Tag Archives: attitude

Perspective

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There’s something about a new year that can get us thinking. Here are six good posts that helped me start with a healthy perspective:

At Life So Aware, Jon Rouse encourages us to keep a positive outlook. (Read Perception)

At Beech Croft Tales, Mary Waind points out that our attitudes and expectations have a lot to do with the way we respond or react to others. (Read No Offence Intended)

At Under the Cover of Prayer, Cherry Warrick asks, What is the Size of Our Prayers?

At Other Food: daily devos, Violet Nesdoly  gives three practical tips on how to embrace the new year “with a Caleb-like faith.” (Read A Caleb Spirit)

Bobbi Junior asks “When stuff happens in my life, do I let it take precedence, or do I weigh it in light of all the other things going on…” (Read Top of the Priority List)

And at Captured by God, Jenny shares an example of how to choose to believe God’s perspective instead of our own natural feelings. (Read Spirit of Joy)

Heart-shaped puddle

Will we see the scarred pavement, muddy marks and old leaves, or will we see the heart?

Working with Purpose

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That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
Colossians 1:29, NLT*

Paul’s motivation and passion is “to present [everyone] to God, perfect [or ‘mature’] in their relationship to Christ,” and he pours his whole life into it.

It’s different when we don’t have an overriding sense of calling or mission, or if we don’t have a felt purpose or deadline.

I’m in the happy state of being an at-home mom to almost-grown sons. They don’t need a lot of care, although they’d appreciate more home baking.

There’s plenty of housework that needs doing, but… it waits quite patiently. And there’s more writing I’d like to be doing, but… it too waits. As much as deadlines stress me, I often find I get more done when my time is tighter. Daily life (and email) seems to spread to take up all the available time.

I had full-time work from October through December, a repeat of my previous year’s seasonal job. It was a great opportunity that stretched me and demanded more than I had to give. When I told people God sent me back to the same role to re-learn the lessons He’d taught me the first time, I was only half joking.

The task was too big for me. I had to rely on God. That meant getting up early enough to start each day with prayer and a Bible reading. It meant committing the day to Him and depending on His intervention and provision.

There wasn’t much of me left over at the end of each day, but He was enough. And somehow the other details of my personal life (little things like preparing for Christmas) fell into place.

God our Sustainer and the Director of our paths, thank You for demonstrating Your goodness. Help me—help us all—to view each day as the assignment You have for us, however simple or complex. Help us to anchor ourselves in You and to work diligently, relying on the power of Christ in us. Nourish us daily from Your Word and Your presence. When things come up that aren’t on our agendas, give us discernment to know if they’re redeployments to obey or distractions to ignore. Help us do all to Your glory, with willing hearts.

∞

Geoff Moore’s song, “Your Day,” is a good one to start each morning.  (Click to listen to Your Day at Last.fm)

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Cookies and Mangers

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Perfection… the bar was set pretty low, I thought. I was making Christmas cookies. I don’t bother with fancy-decorated ones, but when I roll them out and cut the little shapes, I do like them to be intact and to look like they should.

The cookies weren’t cooperating. Some tore, but mostly they just clung to the countertop when I tried to lift them to the baking sheet, compressing their crisp shapes into long, thin caricatures.

All I wanted was to bake something nice for my family, and suddenly I was dealing with a “take every thought captive and don’t feel sorry for yourself” moment.

The moment passed, the cookies went in the oven, and look what came out. Don’t say God doesn’t have a sense of humour. Would it have mattered if they’d gone on the tray perfectly?

Christmas cookies

Can you tell what they’re supposed to be? Guess I didn’t get the recipe quite right — they swelled up and lost their sharp edges. If you squint a bit, you can find trees, stars and teapots.

But it got me thinking about how we want everything perfect. And about how messy, dusty, smelly and just plain unsuitable the Bethlehem stable was as the birthplace of the Saviour of the world.

Some suggest the stable was a blessing to Mary and Joseph, a haven from the noise, overcrowding and general mayhem of the guestrooms. Maybe so. It definitely made the shepherds’ visit easier.  But it was hardly “perfect”.

Look at what was perfect, though: the timing, the fulfillment of the Bethlehem prophecy, the willing mother and surrogate father, God Himself in human form. The symbolism: the Divine in a humble, earthly mess.

So maybe the lesson from my cookies is to discern which elements need my best efforts at excellence and which are “optional extras”. And to trust God’s perfect working even when I don’t meet my own expectations.

Related articles

Thoughts and Attitudes

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God has encouraged me through a few different writers recently, and I thought I’d share the highlights:

At Everydays, Ashley Clark posted about God Moments, and about how our thoughts and attitudes are a choice. The highlight for me:

God is present in every situation, so there is always a reason to rejoice. We have a choice in every moment. (Read the whole post: God Moments)

Jeff Goins’ most recent weekly e-newsletter built on the attitudes-as-choice theme:

“Our attitudes are habits, so why not practice the ones we’d prefer?” (Read the whole post: One Simple Idea that Makes Life an Exciting Adventure)

My biggest takeaway from Jeff’s post? He challenged us to intentionally smile. Know what? When I do that, my body believes my face and I feel happier.

At Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts asks:

How might seeing life as an invitation to oneness rather than as an exam change our days? (Read the whole post: Life is not an Exam)

And at Chatting at the Sky, Emily Freeman offers both optimists and pessimists a different way. My favourite line:

Let the believers consider Immanuel, the with-ness of God, right where we are, not where we wish we were instead. (Read the whole post: One Alternative to Pessimism and Optimism)

Heart-shaped puddle

Will we see the scarred pavement, muddy marks and old leaves, or will we see the heart in the puddle? [Photo credit: Janet Sketchley]

Not About Us

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But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”
1 Samuel 15:22, NLT*

What is it about humans that we always want to make it about us? And about outward, not inward, and doing, not being?

God’s been poking me about this in relation to why I do things and how I choose what to do. Too often my first line of thought is “what do I want/think/feel about this?” If Jesus is really Lord in my life, the better question is “what does God want/think/feel about this?”

Self-focus is insidious and I think we all struggle with it.

It’s silly, really, because if we know God’s way is best, why do we so quickly shift focus to what we want? When I’m focused on my own opinions and feelings I miss the better things God has for me. And I’m not pleasant to be around.

Focus on (and surrender to) His way brings joy, contentment, and a contagious sense of wellbeing. A much better choice… if only it were easier to keep this perspective!

Without this heart-choice—spirit-choice—we’ll either be doing the wrong thing or doing the right thing for the wrong reason. We can even turn the pursuit of holiness into being about us. Take a minute to read Violet Nesdoly’s post about victory vs. obedience.

God our King, Your wisdom and power, kindness and justice make you the perfect ruler. Forgive us when we try to re-take control of our lives, and draw us back to full surrender to You. There is none other like You, none other worthy to be God. Remind us who You are, and help us to trust and obey. Help us worship You with our lives.

∞

Today’s song is “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” by ZOEgirl (not the same song that Hillsong does). Notice the part that says “It’s all about You… It’s not about me.”

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Wise Words on Negative Thoughts

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Cloudy thoughts block the Light

Photo credit: Janet Sketchley

God’s been challenging me lately about negative thought patterns. It’s no surprise, then, that I’d start noticing other posts on the subject. Here are a few that have spoken to me this week:

Gladwell Musau points out that indulging in our own thoughts and opinions can actually quench the Holy Spirit. (Rainbow Gulf of Love: The Problem of Self)

In a post about the power of Scripture, Violet Nesdoly shows how “our own plans, ambitions, and the ways and means of achieving them (even at unspoken levels)” can keep us from God’s rest. (Other Food: daily devo’s God’s Paring Knife)

Melody Roberts gives a stiking visual illustration of the “trail of bad-attitude ooze” we can leave if we’re not submitting our thoughts to Christ’s control. (Melody Roberts’ Blog: Can I Get a Replacement for That?)

Carolyn Watts asks if we’re hurting God by the thoughts we think about ourselves. (Hearing the Heartbeat: A Surprising Way to Love God)

And Mark Shields reminds us of our weapons for this spiritual battle. (This Day With God: Weapons Against the Competition)

Belonging

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If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.
1 Corinthians 12:15, NLT*

One of the lies the enemy of our souls has baited me with over the years is “You don’t belong.”

Someone hurts my feelings. Or I don’t get a joke, or everyone else seems to have it all together. I notice I’m different. The lie slides right into my thoughts and I cuddle up with it, nodding agreement. “That proves it. I really don’t belong.”

I used to think Paul’s words about the foot and the ear saying they weren’t part of the body meant we should use the gifts God gave us and not compare ourselves with others. We shouldn’t sulk and refuse to serve if someone else got the talent we wanted.

That’s really what it’s about, but today I see something else. If I—or you—fall for “I don’t belong,” then part of the body will be handicapped because we’re disqualifying ourselves.

Of course I’m different. We all are, even if some of us look the same on the outside. Different is good; I know that, and I don’t want to be a clone. But I guess the deceiver’s words resonate with a fear of rejection, and maybe it’s easier to tell myself I don’t belong than to wait for someone else to say it.

This is one of the things God’s been talking to me about lately. I risk sharing it because maybe He’s been saying something similar to you, whether it’s about belonging or about another of our enemy’s lies.

Creator God, Your Word says we’re each “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and that You love us. How many ways do You have to say it before we can believe it? You also warn us we’re in a spiritual battle and we need to use the weapons You’ve given us so we can stand. Help us be vigilant. Help us take every thought captive to Christ and speak Your truth to defeat the lies. We can’t do this on our own, but Your Spirit within us can. Help us rely on You.

∞

Let Kathryn Scott’s “I Belong” reassure our spirits today. We belong to God.

*New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: Dancing with Dynamite, by Tim Huff

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Dancing with Dynamite, cover artDancing with Dynamite, by Tim Huff (Castle Quay Books, 2010)

Dancing with Dynamite is subtitled “celebrating against the odds.” Something we all need to learn sooner or later.

It’s not a feel-good book, but it’s not depressing or painful either. It’s a good-for-you book, introducing real people in hard places and revealing surprising—and thought-provoking—moments of celebration.

It’s an invitation for us to really see the people around us, to see ourselves, and to dare to celebrate no matter what our circumstances.

Tim Huff writes with honesty about individuals he’s met: street people, group home residents, orphans and the aged, and more. The people society tries not to see. Sometimes the deeper story is how they affected his life—and how they can touch ours.

The book shares vignettes of his experiences in ministry to street youth in Toronto, working at a camp for the deaf, and playing Santa for orphans and the elderly in Romania. Although they’re accounts of the poor and marginalized, they’re about the larger human condition.

The author’s goal?

“My prayer is that you’ve found some semblance of yourself within these pages. And in that, that you know you belong. That you are worthy to be celebrated.” (p.163)

Canadian author and speaker Tim Huff has also written Bent Hope: A Street Journal for adults, and the children’s picture book The Cardboard Shack Beneath the Bridge: Helping Children Understand Homelessness, both bestsellers. All three books have won awards (in 2011 Dancing With Dynamite received the Grace Irwin Award, Canada’s largest literary prize for writers who are Christian).

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Because God Said So

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For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light.
Psalm 56:13, NLT*

In this psalm David declares his trust in God and praises God for His promise. Twice he asks “What can men do to me?”

The first time, he follows with a list of what his enemies want to do to him. The danger is real. He asks God to prevent them from harming him. He reminds himself of how intimately God cares for him, and then he reaffirms his choice to trust in God.

Three times in the psalm, he praises God for “His promise” and I think that’s the promise that David would be king. At this point he’s still on the run from King Saul and is in the hands of the Philistines.

Logic and faith say he can’t be killed before God accomplishes His purpose, so David has confidence that his enemies won’t be allowed to kill him.

Most of us don’t have a specific, personal promise from God guaranteeing we won’t be harmed. We do have lots of promises, though. And if we don’t have physical enemies, we still have spiritual ones that would bind or hamper us and keep us from the life God promises.

One of the “enemies” stalking me is anxiety. Today’s verse is one I’m using as a prayer-promise. Another is “who the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Perhaps my favourite “weapon” this year is “I have a Good Shepherd.”

Father, Saviour, show us the individual promises to cling to for protection from the unseen forces, thoughts and behaviour patterns that want to deny the new life You’ve promised to grow in us. Yes, they could do it – if not for Your promises. Help us be confident in You, help us walk in Your presence and in Your life-giving light.

∞

Here’s Carolyn Arends singing “I’ve Got a Hope.”

*New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Relentless Gratitude

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Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23, NIV*

Last week, the day my Radical Gratitude post came out, I struggled with attitude all day. Shouldn’t have been surprised—after all, how can we learn to apply a lesson if there’s no practice? But practice is work and it’s easier to endure the crankiness and wait for it to go away.

When God finally got my attention and we did some business, I decided what’s needed is resolute gratitude. Even relentless gratitude.

Not just thanking God for His blessings, but thanking Him when everything inside us traitorously whispers self-pity, entitlement, discontent, blaming etc. When things are going wrong. Or when we’re just plain in a bad mood.

What’s the constant no matter how bad our circumstances?

God. He never changes.

For 2012 and forward, I want to learn to relentlessly, resolutely, regularly declare thanks for who He is. No matter what’s going on in and around me. That means not just focusing on the Light instead of the darkness but remembering what I know of Him and getting to know Him even better.

Amazing and unfathomable God, Your character alone gives us a wealth of reasons to thank and praise You. Help us set our hearts and minds on You and choose gratitude. As we trust You, open our eyes to see You more clearly in our lives. Thank You for the difference You make.

∞

Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name” expresses the intentionality of thanksgiving.

*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.