This morning I could smell, I mean it was like really highlighted in my senses. I don’t have any issues smelling, but when I went downstairs to put the laundry in the dryer, I could smell the fabric softener before I even got to the laundry room.  Then when I went into our closet, I could smell us (Bob & I). It wasn’t an offensive smell, but it was a comforting aroma- like being home.  Finally, I settled down to do my journaling and sitting at the kitchen table the Fragrance of these carnations pulled my attention to look at them closely.

Read more… “Fragrance” →

I struggle for years that I wasn’t good enough and was a person that didn’t have what it takes. This mindset has really stopped me in the pursuing things that I am passionate about or to even try new things.

Thinking that I lacked in skill, talent or the education may come to a surprise to the people that know me, but it is true. When I was a young child I would measure myself to what I saw (perceived) in other children. They had fine clothes, nice homes, and were favored by everyone they encounter (peers / adults).

I also believed what was said about, and spoken directly to me. I walked the hallways of high school believing I lacked in the ability to learn as well. Heck! I was told that I would be lucky to graduate, so setting my goals to be on the Honor Roll was something I never set my sights on. This sort of mindset flooded to all areas of my life as I grew older.

Read more… “Banquet Table” →

Today as I was reading my devo’s I decided read only two verses and not a full chapter as I have been doing. I really wanted to dissect what the Word had to say. My reading today was:

Colossians 1: 9 &10 (AMP)
(9) For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways of the purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things – (10) That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].

This is Paul’s message to the Colossians, he is letting them know that he is praying (I assume Epaphras is praying as well because it reads we) for the saints, the believers.

My instant question to Papa God was; Is Paul and Epaphras stilling praying for us believers?

As soon as I thought of this question I quickly had others…

Do words spoken continue to circulate into the atmosphere like a sweet fragrance, never ending, never ceasing to lose its aroma (or power)?

Even if no one hears the words – does all creation hear them (from earth to heaven)?

Let’s see here…

The song of Moses found in Deuteronomy 32:1 (AMP) reads: Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

Doesn’t it sound like Moses believed that all creation hears his words? I think so.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV) This day I call the heavens and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

It reads that we have a ‘witness’ to our words.

Romans 8:19-21 (NIV) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one (the fall of man) who subjected it in hope that creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

I personally believe that all creation is waiting for us (Children of God) to realize who we are! And to start to release words of life into the atmosphere! 

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it (spoken words) will eat its fruit.

I don’t know about you, but I rather ‘eat’ loving words, words of encouragement and of faith, then eat the opposite.

By reading this last verse alone we know that our words have power, right? Right. But there is still there is another question. Does all our words last forever?

Isaiah 40:8 (NLT) The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

So, we know that God’s word last forever!

Isaiah 55:11 …so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Note: God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah. The word ‘my’ in this passage is actually His / GOD’S word.

So we know that God’s word goes out and does not return to HIM empty. It accomplishes what the purpose for which it has been sent.

Now this is where it gets sticky. I am just simply tossing things around in my head. It is not my attentions to offend anyone.

But! If we were created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 (NIV) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

And we don’t know what HE looks like, but we do know that HIS word last forever, and it goes forth to accomplish the purposes for which it has been sent. Wouldn’t you think that our words released into the atmosphere (heard by all creation = heaven and earth) will last forever and will achieve the purpose for which it was sent?

OH MY GOODNESS WHAT IF THIS IS TRUE?!

YIKES!!! All those careless words that we have ever spoken are out there in the atmosphere to achieve the purpose that they were sent. Oh My!

ON THE OTHER HAND, All the words that we speak (with love) for peace and unity in the world, and for God’s purpose to ‘be’ on earth as it is in Heaven. Then Yes! Those words we would want to last forever, and to complete the assignments in which they were released. Right? Right.

With all this pondering I have personally come to the conclusion that our words last forever and they have power to accomplish the purposes we speak them.

So needless to say, I am going to choose my words wisely.

What about you?

This morning as I was reading my scriptures the oddest thought crossed my mind. I say odd because I was reading in Exodus, however, my thoughts were lead to David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) and the scene opened up in my mind.

David being a bold and courageous teenager (I assume) recounted the times God had given him victory while tending to his father’s sheep. In his mind’s eye David walked taller than his actual size as recalled what he was able to do when the lion and bear attacked.  Each step David took toward King Saul his assurance for victory grew. When he arrived before the King he announced: ‘The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear. HE will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.’ (1 Samuel 17:37 AMP)

Imagine if you will, King Saul was maybe in his late 60’s (this is my assumption) posed with experience in battles and processed much wisdom (just for the fact that he was so much older). Scripture reads that the entire camp was fearful of Goliath. My own imagination sees these bald men, due to the stress that they have endured by the taunting giant, exhausted and desperate. Then comes this teenager, full of confidence.

Did King Saul believe David because of his posture (boldness) as he walked across the camp to meet him?  Or maybe it was David’s words spoken with such certainty. Yet, it could very well have been the words he spoke that jarred King Saul convictions that GOD is for Israel. Either way King Saul was eager to clothe David with his own armor, helmet, and even gave him his sword.

I can only imagine this sword was long and heavy, sharp on both sides, and incredibly dangerous to the one holding the weapon. Especially if the person is inexperience in how to use it.

Can you see this?! I mean… if the idea of a teenage boy going to battle alone, to fight such an oversize warrior doesn’t give you second thoughts, the irrational vision of a boy dressed in an oversized armor, barely holding up a battle sword, would.

Okay back to the scene…

David not able to move with all the armor on, tells King Saul; ‘I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them.’ And he took them off.

THIS IS WHAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED TO ME.  Read what verse 40 says; ‘…he chose five smooth stones out of the brook.’

You can read on in chapter 17 to learn how the battle was won. But my point is…David didn’t spend much time searching for those perfect stones. Have you ever skipped stones across the water? I have many times as a young girl. And when looking for a ‘skipping stone’ I would pick up several rocks before I found the right one. Making sure it was flat and smooth, to ensure the rock would do the job.

David didn’t have to go on a long search for what he needed to do the job. God supplied him the prefect stones.

When this scene flashed across my mind, the Lord laid a question on my heart: “Have you ever paid close attention to the stones? You know how David won over Goliath, but you overlooked that I supplied him with those stones.”

Ah-haha! I had to laugh, I never noticed the stones. The Lord has been revealing some mindset that I have had for several weeks. Not that my beliefs are wrong, they are just not complete. I keep hearing in my spirit; “Georgia I supply you with ALL.”

I know beyond a shadow of doubt that God supplies us with all our needs to do His will in our lives, but it goes far beyond that. Somewhere subconsciously I believed that God only supplies me with the basics however it’s up to me to do the rest: to find the small details of my life are entirely up to me.

How wonderfully encouraging that GOD wanted to highlight the stones to me. GOD supply us with everything. Not just the opportunity (no man would fight Goliath), not just the experience (David fought off the lion and bear), not just the tools (the sling), but everything (the stones in the brook)!

Do you have any thoughts? Maybe you have thought of the stones supplied for David, but overlooked the fact that God was in the little details of his success.

I want to encourage you to leave a commit and share with me what the Lord has revealed to you. I would love to read your perspective of this, which would only expound what I see now.

Be blessed my friends

Mental / Psychological = relating to the mind or mental processes.

Block / Obstruct = something that obstructs or prevents progress.

Mental Blocks = an inability to carry out a mental task such as remembering something (what Gods word says), especially when caused by subconscious emotional factors, that keeps us from progressing / moving forward.

What are some of your mental blocks?  You know those beliefs that have been engraved in your mind, opinions, reasoning, thoughts that you really don’t take captive, just automatic responses to different things.

We all have probably millions of different examples of where we have struggled with our thoughts.  In fact, we may all agree that one day we can have the right mental process, and the very next day struggle as we stumble over those old “mental blocks” and our habitual ways of thinking.

What are Thoughts? Thoughts = to use the mind to consider ideas and make judgments.

And we all make judgments on the things that we believe to be true, our perspective.  For an example, a tall woman may walk into a room that has 8-foot ceilings and “think” the room has low ceilings.  A shorter woman may walk into the same room and “think” the room has high ceilings. Two different perspectives but the fact is that the room has 8-foot ceilings.

2 Corinthians 10:5

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

What does that really mean to take captive every thought?   Just thinking about that overwhelms me.  We have thousands of thoughts that cross our minds, maybe even millions!  When you don’t take captive of one thought it WILL SNOWBALL!!  It really happens fast.  For me, one negative thought (or a belief that is rooted in a lie) leads to another and next thing I know my imagination gets carried away. The enemy does not want us to walk in victory.  So, he WILL set up road blocks (mental blocks) to keep us from truth.  Who are we going to listen to, the god of this world, or the God of all creation?  Are we going to hold tight to the truth, or are we going to allow the enemy to lie to us?  The choice is ours.

Matthew 12:36

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Do you think maybe that means our thoughts too?  Will we be accountable for every careless thought that we think, every thought that we do not take captive?

 

How do we stop the old way of thinking?

• Focus on God’s Word. “Is that what God says about me?”
• Know where your hope comes from. “We are more than conquerors!” Romans 8: 28-31
• Exchange your fear for FAITH! One produces death one produces RIGHTOUSNESS!

 

Colossians 3:1-4 (MSG)

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective..