or not…

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25, NIV)

What About You?

Does God ever ask you to do crazy things like He did that man?

Have you wondered what you would do under similar circumstances?

Sight: (conquering blindness) comes through using the tools of daily prayer and daily Bible reading. Actually choosing to spend time with Jesus. Those are our “weapons” to fight the good fight, as scripture calls it. The good fight. The inevitable daily temptations.  They are tools for those times when the Debbie downers show up. When your faith is tested.

It can’t be just rushing through a verse or two, but prayerfully reading whole chapters at a time. Be radical. Develop a deep and lasting friendship with the Healer. Saturate yourself!

2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we walk by faith and not by sight. The blind man trusted. He obeyed the crazy thing with the mud and the washing it off part. The blind man didn’t question. He took a chance. He believed. He trusted. He obeyed. He walked by faith and received his sight.

That can be your story,  too. You can say, “I was blind but now I see!”

We build our faith and trust in the Lord through daily Prayer and Bible Reading. DAILY. It’s actually like food for the Soul. Feeding your soul daily is just as important as feeding your body daily. No shortcuts or we become emaciated and weak. Kinda blind in a sense. We don’t see temptation and sin sneak up on us. Because we have not nourished our soul that day.

Obedience: is stepping forward toward holiness. (The opposite is falling backward toward temptation.) It’s consciously realizing when we are being a slave to the tyranny of the urgent. It’s choosing to do what makes Father God happy as our priority.

Related Post: Learning to Lean

A lesson from computers

The computer term GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) fits well here. What we get back is indicative of the amount of time and care we take with the input. AND being attentive and careful WHAT what we actually have put in.

So, to prevent flirting with temptation–our thoughts, and what we put into our minds through our eyes, our ears, and our actions, must be diligently and carefully guarded to prevent viruses (temptation) from causing a CRASH.

Onward, dear friends. Let’s choose to walk by faith together. To God be the Glory.

I’d love to hear from you. I’d love the opportunity to walk alongside you as your Christian Coach. Wonder how coaching works? Hit the connect button and set up a time for a complementary call. Life is tough and we all need a place where we can be real and safe. Where we can work out our struggles with our very own cheerleader. Encouraging us on to victory in our walk with the Lord. Someone who understands our personality and believes in us.

Until next time.

Do you need encouragement in your walk with God?

I offer one-on-one coaching and would love to come alongside you to help you become the woman God created you to be.

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Losing Control

Short post. True confessions time… Let’s talk about losing control…

I’m normally even-tempered. I seldom get angry or lash out.

Today I did BOTH. I was angry and lashed out.

My reaction surprised me. I didn’t see it coming.

Afterwards, I was asking myself: WHERE did that come from?

There have been a series of events. And apparently, this thing today was the “straw that broke the camels back”.

In itself, it was a minor issue, but it came from a person that has routinely been rude and unkind to me personally. And, it hurts!

Up until today, I have responded with God’s grace and just let it roll off my back.  “I will take no offense” is a daily “mantra” for me. It is so freeing to CHOOSE to take no offense. However… this time, I forgot to CHOOSE…

I’m just sharing this because I want you to know that I absolutely know I am still a work in progress, just like you. I am not happy with myself how I reacted. I know God loves me anyway, but I know it also made Him sad, too.

Normally, I can praise the Lord, laugh and move on. Today, I did NOT! Today, I blew up at that person! I took offense!

And then I stomped away like a toddler…with her and her friend yelling at me, saying she was just kidding. I had to walk past them again a few minutes later, and she and her friend grabbed my arms, to try to make me stand there and listen to them. I felt angry and I felt trapped! I felt bullied.

Have you ever felt that way?

I can also report that we all three ended up having a calm discussion about what happened. It will never be great, because I have never felt safe with either of them.

I will always have my guard up. AND I now know that they have the ability to “trip my trigger”. So, I know now to be alert and choose to be calm. I should have cried out to “Jesus!” But I tried to handle it on my own and I failed miserably! (I think I need to watch the movie “War Room” again. I want to be more like Miss Clara.)

When I got back to my apartment, I talked on the phone with a dear friend who knows me and loves me even when I act like a toddler throwing a tantrum. I don’t think she has ever seen me that way, because it seldom happens, but she listened. We laughed. She suggested a cup of chamomile tea. I’m so grateful she was there for me! I needed a friend right then. Jesus with skin on.

BUT…it still hurts.

Aren’t we glad we have a God who covers our sins with His Blood?
Aren’t we glad that He loves us even when we mess up?
Aren’t we glad He will make up for our lack? We just have to ask Him!

“Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens: Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”

Psalm 36:5

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

1 John 3:1

“Therefore, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7

Thanks for your prayers. You can see that I desperately need you holding me up in prayer. This world HURTS sometimes. But God is bigger than all our hurts.

Do you need encouragement in your walk with God?

I offer one-on-one coaching and would love to come alongside you to help you become the woman God created you to be.

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Freedom,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Finding Perspective in Times of Testing

Woman with son on beach

Is your life a mess? Are you going through a rough patch? Do you wish things were different? Do you wish YOU were different? Do you want to be a better person? In this post, we’re going to cover finding perspective in times of testing.

I have to remind myself daily that my basic calling and focus is to pursue an authentic relationship with Jesus. Key word: Pursue! Yup! Deliberately pursuing Him! Not to be better, but to choose to be with Him!

We all have difficult seasons of our lives

Times of testing. Sometimes our perspective gets a bit skewed. Maybe you have questioned if God even exists. Maybe thinking: If God is good, why do bad things happen to good people?

All that sounds so reasonable in our humanness. However, God is the only One who is truly “good”. And He calls us to a higher ground. He says, “Trust Me.” We don’t have to feel it, especially at first. But it has to be a conscious choice. We can’t wait for the feeling to come. It has to be a moment by moment and daily choice to trust Him no matter what! Why? Because He is good. All the time. In good times and bad, God is ALWAYS good! Do we understand why things happen? Not usually, but we can trust that He has purpose in all that happens. Beyond anything earthly.

Jesus came to restore us to relationship with God.

He experienced all the emotions we experience. AND…He feels your hurt. He is not a distant deity. He is a very personal God. When you hurt, He hurts. He chases after you until you find Him. And then He draws you into relationship with Him. It is your choice how deep you want that to be.

Finding perspective

When someone hurts you, betrays you, or speaks lies against you, what do you do? I remember when I first found out my husband had been unfaithful through our entire 20-plus years of marriage. We were on the mission field when I found out. Talk about feeling “lower than a snake’s belly” as my dad would say. We were in California. I ran outside alone, walking and walking, and crying out to God. The mountains loomed in the distance and a verse I didn’t even realize I knew, came to my mind: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, now and forevermore.” (Psalm 125:2) I just kept saying that verse over and over until I believed it. I didn’t understand, but God was assuring me that He was with me and He would help me through the, “Now what?”

Related Post: Not for One Second

That was a tough one to work through.

Everyone has to seek God’s wisdom and direction after a betrayal like that. It is not easy. It hurts to the very core of your being. But God walked that lonely painful road with me. Our Savior went through some rough relational problems while here on planet earth, so I knew He understood. And I knew He was good. The situation was bad, but God was/is good.

What about you?

Do you remember a book about: Are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER? Isn’t that a powerful question? We all know what fans are. They get together with other fans and scream and yell and love it when their team wins. But God expects MORE than that. He wants us to follow after Him, even whether we are winning or losing! God’s not about winning. He is about BEING! He expects us to be fully committed to Him no matter what happens. Let’s commit to being a FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWER of JESUS. Putting our hand to plow and not looking back. (When you look back, you plow a crooked row.)

“Come and see what God has done, His awesome deeds for mankind…”

Psalm 66:5

“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven…a time to weep and a time to laugh.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

The Song Trust and Obey

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, but His smile quickly drives it away. Not a doubt or a fear, not a sign or a tear, can abide while we trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share. But our toil He doth richly repay. Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross but is blessed if we trust and obey.

The book of Psalms

It is comforting to know throughout the Psalms, that others have walked in shoes similar to whatever we ourselves experience. Pain and joy, doubt and confidence, defeat and victory, hatred and love, confusion and clarity. No matter what you are feeling, you will find comfort in the Psalms. Praise will always lift you out of hum drum and into a joy-filled relationship with the Lord of Lords. Time spent in the Psalms daily will not disappoint.

Here’s a few suggestions to get you started:

“My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me”. And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’”
…Even if my father and mother abandon me the LORD will hold me close”

Psalm 27:8, 10

“The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses…with peace.”

Psalm 29:11

“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

Psalm 9:1-2

Notice the CHOICE. The “I WILL”. The CHOICE to praise. The CHOICE to walk in relationship. The CHOICE to take the time away from the world, and into the Presence of the very One Who created you. Father knows best. He adores. Be sure to give Him lots of opportunity for you to experientially know that.
David Jeremiah: By the Word of God, we are taught, challenged, corrected, and trained, so that we “may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (I Timothy 3:16-17)

My friend, Dawn used to say, “I know it in my KNOW-ER.” Perfect!

Until next time…

Do you need encouragement in your walk with God?

I offer one-on-one coaching and would love to come alongside you to help you become the woman God created you to be.

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Freedom,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Creative Injuries and the Spalding Method

Woman teaching a class

Continuing Ed Classes

I had been teaching a continuing ed class at my community college. The room was full of people that actually paid for me to teach them. Wonder of wonders, many were public school teachers. The class I was teaching was “Spalding, The Writing Road to Reading”. It is an amazing language arts jewel that teaches the Spalding method. The class was going well and the adult students were engaged with lively interactions as they learned new techniques. They were excited about the potential for their students. It is actually fun!

Homeschooling and Tutoring

Having taught my own children and also having tutored other people’s children, I was confident and enthusiastic because of the excellent results I had gotten using this method–even when the child presents a dyslexic challenge. All children benefit!

I had begun sharing an experience I’d had with a distraught and frustrated mother who had come to me for help. Her dyslexic teenage daughter hated reading. The mother had gotten all sorts of reading material for her, to encourage her to read ANYTHING. Nothing had worked.

Sidenote: I have a rule

I won’t teach another person’s child the Spalding method unless at least one parent goes through the training of the basics, with their child, because when the parents also learn the Spalding method they can reinforce at home what their child has learned in my tutoring sessions. We all need to be on the same “page” with the same direction and goals so their child has the greatest opportunity for success. So, the mother learned the basics along with her daughter.

A phone call

Then, one day after just a few months of learning the Spalding method, the mother called me. She was over-the-roof ecstatic! She had come home to find her daughter reading THE NEWSPAPER of all things. She was reading EVERYTHING in sight. Talk about a joyous conversation! Wow!

The Continuing Ed class reaction

As I was sharing that story with the continuing ed class, I mentioned that I homeschooled my own children. This was many years ago, when homeschooling was almost considered child abuse, and the Teachers’ Unions and Legislators were fighting against homeschooling. I once even had a teacher tell me she was actually TAUGHT in college that parents were INCAPABLE of teaching their own children. So, when these “educated” teachers found out I homeschooled–suddenly, what they previously had thought was wonderful, COULDN’T be because I had taught it and I did not have a teaching DEGREE.

That, my friends is an example of a Creative Injury.

Related Post: Back to School Days – 17 Ways to Keep Your Sanity

Success no longer mattered

They were furious at me—this UNSCHOOLED ordinary woman. Never mind that I had had great success. And never mind that they had been so excited about all the possibilities with their own classrooms of students. Never mind that it actually makes learning FUN!

Suddenly, I was an “ordinary woman”

I suddenly had no credibility in their eyes. It was a stunning experience. But one for which I am grateful. Do you wonder why I am grateful?

This is not a new thing.

We humans do it all the time. We put education and degrees above knowledge and wisdom and experience. We are impressed when someone has a bunch of degrees after their name. Sometimes, all that means is that someone is very good at taking tests. Or something else as simple as that.

But God has a different criteria

I knew that in many ways, I was not as smart as the experts were, but I also knew that God sent me the kids HE wanted me to teach, encourage, and influence—including my own. I also knew that I had been trained and was qualified to teach the Spalding method. I knew that I had experiences they did not have. I had proven the effectiveness of the methods in the trenches, where it matters.

I am grateful Jesus chooses misfits

He loves to astound the elite. The educated. The prideful. So, He chooses people who are willing to be ridiculed as they follow in His steps, seeking His wisdom and guidance all along the way. I’d love to hear your experiences from either side of this equation.

An example from Scripture that there is nothing new under the sun..

”The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 NLT

As each of us deal with our own experiences of “creative injury”, may people be able to say of you and me that they recognize that we have been with Jesus.

Life is challenging and sometimes people hurt us, but God is good all the time. BE with HIM and all else will fall into place in your life and you will have JOY because you have lived your life in His presence.

Do you need encouragement in your walk with God?

I offer one-on-one coaching and would love to come alongside you to help you become the woman God created you to be.

Let's Connect!Until next time,
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am
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