Death

Ever since my grandparent’s died two years apart, one in 2010, the other 2011 I have been thinking more and more about heaven. Although I have been a Christian for more than ten years now, I’ve never spent too much time thinking about heaven. I know I’m going to go there some day, but I’ve been busy thinking about my life and what I’m doing while on earth still. Plus, I’m still in my 20s.

A number of years ago, my marriage was hurting so bad that I felt lost. I felt like I no longer knew who I was, since I had poured so much into a marriage that was close to crumbling. I was on Facebook one night when I noticed a church friend was online. I was desperate for prayer or an answer since I was so broken at the time. I told this friend how lost I felt and her response to me was, Just focus on heaven.

Needless to say I was pretty frustrated with her reply. Why was she telling me to focus on heaven? I need some real advice here! I was 26 years old at the time, and heaven really isn’t something that you wake up thinking about at this age.

Although I was mad at this person for telling me to focus on heaven during my turmoil, I think I understand now what she was getting at. Our life here on earth is so fleeting. If you ask anyone in their 20s or 30s if they ever give thought to the after life, their reply would probably be a resounding no. And I understand why.

When you’re young you don’t think about dying. And some of us think we’re immortal. Often it’s when tragedy or major events in life shake our lives that we tend to look beyond our circumstances to remember that there is a promise beyond this earth for us if we’re open to it.

With the recent deaths of family members and major icons in the industry like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, I’m thinking more and more about what eternity promises us. Sometimes life can be so difficult, painful and traumatic that the only hope for some is to leave this earth and enter eternity’s arms.

Now that I’m nearing my 30s I think about heaven a whole lot more. And you know what? The idea that all the tears that I’ve cried, and all the negativity and pain that this earth often serves us is non-existent in heaven, keeps me longing for eternity. I know where I’m going when I die and on those dark nights of the soul, that knowledge brings me hope and encouragement.

We are but a breath away from heaven’s door. Don’t waste your life, days or soul.

~L

Honesty

I’ve learned in life that honesty is something that people truly value. I am currently reading a book by HLN host Robin Meade titled, Morning Sunshine: How to Project Confidence and Feel it Too. The author discusses how she found her confidence after years of anxiety attacks. In the book she explains that although she tried to belittle the anxiety issues in front of co-workers and even her husband, it was in hiding her issues that she was actually causing herself to sink deeper into it.

I appreciate Robin’s candidness in sharing so openly about her struggles. I love how she lists things that she likes and dislikes about herself. How great is that? Isn’t it refreshing to see someone that you would otherwise believe had all their ducks in a row admit that they don’t like themselves at times? I know that makes me feel wonderful! It makes me feel like I’m not the only one with some skeletons in my closet. I’m not the only one filled with inner storage boxes of painful memories, insecurities and false belief systems.

I believe that there’s power in transparency. When you are open about the struggles in your own life you not only gain freedom from your problems, but you also free others. It’s often the beginning of healing. People want someone to relate to in life. Experience is often the key to reach others. And when someone has learned that you have lived what they are currently struggling with then they find hope in their own lives.

The HLN anchor also shares how the “Aha moments” actually grant us more responsibility in the long run. Isn’t that the truth? Once you believe you’ve learned a lesson or perhaps have overcome something you’d been struggling with for a while, you are free to then do what you could not do because of it. It opens up doors of new responsibilities in your life.

I love “Aha moments,” just as much as anyone, but I also like the journey of learning. And I don’t believe that we ever arrive at a place where suddenly everything is just fine and all our issues just disappear. We may have breakthroughs in areas that crippled us in the past, but I like to believe that life is a continuous journey full of lessons learned. We are constantly evolving and growing. And I just thank God for His grace because without it I don’t believe I’d have the strength in myself to overcome the many hurdles life has handed me.

Let’s be honest with ourselves and with others. Use wisdom, but be honest. People appreciate authenticity more than phoniness. And none of us has the ultimate answer to anything. I believe there is freedom in not knowing and understanding everything.



~L

Be kind

I recently read an article discussing depression in America. And I'm not just talking about recession and The Great Depression. I'm talking about the millions of Americans that are struggling through this economy and the overall negativity that the news feeds us on a daily basis. I recently heard from a church friend that three different men whom he knew through another friend took their own lives on the same week. THey were depressed because they could not provide for their families. It seems like every day we read stories of people committing suicide due to financial issues, unemployment or a form of mental illness. What this tells me is that there is a lot of pain in our world and people need hope. I am reminded of the scripture verse in the Bible that says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." (Proverbs 13:12) People need hope-bottom line. When you lose hope you lose the will to live.

I think America has been in a great depression, and it began on 9/11. Based on the stories I watched on television on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 last year it seems that we still have not recovered. My prayer is that we will see hope again, a great economy and opportunity for those who have not had one. In the meantime, I am making an extra effort to be kind to people and I'm starting with my home and even myself and letting it trickle to everyone, including strangers. Will you join me in spreading more kindness?

~Lynda

http://youtu.be/n7TLTjqUyog

Trees

I love trees. Trees are one of God's best creations, in my opinion. Trees represent new life, peace and they're a reflection of time and seasons we live. I have a theme of trees and leaves throughout my home because they are a reminder to me of new life. I am a fan of sitting under trees and reflecting on all of God's creation. It builds my faith in life and God himself. Trees are wonderful!

I took this picture on a windy day here in Castle Rock. I love how the sun is shining through the leaves. I can appreciate the simple beauty of this picture, because sometimes in life the simple things are what bring us the greatest peace and joy. I know it does for me.

~L

I Have To vs. I’d Like To

With so many responsibilities in life I often find myself weighing the “I have to” and the “I’d like to.” It’s easy to get caught up in all the responsibilities and feel that I should focus entirely on the immediate needs like paying my bills and taking care of household needs. These things are important and should get done, but it’s also important to set aside time to have fun.

Like for instance I’m contemplating starting Pilates in February. When I was researching places in the area I found myself thinking about just buying a video and doing Pilates in my Loft at home. But then I thought about how much more fun it would be to join a class where I could share an experience with other women. I could save some money and pay a bill or two or I could take a really fun class and experience something new and different. You get my drift?

With 2012 in place, I’m making goals that aren’t just work or “need” related but also fun. I am giving myself permission in this new year to do things that are creative and work other parts of my brain that are often comatose because they don’t get used enough.

Some of my goals for 2012:

-Finish writing my children’s book.
-Do Pilates on the weekends.
-Work on arts & crafts during downtime.
-Enjoy my city by visiting museums and local attractions.
-Spend more quality time with lady friends.
-Read more.

I’m learning that life isn’t only about setting goals and taking care of the “important things.” Taking a walk with my dog or playing a card game with my husband is just as important as all of other responsibilities in life. And frankly, when I take the time to do things that are more creative I find that I have more energy to tackle the responsibilities.

What are your some of your goals for the New Year? Are they all work-related or are you having fun as well? : )

Don’t Hoard Your Story

Whenever I come across a lesson, a certain quote, or a principle more than once I know that God is trying to tell me something. Recently, I’ve read a lot of stories of people simply sharing their experiences of survival. I read a quote a few weeks ago that read, “Don’t hoard your experiences.” It struck me because I’ve never really looked at not sharing the good things that God has done for me as hoarding. But I guess it can be similar to not cleaning your house, or keeping items that you never use or wear in your closet. Having gifts and talents, and not sharing them with others is also a form of hoarding and even disobedience.

I went to a wonderful women’s retreat last month, and the speaker encouraged us to use what we gain after we’ve received from God. She said that we often spend time in God’s presence asking for more of Him, or even multiplication of what we already have. The problem is that once God has give what we’ve asked of Him, we do nothing with it. Obedience brings blessings!

I was also convicted recently when I heard a well-known speaker say that he was in a season where God wasn’t giving him anything new. He was easily sharing prophetic words with others and watching God move in their life, but he wasn’t seeing that same movement in his own life. After seeking God, and asking why he wasn’t moving forward, he felt like God told him that he wasn’t responsible with the last portion that he was given.

Let’s finish what we start! There are so many things in life that can distract us, but let’s work beyond the things that keep us losing track and finish. I am currently in a season where I'm working to complete the “projects” that I started months ago. It’s a battle in itself, but can be accomplished with motivation, concentration and being purposeful.

Below is a reference from an article that I read recently in The Denver Post, written by Hoda Kotb, co-host of the “Today” show with Kathy Lee Gifford. Four years ago, she had breast cancer and went through a divorce in the same year. While on a business trip, she sat next to a man who taught her something valuable. After she shared about her experience with breast cancer, she feared what he would say to others about her. His response was, “Breast cancer is part of you, like getting married or working at NBC. You can put stuff deep in your pockets and take it to your grave or you can help somebody. Don’t hog your journey; it’s not just for you.”

Check out these points from the article:

1. Surround yourself only with people who fill you up.

2. Don’t sweat the little stuff—90% of what you worry about won’t happen.

3. If you’re still standing after surviving an illness or death of a loved one or whatever your cross to bear is, you get four words: You Can’t Scare Me. Use them.

4. Don’t hog your journey; share it to help others.

One of the greatest things that we can do with what we've been taught is to bless others with it…I’m still learning how to do that myself.

Authority

Several months ago, I had a dream that I was in a restaurant with my family. We were enjoying a nice meal when another diner whom I didn’t know began to insult us. Then for some reason the insult was directed to me alone. He was being so disrespectful for seemingly no reason, that I decided to walk out of the restaurant. As I was walking out of the restaurant, strangers would walk past me on the street and they would say mean things or try to get right in my face. I wondered why these people whom I didn’t even know were being so cruel. What did I ever do to them?

The dream reminded me of the movie, “Fallen” starring Denzel Washington, where a demon spirit jumped from person to person and created chaos. In the dream, there’s a scene where Denzel’s character is walking through a busy street and the demon is speaking to him using the body of random strangers. It speaks through several people literally using them as offenders and then leaving their bodies. One of the people used is an elderly man who looks harmless, yet when the evil spirit enters his body he is suddenly evil.

Back to the dream: Just as they continued to walk up to me, intimidating and disrespecting me, I began to discern that they were not human, but demons. There was no reason to believe they were demons in the natural because they looked like normal people, but I kept feeling strongly that they were not human. Then I began to quote different scriptures, with one that I quote all of the time standing out to me the most: “May no weapon formed against (me) shall prosper,” Isaiah 54:17

As I quoted the scriptures and yelled the name of Jesus to these “demons,” they began to show their true form. They seemed shocked and frightened as my spiritual boldness grew and I quoted the verses. As the words came out of my mouth, the people turned into the demons they were and began to disappear and some disintegrated in front of me. I literally fought them with the words coming out of my mouth. It reminded me of how Jesus fought the enemy when in the desert for 40 days. He used the scriptures as weapon.

When I woke up I wondered why I had such a vivid dream. I decided to pray and ask Him what the dream meant, and I heard Him say, “I am showing you your authority.”

God began to show me that I was in a season of great revelation where HE was literally exposing the truth behind the strong men in my past. I started to think about all the people that had intimidated me in the past or even how the enemy would intimidate me through fear and a false perceptions of reality and even God.

I used to be very fearful and still struggle with some fear. I often say that I inherited it from my mother who is a very nervous person. I think I learned some fear from her. But as we know, the enemy of the soul can take something that’s frail and exaggerate and corrupt it. In the past, my fear was so out of control that I would have panic attacks and my hands would be cold and clammy on a constant basis. I had false imaginations running through my head daily to the point of insanity. A number of years ago, I found healing from the extreme torment of fear. I still become afraid at times, but it’s not as severe as it once was. Scripture and prayer have seen me through the battles.

I am currently in a season where God is showing me the power in trusting in Him. Even though I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, it is the confidence that I have in His power through me that gets me through the toughest days. When man or circumstances come against me, I can lean on the truth in the word, and speak out His promises even when I doubt or fear. And my prayer to Him is that when He calls me to step out in His name, that He would supply me with my staff like He did for Moses centuries ago.

The transfer of evil:

http://youtu.be/563xkXq4duw