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
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“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
"Coaching in Pj's" ™

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

This was brought home to me on a deeper level while reading Happier than God by Neale Donald Walsch. This book combines the best of Neale's conceptual truths uncovered in his nine book series, Conversations with God.

I'm not going to review the book here or try to break down everything Mr. Walsch says. Suffice it to say this is another great read and, IMHO, everyone should grab a copy.

What I am going to do is explain in my own way and give you a couple of ideas on how you can figure out what happiness means to you ​and how to infuse joy into your everyday life.  HINT: it's nothing outside of you!

In the world of "manifestation," and "creating your own reality," joy, bliss and happiness are fundamental principles. Even the bible talks about joy being our strength. Granted the scripture says, "the joy of the Lord is my strength." (Neh. 8:10).

What does 'the joy of the Lord' mean?

I believe this means that God finds joy in everything He creates, especially in us. And if God finds joy in us, we should find joy in ourselves as well as the life we co-create with Him.

How can we do this when there is SO much negativity in the world?

By understanding that you are the only one who can control your emotions! You have the choice to be positive or negative, happy or sad, etc. and happiness, or joy, or bliss, is an inside job.

True, there are any number of triggers outside of us that can send our emotions into a tailspin, but one thing I've come to know is that there is a pause between the trigger and my/our reaction. If we learn to lean into that pause, we can decide how to respond instead of reacting in our normal way.

And, as Dr. Joe Dispenza puts it,  "those strong, negative emotions are not loving and nurturing for your body."

But how can we change lifelong patterns of flying off the handle or spewing anger and frustration every time we're triggered?

Here are a few ways...

• You've always heard cout to ten. I'm telling you to count backward from five or ten if necessary Why? Because the brain is used to counting forward. By counting backward, you interrupt the normal pattern in the brain. Mel Robbins's is a huge proponent of the 5-second rule and I've that found counting backward from five or even ten makes a huge difference in my response.

 

• Take a breath. Or two or three. Not sharp, shallow breaths, but a soul deep inhale and slow, deliberate exhale - like blowing air through a straw. This too, calms the flight, fight or flee response that kicks in when someone pushes our buttons.

 

• Practice heart coherence on a regular basis by placing your hand over your heart and taking those deep breaths described above for 3 minutes as often as you can throughout the course of your day.

 

• Tap your way through it. Depending on who/what/when/where the incident occurs this may not be an option immeditely but, utilizing EFT practices as soon as possible will help move any residual or stuck energy out of the body.

These ideas will help when you are triggered. Below are a couple of ways to fill or replenish your joy/happiness well...

• Make it fun! No matter how mundane the task, find a way to make it fun. Sing in the shower and on the drive to work. Be silly with the kids while you get them ready for school and invite them to be silly with you. Hum your way through that stack of work piled on your desk. Dance your way through the house as you clean. Life is meant to be enjoyed not ploughed through like an old horse in a field.

 

• Pray your way through your day. Pray for yourself, your family, friends, coworkers (especially those who irritate you the most!), complete strangers, your community, state, the world at large. 

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• Keep a running dialoge going on in your mind of what you're grateful for, or better yet change that to, what you love and appreciate. Love and appreciation are higher vibration emotions. It's been proven that positive emotions counterbalance the lingering effects of negative, and on an energetic and spiritual level, our joy helps heal the planet.

I guess this all boils down to the fact that, just as stress starts in the mind, so do peace, joy and happiness!

Something to think about...
PamT
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“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
"Coaching in Pj's" ™
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Find out more about EFT by reading these articles.

We’ve all heard the story of David and Goliath but many of us aren’t so bold in our faith that we would tackle the job of fighting an actual giant.

Or so we imagine.

If you think about it, we face giants every day…

We come up against giants of health issues, financial burdens, and relationship woes.

We wrestle with temptation and forgiveness.

We penetrate walls of anger, and scale mountains of gloom, despair and misery.

Giants, every one when it comes to exercising and building our faith.

So how are some ways we can face and overcome these?

Prayer: This goes without saying but how and what kind of praying? IMHO the best is when you find a scripture that addresses what you’re dealing with. Personalize it and stand firm.

Affirmations: Write and speak positive statements of resolution about your situation. Words have power and some say the written word is much more powerful. Don’t focus on the problem; focus on the answer or desired outcome.

Forgiveness: Sometimes the best way to deal with the giants in your life is to forgive…others, yourself, God.

Meditation: Take time to get quiet and listen to and appreciate the silence. Once your mind is quiet, God can speak to you.

Stay in the NOW: There is great comfort, peace and power is staying in the present. After all, many of our ‘giants’ are actually thoughts from our past or anxiety about the future. The bible tells us that “now” is the time of salvation and that “now faith” is the substance of things hoped for…. It’s OK to think, dream and plan for the future but not to the point of missing the blessings in your present (moment).

These are just a few ideas…. I’m sure you have your own way of facing the giants in your life, I’d love to hear them!

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT

PS: I will be traveling extensively June 13 - End of July or later so posts may not be consistent.

I know, I know, it's not Thanksgiving. But shouldn't it be?

Why do we take one day out of the year to give thanks, when gratitude should be a lifestyle?

But that's not what this article is about.

Or is it?

You may wonder at the title as much as the photo attached to this message, but I'm here to share my thoughts on GIVING with you. 

Luke 6:38 exhorts us to, "give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaken together."

Most people look at this scripture in terms of money, but what if we look at other aspects of our life and see how much more we can give. Or, better yet, what we can give besides money.
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We're also taught through scripture that we reap what we sow.  

So let's think about this...

Sow (give) love, you'll reap love. Give grace, you'll receive grace in abundance. Sow peace and you'll live a more peaceful life. Offer forgiveness... We all know what Jesus said about that. 

Am I saying you'll never have a bad day or unhappy circumstance?

Not at all.

What I AM saying is that by consciously giving of yourself--Your time, your energy, your blessings, your attention and yes, your money-- You are setting yourself up for a beautiful harvest and a blessed and abundant life. JMHO!

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

I am shocked it's been two months since I posted to this blog! So much has happened beginning with the launch of a new collection of short stories along with the promotion and all that entails. A Hint of Holiday Romance hit the shelves March 15th and is available at Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback as well as other online retailers.

Add to that, I've been working with a coach to launch A Novel Lunch™ writing course God put on my heart years ago. Alas, like many, I had numerous "reasons" why I couldn't do this. But no more! A Novel Lunch™ Beginning Writer course will commence on May 27th. So, if you or someone you know has been talking about writing a book but are clueless as to how/when/where to start. Check out the course HERE.

Amidst all of this, I started offering paid ad space on my book blog which has kept me busy and started doing bookkeeping for Edgemont Healing Center in Lake Charles where I host life coaching classes.

Oh, and don't forget tax season... I prepare tax returns for family members and friends. 

Anyhow, my goal is to get back to regular, or at least semi-regular, posting to Rainbows, Potholes and Nuggets of Gold. Prayers Appreciated!

​So, until next time, please ponder this article I wrote back in 2016 and I feel is still relevant today. In fact, it just might be one of the most timeless articles I've ever written.

​Enjoy!
PamT

Easter is behind us, Lent a quickly fading memory. After six weeks of sacrifice and penance, most of us are glad it’s over. We’re happy to be Lent free.

For many, Lent is a time of reflection and grace. We fast, spend extra time with God in prayer, and do more for our fellow man and/or the causes and charities we believe in and trust. For others, Lent is an obligatory penance we’ve been taught from childhood. A time during which we give up something (sweets, sodas, etc.) and attend church services more, but we’ve forgotten the real reason behind the six week period, and we’re just glad when it’s over!

But should we be?

Experts say an old habit can be broken and a new one cemented in thirty days. We’ve spent more than that during this time of year replacing our old routines with something new and meaningful. We’ve traded our poor eating practices with regular fasting and abstinence.

We look and feel better. We’re calmer, more centered and focused.

Why then are we anxious to throw away the benefits of Lent and go back to our previous ways of thinking, eating and doing/being?

Wouldn’t it be better to use Lent as a time of renewal and then continue to reap the rewards all year?

Think about this for a second!

Let’s say your Lenten observation consisted of spending an extra 15 minutes in prayer and meditation each morning and you’ve noticed a difference in your day. If recognized, you’ll connect the two and understand exactly why your entire life seems to go smoother. Wouldn’t it be wise to continue those moments of pure devotion throughout the year?

Or, you’ve given up sodas or sweets and/or fasted 1 day each week and notice you feel better… Less bloated, more energy, etc. Why then go back to those unhealthy pursuits?

Alas, we’re so conditioned to the observance of Lent without truly considering the full beauty and opportunity afforded us to start anew and pursue the kind of life we dream of.

So, if you’re one of those who is glad this particular season is over, if you’re happy to be Lent free, I urge you to examine that mindset and reconsider what Lent means (or can mean) for you in terms of living the life you desire and deserve.
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Something to think about!
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™