As I step (sometimes quite awkwardly) into my “sunset years,” I notice that my values have changed—dramatically, in some areas. Priorities have executed a distinct about-face. Wants, needs, desires…all shifted, or shifting. Things matter less. Family is all-important. God is everything—first and last, beginning and end, over and above anyone, anything and everything else.

I kind of like the new outlook. It makes for an easier, more relaxed and satisfied, far less stressful existence. Why is it that most of us don’t reach this level in our mental, emotional, and spiritual outlook until we get…well, let me just say “rich in age.” How much sweeter life would be if we could arrive at this quieter, more peaceful mindset when we’re young! I can think of a lot of mistakes I made that might have been avoided.

Then again, without all those “mistakes”—you know them, the off-the-beaten track, lost and confused days that seemed unending and incredibly lonely. The heartbreaks and bumps in the road that looked like mountains at the time. Bad decisions and wrong moves. Lacking those experiences, would we ever gain the wisdom to enter our sunset years with any degree of grace? I’m inclined to believe every little and large experience we encounter is part of God’s plan. We need the tears that follow heartbreak to help wash away the pain—or, at the very least, to clear our vision so we can see how desperately we need God. We learn from the fallout after bad decisions. We gain directional aptitude after taking enough wrong turns along the way. Our faults and failures all serve as steppingstones. Learning experiences. Hard-earned moves forward on the path to becoming who we are in our latter years.

So we spend time feeding experiential knowledge into our psyches. Growing in wisdom. Becoming. Becoming the person God is shaping us into—someone in His perfect image. His precious child, whom He has taught—through example, discipline, and gentle persuasion—that being like dear ol’ (heavenly) Daddy isn’t a bad thing at all. It’s a beautiful goal, attained by difficult, hands-on experience, sometimes undertaken in the dark. A goal worthy of reward—and let me take a quick second to affirm what I’m sure you already know—our Father knows how to bestow the most amazing rewards on His beloved children!

As I worked my way through the years that led to this milestone, I took note of a few experiences that brought sunshine into my life. I jotted down a few of the lessons learned along the way and combined them into a little book called Morning Rendezvous. It’s a collection of Devotions and Musings from My Heart to Yours. I think you’ll enjoy the read. You may laugh a time or two. It’s possible you’ll shed a few tears. You may find that you learn some of the same lessons I learned, because I share them with you as clearly and concisely as I am capable of writing.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy. And then I’ll look eagerly forward to hearing from you. I love it when readers share the blessings they find within the pages of my books—all of them, but most of all Morning Rendezvous because…well, that’s the whole purpose of the book. To teach others easily a few things that I learned the hard way. And, quite simply, to bless you.

So…be blessed.

Thank you, Pamela, for the opportunity to spend a little time with you and your readers. It’s always a pleasure, and you’re a blessing.

Morning Rendezvous blurb:
A short collection of devotions and random musings by Inspirational Romance Author Delia Latham. Within its pages is a heaping heartful of love, hope, faith, encouragement...even a bit of humor. Grab your Bible and a cup of something warm and soothing. Make yourself comfortable, and come on in. Prepare to be blessed...

A world of sweet romance with a whisper of angels’ wings. Readers can count on a touch of the divine in DELIA LATHAM’S sweet, inspirational novels and novellas. An award-winning, best-selling author, Delia is both traditionally and self-published, with over thirty novels, novellas, and short stories to her credit. When this author isn’t spinning words into fictional worlds, she offers editing and proofreading services, as well as book cover and marketing material design. After calling California home for half a century, she moved to East Texas with her husband a full decade ago. And there the old CaliTexan couple will live happily ever after…

Follow Delia on Facebook.
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Visit her website.

Sign up to receive her monthly newsletter, Brushing Wings, and receive a FREE copy of Love Comes Lately, a short story from the Love at Heart’s Haven series, co-written with Tanya Stowe.

THANK YOU So Much, Delia for sharing your lovely thoughts and beautiful devotional book with us!

I'm sure my readers and friends enjoyed your post as much as I did.

If so, Friends, get your copy of Delia's devotional book, Morning Rendezvous at AMAZON.

Until next time, take care, God Bless and remember serenity comes with grace and grace builds upon grace given and grace received.

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

I remember reading the best-selling book, "The God Chasers" by Pastor Tommy Tenney, and even today, I wonder... Are there any God chasers in the Catholic Church?  How about the Baptist or Methodist or Full Gospel churches?

I'm not talking about Church goers or man pleasers, but God seekers. 
 
The Bible says that "God is no respecter of persons." 
 
Why are we? 
 
There are seven things God hates, one of which is "one who sows discord among the brethren." 
 
Why do we?  Why do we judge and criticize those who are not of the same "faith" as we? 
 
Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” I try to live my life by that Scripture as well as my own personal motto which is: Don't mock what you don't understand.
 
Many of us used to wear bracelets that encouraged us to think W. W. J. D. We spout the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” We don our pins and proudly display bumper stickers, crucifixes and key chains, but how often do we really consider what Jesus would do in our situations?  How many of us talk the talk but don't walk the walk?

Even Jesus praised the Canaanite woman for her faith. Why can't we praise each other? How many of our church doctrines and church laws (regardless of the denomination) are Scriptural based but man enforced without the love, mercy, and forgiveness commanded of us by Christ? 
 
Why have we made love and forgiveness a job instead of a joy?  
 
How often do we approach the altar of God with sin in our hearts, minds and lives?  How often do we really repent whether through the Sacrament of Reconciliation or on our face before God?  How often do we go to church without really going to God?  How often do we seek the approval of man, or seek God's hand and not His face?  How often do we really worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, instead of ritual and tradition?  How often do we put church over God?  How often do we really minister to Jesus?  Do we sit at His feet, seek His face, serve Him with our whole hearts or do we become enslaved by what we once loved?  How many of our priests and ministers have lost their reverence for God and simply perform rituals?
 
Some say the Catholic Church is the one TRUE church, started by Jesus, but how often do Catholics practice what they preach?  How often do we fast and pray other than lent?  Do we really hunger and thirst for righteousness?  How often do we fast from negativism and feast on the positive? 
 
What about you?  What about your church? 
 
I AM NOT writing to judge or condemn any religion or denomination - I am writing to encourage ALL people, all religions and denominations to become more lovingm more forgiving, more accepting.

In other words, to be more like God.
 
So, let us pray.... Dear God, we cry out to You.  From the bottom of our hearts and the depths of our souls, we repent of our judgements and ask your guidance on changing our minds and hearts to love our neighbors as ourselves. Open the floodgates of heaven, Lord, and make us one heart, one mind, one in our desire to be an instrument of Your peace, a vessel of Your love, a fount of Your wisdom, a channel of Your blessings and a conduit of miracles. AMEN and Thank YOU.

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

Get your copy of The God Chasers at Amazon in Large Print Paperback, Audio (only 99c with your Audible trial membership) or on Kindle

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”

In previous posts I mentioned Suzanne Giesmann, her book on Mediumship and her "Messages of Hope" podcast. What I didn't bring up is the fact that Suzanne has a free app called, The Awakened Way.

This wonderful hub is filled with gifts of eBooks, meditations, and daily messages from Spirit. There is also an "inspire" button that you can pray for guidance and touch and it will bring you to a previous daily message. Kind of like opening a devotional, the Bible or a Bible app to a random passage. 

Yesterday, I asked in prayer for a sign that I am on the right path in my journey to grow my writing/editing/coaching business. I hit the inspire button and up popped a missive about dealing with holiday stress...

"The holidays are not the issue. Your thoughts around them are." (paraphrased)

This doesn't apply to my question, I thought, but kept reading. Lo and behold, the note went on to say something like, "let go of those old, negative thought patterns and make room for new, fresh, exciting, truthful ones." (paraphrased)

Ok! Message received loud and clear so I went on about my day.

Later, after a bout of rain showers cleard up enough to take my dog out for a bit, I looked down on the carport and saw a heart-shaped water spot. 

Suzanne always ends her daily messages with, "you are so loved," so I took this as a sign that God heard my prayer and answered. Not only through the message but with this heart. 

At the moment I did not have my phone with me so I went into the house and came back out to snap the one you see here. Note: the blob on the left side is a paw print LOL! Here's the cool thing though, the next time we went outside after still more rain, the heart was gone.

Signs and synchronicities are all around us, folks and no, IMHO, it is not wrong to ask for one when you need it. In fact, Suzanne and other spiritual teachers say all the time that our "unseen helpers" (as Dr. Jesse Duplantis puts it) are always willing to give us one.

I've written about this subject before in This and This post. I hope this encourages you to open up, ask and look for the signs you need from God when feeling unsure if you're on the right path to creating the life of your dreams.

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

You may think the title of this particular post is a bit strange but bear with me...

Years ago, a decade actually, I watched the movie Frozen with my grandchildren and I was blown away that a Disney film could contain spiritual thruths!

I'm sure there are many other Disney films that contain spiritual truths, but with Winter and Christmas approaching, I thought I'd republish the review I wrote back in 2014 here, so you can see where I'm coming from and why this children's film inspired me so much.... 

“Only an act of true love can melt a frozen heart.”

How true this statement is!

Elsa has a gift, one that when activated, shoots ice from her hands and causes things to freeze over. After an accident in which her young sister gets injured, Elsa is confined to her bedroom with gloves. 

​"Don’t feel, don’t let your emotions show, don’t let them know” is the edict that keeps her bound, much to the dismay of young Anna. Until Coronation Day when Elsa is crowned Queen of Arendelle and fun-loving Anna unintentionally creates havoc which results in Elsa freezing the country in perpetual winter.
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I haven’t been to a movie theater in years much less to see a Disney production but the spiritual implications of this movie were so wonderful!

The fact that Elsa is persuaded, forced in fact, to stuff her emotions is a prime example of the way many people live. Don’t feel, conceal. Don’t let your emotions show. Always be good. Control them otherwise they’ll control you….

Unfortunately we all reach a breaking point and who knows what the trigger might be? The only thing we know for sure is that anger and fear produce destruction.

But love…true love…love that forgives and sacrifices…has the ability to create miracles and magic.

Even if you don’t have children or grandchildren, borrow a couple of kids if you must, but watch this/these movie(s). You won’t be disappointed. 

And if you DO have children on your Christmas list, check out the many, many FROZEN items available including toys, books, dolls, and even a Collectors Item DVD.

I hope this post inspired you as much as it has me (I think I'll rewatch Frozen LOL!).

Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™​

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Feb 2014