Affirmation: I choose to be authentic. I will allow all parts of myself to be expressed.
I am grateful for who I am.
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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown
Guidepost 4: Cultivating Gratitude and Joy, Letting go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark
Today I am grateful for God’s Amazing Grace.
A Spacious Place
John Newton (1725–1801) was a militant atheist, bully and blasphemer. He was a wild and angry young man. He was press-ganged into the Navy at the age of eighteen where he broke the rules so recklessly that he was publicly flogged for desertion. He was hated and feared by his crewmates and himself became a slave trader.
At the age of twenty-three, Newton’s ship encountered a severe storm off the coast of Donegal and almost sank. He called out to God as the ship filled with water and on that day, 10 March 1748, God rescued him. He began a new life. He started to pray and read the Bible. Eventually he joined William Wilberforce in the campaign to abolish the slave trade and became a leading light in that campaign.
Newton is best known as the author of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now I’m found,
Was blind, but now I see.
To be rescued is to be saved, set free, delivered from danger, attack or harm. Jesus is the one who rescues you and brings you into ‘a spacious place’ (2 Samuel 22:20).
https://youtu.be/AtteRD5bBNQ
Amazing Grace sung By Judy Collins
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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews
The Active Decision
3. I AM A PERSON OF ACTION. I am Resilient
I will create a new future by creating a new me. I inspire others with my activity. I am a leader. I will create a habit of lively behavior.
I will walk with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. My activity will create a wave of success for the people who follow me. As a leader, I have the ability to encourage and inspire others to greatness. I do not fear failure, because failure exists only for the person who quits.
I do not quit. I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize the moment. I choose now. I am resilient.
I am grateful for courage, resilience and the ability to take action.
Fix Your Thoughts
At one point in my life I gave up believing in God. But God never gave up on me. He spoke to me…”even the demons believe and tremble.”
I realized I did believe after all. I have worked to fix my thoughts on Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His love never fails.
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Reading for Today
Walk in Grace. Live in Love by Bob Goff
AUGUST 24
IT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE EVIL IS GOING TO WIN–RIGHT UP UNTIL IT DOESN’T.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. JOHN 14:27
When I was a boy, comic books came onto the scene and started to get big. Characters like Spiderman, Batman, and Wonder Woman lived in a world where evil popped up just in time for another episode. No matter which sinister villain seemed to be giving evil an edge, the hero was always more powerful than the obstacles in front of them. Evil has a way of looking like it’s going to win—right up until it doesn’t.
While these comics were fantastical, every enduring story reminds us of a truth: even when it seems like hope has lost the lead, redemption is where the story is headed. Just before Jesus went away for a while, He told us we would face trouble in this world. He said there would be times we’d want to give up and seek comfort somewhere else.
But Jesus also told us He would be with us and not even death could separate us from Him. He’s living proof that the God of the universe is more powerful than any of the obstacles we face. The obstacles look different for each of us, but we live in a world where fear shows up unannounced and tries to steal our hope. Those are the times we have to remember the power accessible to us.
Are you in a difficult time? Love will show you the way through it. Do you feel like you’re up against seemingly unbeatable forces? Remember love will win in the end. Our hope isn’t in our ability to overcome but in God’s ability to redeem it.
Don’t let the circumstances you’re facing do all the talking. Listen to the God who already won it all with His love.
As you listen to God speak into your difficult time, what do you hear Him saying?
I am grateful that God is in control…even when I can’t see it.
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