November 22 We Try To Barter and Bargain For Love.

Affirmation: I am grateful for this body, mind and soul. God made me.

Jesus’s Call 
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)
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Ponder, Personalize, Practice: This verse is a question Jesus asked His listeners. It is a question with an obvious answer. Worry has absolutely no impact on a situation. Practice this lesson each day. Talk to God about your concerns and worries. Put them all in Jesus’s hands. 

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27)

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Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown 

Guidepost 7: Cultivating Play and Rest, Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth

The same goes for rest. Many people see rest as a luxury and vilify it with an “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” attitude.

But again, the exact opposite is true. Without appropriate rest, you prevent yourself from fully experiencing the moments of your days. I’d propose a revised version of the above quip: “Without sleep, I’m practically dead already.”

Furthermore, the TIME you spend working is a shoddy metric for progress. What matters most is the quality of the ATTENTION and ENERGY you bring to what you do.

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Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Guided Decision 

I will seek wisdom

Sometimes the questions are complicated, but the answers are simple.

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can change the future by changing my actions today. I will change my actions today! I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellow man. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to that which increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care. I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find, Knock and the door will be opened to you. Matt 7:7

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps. Prov. 3:5,6

““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff 

November 22 

We Try To Barter and Bargain For Love. But God Simply Says “Free Hugs.”

“Give to the one who asked you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:42

I have a good friend who I respect a lot. He goes downtown with a sign that reads “free hugs.” He isn’t kidding around. Every person who walks by him, and wants one, gets one. He is polite, but even with people who try to dodge him, if it’s appropriate, he will give them a hug too. He probably knows they needed a hug the most.

It got me thinking about what happens when we decide our love isn’t for everybody. What if our sign said free hugs and then had a list of qualifying conditions underneath it? What if the list had on it entire groups of people? What if it said no hugs for people who hold a particular view or behave in a way we disagreed with? That wouldn’t be so heartwarming, would it?

Are there people in your life who are counting on your unconditional love? When they see you, do they see you reading an unspoken list of requirements they have to meet to receive love and acceptance from you? 
What God will do for us, if we’re willing, is break down every barrier between us. He has demonstrated the kind of love that erases all the lists. He didn’t hold anything back, and we shouldn’t either.

God’s not holding a sign that says free hugs, but he is calling out to us with a promise of freedom, acceptance, and love. As followers of Jesus, we can do the same for the people around us. The love we have been given is too big, and too beautiful to be held back by our inhibitions or our old ways. Everyone gets a hug.

Who can you surprise today with unconditional love?