Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold
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Rainbows, Potholes & Nuggets of Gold
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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
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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
Hebrews 11:11 tells us that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So many times we wonder what that means and to be honest, depending on how you look at it, and where you put a comma, it could mean different things. For me, this verse alludes to so much more than the typical platitudes given in explanation from many. As you may know, I’ve been on a spiritual journey most of my adult life and read voraciously books written by today’s spiritual leaders and this particular verse magnifies what many of them say regarding spiritual principles, living in the present moment, and the law of attraction. Now some ridicule and judge me for doing so, stating that the ONLY books we should read are the Bible and those written by Pastors and Ministers. Seriously? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE God’s word and do my best to glean meaning and depth from every book I read, especially the Bible. In fact, I have several translations I value. But, think about it! Even Bible-toting, Scripture-quoting Christians spend more time looking back on the past with shame, guilt or regret and/or worrying about the future with fear and trembling. But this is not what spiritual leaders nor God teach us. We are taught that yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn’t here, so we should appreciate the gift of today. The Bible says we should “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:12). Spiritual leaders teach us to live in the present (now) and to visualize (see) the future as we would like (hope) to create it. The Law of Attraction states that what you focus on, you attract into your life. Read the Scripture again….Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. How much more convincing do we need to consider the Law of Attraction might actually be another term for Faith in Action? I’m not here to convince you that my way is the only way or that I’m right and you’re wrong in your way of thinking. I only hope these words will encourage you to open your mind and heart to what deeper meanings lie in the Scriptures we love so much. Something to think about…. “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ The question has been posed, integrity examined …. “Do you REALLY believe all this positivity stuff? Do you REALLY believe it can change a life?” In John, Jesus said “This is the work of God, that you believe…” Now I know the Scripture goes on to say that we believe “on him whom He hath sent” meaning we are to believe in HIM. But think about it…. He also said, “Whatever you say when you pray, believe you have received, and it shall be given unto you.” God told us in Deuteronomy that the power of life and death are in our tongue. So to answer the question, Yes, I believe…. I believe Jesus is my Lord and Savior but He is also my brother, friend and teacher. I believe God is the Almighty creator of the universe as well as my loving father who wants to bless me with the wildest dreams in my heart. I believe God is much bigger than the boxes we put Him in, especially those outlined in the Bible. I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God but it has been written by man, filtered through human consciousness and subject to the circumstances and culture of the time. I believe there are depths and levels of faith and spirituality we may never understand but I also believe it pleases God when we try, ask questions, seek after answers, and knock on doors of knowledge. I believe, next to love, gratitude is the greatest asset we can ever aspire to have. I believe fear is our biggest obstacle and judgment and guilt are useless wastes of energy. I believe we can rise above our circumstances and “call those things that be not as though they are” (actually the word here is were…. past tense as in been there, done that…so why is it those things we desire are not showing up in our life?) I believe you can not have a positive life with a negative attitude. I believe, with the help of God, you can create a better life for yourself than anyone in your family has ever experienced. I believe selfishness is the root of all evil and that money is simply a means through which God blesses you so that you may be a blessing to others and thereby build His kingdom. I believe love is the most powerful emotion and we are at our highest level of spirituality and closest to God when we give it freely, without expectation of reward. I believe some people love their misery. They are comfortable in it and although they say differently, they really don’t want to change, but want others to change for them. This is the highest level of selfishness. I believe you can’t change the past but you can change the future by your thoughts, words, emotions and actions of today. I believe the past is over, the future isn’t here yet and today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the ‘present’ and we would do well to live fully in the moment. I believe our past may be a contributing factor in our lives today but with love, gratitude, and forgiveness, we can rise above the pain of that time and life a blessed and happy life. I believe heaven is nearer than we think and our loved ones who’ve crossed over as near as our next thought and if we listen close enough, they will continue to speak to us and if we let go of our preconceived notions of heaven being “out there somewhere”, we will experience it here on earth. I believe life is 100% perception…how you perceive things is how they’ll be for you. I believe with God all things are possible and nothing is impossible to them that believe…. Believe in God, believe in yourself, believe in your dreams, believe in your goodness, believe in your beauty, believe in the power of love, peace, joy, happiness, bliss. Believe God is on your side and wants to bless you and quit speaking the opposite! I believe we “eat the fruit” of our words. Speak negative (poverty, lack, sickness, disease) and you’ll attract those things into your circumstances. Speak positive and you’ll create a better life for yourself and those around you. I believe we give too much of our power to others by allowing them to control our thoughts, feelings and emotions. I believe forgiveness unlocks the door to happiness and opens channels of blessing because when we forgive we become more like Jesus. I believe when you heal your own life, you do your part in healing others. I believe there is no time in eternity, so the reason creating a new life takes ‘time’ is because we let doubt and fear block our good and I believe we talk ourselves out of miracles every day. Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I never have a bad day despite all I believe. But I will tell you this much, as I continue to walk by faith (not by sight) and speak words of life and love, gratitude and peace, those bad days or incidents are less traumatic and easier to get through than they were before I understood the power of my own thoughts and words. Something to think about…. “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ "Coaching in PJs" ™ Dealing with multiple family issues in varying depths of negative physical & emotional drama, I keep hearing the message…. “When you starve your spirit, the body compensates.” Or in most instances, over compensates. Illness, weight issues, depression, addictions; many times these are all physical and emotional symptoms of a starving spirit. The Bible teaches us that “a merry heart does good like medicine” (Prov. 17:22). Proverbs 15:13 tells us, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Bible believing Christian or not, there are medical studies that substantiate this idea. But forget medical proof for a moment and think about the people in your life who are ill. What does their countenance (face, attitude, actions) reveal to you? Are they upbeat and positive or “down in the mouth”? Are they the picture of health (acceptable weight, tolerable or manageable level of physical ailments, sensible/rational attitudes, realistic/practical actions) or just the opposite? Now I’m not going to try and convince you that every person who has been a victim of physical or mental abuse or who has contracted an illness of some sort is merely suffering because they neglect nurturing their spiritual life. I know many devout spiritual beings who suffer diseases. Nor am I making light of either. I merely want to point out that feeding and nurturing your spirit is one way to get your physical and emotional well-being on the mend. When the spirit is healthy, many times the body follows. So how do we get from starving to nurturing our spirit? Often a simple shift in perception from “woes me” to gratitude can start you on your way to spiritual health. Forgiveness also plays a huge part in this. “I’ve forgiven but I can’t forget” is a cop out. I know that sounds harsh but Scripture tells us to speak the truth in love and sometimes love has to be gentle but firm and sometimes the truth hurts; hence the term ‘tough love’. The Bible tells us that God remembers not our sins, yet we tend to wallow in those perpetrated against us and/or cling to guilt and self-condemnation for those we committed against others. If God, who is holy and just forgets our sins, who are we, to hold onto those memories and rehash our pain and anger, or disappointment and self pity? Here’s the rub: As long as you feel and act the victim, you can not live a victorious life! To put it another way: You can’t have a positive, healthy life (spiritual or otherwise) if you have a negative outlook. Oh and if you think you are “only being realistic,” think again. You are hurting no one but YOURSELF when you drag the past into the present and project it into your future. “But it hurts so much…the pain is so deep….” Then STOP focusing on it! Focus on today and the good present in your life right now. Now that I’ve given you something to ponder, here are some ideas and resources….
These are just a few examples but I promise, as you get started feeding your spirit, you’ll see and feel a difference in your overall condition and discover more ways to enforce the new, happier, healthier you. Something to think about... *Image by Gizelle from Pixabay* *Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Oct. 2013
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About this Blog
I've been on a spiritual quest most of my adult life. In the last 40+ years I've listened to podcasts & interviews, and read books by some of the worlds most popular Religious, Spiritual and New Thought leaders. I've shared the information in different formats such as Pamela's Ponderings in TWJ Magazine which is no longer a viable website. Therefore, some content you may recognize, other will be new. Either way I hope to encourage and inspire you with every post! AuthorPamela S Thibodeaux is a native of SWLA. She is an award-winning author, life coach, and spiritual mentor. Follow Me
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