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I believe the key to true happiness in life is found in focusing on what we possess and not on what we have lost. So many people today base their happiness depending upon what is going right or wrong in their life. If everything is going well with their life they will be happy and upbeat, but if there are trials or challenges in their life you will hear nothing except pessimism and complaint concerning their situation. That should never be the case with anyone. Each of us have the ability to look past our present circumstances and see that goodness lies ahead of us if we only keep an attitude of Thanksgiving knowing that God is faithful to those who stay faithful to Him. The Bible is full of promises that are meant to encourage us to stand strong in our faith because God is our shield and buckler, our strong tower, our redeemer and our vindicator. There is nothing too difficult with God and we as His children should remember that all things will work together for our good in the end. (James 4:7-8) (Psalm 91:1-4)
My best encouragement to anyone is to be appreciative for what they still possess and have joy in their heart no matter how hard the storms are raging in their life. When we believe God above any bad report, we will see His miracle working power show up on our behalf. We must remember and keep in mind that we are the dictators to our future. If we wish for a blessed and bright future then we must have the attitude that exemplifies that picture. We can’t hope for good while complaining about the bad. Our words, our actions and our mindset have to walk in unison towards the good things that we wish to have in our life. We have to see past our present circumstances and look forward to the goodness that lies ahead. Have a daily confession inwardly within your heart and outwardly with your mouth proclaiming God’s favor, God’s blessing, God’s sustenance and provision over your life. Speak words of thanks, gratitude, appreciation, praise and proclaim by faith that favor, goodness, peace and joy will overtake your life for the rest of your life. (Isaiah 26:3-4) (Matthew 18:18-20)
Be an overcomer, be a champion, see yourself as a Victor and never a victim. If you will believe the promises that God has made throughout His Word, I believe you will see your life triumph in ways that you have never thought of or believed were possible before. God is good my friend. Trust Him in everything. (Proverbs 23:7) (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)
I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to make the most of each new day that you are blessed enough to have and make yourself stop and smell the roses when you seem to be moving too fast.
REAL HEALTH
I've never been an athlete.
I've never been much interested in sports, ever since I stopped playing touch-football with the boys, when I a teen. I've tried tennis. I hit the ball too high, too long, and way over into left field. I've tried softball. Thank goodness that ball is “soft” and big, because it felt just awful when it hit me in the eye. I tried running, but I couldn't get anyone to chase me.
Finally, I settled on walking, and for a number of years I walked 3 to 5 miles a day. I realize that there is an Olympic sport referred to as “walking”, but when I tried that, all I succeeded in doing was throwing my hip out.
I'm definitely NOT an athlete, but I make do, especially in my "mid-life" years.
This brings a question to my mind.
When did I hit mid-life? I remember when I hit thirty. I had to visit a grief counselor, because I knew my life was over. I remember forty. I had to see a grief counselor the day after my first child graduated from high-school and moved out of the house, because I knew my life was over.
Then I hit fifty, and I was all excited, because I was able to join an organization called AARP. My husband was, especially, excited because he is younger than I, and he got to join too!
Fifty became the magic age. I knew that as long as I was in good health, in this day and age, I probably had a good fifty years ahead of me.
Then came the asthma. OK, I had that much earlier, but it only became life threatening after fifty. Then came the fibromyalgia. OK, I had that earlier too, but it's not life threatening. Then came the arthritis, and more recently at fifty-five, came the diabetes. Somewhere along in there, I became very interested in pharmaceuticals, and finally one day, I became free.
I began by noticing the sunsets and I had the time to stop and really wonder at the beauty and the magnitude of it all. Then I moved onto the sunrises, and I quickly found out that if I wasted the early morning, I missed the loveliest part of the day. Then I began to notice how grateful I was to be able to witness the changing of the seasons -- the first whisper of spring, the rustling of the leaves beneath my feet, in the fall.
When illness would hit me, I found that I actually enjoyed the solitude -- a time to reflect, gather my thoughts, and pray, at leisure. I found that I was “experiencing” this mid-life season, and I was no longer missing every moment, shackled to the chains of worry, and what "might" be. I found that worrying about tomorrow only served to make me overlook the blessings of today.
It's not always easy. A few loads of laundry and a pile of dishes can take an entire day. But then, I don't push myself a lot. So, I forget to make the bed, as I watch the rosy glow of dawn meet the rising sun. I have time to walk our little wooded acre with my little dachshund straining at the leash.
I get to meet the day, every day. I get to say “good-night” to the sunsets. I've studied a lot of sunsets in the last five years, and I've never seen two that were alike. I get to know my Creator as I never have before and I've gotten to make MY mind up about the mysteries of life. I've grown certain that all of this was no accident.
I feed the birds and I take great delight in their multicolored hues, especially in the spring. I drag a chair to stand on so that I can fill the feeders to the brim. I say a little prayer, as I wobble, a little cock-eyed on the chair, and I laugh, at myself, and all the pretensions of my younger life.
I take great delight in my life. I thank God for all the precious little things of every day. Friends. Family. Neighbors. And health -- a health of the soul.
For I have come to understand what real health is, and when you have REAL health, then you truly have everything.
By Jaye Lewis
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
Psalm 28:6-8 “Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him. The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.”
Psalm 34:11-15 “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.”
Hebrews 13:5-6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
All scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today's Selected Poem: ALWAYS WITH ME
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem45.htm
Today's Selected Testimony: PRAISE THE LORD
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony180.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
