March 18: IF OUR HEADS ARE FULL AND OUR HEARTS ARE EMPTY, WE'LL JUST TIP OVER.

Affirmation: I accept my fears & doubts and move forward anyway.

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27)
Worry will discourage us to take even the smallest step. In many cases, it’s not that God’s unable to perform miracles rather it’s us who refuse to take that one small step needed to be the starting point for God’s miracle.

~~~~~|

Wholehearted Guidepost from Brené Brown Cultivate Meaningful Work. Let Go of Self-Doubt & “Supposed To.”

What is it that you have always wanted to do? You can have your work and still do something else… 

~~~~~

Mastering the 7 Decisions from Andy Andrews 

The Compassionate Decision 

6. I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.

By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. I will forgive those who have criticized me unjustly.

I now understand that forgiveness has value only when it is given away. I forgive their lack of vision, and I forge ahead.

I now know that criticism is part of the price paid for leaping past mediocrity. I will forgive those who do not ask for forgiveness. From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

~~~~~

Ponder: These 3 verses point us to the impact of Passover and Easter on our lives. Read these verses aloud at least 5 times as you begin to memorize them. Ponder them as you go through your day.

Ephesians 2:8–10 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

~~~~~

Reading for Today

Walk in Grace. Live in Love. by Bob Goff

March 18

IF OUR HEADS ARE FULL AND OUR HEARTS ARE EMPTY, WE'LL JUST TIP OVER. 

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. 

PSALM 95:6-7 

 

Nothing says relaxation like a slow cruise in a canoe or kayak on a windless summer day. Sometimes Sweet Maria and I sit on our dock in Canada as campers from a Young Life camp next door paddle by. We underhand-throw saltwater taffy to the ones who are close to shore and try to land it in their vessels. For those who are a little farther out, we have slingshots to get the taffy out to them. There's a big difference between being loved on and being shot at. We've all experienced a little of both. 

The thing about canoes is this. They're tippy. The same can be true of us. They say when you feel like you might tip over in a canoe, you can avoid it by getting down on your knees and leaning forward. The tip happens when your center of gravity gets too high. The same is true of us. If our heads are full and our hearts are empty, we'll tip over. 

The way to avoid a fall in life is pretty similar to the old advice I got from camp leaders in canoes years ago: get on your knees. When we're willing to humble ourselves and get low, we see ourselves and others from another per­spective. We listen. We pray. We're able to hear wisdom and receive it instead of getting defensive and taking a dive. 

We won't get very far in life on information alone. Eventually we'll realize we were wrong about things we thought we knew, and we'll wish we'd just loved people instead of trying to prove them wrong. Don't lose your center of gravity as you travel through life. Pack light, stay low, keep paddling, and let love lead the way. 

What happens to you when you humble yourself and get on your knees?