Encouraging Words-Why We Should Give Thanks

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:1, NIV

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV

I hope all of our American friends had a great Thanksgiving enjoying a bountiful feast, lots of football, and not suffering any casualties during the ensuing shopping frenzy (don’t laugh, it happened).

Brenda and I shared the holiday meal with her family, which is still going through a challenging time after the recent passing of her mother and nephew. As you can imagine, a family experiencing the first major holiday without their matriarch dealt with a wide range of emotions.

Holidays in general can produce some of the most extreme emotions we experience at both ends of the spectrum. When things are good, when we are enjoying abundance, it is the best time to acknowledge and celebrate those blessings. It is also a time when we often miss what we don’t have the most intensely, whether it is material things or loved ones.

It is especially sweet to enjoy the security and opportunities that material wealth can provide, and Brenda and I are more blessed in that area than either of have ever been, either separately or together. While she is well along in the grieving and healing process, it was painful to see other members of her family, already in much more challenging situations than ours, still struggling mightily with the pain of loss and survivors guilt.

I believe the Lord spoke to me when I was asked to offer the blessing before our Thanksgiving meal. I gave thanks for those who were standing in that house, ready to dive into a delicious meal, and also gave thanks for those who weren’t with us, for what they meant to us and will continue to mean in our lives.

You see, giving thanks is not just a good idea. It’s not just a way of humbling ourselves by acknowledging the true source of our blessings (although I believe that is very important).

We should give thanks, first and foremost, because the Bible tells us to. I quote two verses above showing that message very clearly, but there are plenty of others.

The part of that we so often lose track of is to give thanks at ALL times.

Really? Brenda is supposed to give thanks because her mother passed away? No, but she should, and did, give thanks for the life she led, for the impact she had on her family and church, and for the knowledge that she is in heaven feeling no pain and enjoying her glorified body and fellowship with Jesus!

Is Brenda supposed to give thanks for the gaping hole her mother’s passing left in her family? No, but she can give thanks for the opportunity to draw closer to her sisters and nieces, to help them lean more on each other instead of her mother.

Is Brenda supposed to give thanks that her nephew passed away just as it appeared his life was moving it its most positive direction yet? No, but she can be thankful that this led to his daughter and two grandchildren got reconnected with his mother and now have the potential of having a relationship that was previously non-existent.

Our God is a “glass half full” God. In fact, He is always poised to fill the other half back up when some spills out, even though it may not look quite like (or anything like) what was lost. Sometimes we have to look very, very hard, but I believe there will always be something positive our lives can gain from even the worst events or circumstances.

If we have trouble seeing that in the natural, we can always ask the Holy Spirit to point it out to us.

Then we can give thanks, not just because God told us to, but because we want to.

Encouraging Music-"Perfect Peace" by Laura Story

Encouraging Music-"Life Light Up" by Christy Nockels

Healing for Damaged Emotions Part 6

OPEN DOORS

Please check if common to you or your family whether past or present.

     Anger                        Violence                    Depression                 Grief
__ Abandonment         __Abuse                       __Dejection            __Anguish
__Feuding                   __Arguing                     __Discouragment    __Despair
__Frustration               __Bickering                  __Despair               __Heartbreak
__Hatred                     __Cruelty                     __Despondency      __Loss
__Hostility                   __Cursing                     __Gloominess         __Sorrow
__Murder                     __Death                        __Hopelessness     __Weeping
__Punishment              __Destrction                 __Insomnia                 Shame
__Rage                        __Feuding                     __Misery                __Abandonment
__Resentment             __Hate                          __Oversleeping      __Anger
__Retaliation                __Mocking                   __Sadness              __Bad boy/girl
__Revenge                   __Murder                     __Self-pity               __Condemnation
__Spoiled                     __Retaliation                 __Suicide attempt    __Defilement
__Temper tantrums     __Strife                         __Suicide fantasies  __Different
__Violence                   __Torture                      __Withdrawal          __Disgrace
Unworthiness                 Failure                         Trauma              __Embarrassment
__Inadequacy              __Boom/Bust Cycle       __Abuse - any kind __Guilt
__Inferiority                  __Defeat                        __Accident              __Hatred
__Insecurity                 __Loss                           __Loss                   __Inferiority
__Self-accusation        __Performance              __Imprisoned          __Self-accusation
__Self-condemnation   __Pressure to succeed  __Rape                  __Self-hate
__Self-hate                  __Striving                       __Torture               __Self-pity
__Self-punishment                                             __Violence

Encouraging Music-Thank You" by Brianna Haynes

Encouraging Music-"Be Still My Soul" by Selah

Encouraging Music-"Your Grace Still Amazes Me" by Phillips, Craig, & Dean

Encouraging Music-"Can I See Your Face?" by Tree63

Encouraging Music-"I Know You're There" by Casting Crowns

Healing for Damaged Emotions part 5

OPEN DOORS

Please check any that apply to you or anyone in your family whether past or present.

      Unbelief                      Addictions                 Escape                 Rebellion
__Apprehension             __Cocaine                  __Daydreaming    __Contempt
__Double mind              __Downers/uppers     __Fantasy             __Deception
__Doubt                         __Marijuana               __Forgetfulness     __Defiance
__Fear of being wrong   __OTC drugs            __Hopelessness    __Disobedience
__Mistrust                      __Prescription drugs  __Isolation            __Independence
__Rationalism                __Street drugs           __Laziness           __Insubordination
__Skepticism                 __Alcohol                   __Passivity            __Resistance
__Suspicion                  __Caffeine                  __Procrastination  __Self-will
__Uncertainty               __Cigarettes               __Over sleeping    __Self-sufficiency
   Mocking                  __Computers              __Trance               __Stubbornness
__Blaspheming             __Food                      __Withdrawal         __Undermining
__Cursing                    Gambling                      Pride                       Bitterness
__Laughing                 __Internet                   __Arrogance            __Accusation
__Profanity                 __Pornography           __Conceit                __Blaming
__Ridicule                  __Overspending         __Controlling            __Complaining
__Sarcasm                 __Sex                        __Egotistical             __Condemnatino
__Scorn                      __Sports                    __Haughtiness         __Criticalness
Unmotivated              __Television              __Prejudice              __Gossip
__Irresponsibility         __Video Games         __Self-centeredness __Judging
__Laziness                                                    __Self-importance    __Murmuring
__Procrastination                                          __Vanity                    __Ridicule
__Undisciplined                                                                              __Slander
__Unforgiveness

Encouraging Words-The Blessing of an Uncluttered Mind

At that time the disciples came toJesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a little child to him, and placedthe child among them.  And hesaid: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, youwill never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position ofthis child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my namewelcomes me. 
Matthew 18:1-5 (NIV)

Brenda and Irecently had the opportunity to attend her great niece’s fifth birthday party,where we were blessed by the fact that the adults clearly outnumbered thefive-year olds.  While I was observingthe somewhat contained chaos that ensued from a safe distance, I was stuck bythe pure enjoyment the kids were having just running around and screaming andbatting balloons. 

These childrenweren’t worrying about going in to work the next day.  They weren’t preoccupied with family problemsor watching their 401(k) tanking.  Theydidn’t even care about the results of the football games that were inprogress.  All they were thinking aboutwas running around and screaming and batting balloons.  Did I mention the screaming?

How great wouldit be to be blessed with such an uncluttered mind?  I’ll bet that sounds pretty appealing. 

I think that isthe core of the text from Matthew 26, where the Lord tells us we should becomelike little children.  When is the lasttime we approached Him with an uncluttered mind?

It’s hard, Iknow, and I’m as guilty as anyone.  Myjob gives me responsibility for overseeing a team of 17 people, and it is rarethat I’m not thinking about something one of them did or needs to do or thatthey will be impacted by.  I try to be agood husband, so I’m thinking about Brenda and things that affect her welfare alot.  When I “relax,” I’m often thinkingabout my Ravens, Terps, and why my fantasy football quarterbacks are justkilling my team.

I have a hardtime clearing my mind when I come to the Lord, approaching Him like a smallchild (if only I had the same trouble acting childish).  God is quite the gentleman; he generally won’tshout at us.  More often, He is thatsmall, soft voice that can easily get drowned out by all of the noise in ourlives. 

It’s our loss,but it disappoints Him also.  God hasgone to a lot of trouble to build a relationship with us.  After all, that’s one of the overarchingthemes of the Bible, from Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Jesus’ultimate sacrifice for us. 

I don’t think ourLord spends time being angry with us.  Ido think, however, that he misses us. You know how frustrating it is when you’re talking with someone whoreally isn’t paying attention?  Kind ofhurts your feelings, doesn’t it?  SinceGod made us in His image, isn’t it reasonable to think that when we come to himbut aren’t really focused that it hurts His feelings?  I think it does.

Now while I doubtthe Lord wants us to approach Him with the attention span of a five-year old(although a lot of us already do), He does look for an uncluttered mind, onethat is receiving Him and only Him.  Howcan we do that?  Here are a couple of wordsI will focus on and encourage you to consider—priority and trust.

The urgency oflife realistically prevents us from consciously making God our priority every wakingminute, but I think it is critical that we intentionally set some time asideevery day to do just that.  All rightGod, I’m turning off the TV, turning off my computer, turning off my phone, andtuning in to you.  Pray out loud, readscripture, or just meditate on Him and listen to what He has to say, but let’smake sure to have some quality time with the Lord.

How can we turneverything off, something might happen we need to know about.  How can I turn off all the noise in my mind,I have so much I need to be thinking about. Trust Him.  Trust that the worldwill not figuratively come to an end while you’re not paying attention.  Trust in the Lord that He has something tobless you with when you spend time with Him. Trust that He will show you a way to get things done, even when you’reoverwhelmed, after you take time out for Him.

God won’t shoutthrough the noise in our lives, but he will richly bless the quiet, unclutteredmind.  We just need to bring it to Him.

Encouraging Music-"I Believe" by ZOEGirl

Encouraging Music-"I Will Rest In You" by Jaci Velasquez

Encouraging Music-"Augus Dei" by Michael W. Smith

Encouraging Music-"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" by Matt Redman

Healing for Damaged Emotions part 4

OPEN DOORS

Please check if common to you or your family whether past or present.
Abandonment            Performance             Finances                          Deception
__Abdication              __Competition            __Bankruptcy                   __Cheating
__Blocked intimacy    __Envy                       __Cheating                       __Stealing
__Desertion                __Jealousy                 __Covetousness                __Confusion
__Divorce                   __People pleasing       __Debt                             __Denial
__Isolation                  __Perfectionism          __Deception                      __Fraudulence
__Loneliness               __Possessiveness     __Delinquency                  __Infidelity
__Neglect                   __Rivalry                    __Dishonesty                     __Lying
__Rejection                __Striving                    __Failure                           __Secretiveness
__Separation              __Workaholism           __Greed                           __Self-deception
__Self-pity                    Religion                   __Idolatry of possessions  __Treachery
__Victimization           __Anti-christ                __Irresponsible spending   __Treason
   Rejection               __Betrayal                   __Job failures                    __Trickery
__Expected rejection __Denominationalism __Job losses                 __Untrustworthiness
__Perceived rejection  __Division                   __Lack                           Mental
__Self rejection           __Hypocrisy                __Neglect                      __Craziness
   Anxiety                   __Injustice                   __Poverty                      __Compulsion
__Burden                    __Legalism                  __Robbery                     __Confusion
__False Responsibiliy  __New Age practices  __Not tithing                  __Distraction
__Fatigue                    __Religiosity                __Stealing                      __Hallucinations
__Heaviness                __Excessive rules      __Stinginess                  __Hysteria
__Nervousness            __Spiritual pride                                               __Insanity
__Restlessness          __Traditionalism                                                __Paranoia
__Weariness                __Unforgiveness                                               __Schizophrenia
__Worry

Encouraging Music-"Lift Me Up" by The Afters

Encouraging Music-"You Invite Me In" by Meredith Andrews

Encouraging Music-"What Faith Can Do" by Kutless

Encouraging Music-"God of This City" by Chris Tomlin

Encouraging Music-"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns

Encouraging Music-"God Is Able" by Hillsong

Healing For Damaged Emotions Part 3-Generational/Ancestral Sins and Resulting Curses

Generational/ancestral sins and resulting curses

Frequently occurring Generational/Ancestral sins
Abandonment, neglect
Abuse – all kinds
Addictions – all kinds
Anger, rage, violence
Control, possessiveness, manipulation
Emotional dependency
Fears – all kinds
Idolatry
Low self-esteem, inferiority, unworthiness
Money Extremes – greed or lack
Occult practices
Parental inversion
Physical infirmities
Pride, rebellion
Rejection, insecurity
Toxic religion
Unbelief, negativity

Family Patterns - Please check if common to your immediate or extended family.
____Lack of communication between spouses or parents and children
____Lack of intimacy in marriage, other
____Broken marriages, divorce
____Domination
____Children favored or idolized, favoritism
____Children not valued or neglected
____Children taking care of parents (parental inversion)
____Sibling rivalry, fights and feuds
____Workaholics
____Success/failure cycles
____Family secrets
____Broken promises
____Unfulfilled lives and destinies
____Abuse
____Addiction
____Co-dependency

Soul/Spirit Hurts
Situations that can cause hurt
Abuse – all kinds
Accidents
Betrayal
Chronic illness
Disability
Divorce
Failures
Loss of a loved one
Loss of a job
Loss of a home
War

Some consequences of hurts
Hurting others
Ungodly beliefs
Shame
Defense mechanisms
Wearing masks, hiding
Restricted growth
Anger and disappointment toward God
Blocked emotions
Ongoing vulnerability and hopelessness
Possible demonic oppression

Ungodly Beliefs
Ungodly beliefs about ourselves – check all that apply
Rejection, not belonging
____I don’t belong. I will always be left out; on the outside.
____No one cares about my feelings. My feelings don’t count.
____No one will ever really love me just for myself.
____There will never be a special person for me. I will always be lonely.
____The best way to avoid more hurt and rejection is to isolate myself.
Unworthiness, guilt and shame
____I’m not worthy to receive anything from God.
____I’m the problem. When something is wrong it’s always my fault.
____I’m a bad person. If you really knew me you would reject me.
____I have messed up so badly that I have missed God’s best for me.
Doing to achieve self-worth, value, and recognition
____I will never get credit for what I do.
____My value is in what I do. I’m valuable because I do good for others.
____Even when I do or give my best it’s not good enough.
____I can avoid conflict by being passive and doing nothing.
____God doesn’t care if I have a “secret life” as long as I appear good.
Control (to avoid being hurt)
____I have to plan every day of my life. I can’t relax.
____The perfect life is one in which no conflict is allowed, so there is peace.
Physical
 ____I am unattractive. God short-changed me.
____I am doomed to have certain physical disabilities. It’s just my lot.
____It’s impossible to lose weight or gain weight. I’m just stuck.
____I’ll never be attractive enough.
Personality traits
____I will always be __________ (angry, shy, jealous, insecure, fearful, etc.).
Identity
____If I had been a boy/girl, then I would have been loved and valued more.
____I will never be known and appreciated for my real self.
____I will never be what God wants me to be.
Ungodly beliefs about others – check all that apply
Safety/Protection
____I must guard what I say, since anything I say may be used against me.
____I have to guard and hide my emotions and feelings so no one has the satisfaction of knowing they hurt me.
Retaliation
____The best way to respond if someone offends me is to punish them by withdrawing and/or cutting them off.
____I’ll make sure that ______ hurts as much as I do!
Victim
____Authority figures will humiliate me and violate me.
____People just use me and abuse me.
____My value is based on what people think of me.
____I have no will or choice of my own.
Hopelessness/Helplessness
____I’m out there all alone. If I’m in trouble or need help, no one will rescue me.
Defective in Relationships
____I will never be able to fully give or receive love. I don’t know what love is.
____If I let anyone get close to me again I may get my heart broken, and I just can’t risk that.
____I must strive hard to please you because if I don’t you won’t accept me.
God
____God loves others more than me.
____God only values me for what I do.
____No matter how hard I try it’s never good enough to please God.
____I have to stay busy about God’s work or He will not be pleased with me.
____God has let me down before and will do it again. I can’t trust God.
____God helps others, but doesn’t help me.

Demonic Oppression
Behavioral indicators of demonic oppression
Incapacity for normal living
Extreme bondage to sin
Deception about normal personality
Abnormal emotions
Breakdown of relationships
Tragic events and accident proneness
Financial insufficiency
Inner anguish
Personality changes
Self-inflicted injuries
Sexual extremes

The next 5 blog posts are check lists of possible open doors through which the devil may have gained access into our lives to cause pain and confusion. Please check all that apply. There will be instructions at the end of the Open Doors series of posts.

Encouraging Music-"I Bring It To you" by The Issacs

Encouraging Music-"Heal the Wound" by Point of Grace

Encouraging Words-Sowing Seeds

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”  Mark 4:3-8 (NIV)

I had the opportunity to attend my 35-year high school reunion with Brenda this weekend.  As I anticipated the event, I suspected it would wind up setting the tone for an Encouraging Word.  I was right, but not quite in the way I expected.

I made friends in high school, but I wasn’t in the cool crowd.  My fiend Robin once said about us, “We weren’t the nerds, but we could feel their pain.”  My corollary to that was “we were nerds who went to the games and occasionally dated.”  As a result, when I attend my 10^th and 15th year reunions, I stuck very closely to friends who also fit that description and didn’t mingle a lot for fear of rejection (or re-rejection).

I’ve grown a lot over the years and went into the 35^th with a different approach.  I’ve learned how to “work a room” and wanted to reach out to as many of my former classmates as possible.  Having already connected with some of them on Facebook made that approach much easier, even though I hadn’t seen most of them since graduation—we have lived roughly 2/3 of our lives since then!  I was also immensely more comfortable in my own skin that I’ve ever been, and having my beautiful wife at my side and a good answer to “so, what are you doing these days?” definitely helped that.

Even with all of that going in, I was stunned by how the evening played out. 

People who I didn’t think would remember me not only did but seemed genuinely excited to see me!  Even more significant to me, I was asked to lead everyone in a blessing before the meal!  If that’s what I’m known for, then more of the seeds I’ve been sowing the last few years have borne fruit than I ever imagined!

This was a powerful lesson for me, and was further reinforced during the evening as people complimented me for the prayer. 

People pay more attention to us than we think.  We are sowing seeds into other people’s lives every single day. 

That hug and word of encouragement we might quickly give someone could stick with them a long time—it could be just the right word at the time they needed it the most.

If we talk the talk of faith but don’t walk it out in our everyday lives, people see that and remember it.  The words we say in faith have to have a foundation built upon how we live—people can sniff out a hypocrite at a thousand paces.

Conversely, when we endure loss, hardship, or other stressors, people are observing how we do so.  If we do it in a positive way where we are holding on firmly to God’s word and the Holy Spirit, more people than we imagine are seeing that. 

A wonderful example of this is my friend Karen, who has dealt with loss of hearing for most of her life.  She recently received an ear implant that has given her 90% hearing in one ear, and by her own admission you couldn’t shut her up at the reunion!  She was so joyful with this miracle and happily telling everyone her story of faith and praising the Lord for making it happen and thanking those who have been holding her up in prayer.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one paying attention.  Maybe someone’s life was changed last night by hearing her story.  We many never know, but that’s not part of the deal.  God tells us in Mark 4 that we are to sow the seeds.  The harvest is up to Him.

I encourage you to be mindful of the seeds you are sowing into the lives of your loved ones, church family, co-workers, or even the person serving you at McDonalds (yes, that one’s especially for me).  Even if you don’t have moments of affirmation like I did this weekend, those seeds can still grow and make an impact in someone’s life.  That’s something ALL spirit-filled believers can do.

Encouraging Music-"Strong Enough" by Matthew West