February 20 GOD ISN'T AFRAID OF OUR DOUBTS; HE'S WAY MORE CONCERNED WHEN WE FAKE IT.

Affirmation: I am compassionate. I care about myself and others.

“When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied.” (Matthew 9:27-31)
Who we come to believe depends importantly on two things:
1. Knowing the person who made the promises or spoke the words;
2. Our actions in response to those promises and words upon hearing them.

~~~~~

Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown 

Guidepost 10: Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance. And Letting Go of Cool and Always in Control

Just like play and rest, laughter, song, and dance might seem like luxuries to Type-A achievement-oriented people.

But a life without laughter, song, and dance would be undoubtedly missing something.

Brown summarizes what these activities bring to our lives:

“Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing; We are not alone.”

Laughter, in particular, is a core element of resilience. Without the ability to laugh at yourself and your inevitable missteps, you’ll be hard-pressed to continue through adversity.

Song and dance are clear indicators of good moods. When we feel great, we sing and dance more. And since feelings follow behavior, when we authentically express ourselves through song and dance, we feel better.

The gremlin that holds us back from laughter, song, and dance is the desire to be seen as cool and always in control.

Playing it cool is how the ego tries to protect itself. The subconscious thought is that “If I don’t play it cool, people will judge me. They’ll think I’m immature, stupid, foolish, uncool, …”

But the flip side of that worry is even more powerful. As Brown shares it:

“When we value being cool and in control over granting ourselves the freedom to unleash the passionate, goofy, heartfelt, and soulful expressions of who we are, we betray ourselves. When we consistently betray ourselves, we can expect to do the same to the people we love.”

Which is why I now see being perceived as “weird” as a compliment. My aim isn’t “fitting in.” I just want to be true to myself. THAT is the path to forming authentic connections. And THAT is what it means to live wholeheartedly.

~~~~~

Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Responsible Decision 

The Buck Stops Here!

Each of you must be responsible to do your creative best with your life. Gal. 6:4

If decisions are choices…and our thinking dictates our decisions—then I am where I am because of my thinking.

The Responsible Decision for Personal Success represents the beginning. Taking responsibility for your past will segue you into an extraordinary future of your choosing.

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.

~~~~~

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

Jan. 20

GOD ISN'T AFRAID OF OUR DOUBTS; HE'S WAY MORE CONCERNED WHEN WE FAKE IT.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. 

HEBREWS 4:13 

 

My all-time favorite game to play with our kids when they were young was hide-and-seek. I would walk into the room and see two feet, a knee, a child­sized bulge under the blanket, or perhaps an ear sticking out from behind a curtain. The kids thought they would be hard to find when, actually, they were hard to miss.

 

I think that's how God sees us when we try to hide who we really are from Him. He knows the thoughts we're too embarrassed to mention and the feel­ings we can't articulate, and He knows about all our uncertainties. He hears the prayers we wouldn't have the courage to even whisper and knows our hopes that are still being developed.

 

Yet we still try to hide who we really are from Him. Perhaps we think if we just hide how we really feel, what we really want, and how scared we really are, He won't see us behind the curtains we've made. Hiding from God didn't work in the garden of Eden, and it still doesn't work. He asks us now what He asked Adam and Eve then-Where are you?

 

God isn't afraid of our doubts. He's not put off when we struggle to believe, and He's not surprised when we don't understand what a God who says He surpasses all understanding is doing. He's not keeping track of the number of days when we feel close to Him, nor is He docking points when we wonder if He's even there. Instead, He sympathizes with our fears that He might not be as good as He's promised.

 

It's the very reason God sent His Son, Jesus, to us. Jesus came to give us a living example of the God we couldn't see, because He knew we needed some­one who would feel the weight of our weakness while still living authentically into both His deity and His humanity. His response to Thomas, who saw Jesus in the flesh and still doubted, wasn't a scolding; it was grace (John 20:24-29). You pick any story out of the Bible and you'll find the same. This is still His response to you and me. We need to get real enough with Him about our doubts so He can be Jesus enough with His grace. Simply put, we don't need to hide anymore.

 

What parts of your life are you hiding from God?