February 21

Affirmation: Just because the water is calm, doesn’t mean there aren’t crocodiles 🐊.

This is a reminder to be wise, aware and discerning.

~~~~~

Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown 

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

“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.

Start practicing:

When you notice that you’re low on your ladder of consciousness…take some LSD: Laughter, Singing, and Dancing!

Next time you have the thought “But what if people think I’m weird…” Remember that fitting in is far less important than making authentic connections with others. Don’t let a fear of looking weird prevent you from doing the things that serve you.

~~~~~

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 lis- ten 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

~~~~~

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

Feb. 21

HOW MUCH WE LOVE GOD CAN BE MEASURED BY HOW MUCH WE LOVE PEOPLE. 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. 

MATTHEW 22:37-40 

 

When I first started following Jesus, there were times I was a little confused by what it meant to love God. He's invisible, right? I don't know about you, but I find it hard to love someone you can't see, touch, or hear. I know we can pray (and I've done a lot of it since I had teenagers), but even prayer feels somehow a little different than just loving a God we can't see. 

So I looked around at different religious leaders to see what they meant when they said they loved God. It seemed like a lot of them meant they spent a lot of time reading the Bible, or reading books about the Bible, or teaching people how to think about God, I know those are common things people do when they love God, but it still didn't seem like it was the way to love God. 

I finally figured it out when I went back to the words Jesus spoke to His friends. Some peoRle asked Him what the greatest commandment could be, and Jesus told them the greatest commandment was to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind. Then He said this: "And the second one is like it." The second commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Loving God started to make more sense when I realized loving a God I couldn't see was a lot like loving the people He made and put all around me. 

Everyone is made in the image of God, so every person reflects a part of God's creative expression in this world in one way or another. Think about the people God has put in your life already and the characteristics you see in them that inform your understanding of God. 

Who in your life is teaching you about the nature of God's love these days?