Going through boxes of stuff I moved from storage, I found a trio of battery-operated candles that said Faith, Hope and Believe. The ‘believe’ one was bent and when I took it out of the box to set it along with its mates on a shelf, it broke. I taped it but it’s still bent and broken.

This started me thinking…

How often are our beliefs tested so strongly we wonder what we’re believing for anyway?

Have you ever had faith in or for something so long, you’re tempted to just throw in the towel and forget it all?

Have you ever gone off on a spiritual tangent, clinging to a certain promise (or promises) in the Bible until you know them so completely and yet…nothing changes despite the ‘belief in your heart and confession of your mouth’?

Ever ask God, “what do you want me to do in this situation, or to help this along?”

Yeah, me too. I’ve been so high on my faith and belief, especially when I feel God has shown me something or given me a promise of something to come, that I doubt I’ll ever come down much less be disappointed.

I’ve also believed and waited so long for some things, I doubt the visions or promises will ever come to fruition. So long that I’ve gone from hope and faith to doubt and despair and then something will happen, or I’ll hear a message and go right back around to believing again.

So, what are we supposed to do in such situations?

In Mark, 9:23 Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

And in Mark 11: 23-24 He said, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” AND “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

Eintein said, "imagination is the preview of life's coming attractions." 

Psalm 37:4 says that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart."

Know that if you truly, honestly, deeply desire something that will not harm yourself or others, you are worthy to receive it.

So, when you’ve done all that you can do, the only thing you can continue to do is just believe.

Believe and Wait for it with patience, joy and expectation. After all, Habakkuk 2:3 reminds us that the vision is for an appointed time. 

Don't give up and trust in Divine timing.

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

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”

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!

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 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!” ™