Change What?

The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican bishop in the crypts of Westminster Abbey:

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable. 

 As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realize if I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

Life can get pretty nasty. You have a bad day, someone says something that cuts deep, you get angry and bitter, then you completely shut down or lash out just to release the tension. You know, you’re angry. It’s not what you want or what you know you should do, but it just happens. And then there’s problems, there’s broken relationships again, and you don’t know how to fix it. Your heart gets as cold as a stone. Guess there won't be any world changing today.

A pearl to string: The single most powerful thing I have learned in my life for dealing with other humans: The Law of Power by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend: “You only have the power to change yourself. You can’t change another person.
(How about an instant replay)
You only have the power to change yourself. You can NOT change another person. You must see yourself as the problem, not the other person. To see another person as the problem to be fixed is to give that person power over you and your well-being. Because you cannot change another person, You are out of control. The “REAL problem lies in how you are relating to the problem person. You are the one in pain, and only you have the power to fix it”

I just can't express enough what a difference God has made in my life. Pursuing His way, His answers, His promises, His love has changed my heart and the very best advice I could ever give to another is follow after the Lord and He ".....will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your old heart of stone and give you a new heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and help you to keep my laws." - Ezekiel 36:26-27

In His Sonshine,
You are loved,
Lyndi

CHANGE WHAT?

The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican bishop in the crypts of Westminster Abbey:  

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realize if I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

 Life can get pretty nasty. You have a bad day, someone says something that cuts deep, you get angry and bitter, then you completely shut down or lash out just to release the tension. You know, you’re angry. It’s not what you want or what you know you should do, but it just happens. And then there’s problems, there’s broken relationships again, and you don’t know how to fix it. Your heart gets as cold as a stone. Guess there won't be any world changing today.

A pearl to string: The single most powerful thing I have learned in my life for dealing with other humans: The Law of Power by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend:
“You only have the power to change yourself. You can’t change another person.
(How about an instant replay)
You only have the power to change yourself. You can NOT change another person.

You must see yourself as the problem, not the other person. To see another person as the problem to be fixed is to give that person power over you and your well-being. Because you cannot change another person, You are out of control. The “REAL problem lies in how you are relating to the problem person. You are the one in pain, and only you have the power to fix it”

I just can't express enough what a difference God has made in my life. Pursuing His way, His answers, His promises, His love has changed my heart and the very best advice I could ever give to another is follow after the Lord and He ".....will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. He will remove your old heart of stone and give you a new heart of flesh. And He will put His Spirit in you and move you to follow His decrees and help you to keep His laws." - Ezekiel 36:26-27

In His Sonshine,

You are loved,

Lyndi

For Better or Worse

Interesting that we each begin our marriage with vows..... one vow being for better or for worse..... Don't think the worse part would have been in there if God didn't know it was coming. That's why we vow not to let circumstances throw our love for one another out of sync. (that's better or worse) It just popped into my head that: “Too many couples marry for better or for worse, but not for good.”

If we stay right with the Lord - we'll stay right with our mate........ can't blame the circumstances.

If you blame the circumstances that would mean you could be tossed around by any old tidal wave....? Oh, no thank you. Phaaa leez! Who would want to live that way. I want to live like Jesus ...... strong and steady through all circumstances. Keeping my eye on my maker and my tongue of opinions wagless.

When things run amuck I have to look into my own heart to find out what's really going on. Usually for me it's self centeredness. I just want things to go my way. I'm concerned for others but there are times and situations that I don't think those others are concerned for me. I can get worked up and create a great emotional argument that someone else is at fault. Unfortunately that has been used before in Genisis 3:12 and it didn't work with God then and it won't work now.

Just the other day I got snared with my self centered way. Actually I felt unappreciated, rudely disregarded and it hurt....deep. As my lips quivered and my eyes filled with tears the pain in my heart grew rapidly. I was getting so worked up I couldn't sleep and was overcome with the injustice of it all. I handled the situation with God's grace BUT I allowed satan a foot on my emotional esteem and I was rapidly going down, down, down. I could see people coming over to my side in my mind's eye cuz I was right. What that person did was mean, mean, mean.

Well I popped over to FB to see who was still up at 1:30 in the morning and I was stopped like a deer in the headlights. Right there at the very top of the page God was holding a mirror up for me to see what I had posted to bless someone in need. God was telling me, "you're the one I had someone write this for. You didn't need it when you found it but you need it now".

Dan Snell to Lynne...Wow....once again...you deliver.... ANOTHER Super Blog Post --- STONE. Loved it! Sharing it with our blended family audience. http://stringapearl.blogspot.com/2010/07/stone.html

A pearl to string: I read my own post and it showed me exactly what to do. I wrote my hurt in the sand and went to bed. When I awoke the winds of forgiveness had blow it away. I had blamed someone else but again - the problem was with me. Good news..... I have a beautiful Savior who died for my sin and loves me. I think you've got the same Savior........ now that's the bees knees

Remember you are loved,
Lyndi

I Need You Jesus

One Last Name

by Sharon Jaynes
http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Photo by M Greta Gordon

For almost forty years, Margaret lived with word-inflicted wounds that nearly destroyed her life. From the first day she attended her one room schoolhouse, she and her teacher, Ms. Garner, didn't get along. Ms. Garner was harsh, bitter, and cruel, and could not tolerate Margaret's childish idiosyncrasies. For years, the tension between the two built up pressure.

Margaret was nine-years-old when the cataclysmic day occurred - the one that ripped her world apart. It happened after recess when she frantically raced into class, late again. As she burst through the doors, she faced her peers jeering at her maliciously.

"Margaret!" Ms. Garner shouted. "We have been waiting for you! Get up here to the front of the class, right now!"

Margaret walked slowly to the teacher's desk, was told to face the class, and then the nightmare began.

Ms. Garner ranted, "Boys and girls, Margaret has been a bad girl. I have tried to help her to be responsible. But, apparently, she doesn't want to learn. So we must teach her a lesson. We must force her to face what a selfish person she has become. I want each of you to come to the front of the room, take a piece of chalk, and write something bad about Margaret on the blackboard. Maybe this experience will motivate her to become a better person!"

Margaret stood frozen next to Ms. Garner. One by one, the students began a silent procession to the blackboard. One by one, the students wrote their life-smothering words, slowly extinguishing the light in Margaret's soul. "Margaret is stupid! Margaret is selfish! Margaret is fat! Margaret is a dummy!" On and on they wrote until twenty-five terrible scribblings of Margaret's "badness" filled the chalkboard.

The venomous accusations taunted Margaret in what felt like the longest day of her life. After walking home with each caustic word indelibly written on her heart, she crawled into her bed, claimed sickness, and tried to cry the pain away. But the pain never left, and forty years later she slumped in the waiting room of a psychologist's office, still cringing in the shadow of those twenty-five sentences.

Jesus understands what it feels like to have people call you names. People called him a blasphemer (Matthew 9:3), the prince of demons (Matthew 9:34), an evil spirit (Mark 3:30), and a law breaker (Mark 2:24). His own family said that he was crazy (Mark 3:21). Yes, He knows what it feels like to have a broken heart - both figuratively and physically.

Jesus understands our hurt because He experienced it for Himself. Eugene Peterson, in his work, The Message wrote: "Now that we know what we have - Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God - let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help" (Hebrews 4:14-16 MSG).

Let's go back to Margaret for a moment. After decades of depression and anxiety, she had finally sought help from a psychologist. Two long years of weekly counseling helped Margaret to finally extricate herself from her past. It had been a long and difficult road, but she smiled at her counselor (how long it had been since she'd smiled!) as they talked about her readiness to move on.

"Well, Margaret," the counselor said softly, "I guess its graduation day for you. How are you feeling?"

After a long silence, Margaret spoke. "I...I'm okay."

The counselor hesitated. "Margaret, I know this will be difficult, but just to make sure you're ready to move on, I am going to ask you to do something. I want to go back to your schoolroom and detail the events of that day. Take your time. Describe each of the children as they approached the blackboard; remember what they wrote and how you felt - all twenty-five students."

In a way, this would be easy for Margaret. For forty years she had remembered every detail. And yet, to go through the nightmare one more time would take every bit of strength she had. After a long silence, she began the painful description. One by one, she described each of the students vividly, as though she had just seen them, stopping periodically to regain her composure, forcing herself to face each of those students one more time.

Finally, she was finished, and the tears would not stop, could not stop. Margaret cried a long time before she realized someone was whispering her name. "Margaret. Margaret. Margaret." She looked up to see her counselor staring into her eyes, saying her name over and over again. Margaret stopped crying for a moment.
"Margaret. You...you left out one person."

"I certainly did not! I have lived with this story for forty years. I know every student by heart."

"No, Margaret, you did forget someone. See, he's sitting in the back of the classroom. He's standing up, walking toward your teacher, Ms. Garner. She is handing him a piece of chalk and he's taking it, Margaret, he's taking it! Now he's walking over to the blackboard and picking up an eraser. He is erasing every one of the sentences the students wrote. They are gone! Margaret, they are gone! Now he's turning and looking at you, Margaret. Do you recognize him yet? Yes, his name is Jesus. Look, he's writing new sentences on the board. 'Margaret is loved. Margaret is beautiful. Margaret is gentle and kind. Margaret is strong. Margaret has great courage.'"

And Margaret began to weep. But very quickly, the weeping turned into a smile, and then into laughter, and then into tears of joy." (This story of Margaret was taken from Ron Lee's book, Mistreated).

For forty years Margaret had limped through life with the pain of a broken heart. But finally she allowed Jesus, the Healer, the Comforter, and the Great Physician, to bind up the broken heart and allow it to heal.

What is Jesus writing on the chalkboard about you?
You are chosen.
You are dearly loved.
You are holy.
You are beautiful.
You are pure.
You are my bride.
I have your name engraved on the palm of my hand.

OUR HEARTS REMEMBER 9/11

Our hearts remember the families of all thoses who suffered such great loss, all those who gave their lives serving and all those who watched and prayed. May peace and hope now reside.

Here is another story of hope that sprang out of the ashes of terror.








St. Paul's Chapel is located at Broadway and Fulton in New York City. It is the oldest building in continual use in the City. A service of Thanksgiving was held in St. Paul's Chapel after George Washington's inauguration as president in 1789.

St. Paul’s Chapel is a beautiful little chapel right in the heart of Manhattan and adjacent to Ground Zero. It got it’s nick name the Little Church that Stood through the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The headstones are still standing as if nothing ever happened.




In 1926, the Women's Committee of the George Washington-Bulgrave Institution presented a marker to be placed at St. Paul's Chapel. This plaque commemorates what has become known as "Washington's Prayer For The Nation", which reads:

"Almighty God, we make our earnest prayer
that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection;
that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to
cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government;
to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another
and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large;
and finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose
us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves
with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind,
which were the characteristics of the Divine Author
of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation
of whose example in these things can never hope to be
a happy nation. Grant our supplication we beseech Thee,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."



The Rest Of The Story!!!
Then came 9/11! You see, St. Paul's Chapel is just across the street from the where the World Trade Center stood. The stump shown below is all that remains of a 100 year old sycamore tree that once stood in the NW corner of St. Paul's churchyard. The tree was toppled on September 11, 2001 when the collapse of the Trade Towers sent tons of debris hurtling towards the chapel. Miraculously, this tree and others in the churchyard saved the chapel from damage, and not a single pane of glass was broken throughout the church! The church was saved, the tree died.

Thus, this beautiful little chapel, which once served as a place of worship for President George Washington, and which thereafter commemorated his Prayer For The Nation and as an altar of the God's own Ten Commandments... REMAINED STANDING! Like Jesus parable, the house on the rock stood firm! (Matthew 7:24-27)

"RIGHT FIGHTER"

So what is a "right fighter"? It's a person who leads with their right.
Their "I'm right"!
When the actions of a person reveal it's more important to them to be right than do right - they qualify as a 'right fighter'! It's pretty unpleasant to come up against a "right fighter" but when there are two of them..... watch out! it's an "I" for an "I". Whoa. Not a God honoring place.

A 'right fighter's' attachment to being right creates suffering, division and discord. Resolving the problem - should be the issue - not whether it goes your way. The quickest way to lose a fight is to be determined to win it. If you're concerned only with winning, then you're concerned with only being right. That means you're closing yourself off to hearing your opponents side of things or you are listening with the intent of trumping their discourse. Too often it appears the 'right fighter' has been invaded by evil and is displaying a spirit of getting even, vengeance, or control. Don't make a relationship a competition..... that means someone you love will lose in order for you to win. In reality there are no winners once you turn a relationship into a competition. Never give yourself permission to be childish, abusive, immature or self-righteous. All earth dwellers experience painful or hurtful offenses through out their lives. You have the right to give a reasonable voice to those resulting feelings in a constructive way.
So is your opponent your friend? Mate/relationship? Business/Ministry partner? God?

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God". (1 Peter 4:11).

A pearl to string: A beautiful lady went home to be with the Lord recently. Her love and wisdom blessed a lifetime of peoples. She always taught by the way she lived and believed that a parents words could change the way a child lives out the dreams that God has called them to. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11NAS)

A favorite story her son in law likes to tell: Years ago the NBA bad-boy Dennis Rodman moved down the street from my mother-in-law. She went down to meet him and profess Jesus loved him! At another time in a restaurant, she approached his table filled with some of his friends (pretty scary dudes) and the fearless lover said, "Dennis, I was watching you on the basketball court and you moved like a ballerina. You are amazing." She told me she saw a little boy in Dennis who was still waiting to be completely loved. She was able to look past the external tattoos and lip rings to love the broken boy who had never known the love of a father. Isn’t that the same way God loved you when you were broken?

And that relates to "right fighting" how? It's a beautiful counter play to allow every word you speak reflect God's purity and love to those around you. You may never achieve it but you can work towards it.

May you always speak life into those you love.
Lyndi

A Smile From Heaven by Susan Johnson
in the mountains from Kebler Pass

SINGLES

Does God Really Give Us the Desires of Our Hearts?
By Kathleen Hardaway
Author and Precept Ministries Staffer

CBN.com – Does God truly give you the desires of your heart? As a single have you ever asked the question, "If God gives me the desires of my heart, why am I still single?" Of all the questions I've been asked, this is probably the number one question. To understand this Scripture fully, it's important to put it in context.

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…" (Psalm 37:5-7a, NIV).

Today, if you're struggling in your singleness, don't lose heart. These verses are key in helping you with your frustration of being single. Is your delight, your joy, in the Lord? This is vital for anyone to have true joy.

The first twenty years of my life I put much of my joy in my boyfriends. My mood swings went from high to low depending on how a relationship was going. I later realized my joy was in a man, not in my relationship with the Lord.

Our delight must be first in the Lord. It must be priority in our lives.

Second, are you "trusting in Him and doing good?" Countless singles are doing their own thing, not trusting in Him, much less doing good. Many are dating unbelievers and choosing an impure lifestyle.

God says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). If you want a blessed life then it must be a pure life.

Later in these verses David writes, "Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him." Continue to tell the Lord you want His way, not your way. Never ever try to make a relationship happen. Far too many singles are doing this only to end up heartbroken.

We are also commanded to be still and to wait on Him. Waiting is a difficult thing to do. At times it gets long and it may seem too hard. Often singles cannot endure the waiting and they rush into a wrong marriage. Wait. Keep waiting. Don't rush.

My friend, if you are truly delighting in Him, trusting in Him, committing your way to Him, and waiting on Him, yes, He will give you the desires of your heart. Scripture tells us He will. But God's timing may not be your timing.

Have you come to the end of yourself and truly asked the Lord to change your desires if they're not His desires? I have done this in my own life. Today I'm still single, but never thought I could be happy if I was not married. My desires have changed. If the Lord brings me a husband, then I feel quite sure my desires will change again.

The key to the Christian life, single or married, is trusting and obeying. How very, very true the famous hymn writer was when he penned the words "Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey" (John H. Sammis).

I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying there will not be times of loneliness. I'm not saying that you don't ever wonder why you're still single. But I am saying you will never ever be sorry for trusting, obeying, and waiting on the Lord.

Does God give you the desires of your heart? Yes, and even more. It may be different plans or desires than you ever thought you wanted. He has extraordinary plans when you simply put Him first in your life.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21, NASB).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kathleen Hardaway is on staff at Precept Ministries International and has produced and directed Kay Arthur's TV show How Can I Live? for more than 17 years. A single herself, Hardaway is transparent and humorous in her first book, I Kissed a Lot of Frogs: But the Prince Hasn't Come (Moody, 2002).

Prayer Power

How about this headline:

Texas Bar Sues Church.

What in heaven's name is this world coming to?

In a small Texas town (Mt. Vernon), Drummon's Bar began construction on a new building to help increase their business. The local Methodist church started a campaign to block the bar from opening, calling for petitions and prayers. Work progressed right up till the week before opening when lightning struck the new bar and it burned to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church was ultimately responsible for the fate of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means. The church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise in its reply to the court.

As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork arguments. At the hearing he commented, "I honestly don't know how I'm going to decide this. From the paperwork I just read, it seems we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer and an entire church congregation that does not."

I checked with Mt. Vernon Texas newspaper but cannot verify this story as a fact. It does, however, make an amusing devotional illustration.

There is great power in prayer. When you pray continually about a concern, don't be surprised at how the Lord answers. Paul prayed to visit Rome (Romans 15:32). so he could teach & refresh the Christians there. When he finally arrived in Rome, it was as a prisoner.

Paul prayed for a safe trip, and he did arrive safely - after getting arrested, slapped in the face, shipwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake.

A pearl to string: God's way of answering our prayers are often far from what we expect. When we sincerely pray, God will answer - although in his timing and sometimes in ways we do not expect. One of my favorite prayers that keeps me waiting patiently on the Lord is in Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 3: "But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow do not despair for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient. They will not be overdue a single day.” God has a plan for me, He has a plan for you and He has a plan for the whole of mankind.

Lean on Him and
Know you are loved,
Lyndi