Perfect in an Imperfect World

“I am surprised to hear imperfect words come out of your perfect Christian mouth.”

People are hypocrites, well … ALL people are hypocritical at times, unless you are PERFECT & you’re not. 

People are judgmental, well … ALL people are judgmental at times, unless you are PERFECT & you’re not.

Sometimes in life people will attempt to bring you down, on purpose or unintentionally.  People will promise things that they never intend on keeping, all in hopes that his or her shallowness will never be revealed.  Perhaps that person does not care about anyone in their feeble attempt to gain power, utilizing you as a staircase for personal gain; especially if YOU have clout with a crowd, or if you have an “in” to a potential place they want to acquire.  If you are one of these people who consistently get stepped on, if you are one of the stairs to someone else’s success … Stop the cycle.  If you are a person who allows people’s awful words steal your happiness … Stop the cycle.  What you allow, will continue.

People will make mistakes, people will hurt you … primarily the people you are closest to, the people whose words or actions you will ultimately take to heart. You have the choice to forgive, go forward, and be content and happy.  Or you can let what he or she did … eat at you turning you into a sad, bitter, and ugly person to be around.  I know, I have been there.  We are instructed to Forgive every time, which is a terribly difficult task to accomplish at times, but Jesus forgave the world when he died for us, so the very least we could do is try and forgive like he did.  God can change you, if you allow him to. 

We can be BETTER than we were a year ago, a month ago, a day ago.  Life is a beautiful struggle.  I write because in the midst of OUR struggle of people expecting “perfection” from US, we can diligently attempt to focus on God who says “WE are righteous, WE are perfect in his eyes’” God says, “No matter who does not think you’re good enough, “YOU” are good enough for me.”  What a relief that is knowing that God is in your corner.  What a relief it is knowing that I am not perfect.  What a relief it is knowing that you are not perfect.  Let us not try and live up to “man’s” high standards, but be content and peaceful, in mind, that you are trying to live to a Jesus standard. 

You are Your Children's Hero

As I think back and imagine my childhood, my little kid days, I grew up with an amazing group of friends.  The kind of friends that when one of them received an “F” on his report card, we all packed our bags to run away with him … even if it was just across the street.  If I can remember correctly, 10 sets of parents were called to come get their children … funny thing is … our parents before leaving school, unpacked our bags to see what 3^rd graders were going to survive on.  They found skittles, shorts, candy bars, socks … no toothbrushes, no warm clothes, NOTHING of use to survive (this was the end of fall and it was COLD).  Very comical to remember … at that moment, we did not need our “friends” we needed our PARENTS.  Parents are who we desperately needed in the 3^rd grade, and we all had wonderful ones. Our parents shaped us into respectful children, they guided us, they led by example, and they were THERE for us, ALWAYS!

In my adolescent years, pre-teen to graduation, our elementary school merged with another district school, so we had (us) the kids who weren’t concerned with the brand of clothes we wore UNTIL we were mixed with the other school … some of us fit in perfectly, some of us didn’t so it was a struggle all throughout the rest of our (my) days in school.  I went from having close knit friends, to having a few friends that saved my life and didn’t know it.  They kept me afloat, making life tolerable.  Friends in that stage of life, struggle to stand up in fear of getting the same form of treatment because they themselves are trying to survive.  We didn’t need friends as much as we needed our PARENT’S love, support, and GUIDANCE.  Parents are who we desperately needed in our adolescent years, and we all had wonderful ones. 

                My point is, yes having great friends throughout every stage of your life is a huge blessing, but the most important piece to a child’s life is having amazing and loving PARENTS to help them through and guide them.  Parents are who we needed the most when we were younger, and parents are who we still need now that we are adults.  We never stop needing them, we never stop loving them. 

               Lord, let us be WHO we NEEDED when we were YOUNGER.  May we be the rock our children rely on, every day, always.  Let us have strength to be a powerhouse in their corner, even if it is chasing monsters from underneath their bed or from their closet.  Our children need our presence, not presents. Lord let us lead them, guide them, and love them unconditionally.  Many of us are parents, or play the role of a parent, let us be who we needed, let us be the PARENTS our children so desperately need in this hard world.  Let God place in our hearts patience, let us pay full attention to their lives, before they grow up lost and wandering. ~ Amen.

Gold is Located Underneath the Dirt you Throw

Why is it people gossip, point out mistakes, and make quick judgements on mere assumptions? Why do people make a great attempt to paint an imperfect picture of an individual before the other person has the chance to make his or her own impression of the “already labeled” person?  Why are humans so insistent upon recognizing all the negative about a person when they themselves are flawed?  We ALL have flaws … right now, I am sure individuals are reading thinking “Oh lord, here she goes again speaking about the bible, speaking about Jesus, when she is far from perfect.” Each of us were created, we were born innocently into sin, and were born again by the blood and grace of GOD.  We were saved and cleansed to lead and live more like our creator.  HOWEVER, do not expect us “Christians” to be perfect, we TRY every day to walk in his word, WE fail terribly sometimes.  We are vessels, and are supposed to be examples to the non-believer … but forgive us if we are not models of perfection, forgive us if we do not walk in a straight line 24 hours a day.  Our Jesus dwells inside our hearts, our light shines by giving, loving, and you can see it through our eyes.  At times, our flesh “earthly bodies” give in, it is in our blood from birth, but we fight.  Christians go through trials, we WILL acquire “dirt.”

Christians … you see … TRY to raise our children right, we TRY to watch our tongues, we TRY to love and forgive the way God does.  Some of us have different gifts that are not recognizable by the way we walk or talk, but by the way we love and give our time, maybe it is through prayer we live.  As I grow … I am accepting that more and more “Christians” have “DIRT” thrown in his or her face for not living a perfect life.  How about … loving us anyways?  How about … recognize the “gold” instead of throwing dirt in our faces? 

How about replacing “dislike and disappointment” with “love and forgiveness?” How about replacing “negative assumptions” with “positive possibilities?”  Let us look inside a person before pointing out the negative outside shell that fails daily, not just for Christians, but for non-believers.  Let us be slow to open our mouths of disappointment … assess our own being, prior to throwing words in the wind.  How about WE dig to find the gold, instead of focusing on the dirt we shovel to find it?  Or why throw more dirt on top of the gold underneath … kind of silly if you ask me J

Focus on the Good in people and let God point out the disappointment through prayer, amen.

PASS THE BALL, your teammate is WIDE OPEN!!!!

 

Imagine yourself at a sports event … You are a #12 fan in the stands.  Doesn’t matter if you are in a small gymnasium or huge arena, you are there ready to enjoy a great game.   You have your beer (or if at a kids event) your soda, your hotdog, and your game face on … You stand for the National Anthem and applaud afterwards, 3..2..1..it’s game time.  You are sitting on the edge of your seat cheering your favorite team on waiting for some action, but then get disappointed when you realize “ONE” person is running the show trying to outshine every other player on the team.  You find yourself yelling “PASS THE BALL, your team mate is WIDE OPEN!!!” This “ONE” player is taking all the shots, he is a ONE man team … the other players are non-existent except to pass to him so he or she looks like a superstar.  What was once a game you looked forward to attending, now is a game you look forward to leaving.

I completely understand this “ONE” player is good, but he or she would NOT be without the help of teammates.  You have a player that passes the ball in, players that set screens, players that block, players that assist, players that throw, players that kick, players that defend, all in order to help the TEAM to score points.  In reality, without teammates, that ONE person would be nothing.  The game would be forfeited without a full team. 

Each player has his or her attributes to the team’s ultimate mission or mutual goal (TO WIN) or have fun trying.  No ONE person has a more important position than the other, that is why they call it a team.  So what that some members on the team aren’t naturally talented as others, this is why again, it is called a TEAM.  Players with that god-given natural talent should help inspire and build the other team players skill levels up. 

God gave us each a natural talent and gift, but he also instructs us to GIVE that talent or gift away … This means to help others shine … help them to see what is amazing about them.  This life is NOT always about You, it’s about being a vessel of inspiration for God.  What will you do with your god given talent, keep it to yourself or give it away?

 

 

Freedom from Monotony & Routine? CHANGE things Up.

In reference to the message:

                Although I am not perfectly clear on what Alchemy is … none the less, I was searching for something good to share with everyone today.  As you look at what Paulo Coelho jotted down, I believe he meant to reach us by saying “If your life is monotonous and routine as to where you feel empty and drained, change things up.” “Change things up enough to be thankful, Change things up enough to realize you are still alive.” Sure life gets drab when you do the same thing, the same way, over and over … like Bill Murray on the movie Groundhog Day.  However, he had the chance, every day to change what he messed up the day before, to make it better.  That is the key, change. 

                Do you ever find yourself bored and lethargic-like in life sometimes?  You get out of bed, drag yourself to the shower, blah blah, etc etc … You go to work, you come home … same routine, different day.  Make dinner, get the kids showers, bedtime … same routine, different day.  All the while, not noticing, you are losing focus on what God placed in your life as blessings.  Sure, at times, we all lose focus because we get wrapped up in routine.  But we live a "real life" Groundhog Day, and we can break the routine of “BLAH.” Every day we can choose change … instead of dreading to wake up, be GLAD you are still breathing, thank God.  Then look to the other side of the bed, if you have a husband/wife, smile knowing you have another day with them (or at least a morning) … if you aren’t married … smile at the other side of the bed anyways because it is just good faith in waiting.  Hug and kiss your kids before you leave, if you wake them, who cares!!!!  Pray for them, pray for your spouse, for your family, for your friends.  CHANGE into a person with a purpose of being thankful and watch how peace and happiness follow.

                If you have a set time for prayer … never let that fall to the side, never let it fade … We need to be strong spiritually to be free of idle minds, and idle lives.  Prayer keeps our minds on all things positive and good.  Prayer helps guide us, prayer and a relationship with God makes us whole.  If we find ourselves in the midst of monotony and routine, and we have allowed ourselves to lose focus on the most important and highest blessings ... We need to CHANGE things up.  Find prayer.  Find thankfulness. We have today, so find the strength to find your way out into the happy JJ

DO as I SAY, NOT as I DO

Have you heard the saying “Do as I say, not as I do.”?  Have you scolded your children for not making their beds or cleaning their room, but open your bedroom door and it is a total disaster area?  I know I have.  I am guilty of the “Do what I say, not as I do” phrase.  How do I expect my children to keep their rooms clean when I am leading them by a bad example?  This holds true for any negative example; cussing, smoking, drinking in front of your kids.  “Well mom and dad do it, so it must not be that bad.” What about when you make an important rule, then make exceptions to that rule the next day … how CONFUSING that must be for your child.  I am pretty sure mine stay confused because I lack consistency.   Where I am consistent with love and affection, I fail in leading and guiding.

Consistency is defined as … unchanging in achievement or effect over a “period” of time.  Hallelujah, as parents, we have time to redeem our failures from not only leading and guiding our children but our personal/working relationships as a whole.  Redirection takes time … new “positive correction” habits take at least 22 days to form and take hold.  But thank GOD we can correct our mistakes.  Also remember consistency does not happen overnight, so drop that expectation now. 

Did you know that consistency establishes your REPUTATION? (Good blow to the parental ego). Wonder why your child disregards what you ask of them to do or not to do?  Lack of consistency on rules, on consequences of actions, on punishment, on warnings of punishment (that is why they buck the system).  If we lack in these area as parents, no wonder why our kids look at us with blank stares and confused facial expression.  If I were them listening to me, I would be clueless.  God says “Sparing the Rod, Spoils the Child,” this is 150% percent accurate.  When I was a child, I KNEW what was expected and could guarantee the punishment was the same each time I made a mistake.  No talking myself out of it, no whining or crying because the punishment got worse.  My mother was CONSISTENT, she never faltered, she never caved in, and taught us one of the most important lesson in life, RESPECT. 

Our children need us to be consistent so they believe what we say.  So they can truly trust us in that we say no to things for their protection.  Let’s eliminate unnecessary confusion and provide them with clear direction.  NO means NO.  Establish rules with firm consequences for breaking them.  No exceptions, no freebie card (get out of jail free passes, lol).  Rebuilding consistency takes time … but your children will thank you for it later on in life, trust in that.

Lord, please let us parents take the time to guide our children by consistency.  Let us be strong, stand firm, and lead them by being a great example.  Help us to create a peaceful home without confusion.  Please let us set aside anger and frustration as we guide our children into a new better way of life.  ~ Amen.

 

 

Be Courageously Brave to "LET GO"

In reference to the picture quote:

I write today not about being courageously brave in living life, but to  be courageously brave enough to “let go” of life (either yours, or someone you love) when the time comes for God to take you or them home.  God calls us to celebrate life and to be thankful of the short time we have here on Earth. 

Life is like a breath, you will look for me and I will be gone.  We are like the morning fog, it floats around thick in the air but by noon the fog has disappeared.  I believe God wants us to know our time here is short.  You NEVER know when life will be taken from you, so treasure things (people) in your life that money cannot buy. 

I read stories on Facebook, mostly friends and family posts, and many have went through trials and sorrows … some are fighting everyday PRAYING for their life or the lives of loved ones.  Some of my friends have lost parents … I sometimes forget that I am not young anymore, our parents are getting older, I forget that they are not as youthful as they were at my age …I do not want to believe they are growing old because I could not imagine my life without them even though I live thousands of miles away. Some of my family and friends have lost a child, and that chokes me up just thinking about it.  Some of my friends right now are fighting for their lives, just to have another day. 

I see friends whom have received tragic or fatal news (medical diagnoses) either for themselves or from family members who confidently and fearlessly face their foes with triumph – Psalm 112:7.  They confidently trust the Lord to care for them, to give them rest, peace … They do NOT give up, they fight. Oh what an inspirational example from the people who are hurting the most, who are suffering the most … to still have a joyful heart in the midst of their circumstances.  You’re light of fight does NOT go un-noticed by people. 

My fear is not about getting old, or getting diagnosed with a traumatic disease, it is about not knowing what Day God will call me home.  I may not get to kiss my husband and kids goodnight, or tell my parents and best friend that I love them again.  As I get older, the importance of “family” grows, the importance of “true friendship” grows. We are only here for a little while and then we are called home. 

Lord, may you protect and guard my friends and family who stumble to find strength to get through today, lord please hold their hand.  I pray for you to give them the right words to speak in times of sorrow. God let them live in your strength so they do not grow weary, let them walk and not faint. May you brighten the darkness that is nearing towards them.  Lord comfort them, heal their hearts, and most of all give them your everlasting peace. ~Amen.

To my friends and family whom are going through a battle to stay alive or are praying relentlessly to keep a loved one alive:  YOU motivate me and inspire me to be a better person … to PRAY harder and to LOVE harder. 

 

Brave Knights & Heroic Courage

In reference to the message: 

Children’s delicate minds are very sponge-like; they absorb information by sight and sound from birth.  Parents eagerly await for their child’s first words, hoping for “Mommy or Daddy,” and those words might be so at first … They do not know what the real world is like, and we, as parents, were given these precious gifts to protect and guide.  We have to protect their eyes and ears, yet teach them to not be naïve in certain adult situations they may find themselves in at an early age (drugs/sex/violence.)

I never quite understood my mother’s words when she would say “Alissa, you will understand why I do the things I do when you have children of your own … I guard your eyes and ears to protect your innocence, and I do not allow you to do things other parents allow their children to do because I love you.”  Now that I have children, I completely understand her, and what I was put on this earth to do.  I also find myself saying the same exact words to my children.  I would lay my life down in a heartbeat to protect them.  I will do anything to keep them innocent for as long as possible.  THIS is a difficult task, our parents had it easier because we did not have cell phones, or a google search engine on the internet … they have a world of information at the push of a key (get one letter off on a google search ) and our kids could be seeing pornographic material.  Rated R in the 1980-1990s is probably considered PG now.  The G rated movies cuss and have adult humor, PG13 should be rated R, and the R rated movies should be rated XXX. 

This is not the only way innocence is stripped from our children … My kids ask if there are such things as monsters, and from an early age, my reply has always been “Yes. Not in the way you view monsters that hide in the closet or underneath your bed.  Not big scary monsters with fangs, but real life monsters that look just like you and me.” These monsters are covered with human skin, have sick and twisted minds, these monsters will do vile and degrading things.  I tell my kids the truth when it means saving their lives.  I tell my kids not to listen to any inner or outer voices that tell them lies that will crush their self-esteem, or any talk that belittles them … I tell them those words are from the devil and the devil is a LIAR!!!  We have schools taking God out of everything and teaching our children things that are not RIGHT, so we as parents, need to be a GOOD example in the way we live our lives … so our children can imitate what is right, contrary to what the world shows or tells them. 

Teach our children that it does not matter if a peer group accepts them, or that they do not fit in, that people tease them because they are smart, are overweight … teach them that NO MATTER WHAT, they are beautiful, funny, kind, and are ALWAYS accepted in God’s eyes.  They are ALWAYS loved by God. 

Teach them and prepare them for life’s trials and sorrows, as we know they will have many.  Teach them to turn away from anything that stimulates youthful lusts, and encourage them to pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace.  Let the Lord be their companion, until the time comes, and their actions are pleasing to God (Marriage). 

Let us help them stay on their guard, teach them the importance of true faith, and how God’s strength can help them in any situation.  We can help save their innocence by shielding their eyes and ears from filth and lies … we can help them see and avoid real life monsters.  All we have to do is, give our children our time, isn’t that what we are called to do? … Guide and Lead them on the right path, protect them, love them …

Lord, let us show our children how to pray at night, and in the morning.  Show them how to give their worries and cares to you, so they can get rest during the night, and feel protected during the day.  Let them understand they are safe with you.  Let our children view themselves as brave knights with heroic courage, let them stand tall on your words.  ~ Amen.

Full Metal Jacket. Beware of the Lion.

In reference to the photo quote:   I am sure that many of you when you read this RUMI passage below will laugh, thinking “Where was this quote when I needed it.”  Is RUMI not spot on?  Have any of you put beauty above your moral compass?  You are drawn in by his or her beautiful physical appearance, his voice, her scent … they possess everything to lure you in … they present charm, class, compassion, enchantment (The LION & LIONESS) … but underneath are lies, deceit, and betrayal. 

Beware, this Lion is NOT a Lion at all, the Lion is a Loathed Snake.  They are ugly under the surface … you see … their voice is like small doses of poison that will kill your spirit slowly.  This snake is no regular snake, it is a beast like python … they will utilize every ounce of their physical attributes and charm to lure you away from safety, physical & mental safety.  They seek power and control through misleading and deceiving innocence.  They are selfish, arrogant, greedy, merciless, and heartless.  They will redefine or use a thesaurus of educated words to mislead you from the truth, ohhh the way their words roll off of their lips, will captivate you, and trust me they will be believable … but the words are furthest from the truth.  They will corrupt your character by persuasion. Beware!!!

Have you met anyone with these features?  If so, a lesson was surely learned, the hard way.  Once bitten by the snake, it is difficult, almost impossible, without help from God to break away.  The venom from the snake (lion in this instance), first attacks your mind, then will cause physical pain (sickness/weakness), and will make your heart hollow.  What once was of YOU, will no longer be there … only an empty hollow shell.  If anyone is reading this … if you come in contact with someone like this RUN, I mean SPRINT away as fast as you can!!!!  This advice will save you YEARS of mental anguish and physical pain.

In this beautiful world filled with chaos and corruption you will need the FULL METAL JACKET prior to walking out your door every day, these 3 things will protect you from devilish schemes:

1.       BELT OF TRUTH
2.       BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS
3.       SHEILD OF FAITH

Remember the Lion and Snake are stealth like, they watch you, plotting against you.  Watch out for their invisible net and hidden snares.  They are masters of deception, they believe their own lies … guard your morals, your values, and your life.

Lord, let no one deceive us with empty words and rescue us from evil schemes. Protect us from people with impure hearts that gain power by immoral persuasion.  Protect us from the poison that flows from the mouths of the narcissist.  Protect us from any corruption and violence that may be upon us or plotted against us.  Let us be strong-willed in God’s word, Let us use the trifecta Full Metal Jacket to stand up for ourselves, our family, our friends, and what we believe to know is Just, Pure … lovely. ~Amen.

 

 

One Negative Comment can KILL a DREAM

In reference to the message:    Ahhh … dreaded negativity, the legal arsenic of life.   How many times have YOU wanted to chase a dream and “negativity” drained your courage, excitement, and willingness to step forward?  How many times has a “negative” word rained on your happiness parade and dampened your faith?  Have you been so excited about that one thing in life you want to do, get there, and someone tell you that they would not be proud of you?  Have you tried gaining someone’s approval and nothing you do can never seem good enough?  How many times have you participated in a conversation with people who never have anything positive to say and it completely drains your energy? 

Let me tell you something, YOU are NOT the problem, they are.  If you find yourself in a situation of negativity, leave.  Happiness and peace are priceless blessings that are precious and sometimes hard to obtain and more difficult to maintain.  The negativity disease is easy to catch, and hard to recover from.  You have to build a positive life, a life based on thankfulness … Life is a Battlefield of the Mind, positive kills negative.  Do NOT let someone’s cruel and dull words ruin and take away your faith, motivation, or excitement for life.  If you have a dream, this is YOUR life, not anyone else’s.  They do NOT live your life, they most definitely have their own life to live.  Make your OWN decisions.  Chase YOUR dreams.  Please encourage people, inspire people … help people find ways to reach his or her dream.  Fight the negativity, keep strong in the faith. 

~ Alissa

 

 

Transformation Happens on the Other Side of Surrender

In reference to the message:  As I struggle to find the words to attach to the message … this reminds me of the struggle to Trust God, to Keep God completely centered in the midst of every aspect of your life.  When Jesus is the last person who gets attention, your life will show it.  You tire easy, your temper is amplified, nothing goes right, your happiness fades away, and you can barely find the strength to smile.  Everything is negative, and we are left thinking “Something has GOT to give!!”  The solution … remains the same … keep your eyes on the sun (SON – thanks Betsy!).

 

I am writing this because I felt deep conviction about the way I let Jesus fall away, I mean, he is always with me … but I was not trusting in his direction for my life.  For example … have you ever have one little thing go wrong, and that small stressor which seemed enormous at the time, was in fact, very insignificant … And I said, after I made the tiny situation Mt. Everest, “Alissa … where did you go?  You were sooo full of the spirit, nothing phased you, nothing could touch you.”  It’s pretty amazing when you can feel God speaking to your heart, he wants you to have a relationship with him … No matter how busy you are … If you only allow a few minutes on the drive to and from work, do that …

I am writing this because the message below stands out … Transformation DOES happen on the other side of surrender.  Not by works, but by how you chose to live your life.  I was attending a church in Texas years ago and I was never closer to living the life I wanted to show for my children, when I left nothing was the same, my faith ebbs and flows … Transformation is ever changing, and is a process … Beware of false prophets claiming beliefs that make you spiritually lazy and spiritually arrogant.  How can I claim to be a Christian when my actions say otherwise?  I choose transformation … I choose to change not only for me, for everyone that I love.  I can be a better daughter/son in Christ, a godly wife/husband (because she/he deserves it), and a better mother/father because I want to lead them by a great and loving example.  Be transformed not conformed by this world.  Guard your mind, your heart, your husband, your wife, your children, your family … because they are your heart and there is NOTHING more precious and important in life than love.

 ~ Alissa

 

 

Mothers ... YOU are ENOUGH!!!

I am not perfect, I have never claimed to be perfect... I make mistakes, but I AM ENOUGH for my Sweet Marshall, for my four amazing children, for my parents, for my brother & sister, for my family, and for my best friends!! I make mistakes but I LOVE them like there is no tomorrow.

So if anyone is making you prove yourself worthy of love...worthy to fit in...worthy of forgiveness...Remember God says "YOU are enough, YOU are loved, YOU are forgiven."
I know tons of amazing and loving mothers, and YOU are Enough...Sometimes you may feel like a failure or feel like you could do better... That is the enemy getting into your precious mind...GOD says "You are more precious than rubies, You are virtuous, You are strong (Proverbs 31).

YOU are ENOUGH!!!

 

They Tried to BURY US but They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

In reference to the message:  How powerful is this … This is a message of Hope & Triumph, a message of Defeat & Recovery.  I am pretty sure many of us have figuratively speaking been buried, and have treaded through hellish waters, YET … are still alive, rebuilding what was lost.   Life is a rollercoaster, a journey, a joy, a nightmare, and most of all a GIFT.  If we are lucky and blessed, we wake up breathing and alive to change everything that we didn’t like about yesterday, or make yesterday a better today. 

This message is about the courage to fight from the depths of your lowest low, fighting the people who said “You won’t make it, You can’t do this, You will never amount to anything,” YOU know better than that!!!!  So what if you made (make) mistakes, you fix them!!!  So what if life has not always been fair to you, YOU keep going!!!  Being sad is OKAY, Being down is OKAY, just don’t stay there … You are worth so much more.   Sometimes you will be angry at what life has thrown at you, USE that ANGER to fuel your motivation to recover and be a better person, USE the ANGER in positive ways.  Just because we have been knocked down (buried), does NOT mean we are dead, we ARE seeds of regrowth.  Yes physical death will happen, but in our time. 

This message is to all of the people who have lived and conquered their definition of hell and came out wiser, better, stronger … you can be vessels of encouragement.  This is our purpose in life, this, I believe, is the reason we are allowed to hurt, endure pain … is to come out on the other side, to help people who are fighting the same battle you won.   

~ Alissa

 

 

No-One has EVER become POOR by GIVING

In reference to Anne Frank’s Quote:  This quote originates from “freely” giving, the kind of giving that could make a person smile for one moment … a type of giving that could momentarily change a person’s life by supplying them with hope.  How great does it feel to make a person smile?  It takes a small amount of effort to open your heart to someone in need … I find it spiritually rewarding to make someone smile, not being kind because it is the right thing to do, but being kind because you want to.   I find happiness and I find myself by making people smile … Does it not warm your heart to see the gratitude and thankfulness on someone’s face when you give?  Everyone has a different style of giving, the most precious gift is giving your time, no money needed J  In all honesty, seems to me like every time I give, God always returns it back to me in more ways than one … When we give freely with love in our hearts, we receive JOY and our spirit shines bright.  In giving to others, we forget about the troubles in our lives for a period of time because we are focused on something other than ourselves. 

It is funny … now that I am typing this … that I have found the solution to my “stuck point – something that I have had difficulty getting through the past few months,” I have been so caught up with (my feelings, my adjustment, me me me, my my my) that I have allowed myself to change, and not for the good.  As I read the quote below, this is the solution to break free from selfishness, I become me again by becoming a servant … I know that is a strong word but, in context, I mean a servant of God … to show love, kindness, to freely give my heart and soul to serving people again, to make them smile.  Today I make a promise to give my time to my children before they leave home (they are growing up too fast), I promise to serve my husband like he serves me … I want to make a positive influence in people’s lives again.  I start today… Giving enriches and comforts the lives of both the giver and receiver.  We will all find peace, joy, and happiness there (the givers heart).

Today we drop selfishness, we drop greed, we drop hate … We turn our focus towards having a servant’s heart, we encourage, we give, we inspire, we WILL make a difference in someone’s life.  Amen.

 

~ Alissa

Save Face, Save A Friend

In reference to the message:  In a moment of anger, In a moment of disgust, In a moment of doubt … It is said that the ones that you hold dearest to your heart will be the ones who will break our heart, who will break our trust, who will break our faith, and break our hope.  However, those same people who you hold dear to your heart will also helped heal our broken hearts, helped us to trust again, help strengthen our faith, and help restore our hope. 

A friend, a human being with a beating heart, will … more than likely, unintentionally or intentionally do something that you believe is wrong.  Perhaps, they lied to you to save you from enduring the harsh truth of reality, or maybe they told you the truth so you could hurt and heal.  Either way, I am sure those dear friends have your best interest at heart.  Perhaps your friend has chosen a different life path and you do not agree nor support it … Remember to love them because they are your friend, they are a part of your heart.  Remember this is THEIR life, all you can do is love them.  What if your friend has done something that is definitely wrong and they know it is wrong?  Do not judge them, that is God’s job, not yours.  You cannot assume your sin is worse than theirs (kinda like the pot calling the kettle black), Jesus doesn’t like hypocrites!!!  We are called to this Earth to love …

 
My best friend and I have been unbreakable since we were 4 years old.  We have gone through some things that probably should have torn us apart, but our love for one another is stronger than any heated moment of anger.  We have both done a lifetime of things we consider wrong, but we do not judge each other on the severity of our wrong doing.  We are quick to forgive … and we have done tons of that in the past 32 years.  There have been times I haven’t spoken to her over high school boyfriends, and there was a period of time she went on a separate path than I did, but I can tell you one thing … I have traveled all over the world and will never find another person like her, or could even come CLOSE to her.  She is unconditional to me … Who cares if she does something wrong, either I will tell her how I feel about it, or I won’t and love her anyways.  The things Dana did right in my life, will ALWAYS outnumber things I believed she did wrong.   

I see and hear stories of how friends let one moment of anger form a grudge of unforgiveness that completely destroys their once unbreakable relationship.  Do not let anger win, Do not let greed win, Do not let unforgiveness win … Do not let the sun go down in anger, losing a lifetime friend is NOT worth it!!! 

Lord … Maybe some of us are struggling with issues of wrong doing, help us to drop our hypocritical and judgemental ways.  Help us give advice to friends, in love, and help us to forgive like you do.  We all know we make mistakes.  Help us to remember we are not perfect and we do things wrong, so let us be slow to anger, and slow to judge.  Let us treat others as we would like to be treated. ~ Amen.