As Christians we are encouraged to become more like Jesus, but how is that possible in a world where hearts have grown cold and mutual honesty, integrity and respect is almost nonexistent?

In his book, Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado offers us numerous examples. I own this treasure trove of encouragement and have read it numerous times, but I must say, loving as Jesus loved/loves and living as He lived, is not easy!

Sometimes it seems as though Life sets out to prove just how difficult a task this is. Not wanting to get into particular situations here, let’s suffice by saying I have never considered myself capable of emotions strong enough to actually hurt—I mean physically—hurt someone. But I have. I’ve experienced anger, so deep, so raw it nearly rendered me incapable of feeling basic kindness much less compassion.

I’m not proud of it and am certainly not advocating acting on those feelings! But there have been a few times in my life I can honestly say I’ve experienced something so fierce, so strong… so dangerous that it actually scared me.

I’ve seen social media posts that say when asked WWJD remember that turning over tables and taking a whip to someone is not out of the realm of possibilities.

Yeah, there are times when I’d like to do that.

Or worse.

Without a qualm.

Hard to believe, right? Especially for those who know me personally.

Hard for me to believe too.

Thankfully, I haven’t felt such intense rage like this often or in a long time.

So how can we be more like Jesus when we have such undesirable emotions?

Scripture gives us the answer… “But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” Matthew 5:44 and Romans 12:14: “Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.”

So that’s what I did and continue to do: Pray and trust that God has the entire situation under control and will show Himself strong on my behalf, help me see the people/circumstances in a different light, or change my heart completely. I’ve prayed, “Lord, I’m willing to forgive and I surrender this situation and these emotions to you, but only YOU can make the forgiveness true in my heart.”

Three other prayers have proven beneficial when faced with something like this…

• Ho'oponopono, the ancient Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness, meaning "to make things right." I’ve studied and practiced this prayer and am a Certified Ho'oponopono Practitioner. With this prayer you take full responsibility for your emotions by apologizing to and asking forgiveness from the perpetrator(s), saying “thank you,” and ending with, “I love you.”

 
Which isn’t easy when our ego mind screams, “yeah, but…!!!” One thing that helped me was to add, “I forgive you and I release you to God,” at the end of my prayer. Another was to write the prayer in full using the person/people’s names. In her book, The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity, Edwene Gaines suggests writing your forgiveness statement 35 x twice a day for 7 days (70 x 7). I have this book and will discuss it at a later time. I want to re-read it first. 😊

Surrogate Tapping for those involved helped too.

• The prayer of St. Francis of Assisi and the Amni Christi are wonderful too because both help you focus on emulating Christ.

 
Have these things made me more like Jesus?

Maybe, a little, but I know there’s always room for me to learn, to heal, and to grow.

Something to think about...
PamT
​
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
"Coaching in Pj's" ™

​I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts so leave a comment!

​In her book, Pam mentioned, The Gratitude Jar by Josie Robinson. I read this book, and mentioned it on my book blog back in 2019, and decided to reread it.

Boy am I glad I did!

Ms. Robinson talks about how a simple gratitude practice she did with her four-year-old son, helped her evolve from a hopeless alcoholic to a woman of grace and power and changed the trajectory of not only her, but her entire family's, life. 

If you've ever felt grateful for something or someone, not just a fleeting "thank you," grateful, but a bone deep emotion that permeates to your very soul, you'll appreciate reading these two books.

According to teachers of the Law of Attraction, gratitude and appreciation raise your vibration, enabling you to attract more of the things you want in lieu of those you don't. 

Therefore, if your life seems to be nothing but headache and heartache, implement the practices in either or both volumes. 

I promise you won't regret it!

Something to think about...
PamT
​
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
"Coaching in Pj's" ™

Ever since I read her book, A Return to Love, I have been a HUGE fan of Marianne Williamson.

This woman writes with a deep sense of love and wisdom that I've found incomparable - and I read a LOT of spiritual nonfiction!

The Mystic Jesus: The Mind of Love is no exception.

Filled with nuggets of gold like: "Even the tiniest thought of forgiveness, of mercy, of love, can change the trajectory of our lives."  

AND

"The Mind of God is an infinite ocean of loving thought and when we think with love, we are thinking with God."

AND

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy, and the only way we can achieve that is if we learn to think as God thinks. Asking Jesus to hlep is a way to get there."

Isn't this an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G concept? When I think with love, kindess, mercy, etc. I am thinking as God thinks! With the "mind of Christ" as the Bible puts it!

I know it's so easy to get caught up in unloving, judgemental thinking in this crazy, angry world, but just imagine if we would take time out often throughout our day to consciously think in this way. How much more peaceful would our lives - and the lives of those we are in contact with on a daily basis - be? 

I, for one, am up for the challenge.

How about You?

If you LOVE Jesus and deep, spiritual truths, read this book! In fact, read any of Marianne's books. You won't be disappointed.

Something to think about!
Pamela S Thibodeaux
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
"Coaching in PJs" ™

As I’ve mentioned before I’ve been on a spiritual quest for most of my adult life. In 1989 I recommitted my life to Christ and since that moment have been asking, knocking and seeking, in all manner of ways, to know and experience more of Him.

Some may ask what He means to me and the long & short answer is: EVERYTHING.

How can I describe that which is indescribable?

Now many will look at some of the books and spiritual leaders I refer to and say that I’m not “Christ centered” or that I don’t have the “love of Christ” within me.

That both saddens and infuriates me.

Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” So I challenge anyone to really look into my heart and tell me that!

True, I do read books other than the Bible and those written by ordained ministers.

Why?

Because I never want to miss a fresh anointing on the Word!

Yeah, but what about those ‘new age’ books like Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life & There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem by Dr. Wayne Dyer, A Return to Love & The Law of Divine Compensation by Marianne Williamson, The Secret & The Magic by Rhonda Byrne and other such works by people I admire?

I can only speak for myself but it is all part of my soul journey.

What? What?

A soul journey?

Yeah.

I believe we are all here for a reason and one of main purposes is to not only learn how to live as Christ but, like Him, to be an expression of God’s goodness in the earth. Each of those books mentioned, and numerous not mentioned, have opened my heart and mind to understanding God and even scripture in a deeper way.

In the book E-squared by Pam Grout, she covered the subject of God/Jesus and mentioned that Jesus never said, “worship me” but “follow me” and there’s a huge difference in the two statements.

This made me wonder so I did a bible search on the phrase “worship me” and you know what?

She was right!

Only 4 Scriptures showed up with that phrase, 2 referred to Jesus being tempted during His 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:9 & Luke 4:7) and the other two referred to worshipping Him in vain by “teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9 & Mark 7:7).

These, in turn, led to the question of how much of what our preachers, teachers and ministers of “Christianity” tell us are actually just that… the teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.

Which do you think God/Jesus prefers…someone who adheres to the doctrines of men (even if they are biblically based) OR someone who loves Him and seeks Him with their whole heart, mind, & soul, regardless of the books they read?

After all, Jesus did say that God is “spirit” and those who worship Him will worship in spirit and in truth, and let’s face it, not everything we see and/or hear in conjunction with “Christianity” is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…Nor the only truth.

JMHO of course.

Something to think about….
​
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Feb 2014

Jeremiah 33:3: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know.’
 
This scripture has floated around in my head for weeks and I’ve come to realize when a certain thought is repeated, whether in my mind or in conversation, I need to pay attention.
 
So, I’ve questioned and prayed…What are You trying to tell me, Lord, that I may share with the world?
 
So often we think of God answering our prayers in the form of words…a still, small, voice, billboard signs, songs, books, scripture, etc. But do we consider the many ways in which He communicates with us?
 
The Bible says in Job, “For God does speak, perhaps once, or even twice, though one perceive it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night (when deep sleep falls upon men) as they slumber in their beds.” Job 33:14-15
 
It also tells us in the book of Joel 2:28: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions;”
 
Scriptures like these sometimes scare the daylights out of people.
 
But they shouldn’t.
 
God is awesome and loving, and we should not be afraid of the ways in which He converses with us.
 
In the spiritual books I’ve read and studied, another way we can perceive what God is trying to say to us is through our imagination.
 
Have you ever wondered why some folks can dream or imagine a particular thing or outcome and it seems to come true?
 
That’s faith. That’s God operating in and through us.
 
1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
 
Spiritual leaders & success teachers use daydreaming, meditation, and visualization as tools to achieving one’s goals in life. They tell us to “see” ourselves in the situation we desire. To engage all of our senses, and to “feel” it with every fiber of our being and those things will manifest in our lives. They even say that these things are more powerful if what we desire is born of love and brings only joy, peace and abundance to us and others.
 
Could it be they’re on to something? Is it possible God is using the faculties of our conscious and subconscious mind to talk with us and to show us the great and mighty things He has prepared for us?
 
Next time your imagination comes up with some wild, exhilarating, ‘impossible’ idea for your happiness, don’t be so quick to discount it.
 
Instead, get quiet and alone with God and ask HIM if this is His idea for you? Trust Him (and me), if it is for your ultimate good and the good of your brother and/or mankind as a whole, it very well could be.
 
Something to think about…
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
Coaching in PJs ™

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Jan 2014