Happy Thanksgiving Folks!
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Jesus teaches us that with God ALL things are possible and that all things are possible to them that believe (See Matthew 19:25-27, Mark 9:22-24, Mark 10:26-28).
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Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”

Why then do some things we desire, need or want seem impossible?

Is it possible this is because we block God’s blessings and talk ourselves out of miracles every day?

Is it possible we have deep-seated doubts and fears and feelings of unworthiness?

Is it possible the fire and brimstone preaching we’ve heard or experienced sometime in our life has caused us to fear God’s wrath more than believe in His love, grace, mercy and goodness?

Is it possible that we have so much guilt around asking God for what we truly desire that, even if He were to show up with that in hand as a free gift to us, we’d turn away?

Is it possible we’ve heard so many contradicting facts about who God is and what He can/will do that we just don’t know what to think anymore?

The Bible teaches us that the blessings of God shall chase us down and overtake us (see Deuteronomy 28:1-3), yet so many live in lack and poverty, sickness and disease!

Is it truly possible that if God said it and Jesus did it, we are supposed to live lives of abundance in every area?

I believe ALL of these explanations are possible and very possibly the root of our not receiving the gifts and blessings God has for us.

So how can we overcome these doubts, fears and negative concepts we’ve developed in our lives for whatever reason and open up to receive from God?

Here are a few ideas…

Pray. Don’t just pray for what you want, pray for God to open your eyes, ears, heart and hands so that you may see, hear, know and receive.

Listen. Often we pray/talk to God without taking time to listen for His response. Prayer should be a two-way conversation, not you talking to then walking away from Him.

Obey. Many times, we pray and listen but when God asks us to take action we disregard that part of the entire time of communion. The Bible teaches us we should be willing and obedient yet most of the time we are willing but not obedient or vice-versa. If you feel in your heart God is asking you to take some kind of action in order for Him to fulfill your desires and His plan, take it! Even if that means stepping out in faith despite your doubts and fears.

Meditate. A lot of folks shrink at the thought of spending time in meditation thinking they just don’t have hours to spare, but meditation can be as simple as closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths while opening your mind and heart to the Holy Spirit. Better yet, pick a Scripture that deals with one of the current situations or needs in your life and repeat it over and over in your mind while taking those deep breaths and watch God work.

Express Gratitude. I know, I know you are grateful but how often do you say it? How often do you say a simple “Thank You” to God or to people? Better yet, how often do you spend 10 minutes, an hour, or a whole day in an attitude of gratitude? Try this: For one hour write, “I am so happy and grateful that (or for) ---fill in the blank). If you don’t have an hour, write 1 page a day or 10 items or whatever, just do it! Once you’ve gotten into this habit, challenge yourself to keep gratitude uppermost in your mind for the day and see what doors open for you. After all, God’s not going to give you something else to complain about.

Sing. Yeah you heard that right. Sing a song about being happy. Find a couple songs and play them over and over in your vehicle and in your mind. Here are two that come to mind: Happiest Girl in the Whole USA by Donna Fargo, or Happy by Pharrell Williams (here’s the song/video on Youtube!) I dare you to listen to this and not be in a better mood! Better yet, make up a silly little ditty to express your own happiness, gratitude and praise to God. After all, the Bible tells us to make a “joyful noise” unto the Lord (Psalms 66, 81, 95, 98 & 100) and that God inhabits the praise of His people.

Try one (or all) of these simple exercises and see God work in your life. Now I’m not saying this is the cure-all for every problem in your life, but even if all these exercises do is make YOU feel better for an hour or a day…what can it hurt?

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

*©2014 Previously published as Pamela's Ponderings April 2014

As I’ve mentioned before I’ve been on a spiritual quest for most of my adult life. In 1989 I recommitted my life to Christ and since that moment have been asking, knocking and seeking, in all manner of ways, to know and experience more of Him.

Some may ask what He means to me and the long & short answer is: EVERYTHING.

How can I describe that which is indescribable?

Now many will look at some of the books and spiritual leaders I refer to and say that I’m not “Christ centered” or that I don’t have the “love of Christ” within me.

That both saddens and infuriates me.

Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” So I challenge anyone to really look into my heart and tell me that!

True, I do read books other than the Bible and those written by ordained ministers.

Why?

Because I never want to miss a fresh anointing on the Word!

Yeah, but what about those ‘new age’ books like Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life & There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem by Dr. Wayne Dyer, A Return to Love & The Law of Divine Compensation by Marianne Williamson, The Secret & The Magic by Rhonda Byrne and other such works by people I admire?

I can only speak for myself but it is all part of my soul journey.

What? What?

A soul journey?

Yeah.

I believe we are all here for a reason and one of main purposes is to not only learn how to live as Christ but, like Him, to be an expression of God’s goodness in the earth. Each of those books mentioned, and numerous not mentioned, have opened my heart and mind to understanding God and even scripture in a deeper way.

In the book E-squared by Pam Grout, she covered the subject of God/Jesus and mentioned that Jesus never said, “worship me” but “follow me” and there’s a huge difference in the two statements.

This made me wonder so I did a bible search on the phrase “worship me” and you know what?

She was right!

Only 4 Scriptures showed up with that phrase, 2 referred to Jesus being tempted during His 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:9 & Luke 4:7) and the other two referred to worshipping Him in vain by “teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9 & Mark 7:7).

These, in turn, led to the question of how much of what our preachers, teachers and ministers of “Christianity” tell us are actually just that… the teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.

Which do you think God/Jesus prefers…someone who adheres to the doctrines of men (even if they are biblically based) OR someone who loves Him and seeks Him with their whole heart, mind, & soul, regardless of the books they read?

After all, Jesus did say that God is “spirit” and those who worship Him will worship in spirit and in truth, and let’s face it, not everything we see and/or hear in conjunction with “Christianity” is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…Nor the only truth.

JMHO of course.

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

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Feb 2014

Jeremiah 33:3: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know.’
 
This scripture has floated around in my head for weeks and I’ve come to realize when a certain thought is repeated, whether in my mind or in conversation, I need to pay attention.
 
So, I’ve questioned and prayed…What are You trying to tell me, Lord, that I may share with the world?
 
So often we think of God answering our prayers in the form of words…a still, small, voice, billboard signs, songs, books, scripture, etc. But do we consider the many ways in which He communicates with us?
 
The Bible says in Job, “For God does speak, perhaps once, or even twice, though one perceive it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night (when deep sleep falls upon men) as they slumber in their beds.” Job 33:14-15
 
It also tells us in the book of Joel 2:28: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions;”
 
Scriptures like these sometimes scare the daylights out of people.
 
But they shouldn’t.
 
God is awesome and loving, and we should not be afraid of the ways in which He converses with us.
 
In the spiritual books I’ve read and studied, another way we can perceive what God is trying to say to us is through our imagination.
 
Have you ever wondered why some folks can dream or imagine a particular thing or outcome and it seems to come true?
 
That’s faith. That’s God operating in and through us.
 
1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
 
Spiritual leaders & success teachers use daydreaming, meditation, and visualization as tools to achieving one’s goals in life. They tell us to “see” ourselves in the situation we desire. To engage all of our senses, and to “feel” it with every fiber of our being and those things will manifest in our lives. They even say that these things are more powerful if what we desire is born of love and brings only joy, peace and abundance to us and others.
 
Could it be they’re on to something? Is it possible God is using the faculties of our conscious and subconscious mind to talk with us and to show us the great and mighty things He has prepared for us?
 
Next time your imagination comes up with some wild, exhilarating, ‘impossible’ idea for your happiness, don’t be so quick to discount it.
 
Instead, get quiet and alone with God and ask HIM if this is His idea for you? Trust Him (and me), if it is for your ultimate good and the good of your brother and/or mankind as a whole, it very well could be.
 
Something to think about…
“Inspirational with an Edge!” ™
Coaching in PJs ™

*Originally published as Pamela's Ponderings ©Jan 2014

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

*Note: This event happened in 2013 but the information is as relevant today as it was back then.*

Have you ever asked for and/or received a sign from God? You’re be-bopping along and the solution to a problem or answer to a question suddenly appears in a book, on a billboard, thorough an unusual conversation, or on a marque somewhere and goose bumps rise on your flesh?

I love it when that happens!

Acts 22: mentions the miracles, wonders and signs of Jesus.

Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Jesus said that the things HE did, we should do also (and more).

I’ve often wondered if I really have or demonstrate spiritual power. I don’t always see signs and wonders following me so how do I know if I am making a difference in people’s lives? How do I know God is using me and whether or not I’m effective when He does?

Mark 16:20 says, “And they (the apostles) went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”

In Acts 3:6 Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

Now THAT is an example of spiritual power I’d like to see evident in my life!

Granted, there are times when I feel His power working through me, hear His word being spoken through me and see revelation light someone’s eyes or face while we’re talking.

Sometimes I see evidence of Him working during a meeting or conversation, but most of the time it’s after the fact. But is that all…. Is it enough?

What about those ‘signs and wonders’ people speak of? I’ve never laid hands on the sick or raised the dead and certainly haven’t cast demons out of anyone.

Am I expecting too much or believing for too little?

While cutting potatoes for lunch a friend and I were talking and the song “She Loves Me Like Jesus Does” by Eric Church was on the radio. She commented how much she enjoyed it even though she wasn’t a “churchy” person. My answer to her was that we don’t have to be “churchy” in order to have a relationship with God & Christ. I then turned around and sliced a potato in half and… Well you can see the picture attached to this post.

Talk about goose bumps!

I’m not sure if this sign was for me or her, but the one thing I do know for certain is that everyone who hears this story & sees this picture is blessed in some way.

I believe we all have spiritual power and these things do follow us, but we’re so busy looking for the great BIG signs, miracles, and wonders that we ignore or miss out on the simple, yet profound things of God (like His omnipresence in all things and every place.)

We simply need to open our eyes (natural and spiritual) to see, and our hearts to receive.

One more thing…could it be that our lack of gratitude for the seemingly little signs, miracles and wonders in our lives block the big ones?

Something to think about!
PamT