In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren states, “When we criticize what another believer is doing in faith and from sincere conviction, we are interfering with God’s business.”

That statement prompted this essay.

Actually, it was more than that one statement. In his comment, Mr. Warren put into words what I’ve felt for years.

I’ve heard professing Christians judge and criticize other believers for so long that at times, I’ve no desire to be around them. If having a haughty, judgmental, critical attitude toward another for their beliefs or ways of worship is mandatory for being a Christian, then I want no part of it.

But that’s not how it’s supposed to be!

In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said, “every Kingdom divided will fall.” 

The apostle Paul said in Romans 14:10, “why then, criticize your brother’s actions and make him look small?” 

In one of her messages, Minister Joyce Meyer said, “hurling words of judgment is equivalent to stoning in biblical days.”

The Bible says that blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is the one sin that will not be forgiven. Now, I believe that if it’s done in ignorance, God will understand and forgive once understanding comes and repentance is articulated. However, if it’s done maliciously, as a way to puff up yourself or put another believer down, I believe it’s blaspheme at its worst. 

Keeping these things in mind, I’ve created my own motto for dealing with critical, judgmental people; “Don’t mock what you don’t understand and Judge not lest ye be judged.”

Who are we to point at another Christian and say what he or she is doing in worship is not of God? Who are we to judge and criticize another for dancing before the Lord, speaking in tongues or saying a rosary?

I don’t remember who it was, but it’s been said that if the Body of Christ would accept our differences and embrace our similarities, there would be no stopping us! Everyone would be amazed at the power the Church would have for reaching the lost, healing the sick and casting out demons. To do this, we must come to realize that no matter what denomination we are, Christianity is based on five core beliefs:

There is One God, who is the Father Almighty. 
Jesus is the Son of God. 
By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. 
He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered, died and was buried. 
On the third day, He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

Period. 

Now there are other universal truths that bind us together, such as: There is one Name only by which we are saved. We are not saved by works, but by Grace, etc. 

Jesus hates division! Which is why He gave us the “new” commandment to love one another as He has loved us. Love without prejudice, without judgment or criticism.  Judge not and we will not be judged, condemn not and we will not be condemned.

Nor will we be divided.

Faith is a heart issue. How are we going to be one Body if we’re not of one heart? Why do we allow division in our hearts, in our homes and in our churches? Why do we condemn those who worship Him in ways not our own? 

In John 17:21 Jesus prayed for us to the Father saying, “that they all may be one, as You, Father are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe.”

How is the world going to accept Jesus and accept us as His ambassadors if we can’t even accept each other?

We are called to be peacemakers. So, let us temper our hearts, open our minds and soften our wills toward our brethren. Let us respect our differences but celebrate our similarities. Let’s consider the words of our Lord and realize that no matter how we worship, in the heart of our worship we are one. One Body, one Spirit, one Church. As Jesus prayed we’d be.

Something to think about!
PamT
"Inspirational with an Edge! ™
"Coaching in Pjs" ™

Have you ever gone through a bunch of old files and documents only to find some that you'd forgotten you'd written?

That's what happened to me and I thought I'd share one with you today.

The Bible talks about "entertaining angels unaware," and that God gives His angels charge over us. Back in 2024, on a cold, wet morning the 2nd of February, I was on my way to work in order to run end-of-month statements that hadn’t been done on January 30th because I had to bury my dog of 14 yrs who’d been put down the day before. I despise cold, wet weather and prayed for God’s hand of protection to be upon not only me and my husband -who was about three minutes ahead of me- but every driver on the road at that time. No sooner had the words left my mouth when taillights came into view. A car had left the eastbound lane of Interstate 10, spun through the median and was sliding backward into my westbound lane!
 
Unable to switch lanes, all I could do was hang on and pray, “oh, God. Oh, God,” when the back end of his car hit the back door on the driver’s side of my car, throwing me into a tailspin. When my car stopped spinning, I was facing oncoming traffic, and my car had died.
 
It is a sheer miracle that no one hit me head on! One on-comer barely had time to swerve into the median to avoid hitting me. Had he not been so observant, his full-sized pickup truck would have climbed all over the front end of my car. Others would come within mere feet, stop and stare a moment, then switch lanes and go on about their business.  On top of that, I called 911 twice and was put on hold!

After finally reaching the Louisiana State Police, it took a full ten minutes to get my car started and moved out of oncoming traffic.
 
There’s no doubt that even though the accident occurred, God’s hand was all over that car and His angels were encamped all around me.

Have you ever experienced something like this that reassured you God has His hand on you and His angels are looking out for you? Share your story in the comments!

Until next time take care, God Bless and remember to give gratitude to God and the angels for they many ways they protect us from seen and unseen forces.
PamT

In the wake of last week’s tragedies and the social media trolls bashing, cursing, blaming, celebrating and all the other nonsense that came along with the senseless murder of a young father, husband, son, sibling, and friend of so many, I have labored over whether to address this. But my heart, soul and conscience will not allow me to just let it go.

In the days since Sept.10th, I’ve had the following thoughts run through my head like a ticker…

What If…

What if when we get face to face with Jesus, He doesn’t say, “well done,” like many believe?

What if He says we’ve got it all wrong?

What if His words are, “What part of Love your neighbor as yourself did you NOT understand?”

I can hear us now. “But, Lord, the bible says… yada, yada, yada. I was only defending Your word!”

My Words were, forgive everyone, pray for your enemies and bless those who persecute you.

But, but…the bible says this and that and they are an abomination!

And, I said Judge not lest ye be judged for by whatever judgement you mete, You will be judged!

Have you even read MY Words? Have you followed My example? Where is it written in RED to maim, defile, slander, defame or murder anyone? Depart from me you cold-hearted, evil, wicked being.

But, but…Lord, I’ve worshipped you my whole life. Where is the mercy your word promises?

Where is it written in RED to worship me? I never said worship Me. I said worship God and follow me. Learn by my example. Do as I did. Do even greater. Are you doing this? Where is the mercy You’ve shown? 

And the list goes on and on of possible questions and rebuttals between a soul and its maker and Lord.

The ONE Truth that keeps coming to me is this: God is the all-powerful, all-loving, supremely intelligent being that created the universe and everything in it.

1John4:16 says, “God is love and he who dwells in love dwells with God.”

1Corinth13:4-8 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Honestly, I had no idea who Charlie Kirk was until my daughter texted me about what happened and asked for prayers for him and his family. So, for those of you who followed him closely and think you know him, ask yourself: Was he acting out of love? Was he debating with compassion and love or simply spouting some anti-anything-but-Christian/Judeo-Christian agenda?

A better question to ask yourself might be: How am I acting/behaving/speaking since listening to him or any person with a platform?

Ask yourself and be honest with your answers. You might not like what you discover but it will be the start of your healing and growth.

Besides, do we honestly, truly, deeply know anyone? I don’t. People surprise, shock and sadden me all the time but what I DO know is this senseless violence must stop!

Humanity as a whole has lost its ever-loving mind. When will it end? HOW will it end?

It will end when we think, study, and pray, FOR OUSELVES.

Not based on what a pastor, preacher, rabbi, guru, evangelist, teacher, professor, politician, public servant, or anyone says. Not from the rhetorical bullshit we are brainwashed with daily and have been spoon/force-fed for centuries says.

But For Ourselves.

How can we do this?

BE STILL. Get quiet and seek God, Wisdom, Knowledge, Truth within your heart, mind and soul. After all, aren’t we born with an inherent moral compass and an innocent love for everyone until we’re taught differently?

READ extensively something other than a book that has been dissected, dichotomized, edited and revised hundreds of times over the past twenty centuries. One that is quoted and misquoted, idealized, idolized and weaponized every singe day, all over the world. Read ministers outside your chosen religion or theology, read the mystics, read and study and pray but most of all do this with a pure intention. Not to prove anything to anyone except yourself.

RESEARCH what you read. Nearly every spiritual book I encounter sites other texts from which they – with prayer and contemplation – base their beliefs on. And almost every author leaves the interpretation of what they know and believe open for growth and expansion. Which leads me to my next suggestion…

BE OPEN minded and open hearted when you read, study or speak to someone. Listen to their heart not just their words. Ask and allow God to speak through you and if God knows nothing you can say will change a person’s heart or mind, ask that your mouth be sealed shut. Do NOT get into an argument or make war with anyone over your beliefs vs theirs.

RESPECT: Everyone else’s right to speak their truth as long as it’s done respectfully and without malice.

Walk AWAY when you feel uncomfortable and then Pray and ask for wisdom and understanding.

STOP jumping on the bandwagon of someone else’s opinion or “truth.” NO One has a monopoly on any truth except for the TRUTH that Love is the answer. Love created the universe. Love holds the universe together. Love is always growing, always expanding just as the universe is. Love is big enough to hold space for diversity. I’d be so bold as to say that Love loves diversity. Otherwise, we would all be little robots walking around saying the same thing, wanting the same thing, believing the same thing… You get my drift.

STOP letting the political and immoral propaganda floating around the stratosphere shake your foundation so that you waver in the wind like chaff and don’t even know what you do believe anymore.

CHOOSE peace instead of anger, love instead of hatred, compassion instead of disgust or disinterest.

PRAY for an open mind, soft heart, bridled tongue, and let everything you do or say be done in and with LOVE.

Finally, remember Mother Theresa said, “It is never between you and them, it is between you and God.”

Therefore, BE the change you want to see in the world. After all, change starts with and in You. God cannot and will not change anyone until You allow the change you’re wanting “them” to make or be, take place in your heart, mind, thoughts and beliefs about them first.

The world cannot go on like this, folks. If there isn’t a major change of heart, change of dynamics between humans, God, and nature, we’re going to self-destruct.

I would say, like so many do, “God” will destroy the world and start over, but I don’t believe that’s true. We will spiral into extinction and another, more loving, more intelligent being will rise out of the remnant and create heaven on earth as we were supposed to do.

Something to think about.
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
“Coaching in PJs”

I know many of my friends will worry that I not only read but am endorsing a book on Mediumship, but PLEASE, hear me out!

I discovered Suzanne Giesemann last year when Alex Ferrari of Next Level Soul interviewed her. Alex interviews many near death experiencers (NDEs), and it's only natural he'd interview a Medium. 

Like many, I hesitated on listening but something compelled me to and I am SO glad I did!

If you've known me for long, you know my beloved husband passed away in 2009. After his death, I had several "dreams" of interacting with him. I put dreams in quotation marks because I believe they were actual visits. All three were too vivid, as were their meanings, and I see and feel them clearly today.

I even had an encounter with my father after his death that I've shared with many family members and they, too, believe he communicated with me.

I also remember my mom telling me that her mother and grandmother - who died 13 days apart - had come to get her one night but she wouldn't go because we still needed her. She woke up on the floor beside her bed.

These are the reasons I've always been more fascinated by the spiritual realm than afraid. I have always believed in the afterlife and say all the time that the spiritual realm is "right here." As close to us as our next breath or thought or prayer.

If you've read some of my previous posts, you know I love stories like Heaven is for Real and Miracles from Heaven. Even Dr. / Reverand Dr. Jesse Duplantis shares his heavenly encounter as do many other pastors and laymen in the Church.

We all have instances in our life when we heard or felt God or our angels talking to us, so why can't we communicate with our loved ones?

Something to think about!

What I find most intriguing about Suzanne is not only her history (she was Asst. to the US Chief Naval Officer of the US during 9/11 and had a carrer as a Navy Officer for 20 years before) but the fact that she has been studied by Dr. Gary Swartz and is known as an "evidential" medium. Which means she asks for evidence that can't be found in a normal search from her client's loved ones. In her words, NOE (evidence of which there is "no other explanation" than hearing it "straight from the horse's mouth."

I've found her to be genuine and have read many of her books but this one, really snagged my interest. Mediumship: Sacred Conversations With Loved Ones From Across the Veil has a whole section of stories from others who've experienced "no other explanation" messages from their loved ones who have passed.

Whether or not you're interested in learning more about the afterlife, this book will give you hope in the midst of your grief.

I hope you'll suspend your doubts, fears and judgement long enough to check it, and Suzanne out.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT