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

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" ​™

As I sit here and ponder what to share with you today, I am reminded of the old adage, “Life is what you make it.”

If you are a firm believer in the Law of Attraction, then this statement is true in a very literal sense. (Uh, oh, many of you tuned out with the mention of LOA – thinking I’m going off on a new age, mumbo jumbo tangent, but bear with me LOL!)

The Law of Attraction states that what you focus on, you attract into your life. Not necessarily the same thing, but similar situations and circumstances that keep you trapped in that cycle of living - whether good or bad.


​The Bible says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, therefore he is.”

Given these two examples, could there be some truth in that old adage? Can we really make life be what we want it to be, what we wish to experience?

“If these statements are true,” you may wonder, “then why is my life such a mess?”

After all, you didn’t ask to be born into the family you have, or don’t have. You didn’t ask for the layoff or divorce, illness or death that knocked you down, rocked your world, and trampled your faith into the dirt.

We all know those folks who are living examples of the old Hee Haw song about gloom, despair, and misery but what makes them different from others who have suffered a similar (or worse) fate?

Why is it that some can wallow in the negativity of their life for years while others simply deal with it, let it go and move on? Now I’m not saying that those who have the ability to move on don’t suffer. Far from the truth that is!

What I am saying is that they choose a different path–a way of thinking and behaving that brings peace and joy into their lives despite the circumstances.

If you talk to many people you’ll begin to realize one of the things that separate the winners from the whiners is the words of their mouth and meditation of their heart (mind).

In other words, their stinkin’ thinkin’.

Here’s a clue: If you want to change your life, you must change your thoughts and then change your words!

Even the bible backs this up with scriptures like… “I put before you life and death, therefore choose life,” and “the power of life and death are in the tongue, and he that indulgeth in it shall eat the fruit thereof,” oh and let’s not forget “you reap what you sow.”

Jesus said that it is not what goes into a man’s mouth that defiles him, but what comes out of it.

We’ve all heard the saying, “you can’t live a positive life with a negative attitude” and that is so true! If whatever “it” is that happened to make you so miserable transpired years ago – Get Over It Already!

Now I know that sounds harsh but be honest….Do YOU like being around a dark, nasty cloud all the time?

I know I don’t. No matter how much I love or care for someone, after a while it gets old hearing the same old poor, pitiful me stories.

We all have experiences in our lives that are far from blissful. Sometimes I look back and wonder how I ever made it through some of the circumstances that threatened to get and keep me down. I’m not better than the next person, so I guess what makes me different is that I chose to rise above those things, to think and speak victory over my life instead of wallow in a victim mentality.

Here’s the good news…You Can Too!
​
Something to think about…..
Inspirational with an Edge! ™

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings © July 2017

In Matthew 7:14, Jesus said, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

I wonder what He meant by this statement?

Ask most preachers or Christians and they’ll probably tell you that if you don’t follow the letter of the law, you’re missing the mark and sinning and just might end up in the place of “wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

I’m not sure that is what He meant though.

Jesus came to fulfill the law and in doing so, left us with only two commandments….

Well three….

#1: Love the Lord God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:29 -30)

#2: Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31)

#3: “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34 & 15:12)

He also exhorted us in Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”

If our only instruction from the Lord was to LOVE, to forgive and to judge not – why is it that most attempts outside of traditional Christian thought and doctrine are judged and condemned as heretical?

You may wonder where I’m going with this…just bear with me.

I have some very dear friends who are stout believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. So stout they will not entertain any concept beyond that taught by their pastor and his/her (or even their own) interpretation of scripture. They won't listen to anyone else, read books by anyone else and heaven forbid anything that is not 100% word-for-word in the bible! This they discount or shun and then judge people who dare to question or search.

Is this an example of the narrow way or a narrow mind?

I have other friends who love God and Jesus with all of their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength, but have never set foot in a church and have not read the bible. Are they wrong in their interpretation of God and who He is? Are they less a “Christian” because they are more open to the SPIRIT of God than the doctrines of men?

Scripture was given to us for among other things, instruction (see 2 Timothy 3:16). Ask thirty preachers to read the same scripture and I promise, you’ll get at least twenty different answers.

How then, are we to know the right one? Why is it that we are so sure ours is not only the right way but the only way to God? To Jesus?

Now I believe whole-heartedly in the Lord Jesus Christ. HE is my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, the lover of my soul and I respect His sacrifice as ransom for my life, and never, in all of my reading and searching do I deny HIM as such. But I believe God is so much more than any book (including the bible) can explain, clarify, illuminate, describe, or express.

As I mentioned in About This Blog, I have been on a spiritual journey since I recommitted my life to Christ in 1989. I read voraciously and I commune with Him daily through prayer and meditation, not only speaking to Him but listening for His voice and instruction. Do I always get it right?

Not at all!

But He and He alone knows my heart and how very much I love and adore Him.

In John 17:11 & 22, Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. 

How can we accomplish this?

One way might be by opening our hearts and minds to a fresh anointing and interpretation of Scripture, by seeking above all things LOVE, peace, and joy, by sharing those things with our brothers and sisters and by allowing people to seek HIM in their own way.
​
JMHO
Something to think about…
 PamT