Model or Role Model?

In this day, it is easy to get consumed with what I call "Model Mentality". People, especially women, frantically want to fit into a "model mode". Alas, most of us don't naturally fit into a size 1... nor do we all have perfect teeth, eyes, hair and weight. The list goes on, right?

It is so easy to focus on the desire to be loved. That is why so many people have the model mentality I mentioned above.

But what about being a role model? Can I? Can you? Of course. Admittedly, the thought of someone looking to me for encouragement and/or support, is a thought that at times fills me with awed wonder. Can I be what others need me to be? I can't even live up to my own standard, much less someone else's!

Then I remember Tim Hansel. I've spoken of him before. I highly recommend you get the book he wrote called, Ya Gotta Keep
Dancin!

In a nutshell, Tim is climbing a Rock and falls several hundred feet directly on to more rock. Nothing broke his fall. An incredibly hard impact that should of killed him is what awaited him. Did he survive and recover? Well, he survived... but he never recovered. For 30 solid years he lived in excruciating pain 7/24... yet he is the man who wrote: Ya Gotta Keep Dancin!

He is a role model that I would like to follow after. Who did he follow after? Who was his role model?

It's worth finding out, don't you think?

Physiological Funk

My friends and family know I mean well and truly try to be a good person. At least, the people who really know me. But sometimes, I just feel so bad. Do you? Matter of fact, I feel so out of control and so tired of people telling me to just "pull myself up by my bootstraps" that I could spit. Alas, I'm a terrible spitter. Is that a word? Well, you know what I mean. Some people spit and it just shoots with power. I'm lucky to keep it off my chin... Oh. Gettin off track here.

The point I wanted to make is that sometimes we... no. I'm going to simply ask you a question. If someone ... let's say a Christian ... were comatose in the hospital, would you expect them to be an amazing example of Gods reflective love and grace? Perhaps you would think it their duty to encourage and build up all the people around them by sharing God's love in the way God would want them to? But, how can they do that when they are comatose? Perhaps they are in an isolation unit hooked up to IV's hanging on to their very life? Would you have the same expectation of that person as you would of, say, a healthy Christian?

The answer is obvious. Of course not. So, why is it that we have expectations of ourselves or other people that are unhealthy in a way we can't see? It's because we can't see it. But God does. That's why I keep talking about the fact that I am so glad God knows me. He knows when I'm "faking it". He knows if I'm "making excuses" as I procrastinate. But He also knows my heart and if I am sincerely having a difficult time. He understands functions of my body that I don't know about. Hey, He created me, why shouldn't He understand?

I've heard it said that emotional abuse is more potentially damaging simply because the abused person is filled with unseen, hidden wounds. But again, God knows that as well. If you allow God into your life, He will welcome you in turn. His healing of your wounds - seen or unseen - will take place.

Maybe you haven't experienced past or present emotional abuse, but you have or are dealing with unseen physiological factors that are messing with you. Believe me, we know when we are simply making excuses, procrastinating, being selfish,etc. Sometimes, though, there seems to be some other problem that doesn't easily fit into our guilty explanations. If that is the case. Don't worry. God knows.

You may, like me, at times feel a physiological funk. But something that is easy to do is to think that you're stuck without any chance for a "normal" life. Please, hang with me... I understand that thinking - but so does Satan...and he'll take full advantage of it. He has no problem adding fuel to the fire!

Next post I want to tell you about an amazing Christian. He's been a huge encouragement to me.

Hope it will encourage you as well!

Ground Zero

You know the term "Ground Zero" from the 9/11 tragedy of the World Trade Towers.
As you know, the towers fell. The fall was actually an implosion - as opposed to an explosion. The term "Ground Zero" refers to the ground beneath an explosion, or in this case, an implosion.

Yesterday, I told you I would tell you about something I did when I was feeling very down - as if I were the ground beneath an explosion. Honestly, I felt like "ground zero" personified. I was so distraught I felt like I had imploded on myself...like the World Trade Center tragedy compacted into one person. Believe me when I tell you that at the time, I wished I were in the World Trade Center when disaster struck. I'm not being glib here. I mean it. I get so down, I implode. Uh, think I could have used a little encouragement? Sure. But, it wasn't to be.

I finally decided to reach out. It was literally the only thing I could do that would take my mind off of my misery. So. I made brownies. No, I didn't eat them! (Okay, I might have had a couple... and the crumbs) The vast majority of brownies went to my new neighbors.

The surprise and delight in their eyes was not only evident of the encouragement they received, but it encouraged me as well. So. What? Is that it? Am I simply going to make brownies for everyone for the rest of my life? Is that what I'm going to suggest you do? No. What I did realize was that every time I do something that encourages someone else, it's as if I am "rebuilding" my imploded self.

One brick does not a building make. But a lot of material will do the trick! It's as if each bit of encouragement equals a brick. Different types of encouragement results in all the material necessary to build a whole building.

Do we always have the energy we need to be encouraging to others? Do we even think to encourage others all the time? No. But God can infuse us with His strength and enable us to see the world through His eyes, if we let Him.

Time to build up Ground Zero!

Where to start?

I've needed encouragement my whole life. Needed love demonstrated to me. But how can we show love, if we've never known it ourselves? Is playing the blame game going to solve anything? Psychiatrist and psychologist can potentially be very helpful under some circumstances... but the only One who can truly love us is the author of love itself: God.

We spoke about the footholds that Satan, "The Father of Lies", uses... but now we're going to talk about God... the Father of Everything.
I want to start off with the reminder that God is not Satan's evil twin. He is not the "opposite" of Satan. God actually created him. Remember, Satan was once a beautiful angel whose pride catapulted him from God's home, Heaven. He is simply a created being. God, on the other hand, is the creator and author of all things. Period. Let's see now, who do you propose we worship... the Creator or what He created? I'm going for the Creator of all things.

Now I could go on and on about all God's attributes... but for today, I want to focus on one thing: He loves us... and therefore knows best how to work in our lives. He knows how to love and encourage us like no other.

When you become His child, He works in you and uses you as one of the supreme ways He works for good in other peoples lives. When you encourage someone, it gives them hope. When you encourage someone, for one brief period of time, you stop thinking about yourself and all your problems and your focus is outside of yourself. Not only do others benefit, but you do as well...without even realizing it.

Hey, I'll tell you something I did when I was feeling exceptionally down.

Tomorrow.

Small, Medium or Large?

Like I said yesterday, Satan, like a skilled mountaineer, is very observant and able to take advantage of the "smallest" foothold. He will use it to thrust himself forward and enlarge his territory. Your life as well as others will be impacted very negatively. So, what are some examples of what I'm talking about? Glad you asked!
My pastor, Bryan Stupar, at Calvary SLO actually covered this last Sunday. In short, he listed several things:

Bitterness - every felt that before?
Jealousy - you would never envy the fact that someone else has what you want, right?
Selfish Ambition - What are your priorities in life? Does ambition take precedence over those you love? Do you excuse yourself by telling yourself that you are doing it for them?
Drunkenness - Just trying to take the edge off? Is it really helping?
Idleness, Gossip, Busy-bodying - you have no idea how much you hurt others when you partake in any of that. My life was just recently turned upside down because of other peoples gossip. Wasn't pretty.
Lies - I'm absolutely amazed at all the people that honestly don't understand how dangerous lies are! Keep in mind that Satan is the Father of Lies. Who's your daddy?
Idolatry - do you let material possessions consume you? Seriously. Think about it.

These are just a few "footholds" that are more potentially dangerous than you can imagine...Small, Medium and Large. They will hurt you... but they will hurt others as well. Look at our nation. The impact of both action and inaction has done damage that our forefathers would be shocked to see!

But am I here to berate us all for our past mistakes? No. Franky, I couldn't handle it... I need encouragement, and I'm assuming you could use some as well!

Tomorrow: Some words of encouragement!

My favorite verse: Romans 8:28

Give and Take...

I'll bet you are aware of a lot of things you do that gives a "foothold" to evil. But are you aware that when Satan takes advantage of those things - he isn't just hurting you, he's hurting people around you as well? In our minds, we think things like, "yeah, I know I shouldn't do such and such a thing, I know it'll only hurt me... but I'm willing to be hurt".

You are willing to be hurt... but are you aware of the fact that you are hurting others as well? Yeah, well, like it or not... you are. Hey, I hate it when my husband reminds me that life isn't all about me. How dare he talk to me like that? Doesn't he know how much it hurts? Uh, yeah. He knows. He also knows that if I am like him or any other human being it is likely that I have forgotten that the world around me is impacted by my actions. The world around you is impacted by your actions as well! You don't act? Well, inaction is only another type of action.

Every time you give a foothold to Satan, he gains more ground. Our denial of spiritual warfare does not negate the fact that we are at war... it simply allows Satan to enlarge his territory as he takes yet more ground. Do you really want to be a part of that? (Ephesians 4:27)

I'm not trying to make you feel bad ... or myself, for that matter. But reality needs to be confronted... preferably with our eyes open!

If you give ground, believe me, Satan will take it! It's a give and take relationship that we oftentimes aren't even aware of.

Tomorrow, I will remind us all of the things we do that give Satan that sometimes very tiny foothold that he needs to thrust onward.

Until then...

Pure Reality

Several years ago, a friend asked me if I believed in the existence of the spiritual world. My answer... a resounding, yes. But oftentimes people think that something that "looks" good is "truth". Yeah right, that's like saying that all sweets are super healthy for you. Sigh... Remember Satan? He was actually referred to as the "Angel of Light... the most beautiful of all angels". Now, he is called the Father of Lies.. Let me ask you something. In all honesty, do you really think the master of deception is going to be obvious?

Seriously. Think about it. Please don't tell me you've fallen for the red demon in tights with the spiked tail and pitchfork! That's no master of deception. That's a Halloween costume!

Are you interested in a feel-good reality of your making... or the real thing? My husband calls it - Pure Reality. I like that expression. Pure reality implies not only what we can see but what we can't see as well. It really isn't difficult to imagine. I mean, there are good people and there are bad people. There are "good" spirits and there are "bad" spirits. Some people by appearances seem to be good, but are actually quite deceptive. Same goes with anything in the spiritual world. It really isn't the far-fetched thing that people imagine. Pure reality is all-encompassing.

The best book I ever read about the reality of spiritual warfare, happens to be a very fast-paced fiction book, "This Present Darkness", by Frank Peretti. I highly recommend reading it, if you haven't already... or read it again!

Refusing to acknowledge reality, pure reality, won't make it go away.

Inception of Deception

When Warren Wiersbe said the penalty for rejecting truth is accepting lies, I knew in my heart of hearts that it was true. Think about it. Most of us don't blatantly lie on a regular basis. Why,I would hope we don't lie at all! But we do. All the time.
"No! Not me", you say! Well, I have news for you.

The beginning of deception begins inside your head. My head. Little voices inside our braincase's insist that we are either stupid, or failures, or unlovable, or unacceptable in some fashion or another. Perhaps all of the above. The list of negative things we tell ourselves and believe is endless. Day after day, week after week, year after year... we accept those lies because we reject the truth.

I realize that this may be old to some of you, but it is good for all of us to remember... Ephesians 6:10-17. Verse 14 specifically speaks of the importance of putting onto ourselves - the belt of truth. In other words, to clothe ourselves in truth is one of the incredibly important ways we need to prepare ourselves for battle in this spiritual world we live in.

Deception leads to despair which leads to destruction and eventually a type of death.

I don't recommend it.


"THE PENALTY FOR REJECTING TRUTH IS ACCEPTING LIES." - WARREN WIERSBE

Inward Distraction

Last time we talked about distractions and hopefully we all thought about things that can and do distract us. But, keep in mind that distractions are not always outward. Oftentimes they are inward.

Example: Me. I have to go to a doctors appointment to see about my thyroid. A thyroid problem can have a myriad of symptoms including: difficulty loosing weight, no difficulty loosing hair, awful depression and much more. Alas, when most people have their thyroid checked, the doctor will tell them they are "normal". What most people aren't aware of is the fact that the "normal" range was changed in 2004, but it can take up to 17 years before the change is recognized by all doctors. So. I'm going to see if the doctor I am scheduled to see is on the "cutting edge". Fast forward to after my doctors visit.

He seems like a good doctor. I made an appt. for later in the month. Yeah!

The point is, sometimes we have internal issues that really do prevent us from looking at the world very clearly. If that is the case in your life - as it is in mine - then, do something about it. Please. Hey, I don't have money, insurance and can give you even more reasons why "it simply won't work for me". You could do the same. But, let's try to do what we can and stop whining. It may take much longer than we'd like, but it's the only feasible option I can think of.

Sometimes internal turmoil is the worst "distraction" of all, but we need to stop the emotional roller coaster ride that we may be on. A little easier said than done, huh? Believe me, I can relate.

Hang in there, don't give up... you'll find the answer. So will I.

Ready...Set...STOP!

You know, we are so used to the "ready...set...go" thinking, that it oftentimes doesn't occur to us to stop and be still. Interestingly enough, that is what God told us to do in the Bible.
"Be still and know that I am God".

What things in our lives are causing the spinning in the first place? Is there more than one thing? Can we stop it right away or will it take a while? Questions beget more questions. I'm starting to feel like a child, here. Maybe that's a good thing.

Anyway. Spinning. What causes it? I would think any number of things would. That is for us to determine individually for ourselves. Distractions insert themselves into all our lives...resulting in a spinning that can leave us dizzy. Sound familiar? Ever had a distraction keep you from your focus?

There is more about focus that I want to hone in on, but for now...

I'll refrain from distracting you from thinking about the things that can distract you!