BE THE AUTHENTIC YOU

 

DARE TO BE the REAL YOU

 

 

YES, YOU CAN BE YOU

Who am I? What was I meant to be? It has taken years for me to figure this out because of its many facets. I am a contemplative, listener, encourager. I want to help people find their own path to light, spirituality, and life. I see people's wounds and also the good that is resident in them.

Be the real you. I battle with wanting to be liked vs being my real self. Writings and conversations tell your truth. One of Cec Murphey's maxims states it well, "I’d rather be disliked for who I am than to be admired for who I’m not." That's the authentic self; the kind of person I strive to be. 

Spread your wings. Dare to be what you were meant to be. Dreams can allure as they engage the heart and soul. It is in the being, though, rather than the dreaming, that makes life sing in its originality. Who were you meant to be? Who are you? Answer the question. It's a hard one.

I was depleted. My joy, in the tank. My liveliness, waning. My energy, in need of a reboot. I cried out to God, "Help me!" The next morning, I felt revived, energetic. Halfway through the day, I thought about my increased happiness. What's come over me? Then I remembered my prayer from the day before. My prayer had been answered. God was helping me.

Sometimes we need a break. Today I took off a day from busyness to read for pleasure. Just what I needed. I'd been worn out from the emotions that come with changing dynamics. I read about angels in everyday life. Very intriguing. I have experienced the unusual and could identify with some of the stories.

Keep these words from Philippians in mind:

 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

That’s right on the money. God says to come to Him, to place our trust in Him. He is the giver of peace who guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. What a beautiful promise. There’s our part, and there’s God’s part.

APPLICATION

This isn’t about others; it is about you. Be confident. Place your trust in God. Listen to Him. Allow Him access. Trust Him with your real self. Be the person God made you to be. Don't try to be like someone else, be uniquely you. Seek God to help you understand this.

• Memorize and recite often: Philippians 4:6-7
•  Tell God of your need
• Give praise and thanksgiving

In Christ, you can do this.

I wish you well on your spiritual journey. 

***

Photo by Baard Hansen, Unsplash

Te

Swimming Upstream: Intervention, no. 2 -- Inspiration 41

Swimming Upstream without a Paddle

Finding God in the Daily

 But how can a man be in the right before God? 

Job 9:10. ESV

Your Christian experience is good but not great, but you really want it to be great and not just 'good enough.' Is the problem with you, with God, or with your spiritual life?

WHO ARE WE FOOLING? Life as a Christian isn’t all that easy, is it? We think we know how it should be. We parrot the lingo. The clichés abound. Just give it to God. Living the abundant life. God wants us to be happy. Trust the Lord and everything will be okay . I KNOW this is God’s will (this one is especially bothersome). But it doesn't seem to pan out that way. It is irksome when personal experience fails to match spiritual belief.

Christians often ignore the fact that for them spiritual living is empty. That would mean they'd have to admit there is a problem. This troublesome scenario indicates the problem is with them, or worse, there is a problem with their belief system. Aren’t Christians supposed to be happy and victorious? Hm. Yes, they should be. This is true.

This gets a little uncomfortable and hits too close to home. (I’ve been watching what's going on, and I’ve been on both sides of the equation. Something is going on.) More often than not, people's conversations express their true truth and thinking about the matter. Not all is well. It is easy to find fault with the way it is, and rightly so. 

 Christians are swimming upstream without a paddle. 

When it's not going as well as they expect, when the internal dialogue gives way to the negative, when struggles and conflicts slow them down or are at cross-purposes, discouragement or denial sets in. Such is common to human experience. But why does it have to be so hard? they ask. The real reason escapes them.

Could it be that something else is contributing to the mismatch of belief versus experience?

Could there be a reason for the hollow sound in the clichés, when the talk fails to match the walk? Something is amiss. The need for a change in perspective or for a Spirit led, soul-changing intervention suggests a roadblock is ahead and a choice is in front of them. Their spiritual path will come to a Y.  A choice is upon them that may well determine their spiritual destiny.

Good news! They are right where they need to be. God is ready to intervene. He has a plan, and He has the tools. May the soul-changing intervention begin. Now comes the uniting of  human self with the holy Triune God whereby forcing an end to mediocre spirituality. Let the journey commence. Straight ahead the adventure awaits. Hang on . . .

To God be the Glory

Secular v Christian Worldviews -- Inspiration 35

Discover Your World View

Finding God in the Daily

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7. KJV

 Your worldview matters. For the Christian it is helpful to know if you have a secular or spiritual worldview. This will impact your decisions going forward. Is God an ongoing conversation in your life?

AN ADULT'S WORLDVIEW encompasses what he or she believes about life; their philosophy of life and conception of the world. It is not possible to have two worldviews competing and tangling. This would project in two different realms and function on separate planes. There is some confusion going on. Religious people can be secular oriented and perform spiritually. Is this a competing worldview? Quite possibly. To figure it out whether a world view is secular or spiritual takes a bird's-eye view. Follow a person's habits, desires, and conversations and it soon becomes apparent. A spiritual worldview is where the things of God flow as a natural process throughout the person's life. On the other hand, some Christians compartmentalize their spiritual activities as an add-on to their normal routines. They are more of a secular view with spiritual overtures. It helps to be mindful of this. Where God is active in a person's life will show. When God 's presence is not all that meaningful then the spiritual gives way to the secular. A worldview where Christ comes first is defined by Him being given preeminence. A spiritual worldview will look for God in everything, which includes God in the daily. In this case, daily functionality is mixed with a Jesus dynamic and a living spiritual dimension.

Dear Father God, our world needs You and Your loving touch. May we awaken to the meaning You impart to in our own lives. Amen

To God be the Glory

Controversy's Arc -- Inspiration 32

 Christians and Controversy

Finding God in the Daily

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

 
"If you are drawn into controversy, use very hard arguments and very soft words. Frequently you cannot convince a man by tugging at his reason, but you can persuade him by winning his affections.” - C.H. Spurgeon

CONSTANT CONTROVERSY SWIRLS around us. People are entrenched in their way of thinking as are others of the opposite opinion. Such debates are like ugly fests to see who can top the other in their accusations. Controversy surfaces in the form of members of society fighting a war of words in an open-ended tug-of-war over controversial matters. For representatives of Christ, a standard of acceptable behavior is the expectation. Beyond the ethical disparity of differing beliefs in any given group, believers should represent the values God set forth and Jesus lived. A disconnect between belief and behavior would suggest something is off. Here is an amazing thing, I never once saw my Christian grandparents voice anger at each other or at others. All four were of the brethren church tradition. Their behavior was well intentioned. They purposed to live a quiet but strong quality in their lifestyles. It can be done. A self-respecting individual maintains presence and respects the dignity of others even when they are not respected back. Hot topics spark controversy and some should be challenged and debated. Strong and dignified gets the job done. A caution is in order. Be slow to enter the fray unless 1) you can keep your cool when you are verbally attacked, 2) you can say the truth in love when you are confronted, 3) you can dial back your emotions when you need to reclaim reason, and 4) when your content is well-thought out. Let your life speak loudly and if you have to, use words. "Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words," is a phrase attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. 

Dear God, may we speak truth at all times. May we speak love at all times. May the two intertwine in times of controversy and dismay. Amen

To God be the Glory   

⧫ ⧫ ⧫

⧫ I INVITE YOU to read my weekly post at my formal blog, N. L. Brumbaugh, A Transformed Life. You can view the blog here. I post it on Wednesdays. Have a great day.

Mind Reform -- Inspiration 29

Reforms of the Mind are Possible

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 

whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things.

Philippians 4:8  NIV

The mind is where decisions are made. It is powerful and has the power to make or break us in our spiritual lives.

THE MIND acts like a control center that directs incoming and outgoing traffic. It deciphers, decodes and makes sense of what comes in and what goes out. It works efficiently or inefficiently according to variant factors and stimuli. What is for sure, the mind is always busy doing its job. It constantly sorts, absorbs, decides, judges, compartmentalizes, likes, dislikes, considers, memorizes and so forth. In addition to the normal cause and effect, subliminal messages also give and leave impressions on the mind in addition to other influences. Some of these press the emotions into formulating a response. One has to be careful when evaluating content that is opinion-based. Cognitive functions interact with the message's suggestion.

For the Christian, the need to align beliefs and Scriptural teachings with life is paramount to God-centered spiritual growth. Wrong thinking and harmful considerations affect the whole person, in their emotions, intellect, and behavior. What goes in, then comes out. Positive behaviors are learned as well. Fill the mind with what is pure, healthy and good, what is honoring to God, and the outcome is to the positive and spiritual. To reform the mind of the presence of any internalized wrong-mindedness requires a vigilant, conscious effort to flush out what is not okay to fill up on what is okay. God empowers the refining.

There is a shortcut that facilitates this process in an easier manner. Those who seek God with their whole heart and God becomes close to them are sensitive to things of God and more aware of their own spiritual condition. It is like a flashlight turns on to highlight what needs to change. The mind then engages with their inner culture. That is one of the ways this sensitivity is developed. The Holy Spirit is involved in the enabling of God-actualized behaviors, where God leads and the Spirit influences an action.

Dear Father, help us to desire what You desire. Bring us in to a right relationship with You. Amen.

To God be the Glory 

Is the Bible Relevant for Today?

Is the Bible relevant?

I have been reading in Genesis, Psalms, and Mark lately. It so impresses me how stories in the Bible are full of drama.

Joseph's story is one of them. It plays out like a movie, with injustice after injustice, event after event, and so forth. He sorrows for his homeland, his people, even though he rises to second in rank in Egypt. And the story line has one amazing, unexpected, unpredictable resolution.

And, in the book of Mark, walking with Jesus and the way each situation occurs and causes people to stumble, rejoice, heal, reject or whatever. There's never a dull moment for the disciples. And the audience? Three days without food while sitting on the hillside listening to Jesus. Could or would we do that?! I love reading the words of Jesus. They speak life and cut to the chase, don't you think?

I read the psalms and see my own kaleidoscope of emotions, defeating fears, incredible joys, depressed feelings, and multiple sorrows ... with ever-present steadfast hope in God. This is the one book in the Bible that I read a chapter of almost every day. It is extremely applicable to the daily struggle and gives us what we need to carry on.

Is the Bible relevant? Yes, the Bible is relevant. At least for me it is. The Bible speaks the language of heart, Spirit, and truth, and that is what makes it relevant for every age.

Blessed I am by its words.

TRUE SPIRITUALITY ... Makes a Difference

A few thoughts of mine that reveal my take on spiritual life and how it should impact our lives. If our spirituality doesn't make a difference in how we live our lives there may be some clues as to why embedded in this short essay.

Another way to say what spiritual life should look like:

Your spirituality should make a difference in your life. Real spiritual life will impact your interior self: how you think, choices you make, your deep down true desires.

Take it a step further, Spirit-led spirituality is like having a living being in you that guides you and speaks to your soul, and that has the capacity for greater beauty, higher levels of joy and peace, and tremendous hope and courage.

The truth is, the liveliness of God in the soul also desires purity, truth, and goodness and lives its internal life in you with hope, faith, and love.

Relationship with God, a true spirituality that is not human-based but God-based, speaks life to the soul. The person tuned to this life in them makes a daily choice to live and thrive, or mute and ignore, the Beauty within them.

Our spirituality is easy to see. One only has to look at what matters most to us, what our pursuits are and why, and how we react to life in general, with its joys and sorrows, goods and bads, relationships and amusements.

We have problems we need to solve, wounds we need to heal, and heartaches we need to repair. But we also have resources to help us. Our spirituality is one of those resources. No matter how bad it is, we can embrace the Living Being that resides within us with our heart, mind, and soul. We can read its spiritual--life and "how-to"--manual, the Good Book, to find help, guidance, and strength as we draw near to the source of its wisdom and life, and its theme, God, his living presence, his Son and his Spirit.

True spirituality centers a person and makes them a better person. They will use their gifts to bless others. They will use their mind to grow, enrich, and infuse spiritual truth with living reality. They will also do impossible things like love their enemy, forgive those who hurt them, and access healing that brings peace to the soul.

Bitterness and residual anger cannot live or thrive in the person who is finding their life hid in Christ, the One who speaks life to the soul. The spiritual life in you confronts, changes and impacts the mind and soul and offers newness and renewal of mind and heart. The Spirit of God then transforms us, and our spirituality becomes a living, breathing, life within us and makes a difference in our inner being and how we live our life, our motivation and our loves.

Any questions?

A SPIRITUAL ANTIDOTE

ANTIDOTE FOR THE STRUGGLE?

As one ages you bear more burdens: Loss upon loss, heartache upon heartache, disappointment upon disappointment. Even culturally, you seek to adjust to the constant change, some good, but some not so good. I can understand why some people pull in and quit trying so hard.

What to do?

As we age, we must make good decisions and choose to look on the bright side of life. We must look to our best friends for validation and encouragement, and to hear our hearts. We must embrace the love of our Heavenly Father. We must also learn to let go, release, choose to forgive, release, and realize the need to accept there are some things we cannot change, release. Prayer is a huge part of this. God helps us release when we ask him to. He also helps us heal. He guides us on the path.

Okay, how about in real life?

I look at my folks and feel for them. Life is not the same or as enjoyable. Besides the normal aging process with it's health issues, many of my folks'friends are passing on, people they used to play cards with, vacation with, go out to eat with, attend church with. That's a hard thing once you're getting up there in years.

As their children, we try to fill in the gap. We do the little things that make them smile. One of our frequent happy moments is looking out the kitchen window as we view the clouds, blue sky, the Sierra Nevada mountains with snow peaks. We enjoy eating a home cooked meal that we kids brought, or talking about their past or some current event. Our purpose is to help them and make them happy as much as we can.

The point is, we can give, and giving gives us pleasure.

Life is not easy, but life is good. We can celebrate life or we can be overwhelmed by it. I find it easier to celebrate life when I apply prayer for my family and other concerns. It lifts the monkey off my back by releasing the fears, worries, and concerns. I give the details to God and then let them rest with him. I pray blessings on people and situations. Then I do it the next day, and next. . . . God is good, very good. I center myself in this knowledge.

But is there an antidote?

Yes! Decidedly, yes. PRAISE and THANKSGIVING. We find our antidote through the practice of applying praise and thanksgiving in all things. This is a cultivated practice that looks at the problem and sees what it teaches and gives. Giving thanks and being grateful changes your mind and shifts your focus. You can also shift it to another subject. Do you have sight, appendages, hearing, friends, loved ones, food, shelter, education, material blessings, pretty things, music . . . ?

All of these are praise-worthy.

And you're still here, that's a major blessing. Make your words a constant stream of praise to God and your thoughts a river of thankfulness. It will breed a new attitude in you that can face and absorb the endless struggle of life.

Do it. Praise and give Thanks. Report back in a few days, weeks, or months. I hope you do.

Blessings to all on this lovely day.

THE GIFT OF BEAUTY

Celebrate Beauty

Beauty surrounds us. 

Beauty unfurled-—graceful lines, smooth surfaces, varied hues of color, uneven textures, soft whispers, feather light kisses, ocean waves.

Beauty within a person comes out in shining radiance, speaking words of kindness and affirmation, gracing others with its presence.

Outward beauty may be cultivated or found in intricate design of human effort, or it may be present in exquisite offerings in nature’s grand display.

True beauty emerges in a natural form without constraint or alteration; it sings, speaks, heals, lifts, mesmerizes, grips, penetrates, gives.

A person is blessed who looks for beauty in the every day, who cultivates a sense of wonder, and who finds peace and joy in its presence.

Beauty comes from God, the maker of all things beautiful. Beauty is ours because God has given us eyes to see and hearts to feel.

• Look to the sky today and thank God for it. 
• Smell the delicious scent of food baking and thank the cook for it.  
•  Hug a friend and thank them for their friendship. 
• Clean something that needs it, and thank God for the ability to do so. 
• Listen to music and be thankful for your hearing. 
• Touch a soft pillow or the fur of a pet and be thankful for the gift of touch. 
• Taste a slice of fresh fruit and be thankful for the gift of taste. 
• Read a newspaper, book, blog, or magazine and be thankful you have something to read.
• All of these are beauties we are given as gifts to enjoy.

Thank you, dear God, for the beauty that surrounds us, speaks to us, enfolds us, and endears us to it. You are an artist with the earth as your canvass. In every petal, raindrop, smile, we see some of you and your artistry. You make our world lovely. We must open our eyes to see it and rejoice in it. We are blessed by who you are and what you do.  Amen