A story to Inspire

I was just sent this by email from a really good friend and was soooooooooo touched by it I just HAD to make it available to you!!!


This is a story about a guy, a guy like most of us, common, questioning his existences, measuring himself to others, never believing in his abilities or his worth. Then one day, his passion outgrew his fears as he stepped onto a stage, a stage that took him to a place beyond his self imposed prison. Watch the faces of the judges as this guy walks out on the stage. You can almost see what they're thinking as they pre-judge this guy based on his looks and the fact that he's a cell phone salesman. Maybe this guy stopped believing in what people told him for so many years and ultimately started listening to his passion.

Click on the Link Below:http://www.maniacworld.com/Phone-Salesman-Amazes-Crowd.html

More of Him Mondays

I know that this should have been for yesterday, and even though I started it yesterday, I just didn´t get to finish it as I had planned so you will just have to pretend (like we did for Bonnie on her blog the other day!!!!) that it's Monday... okay guys...

I´m am taking part of Diane´s initiative called "More of Him Mondays" where she encourages us to share a specific piece of scripture that has spoken to your this last week. Share what you feel God is telling you through that passage and how you wish to apply it to your life. If you wish to take part, just click on the link and let her know.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)

"You shall have no other gods before Me."

Wesley's Notes

20:3 The first commandment is concerning the object of our worship, Jehovah, and him only, Thou shalt have no other gods before me - The Egyptians, and other neighbouring nations, had many gods, creatures of their own fancy. This law was pre - fixed because of that transgression; and Jehovah being the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to him, and no other, either of their own invention, or borrowed from their neighbours. The sin against this commandment, which we are most in danger of, is giving that glory to any creature which is due to God only. Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god of.

God has been speaking to me about the fact that I have given some people, and what they think and say, a higher place that they ought to have... and sometimes I have feared, delighted and depended on them more than in God. God in his mercy showed me this recently and I was prompted to ask forgiveness and felt that God has replaced this "fear of man" with a new found freedom.

Please don´t misinterpret here that therefore I am not in agreement with the need for counsellors and looking to those respected in the faith for wisdom, just as it teaches in Proverbs. But I think you can all relate to my struggle that moment when I knew it had passed a limit where it concerns me more what these men think that God himself. It´s the Holy Spirit that reveals this to you and you do know it when you have crossed the line.

This also reminded me that God says that the reason for this is that he is a JEALOUS God.... he doesn´t want to share this intimacy he has with me with anyone one/thing else.

This reminded me of my dog Lady who now is in her last days with us before she leaves to go with her new family. She is so funny ...like all animals we often see things reflected in their actions that make us laugh or, believe it or not, teach us something.

Lady is our nervous Fox Terrier who is overly excitable and affectionate about everything. She likes to know that she is loved and cared for and literally fights for attention both in good and negative ways! She likes to be in my face and on my lap....she likes to be WITH me.

She has a interesting habit of whenever I call or love on any one of the cats she perks up and chases after the "named" animal as if to say to me, "Hey...don´t forget me...!!! I am the one you like best...remember? You don´t want to love them... !!"

She is highly envious if I give even a smidgen of attention of love to anyone else...even my kids get this treatment! If she see us hugging or kissing she wants to be right IN there knowing that she is special too. She feels threatened and insecure if she sees me directing any attention to others.

God, unlike lady, is NOT insecure or threatened in himself, but the bible does say He is IS Jealous of my affections being put in anybody or anything else. Also because God in His love, KNOWS that when I have HIM as number one in my life and affections (where your treasure is..there will your heart be also) I am complete and at peace with myself. There is nothing as freeing as being one with God and with yourself.

I saw this cartoon on my travels and although God´s jealousy has nothing to do with envy I thought it was funny!

Be true to yourself!

To thine own self be true,

and it must follow, as the night the day,
thou canst not then be false to any man.

~William Shakespeare, Hamlet

This quote pretty much encompasses the experience I want to share with you.

Remember I shared with you how overwhelmed I had been with negative feelings about my practical after visiting the Nursing Home? Well I had another incident happen a few days earlier that confronted me face to face with that time too, but I had kept it to myself!

I was shopping with my sister in our local supermarket when out the corner of my eye I saw one of the ladies I had worked with at the Nursing Home. I am ashamed to admit this, but I avoided her and managed to do my shopping and leave the supermarket without her seeing me or having to talk to her.

What was I afraid of? I was scared to hear her say the words, "Well you didn´t last long did you?! It´s people like you who make this profession a laughing stock!!" or something along those lines.

As I was hiding behind the the boxes of crisps and the cleaning supplies, I tried to justify to myself why I couldn't´t handle talking with this lady and facing up to what had happened. The dreaded meeting never took place, but I left there feeling guilty and yucky inside.

Why? Because I knew I was running away, hiding and not facing up to what had happened. I didn´t want to admit failure and look blatant in front of her or anyone. I had stopped my practical... I couldn´t go on... and that was the truth... Why hide?...

I had nothing to loose really except my pride. Pride is pretending to be something that I am not... to be better than I really am.

I was like Adam and Eve in the garden hiding from God after they ate from the tree.

I was afraid of admitting I couldn´t finish what I had started... afraid of the consequences... Everything in me tried to convince me that being transparent was NOT the right way to go. What deceit!

I knew I was struggling with a false sense of humility....(which is pride ).... The Holy Spirit convicted me that I just had to accept and be up front about what had happened. To be honest and humble and in doing so I would find peace. To be true to God, myself and others. God would help me deal with whatever would arise as a result of the past.

I am ashamed now to say that I acted this way. I know that in hiding and running away you just magnify the problem and give room for lies to take over rather than lessen them.

I decided that I didn´t want to run away from it anymore... I wanted to face up to my failings and be humble and live openly with all that I am !

God in his mercy allowed me yesterday to meet yet another fellow worker from the Nursing Home while at the Market. I struck up conversation with her knowing that I could face all kinds of accusations. She was one of the few trained nurses in the Home and had always be helpful and caring to patients and fellow staff and towards me.

Inwardly I braced myself for the inevitable attack.....but you know what? It never came!!!!

She actually shared that she wasn´t working there any more because she had received a better offer to upgrade her studies and so took it. She even consoled me and confirmed the reality of some of my struggles!!! Talk about gob smacked!

It felt great!!! I felt great!!!

Not only because she had made me feel right about my decision at the time to leave, but also because I had decided to stand up for what I had done and be honest instead of running away and hiding. God gave me the grace to do it... and you know what.... I prefer that much more than running away!

I hope you would feel encouraged next time you find yourself in a similar situation to stand firm and be transparent and not run away..... ...God is faithful to help us with whatever might become of the particular situation we dread and to be at peace with yourself is well worth it! There is such a darkness that surrounds you when you hide and try and cover up.....which reminds me of one of my favourite verses that shows us the opposite :

Hey Karolee.... I got it to work! I did it again and realized where I had gone wrong....thanks a bunch for your help!!!!

How do I look?

The first thing I did when I received word about my last exams was run down to Deb´s house and put on this fantastic graduation robe and mortarboard! It felt good to somehow live a long life dream to wear this wonderful ensemble of recognition of effort and reaching the finishing line!

Coming from Guernsey, where there isn´t that tradition of "graduation" after secondary school like there is in the United States, I have to agree that I find it to be both a lack and a loss in the British Educational System. Acknowledgment of completion is so valuable and vital to self esteem, personal growth and positive insertion into society (or subsequent studies) It is true though, that upon completing a degree or higher education the robe and mortarboard are used but needless to say, the majority of British citizens are left without any kind of celebration after finishing secondary school and subsequently thrust into the working world with but a smile and a promise!

So I believe that I am not alone amongst my patriots, to have dreamed about wearing this "acclaimed" attire someday and I felt like now was a justifying kind of a moment to license me to dress up!

Now, I haven´t completed any degree or anything amazing. No letters at the end of my name... which actually is a good thing because surname has enough letters to satisfy even the thirstiest of letter lovers.... but I am excited with my achievements: no matter how minor. Sadly, I do have to concede that one looks grossly overweight in one of these things, as the above picture clearly depicts!

But joking aside, I feel truly excited about wearing it even though it seems a little silly. I imagine this is how God would wish us to feel when He clothes us with the robe of sonship/daughership because we are no longer called slaves, but sons and if sons...then heirs to the living God!

I leave you with this famous quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "

~Marianne Williamson,

A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)

A very revealing question

Isn´t that just the million dollar question? I saw this as I was google browsing and I was completely struck. What would I do?

Man it opens up a world full of possibilities doesn´t it? I think that God really wants me to answer the question. I don´t often sit down and contemplate a question of this nature because I am hindered by............. fear (fear of failure for one, fear of looking dumb, fear of .... fill in the blanks... the fears are endless)

I did realize that I don´t even allow myself to dream of possibilities because I let fear keep me trapped in my very comfortable box! Isn´t that sad?

May I challenge you to take a few minutes to consider this question? You might be surprised at what you find out about yourself and maybe you might be on the road to discover (like me) some things that God might want you to try to do.

After all, is not God by my side? Has not God promised to never abandon me or leave me alone? Should I not feel with excitement that: