It has been a little while since I posted, but I don't like to post for the simple sake of posting; I like to have a purpose. I have been reading, and at times, re-reading Joyce Meyer's book "Power Thoughts," and there is a section that continues to stick out to me. On page 228 Joyce writes, "Learn to enjoy all different types of people, because many of our moments have people in them. I recently read that most of our unhappiness is caused from people not being what we want them to be or doing what we want them to do..."
So often, we frame expectations around individuals in our lives: how we think they should act, speak, treat us and others, raise their children; and without communicating our expectations (most often we shouldn't) we believe that they will somehow be aware of expectations and act accordingly. When they don't, we allow ourselves to become frustrated. How often have we left a party, a family member's house, a friend's company and said, "I wish they would have" or "They didn't say or do ___" or "I can't believe they ___?" It's because we placed an unrealistic expectations (unrealistic because they aren't aware of it and we expected them to be) upon their behavior that we had no right to.
How freeing would it be to remove any burden of expectation from the lives of those around you, including yourself, and have the only deciding factor in your life and the lives of others be God and His Word. That's it. We don't know the daily difficulties and personal situations of those around us, and to place an expectation on someone's behavior that they aren't aware of or that shouldn't even be placed upon them is setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration that can easily be avoided.
Free those in your life from having to live up to the expectations you have set for them, and allow yourself to not become entangled in the expectations that others have set for you. Live your life in accordance with God's Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to perform its perfect work in you, and live free of expectation.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Fall...and Nightmare
It's been a while, I know, but it's been a little in the Beach household. First off, it's fall and it's my favorite time of the year! I absolutely love fall for many reasons: scarves, rain boots, jackets, darker hair color changes (I worked at a salon for 3 years, I think of these things), hot cocoa, hot tea, hot beverages of any kind, Pumpkin Spice frappuccino at Starbucks, holidays, more family time, campfires, football and basketball...I could go on and on. literally.
But, one of my absolute favorite things is during the month of October my church puts on an absolutely amazing event: The Nightmare. Just in time for all the haunted Halloween houses to open, our church chooses to display real-life events and scenes that teenagers, and adults, face every day and the consequences that ensue. The entire event is put on by a cast made of church volunteers. As individuals finish their wait in line they are escorted through a domestic violence scene, a drinking and driving car wreck scene, a club scene, a drug/overdose room, a suicide, as well as a Jesus whipping room and Jesus on the cross. At the end of the Nightmare, each individual is given an opportunity to give their life to Jesus. This event is one that changed my life 8 years ago and one I am so passionate about because of the difference it made in my life. And each October when the season changes and the weather gets cooler it always feels like "Nightmare time."
It's been four nights and we've celebrated more than 1,800 salvations! It's truly a phenomenal event and one of my favorite things about fall.
But, one of my absolute favorite things is during the month of October my church puts on an absolutely amazing event: The Nightmare. Just in time for all the haunted Halloween houses to open, our church chooses to display real-life events and scenes that teenagers, and adults, face every day and the consequences that ensue. The entire event is put on by a cast made of church volunteers. As individuals finish their wait in line they are escorted through a domestic violence scene, a drinking and driving car wreck scene, a club scene, a drug/overdose room, a suicide, as well as a Jesus whipping room and Jesus on the cross. At the end of the Nightmare, each individual is given an opportunity to give their life to Jesus. This event is one that changed my life 8 years ago and one I am so passionate about because of the difference it made in my life. And each October when the season changes and the weather gets cooler it always feels like "Nightmare time."
It's been four nights and we've celebrated more than 1,800 salvations! It's truly a phenomenal event and one of my favorite things about fall.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
"...within the walls of our own home."
It's been several months, lots of planning and organizing, loads of transition, but the hubster and I are finally in our new home. We moved in almost a week ago and it is so surreal. We, of course, are thankful to all of our friends and family for the amazing support, encouragement, and late nights of unpacking and putting furnitire and blinds together, but most importantly we are so thankful and amazed at the faithfulnes of God. The details we can go over in person, with a nice chat and a little cup of coffee, but just know that every decision we have made has been with peace and assurance that we are taken care of and blessed by an amazing and faithful God. No planning on or part, even though there was alot, could have ever resulted in us having our first house within our first year of marriage. It's all God and we like to keep it that way.
With that said, I am reminded of what has become one of my favorite quotes: "The most important work that you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own home," spoken so eloquently by Harold E Lee. What goes on behind closed doors of an individual's home has such an impact on their life - children learn how a relationship should function by what is displayed in front of them by their parents; a husband and wife are able to build up or tear down one another and the relationship they have forged by how they communicate and treat one another when no one is looking; you have the opportunity to craft your environment by what you allow to be spoken and entertained within your walls and who you allow entrance into your home. Ultimately, it's your choice, but the significance of what occurs within one's home affects you and those closest to you. It's simple for me: I am able to choose whether our house is a place of peace or a place of strife. We all have that responsibility and it is one that should not be taken lightly.
I visited a friend of mine's house (shoutout to Heidi M) last week and she taught me how to make the most delicious jam. However, when I walked into her home the first thing I noticed was how peaceful it was. *I am a firm believer that when you walk into someone's home you can tell if their house is peaceful or chaotic.* Yes, it was clean and wonderfully decorated, but it was the environment that she had created for herself and her husband that stood out to me the most. Her house was engulfed in peace.
As the hubs and I settle into our new home, we are paying careful attention to what we choose to entertain and allow entrance into our home. What may seem small and trivial to some is of the most importance to us - we have been blessed beyond what we could imagine and it's our responsibility to be good stewards of what is in our possession.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The truth for a lie...
Romans 1:25 refers to individuals who know the truth of God, who know His character but choose not to follow Him, to trust in Him, those who "exchanged the truth of God for a lie." So often in our lives it is easier to believe the lies of the world, what we can see with our eyes and hear with our ears. We, as christians, are spiritual beings and therefore ALL things in our lives are spiritual, and when situations arise in our lives we can trust in the truth of God's Word or choose the fear that corresponds with the lies of the enemy. With every lie of the enemy comes fear: anxiety, worry, doubt, sickness, disease, death, despair, lack; but with every promise and truth of the Word of God comes prosperity, hope, love, health and wholeness, abundance, and peace.
In Genesis after Adam and Eve taste of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they are aware of sin, see that they are naked and they are ashamed of themselves. They hide their faces from the God that made them, that loved them, that walked and talked with them daily. God calls out to them asking where they are and after seeing that they have covered their bodies He asks them why. Adam and Eve respond that they are naked. And God, says, "Who told you that you were naked?" A few months ago Pastor Bill talked about this passage in scripture and how he pictured the same questions being asked of us when we choose to believe something the enemy has said to us - "Who told you that you were sick and dying?" "Who told you that you wouldn't amount to anything?" "Who told you that you weren't blessed and walked in abundance?" How God's heart breaks when His children who He has provided His Word for, sent His son to save and redeem, and set as inheritors on the earth to be blessed and walk in every promise established in His Word, choose to exchange the truth of His Word for a lie.
I want my life to showcase the promise of God's Word, to prove His Word is true. The manner in which you live your life bears reference to what you've chosen to believe - whether it's the truth of the Word of God or the lies of the enemy.
In Genesis after Adam and Eve taste of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they are aware of sin, see that they are naked and they are ashamed of themselves. They hide their faces from the God that made them, that loved them, that walked and talked with them daily. God calls out to them asking where they are and after seeing that they have covered their bodies He asks them why. Adam and Eve respond that they are naked. And God, says, "Who told you that you were naked?" A few months ago Pastor Bill talked about this passage in scripture and how he pictured the same questions being asked of us when we choose to believe something the enemy has said to us - "Who told you that you were sick and dying?" "Who told you that you wouldn't amount to anything?" "Who told you that you weren't blessed and walked in abundance?" How God's heart breaks when His children who He has provided His Word for, sent His son to save and redeem, and set as inheritors on the earth to be blessed and walk in every promise established in His Word, choose to exchange the truth of His Word for a lie.
I want my life to showcase the promise of God's Word, to prove His Word is true. The manner in which you live your life bears reference to what you've chosen to believe - whether it's the truth of the Word of God or the lies of the enemy.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Distractions
During tonight's church service Pastor Bill said something so simple and profound, "Depression is a distraction from the hope that God has promised you in your life." And I began to think, what other distractions have christians bought into that have pulled them away from the amazing life that God desires us each to live. Depression is a distraction from the hope and joy that God has promised for you; poverty and lack is a distraction from the abundance and more-than-enough life that His Word has promised you; sickness and disease is a distraction from the health that God has promised you; Anxiety and worry is a distraction from the peace that God has promised you. It's all a simple distraction, and it's all a lie of the world versus the truth of God's Word. It's the difference between keeping your eyes on the promises of God and His Word and turning your head and focusing on what you see around you and accepting that as your reality.
God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, the power to overcome any and all situations through His Word and His power that resides on the inside of us, and all that's required of us is to believe and therefore speak. To continue to believe and therefore speak. But so easily we get distracted by the words or situations of others, or situations that come up in our lives, and instead of continuing to believe and therefore speak, we stop believing and stop speaking and begin accepting.
Close to the end of the service he said, "create an atmosphere in your life for the Holy Spirit to move in." Make your life, and all that encompasses it, an atmosphere for God's Word and the Holy Spirit to take residence in. Why? Because the Holy Spirit leads and guides you in all truth and understanding, provides peace in all situations; because God's Word provides life and conviction and has the power to transform all situations because it's alive on the inside of you and spoken forth into your situations.
Don't allow yourself to be distracted, even in situations where you are tempted to compare yourself to someone else. So often, we lose sight of our relationship with God because we spend so much time comparing how our relationship with God appears with that of someone else. It's pointless. Why? because God wants your heart and when your focus is on the perception of another versus the perception of yourself, you lose sight of the purpose - which is to become more like Him.
God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, the power to overcome any and all situations through His Word and His power that resides on the inside of us, and all that's required of us is to believe and therefore speak. To continue to believe and therefore speak. But so easily we get distracted by the words or situations of others, or situations that come up in our lives, and instead of continuing to believe and therefore speak, we stop believing and stop speaking and begin accepting.
Close to the end of the service he said, "create an atmosphere in your life for the Holy Spirit to move in." Make your life, and all that encompasses it, an atmosphere for God's Word and the Holy Spirit to take residence in. Why? Because the Holy Spirit leads and guides you in all truth and understanding, provides peace in all situations; because God's Word provides life and conviction and has the power to transform all situations because it's alive on the inside of you and spoken forth into your situations.
Don't allow yourself to be distracted, even in situations where you are tempted to compare yourself to someone else. So often, we lose sight of our relationship with God because we spend so much time comparing how our relationship with God appears with that of someone else. It's pointless. Why? because God wants your heart and when your focus is on the perception of another versus the perception of yourself, you lose sight of the purpose - which is to become more like Him.
A Small Little Rant...
One of my biggest frustrations is when individuals fail to accept responsibility for themselves. A constant need and attitude of blame toward others puts you in a position to limit your ability for change and God's ability to work in your life: if nothing is ever your fault and you have no affect on the outcome then your actions and choices don't matter; your life is then a result of chance. It's crucial for parents to teach their children that a specific set of actions results in specific consequences, and that there's consistency throughout their life. So many individuals mine and Kevin's age have never been shown consistency in regards to their behavior, or they have friends and family members who excuse their behavior instead of forcing them to own up to the choices they've made and the role they've played in their current situation. YOU are responsible for YOUR life: your choices, your words, your actions all add up to where you are currently. If you don't like it, change all of the above. But, don't blame others in an effort to remain lazy and not take responsibility.
The Word states that we have what we say, that the power of life and death is in the tongue - in the words that you speak! The manner in which you speak is the direction your life will take. You have individuals around you that are watching you, examining your life to see if it mirrors what you say you believe, and you can't be lazy regarding the influence you have. You have friends, children, family members, all watching you to see if what you profess to believe is true. This is a tremendous responsibility that we have as christians, and we can't do any of it in our own strength or through our personal ability - we don't have to calculate our steps and our thoughts and our behavior in an effort to "look" like we're doing the right thing. We love God + we love His Word + we put it into practice. Will we get it right every time, no. But, the fruit of our lives, the result of a life that lives to bring glory to God, is a life that speaks for itself and that will speak to the hearts of those around us.
But, you can't make excuses for yourself. You can't accept everything that comes your way. You have to take control of your life and it starts will your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Take responsibility.
The Word states that we have what we say, that the power of life and death is in the tongue - in the words that you speak! The manner in which you speak is the direction your life will take. You have individuals around you that are watching you, examining your life to see if it mirrors what you say you believe, and you can't be lazy regarding the influence you have. You have friends, children, family members, all watching you to see if what you profess to believe is true. This is a tremendous responsibility that we have as christians, and we can't do any of it in our own strength or through our personal ability - we don't have to calculate our steps and our thoughts and our behavior in an effort to "look" like we're doing the right thing. We love God + we love His Word + we put it into practice. Will we get it right every time, no. But, the fruit of our lives, the result of a life that lives to bring glory to God, is a life that speaks for itself and that will speak to the hearts of those around us.
But, you can't make excuses for yourself. You can't accept everything that comes your way. You have to take control of your life and it starts will your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Take responsibility.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Discipline...
So, after many years of not working out I decided to start running. My motivation is simple: I'm the largest size I've been in my entire life, and I want to get in shape to run either the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure or the Tulsa Run this fall. I have begun the Couch-to-5k program (it's a progressive program where over the course of 8 weeks you will end the program being able to run 3 miles continually without stopping). Well, I started in late January, and then Tulsa and surrounding areas experienced the largest amount of snowfall in its history, which halted my program for two weeks. Next, I started the program again only to find out that the huz and I began house hunting, which took up most of our evenings and weekends. With the house found (we're building our first home!) and the snow melted, the program has begun again and I have a new perspective: I want to be disciplined. Yes, there are weight loss goals and health-related goals, but I want to incorporate a lifestyle of discipline. And, although I've only ran two sessions in a row this week, it is so obvious how un-disciplined my life was. You know, my life two days ago.
The more I work out the more conscious I am about what I eat and the more aware I am regarding the small un-disciplined areas of my life. I like this. I don't mind being called out, sometimes it's what you need. And I would have never thought a little running program would do just that.
So, stay tuned and I'll keep you updated.
The more I work out the more conscious I am about what I eat and the more aware I am regarding the small un-disciplined areas of my life. I like this. I don't mind being called out, sometimes it's what you need. And I would have never thought a little running program would do just that.
So, stay tuned and I'll keep you updated.
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