October 24: Anticipate Difficulties. Bank on Grace.

Affirmation: I choose to be authentic. I will allow all parts of myself to be expressed.

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Ponder, Personalize, Practice:  James1:5, we learned this verse in July. Make this a personal prayer each day. There is not a day that I don’t need wisdom. So I have added this to my calendar as a reminder.
How will you personalize it?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”James 1:5 NIV~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown

Guidepost 3: Cultivating Your Resilient Spirit, Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness

Resilience is your ability to overcome adversity and bounce back from losses, errors, and setbacks.

Brene Brown shares five common qualities of resilient people:

-Resilient people are resourceful problem-solvers

-Resilient people seek help when they need it

-Resilient people take ownership of their ability to take action to manage their feelings

-Resilient people have access to social support

-Resilient people are connected with other people

When Brene Brown talks about cultivating your resilient spirit, she notes that “across the board, wholehearted men and women are spiritual people.”

This doesn’t mean they’re religious. It means wholehearted people have “a deeply held belief that we are inextricably connected to each other by something greater than us.”

It’s this oneness that provides a sense of purpose and perspective in life, even when the going gets tough. It helps you recognize that you always have what you need within you to persevere through challenges and setbacks.

Once again the power of connection comes into play in our lives.

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Responsible Decision 

(This is a very important decision and I think Andy Andrews put it first because it is the start for each of us to accept responsibility for where we are and then we can move forward.)

My thoughts will be constructive---NEVER destructive.

Responsibility is about HOPE and Control. Make better choices.

The Responsible Decision

The Buck Stops Here.

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my boss, or employees for my present situation. Neither my education or lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstantial ebb and flow of everyday life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past. I will look forward. I will not let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here. I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success. I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am where I am today—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—because of how I think. Today I will begin the process of changing where I am—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially—by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, never destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the future. It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world. I will never seek comfort by associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one. I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right. The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my course. When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision. I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question “Why me?”, I will immediately counter with the answer: “Why not me?” Challenges are a gift, an opportunity to learn. Problems are the com- mon thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity, I will not have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make the right choice. Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept the preparation. Why me? Why not me? I will be prepared for something great!

I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions. I am respon- sible for my success.

The buck stops here.

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love by Bob Goff

Anticipate Difficulties. Bank on Grace.

Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Every year in May, our organization hosts a cycling trip, called The Love Does Tour. People from all over the country, gather together in Monterey, California where they start a 10 – day, bicycle trip down the coast of California. Some of them are experienced cyclists and some don’t even on their own bikes, but they come together because they care about the cause. They want to raise money for kids to go to school in Uganda, and make new friends in the process.

These adventurous men and women know that there are difficulties in the 500 miles to come. They are likely to get a flat tire or two along the way. They know they might hit thunderstorms, or high winds as a ride through the mountains. They expect it to be challenging, with a couple of close calls too. But they also know if they get a flat tire, they can rely on other teammates to pull over with the right tools. And if they hit thunderstorms, they’ll be huddled under cover, to weather the storms together. No one will be left alone.

Life isn’t easy. Difficulties and disappointments are real. Here’s the thing: we can bank on grace. There’s no challenge we can’t face when we’ve got friends who’ve got our backs. The fact is, nothing has the power to overcome us, because Jesus even faced death head-on, and kicked it in the teeth, so we would win, too, when it came for us.
The bike tour ends most years in the bay at my backyard. A couple of times we’ve had the ones who weren’t afraid of a little rust, ride right into the water. I love to hear the stories about the uphill stretches, where the pedaling was most difficult, and about the views they saw when they got to the top. Grace isn’t always like a view from the top or the downhill coast. It feels like having someone with us on the ride.

Who can you show grace to today? (Maybe it’s you.)