Be certain of God's limitless love for you...no matter what!

Article from Joyce Meyer

Throughout the course of our lives, negative things happen...dissapointing things....heartbreaking things. People let us down. Situations we expect to turn out one way end up turning out another way.  It's really just part of life, but Satan always tempts us to wonder: God, what is going on, don't you love me?

The Bible makes it clear, very clear that God does love us (Ephesians 2:4-5). Still, every now and then, we find ourselves trapped in that mindset (of God, don't you love me?). 

If you struggled with fears and doubts, I want you to get a revelation today - a heart knowledge that no one can ever take away from you - If God loves me so much and He's so strong and capable of doing whatever needs to be done, then I don't have to live in fear because He's going to take care of me.

If we will simply believe that God loves us and wants to bless us, we will see good things happen in our lives.

A lot of women don't love themselves or see themselves as valuable because they've had life experiences that make them feel worthless, or because they struggle with sin and they think God is mad at them. And they become so accustomed to having disappointing things happen that they just kind of vaguely expect things to go wrong.

The only way to break the chains of fear and doubt is to know in your heart that God loves you - no matter what.

Sticking it out

So ladies, as you know, I hardly ever write about marriage, as I like to encourage women in general. But forgive me on this one :), I needed to put this down... Hopefully, we can all take something from it.

There is woven into the fabric of marriage a sense of something ongoing.  One woman, one man, together for a lifetime, right? But somewhere in the beginning, in between, somewhere along the journey, we adapt to some reasoning that as couples, we do not have to be "communicating" or having fun or constantly setting goals together.  We literally live single lives in a married home. We accept that all it takes is that we have to be together - and intend to stay that way.  This is faithfulness to each other and to God, according to feelings and whatever guards we have set up. 

Unfortunately, too many times, and too many people have been deceived to think that marriage should not be fun or fulfilling, or entertaining.  The dissapointment sets in when we get married and deep down inside, we know that we know, that things should not be this way, and should be vibrant...but we can't do anything about it...so we take it for what it is.  Or we bail out of one marriage and keep searching and find even more frustration with another marriage setting. 

As I read through scriptures, I see teachings on joy, yes, joy - the kind that flows with obedience, submission, tenderness, love, compassion, sensitivity, service (to each other), from glimpses of the Holy God.  God wants us to do that which glorifies Him - to be faithful, to keep His commandments, to love and cherish our spouses/fiancees (not just doing the works, but actually loving each other deeply). 

Sticking it out means being faithful, and out of faithfulness there is peace. It's being tender, and out of tenderness, there is reciprocity, joy and love. I see too many couples these days with a lack of tenderness...and it really breaks my heart because marriage really should be founded on Godly perspectives, should be fun, has to be loving and something to boast about.

Married ladies out there, please.....stick it out - let this be our first principle!

Marriage Builders:

• What are the challenges you are facing as a wife/fiancee as you try to be faithful to God?
• What challenges are a part of faithfulness in your relationships?

Walk to it...

                                            

I have been on a 10,000 steps program (offered by Kaiser) and I love it! https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/redirects/10000steps/10000steps.htm.

The program is designed to help you increase your physical activity level and work toward a goal of walking 10,000 steps each day. IT'S REALLY EASY, LADIES. As a part of the program, you get a pedometer to record your steps each day.  And all it does is motivates you to get up and walk a little more each day...we do it already, while we are walking up and down, here and there, in and out of work, school, life etc.... Why not start tracking the steps?


When you sign up you can use the 10,000 Steps Web site to set personal goals, track daily steps, and monitor your progress online; maintain your motivation to stay physically active through daily e-mail tips that provide encouragement and support.

If you are a Kaiser member, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this program. If you are not a Kaiser member, not to worry....you can still participate - just do the work, just the same.  In any case, we all can add a little more to our physical activity, right?
 
Here's a Helpful Tip from the 10,000 Steps® Program (I received this morning)
 
Get Motivated: Stay motivated by focusing on the many benefits you’ve experienced by becoming more active. Look for new and exciting places to walk — check with your local park and recreation department, community education department or park district for a list of walking trails in your neighborhood. Team up with family or friends and enjoy the walk together. Remember to connect your own values to what you get from being more active. If you value family, remember that being more active brings benefits to them, as well — more energy and better health to support them. If you value your professional life, you remain more focused, sharper and productive the more active you are!

Staying motivated also depends on discovering what you get for your efforts. Be sure to remind yourself that it pays to be active and manage your weight!

(Kaiser Members) Please read more on staying motivated in the Be Your Own Coach article in the reading room at http://kp.10k-steps.com/

Fun stuff Righteous Women! :)

A More Excellent Life

From the Leader's Edge Column, by John Maxwell

Do you need help in your career? Your marriage? Or maybe you're searching for a better life in general? If so, consider pursuing excellence, which is a generally consistent state of high quality that may bring to mind unmatched performance, unusual expertise, or consistent high-quality performance.  In our mnds, we often associate excellence with talent. To be the best, surely you have to be gifted, right?  Excellence has taught me that talent, while important in no way explains excellence. 

Consider this: are people born with a natural gift of marriage excellence?  No matter what area of life you want to improve, you can develop it to a level of excellence with a little know-how.  In fact, the primary pathway to excellence has 3 main steps, none of which depends on talent.

1. Find your passion - you are nothing unless it comes from your heart. If you perform functions only and go to work only to do processes, then you are effectively retired.  And sadly, most people are retired by age 28.  You have to bring passion, commitment and caring - that's what makes you a human being. People of excellence love what they do.  They have learned how to fuel the fire that keeps them moving. What does a passionate person look like? - they work with their whole heart, they work with undistracted attention, and they work with maximum energy.
2. Never cease practicing - passion won't take you anywhere unless you combine it with disciplined practice.  Practice is not the thing you do once you're good, its the thing you do that makes you good.
3. Honor your values - we all could give examples of talented, charismatic people who sabotaged their careers by abandoning their values.  Passion and practice bring excellence, but character eventually topples talent. People cannot climb beyond the limitations of their character.  Eventually, the limelight of success brings to light the cracks in their integrity. 

The fact that excellence isn't something a person is born with should be encouraging ... all you have to do is determine what your passion is and then put in the hours of practice. As long as you stick with it and honor your values along the way, you will reach a level of excellence.

I LOVE THIS ARTICLE!  :)

What does it mean to you?

Happy Weekending Ladies.... and Happy Resurrection!

This link was forwarded by Lynn Wariara and it's quite a powerful clip.  I hope you are challenged by it... :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-EVfxABSoU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The peace of God be with you :)

Leave, Get and Live

Shared by Cathy Whitney

So.....Leave The COFFIN there, Get to The CROSS, but Live in the COMMUNITY! - This is a message that I've so much dealt with in my life - especially the last 2 years, and I thought I should share.


Let the past be, leave it there, say bye bye, it's not coming back and it won't be of much help. Learn from it and move on. Today is new, do it differently, do it better than yesterday. Tomorrow will be the best.

Let Jesus take control of this day going forward. The cross is the place to take it all to Him. At the cross is where we lay ourselves and all that we carry, we lay it down and He picks up and carries it for us. Our burden becomes lighter and it's in the greatest hands ever. We are free, we are set free. We are free if we surrender all.
You were created for a purpose. We are not just women to be seen, looked at and used. We are vessels and temples and we've been placed here to leave a mark, make a difference and be the best examples. As wives, as mothers, as sisters, as aunties, as grandmas or just friends - let's all give it our best, we are to love, serve, accomodate, encourage, inspire and bless. We are to be best in all that we do. As we shop, as we relax, as we chat, as we build, as we uphold - we should give it all that we have. It will bless, change and build our communities. It all starts with us.

We are all great women of substance. We need to believe it. We all are.

What would you ask for?

If you could have anything, absolutely anything in the world simply by asking, what would your request be? Would it be a perfect job, perfect health, a better family, better friends, lots of money, or tickets to the superbowl?

The real question is who's asking? And when was the last time someone came around to grant you all your wishes?

Well, it happened to King Solomon in 1 Kings 3:5-12; when God appeared to him in a dream, asking him to request whatever he desired.  Solomon could have asked for a few other things which personally, would have been on the top of my list, but he asked for "a discerning heart" - wisdom; so he could govern the people and be able to know the difference between right and wrong. He asked for the right tools to do his job well.

Now, back to us. If God were to ask you the same questions...what would your request be? An end to our debts?  The perfect marriage? The perfect job? All these things are end results. Perhaps we need to request qualities that will make us better, attributes that will guide us in making better choices, characteristics that will qualify our judgements in high places. A good place to start is by seeking discernment - wisdom. 

Self Builders:

• What is your request?
• If you could improve any two areas of your life, what would they be?
• In what ways do you need to change to help bring about those improvements?

Hello, Self!

Ever being introduced to yourself?  What I mean is, have you ever had to have a real one-on-one conversation with yourself? Day in, day out, we put in a lot of hours doing what we think is right, but really, it is what others want for us.  Unfortunately, this isn't something that is usually discovered at an early age; we can go on for years and years, struggling and doing everything possible living out someone else's dreams and expectations. 

At what age do we realize that not only are we  dissatisfied with the way our lives are going, but we are also frustrated that we haven't done anything that we actually love and enjoy.

I shared in one of our group meetings that for about 17 years, I was led to believe that I was going to be some type of an Engineer.  The only part of the puzzle that was up to me, was to choose what field of engineering I was going to focus on. I decided to go with Chemical Engineering.  I really didn't know what that meant, all I know was that it sounded serious and prestigious.  In addition, my brother was majoring in Computer Engineering so it was perfect! 

Growing up, my brother and I were 1st and 2nd in everything, literally (simultaneously). When we had school-wide results, my brother scored 1st, and I scored 2nd.  This was our reputation all the way from primary school (1st grade) until secondary school (high school).  So, the level of achievement that I had gained really motivated me to stay focused in my engineering dream.  AND..my dad was really proud of us, so that was even better. 

Well, when I was 18yrs old, good ol'fashioned reality started sinking in when I started junior college (Laney College, Oakland).  I took Pre-Calculus and that wasn't bad at all...it was actually ok.  My brother and I were in the same class, we had the same study group, same tutor etc. With all my energy and efforts into the class, I got a B as my final grade...pretty good for me.  The next semester, I took Calculus 1.  It started getting testy. I couldn't stay focused, I hardly knew what the instructor was talking about, the math language was not making sense etc.  I couldn't get by an assignment without at least 4 hours a night of studying.  As a final grade, I barely made it...but ended up wtih a C (which was a breakthrough in itself).  But when I enrolled for Calculus II, I knew that if I couldn't handle the class, then possibly, this was not my field.  Things were really hard at this point, and to make things worse, if I was going to be a Chemical Engineer, I needed to also take Calculus III!!!!!!!!!

HUGE DECISION POINT...

So, I had an intervention with myself. I remember praying to God to help me get through those ridiculously hard classes.  And as I was praying, I saw myself come out of myself...and turn around and face me.  This was the first day I was introduced to myself.  It was pretty sureal!  I saw then that the only reason I was so stressed out with ife and having a hard time with my classes was because I never had ANY DESIRES whatsoever to be an Engineer. I loved people, loved talkng to people, loved walking people through life challenges and changes, loved studying behavior etc...and none of that was the job description of an Engineer.  I then realized that all my 18, 19 yrs, I was acting out on the expectations of someone else. None of those Engineering desires were mine!  No wonder I was getting really hard on myself when I didn't get something right!  

That was the day that I vowed never to be anyoone else, because no one else would be me! I knew what I wanted to do with my life and I was determined to focus on that and that alone.  The burden of expectations were lifted off and buried far away from me. I waved goodbye to my old self and said hello to my new-found self.  The person who God had put many other great things in.  It was great to be me, and not a version of someone else's me.

Ladies, examine your hearts and see if you are truly walking out your own desires or someone else's.  As women, we have 1000 + 1 things that the world, our spouses, our families, our friends already have planned-out for us...so it's really important that somewhere within us, we are fulfilling our own plans. And if you are unable to see or carry out your own vision for your life, then, let's talk deeper.  If you are up to it, please contact me (@ arighteouswoman@ymail.com) and we can discuss some key things, and pray together.  Time is too short to find out 10yrs from now that you have done absolutely nothing with your life but done a whole lot for someone else's life.

Self Builders:

• Do you know what things make you happy? Are you doing those things?
• If not, what adjustments or changes do you need to make to accomplish the vision and destiny for your life?

A Letter to a Young Woman

http://blog.ransomedheart.com/stasi/2011/04/a-letter-to-a-young-woman.html by Stasi Eldredge

A friend’s daughter is turning 16 and asked a few friends and family members to write her a (short) letter about their memories of being sixteen and perhaps a little advice…here’s mine. I dedicate it to all the young women reading this…whatever their age.


Dear Beauty,
Sweet Sixteen! What a milestone! Hooray for you! On my sixteenth birthday, I got my driver’s license. Now that was sweet. Sixteen is a year of transition and wonder and enlargening circles and increasing freedom and more deeply stepping into the lovely young woman you are.

When I was sixteen, most of the girls I knew had entered into the fray to attract a boyfriend. A date. An invitation. A kiss. A something. (Is it the same for you?) An intangible grid shifted in too many hearts around me (including mine) which gave an enormous amount of weight to the young men while robbing it from the young women. What did “he” think, say, do, ask? Those were the engrossing questions. What had begun in elementary school, increased to obsession in middle school, and became defining in high school. Girlfriends were sacrificed on the altar of “I’ve got a boyfriend, now.” Friendships that may have lasted for years were set aside in the interest of a relationship with a boy that may have lasted barely a few months or even days. You know it happens.

Something internal inside of too many of us handed away our self worth to the cutest boy who made our heart skip a beat. Yikes. When I was in high school, I accepted this. It can be a girl thing. This valuing boyfriends above girlfriends thing.

But you are not a girl. You are a self possessed, loved, and cherished young woman. Still, you are living in a world of girls. So guard your heart. Who you are is the most valuable treasure you possess. Be vigilant against handing away your self worth to anyone else. Male or female! You matter! Your heart matters! I still have girlfriends from high school. But…not any boyfriends. Friend boys. Yes. Boyfriends, no. (My most important friend boy from high school is now my husband!)

There is only One who can tell you to the core of your being who you are. And He has spoken and He continues to speak. Through creation, through His Word, and through the life, death, and triumphant resurrection of His Son. You are priceless. You are immeasurably loved. And nothing and no one can ever change that!

Enjoy being 16! Soak it in! There is the temptation to “rush” it…to rush life in the looking forward to the all that is coming. But I encourage you to savor it. Relish it. Stay in it. Be present to your own life and to the stage you are in; the glorious, wonderful age of sixteen!

Happy Birthday, dear heart! You’re marvelous.
Your Aunt Stasi

Unforgiveness, Find it and REMOVE it

Six Ways to Find Unforgiveness and Remove It

by Joyce Meyer - posted April 12, 2011
http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=six_ways_to_find_unforgiveness

Most all of us like getting promoted, and there's nothing wrong with that. But sometimes we fail tests in certain areas that keep us from getting promoted. Areas like forgiveness.
If someone has hurt you, don't spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, that other person isn't even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you. You see, when you forgive someone, you are helping yourself. To help you understand the importance of forgiveness, here are six ways to detect unforgiveness in your own heart. Once exposed, you'll be one step closer to your personal promotion from God.

1) Unforgiveness always keeps score. - In Luke 15:29, the elder brother of the prodigal son said, "Look! These many years I have served you." Peter wanted to know how many times he had to forgive someone. Unforgiveness is always looking at the score. But 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, Love takes no account…. It doesn't count up the evil done to it.

Back in the early days of our marriage, when Dave and I were fussing and fuming at each other, I would bring up stuff that happened years before and Dave would say, "Where do you keep all that stuff?" Well, I had a place, and it was all in there eating at me. And every new thing Dave did wrong would get added to this list, and it kept growing until it became a bitter giant in my heart.

2) Unforgiveness always boasts of its own record. - In Luke 15:29, the older brother of the prodigal son says "These many years I have never done wrong." Judgment always says that I always do good and others do bad. An unforgiving spirit keeps us from God's best for us.

3) Unforgiveness always complains.  - "You never do anything for me." Ever catch yourself thinking that about someone? This attitude only sees what others aren't doing and doesn't see what they are doing. God's Word clearly shows that we're not supposed to complain. And if you're continuously using your mouth to complain about some incident of offense, you won't get past it. Don't waste time by complaining.

4) Unforgiveness has a martyr syndrome. - "I do all the work." Workaholics are particularly susceptible to this one. Sometimes people who work all the time and don't know how to enjoy their life get jealous when other people are enjoying life. Is there someone who aggravates you when you see them having a good time? If yes, you could have unforgiveness toward them.

5) Unforgiveness always alienates, divides and separates. - When the kids are acting up, we say "my husband's kids" or maybe something like, "What are you going to do about your son?" Those are divisive statements. Maybe you have a coworker who you stay away from as much as possible or a sibling you don't talk to much…why do you separate yourself from them? Maybe you need to forgive that person.

6) Unforgiveness is always envious and jealous when angry at someone who gets blessed. - If someone who has hurt you gets a blessing, it grates on you…at least it did for me until I learned how to forgive. Forgiveness is a decision—not a feeling.

When you pray for people who have hurt you, it's a choice. But there's healing in that for you. Bless and do not curse them means to speak well and not evil of them when that person is not around. And be good to them in various ways as wisdom allows.
Improve Your Life I want to encourage you today to make a decision to start living a lifestyle of forgiveness and refuse to be offended.

A forgiving lifestyle helps you become more like Christ. As you learn the importance of forgiveness and begin to practice forgiving others, your heart will heal from bitterness, and your personal growth will lead you to the promotions God has planned for you.

Transition

When Rosa Parks stepped onto the bus and sat down in the front of it, she had already determined that the past of moving to the back of the bus was over. She didn't know what the future held but she determined that she would never move back to the bus again; that is called transition! By Gene Quiocho

Transition Builders:

• Are you in a place of transition?
• If you are, what steps are you taking now, that will position you in the right condition for transition?

A Green Pasture

I just read this and this is actually a very practical way of a blessing (in passing).
************************************
Article:  Every family has a spot in their house through which everybody passes on their way in and out the door.  It's the spot where everything gets dumped.  In our home, Stuart piles his papers there and wants them there when he comes looking for them two weeks later. I always have a Bible opened at that household intersection.  As I pass by, I stop for a moment, glance at a verse and take it with me out the door. I don't think its a travesty to nibble a bit of grass from the green pastures on your way past, do you?
************************************

Pretty good huh?

Getting Too Much of Vitamins And Minerals

The health consequences of going overboard on vitamins and minerals
By Cari Nierenberg WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Nowadays, everything from bottled water to orange juice seems to have souped-up levels of vitamins and minerals in it. That may sound like a way to help cover your nutritional bases, especially if your diet is less than stellar. But are you in danger of getting too much of these important nutrients? And can these overloads hurt you?
Yes, if you're routinely taking megadoses. For instance, too much vitamin C or zinc could cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Too much selenium could lead to problems including hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, and mild nerve damage.
Most people aren't getting megadoses. Still, if you eat a fortified cereal at breakfast, grab an energy bar between meals, have enriched pasta for dinner, and take a daily multivitamin, you could easily be over the recommended daily intake of a host of nutrients.

When it comes to vitamins and minerals, more is not necessarily better. Here's what you need to know to avoid overdoing it.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/effects-of-taking-too-many-vitamins

Bless This House

In this society of broken homes, where can people turn to, to see the reality of God's love and the picture of a stable home? What they see, should show them that it will take more than our carnal human love to repair brokenness and instability. 

 

As women of faith, we need to respect and honor the people we live with, pray for them daily and show the power of God's love working in our homes.  A home that honors and respects love, faith, commitment makes a great impact on others...because the world is watching and looking for some serious answers.

Remember always, that if you say that you are a devoted Christian, then you are of the house of God.  Nothing should seperate you from this!  You are called to bless your house, and the residents in it!  They too are to know that they are of the house of God, and nothing less.  If we establish this type of foundation, it makes living easier when our children / family members step out of our homes.  They can stay focused because they know and understand where they come from and what legacy to carry on.

It is your responsibility to pray this fervently over your children, over your family, and over your house. 

 

2 Samuel 7:28-29 (The Message) - "And now, Master God, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me, please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You've already as much as said that you would, Master God! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!"

Blessing Builders:

• How does your faith make your home different from the homes of some of your neighbors?
• In what ways can you encourage each other (in your household), to carry on the legacy of Godly principles?

The Measure

Forwarded by Treva...

Let the grace of the Lord be the measure of your sufficiency;
Let the peace of the Lord be the measure of your quietness;
Let the power of the Lord be the measure of your strength;
Let the goodness of the Lord be the measure of your contentment;
Let the love of the Lord be the measure of your service;
Let the faithfulness of the Lord be the measure of your trust;
Let the beauty of the Lord be the measure of your worship;
Let the fullness of the Lord be the measure of your joy;
Let the sovereignty of the Lord be the measure of your confidence;
Let the promises of the Lord be the measure of your expectations;
Let the coming of the Lord be the measure of hope.
You are my portion, O Lord. Psalm 119:57 AMP

by Roy Lessin

Obedience is better

1 Samuel 15:22 - Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

I have been more or less consistent with my early-morning ritual of prayer.  Usually, I pray through a list of concerns, needs, confessions, praises etc. Sometimes, its hard not to feel mechanical about the whole thing, as if I'm quickly discharging a morning duty: wake up, pray, brush my teeth, get ready etc.  You know the drill....

But "duty" is not a bad word.  If it helps stay focused, then great!  Our prayer time gives us a refreshing stride in our morning rush.  Prayer is all about obedience!

Prayer Builders:

• What items would you like to pray about daily?
• How can you create a prayer time regularly?

Living with Unmet Desires - Week One

What is Jealousy?
Envy, covetousness, resentment, suspicion, distrust; jealous resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself; mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims; vigilance in maintaining or guarding something; a jealous feeling, disposition, state, or mood: to be zealous, in a bad sense or envy; to create, to procure, jealousy, as of a husband, or an enemy, malice, emulation, envy, fervent mind, indignation (annoyance) to be hot and fervent.

 

According to our workbook (Living with Unmet Desires), jealousy is defined as the following things:

 

• Symptom of a broken heart
• Symptom of a deeper heart issue
• Unbelief that beckons jealous thoughts through the doors of our heart
• We are unable to think well of others
• Pure devastation in our relationships

 

The four core issues of a jealous heart:

1. God, can I trust you? This question is not do I trust you, its can I? This is much more personal. It’s like telling God that you have heard of all the great things that He can do and has done, but can you trust Him with your life? Specifically, you! Trust is a big issue for us because we have been broken and burned so many times that our trust radar is always up and on alert. We just cannot afford to go through one more hurt, right? We play this game with God as if he is just a regular friend of ours; which we share a secret with or some story and we start off like that… friend, can I trust you with this?

 

Trust defined: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something: one in which confidence is placed

 

If we cannot place our trust in God, then we cannot believe anything that comes from Him. Trust and faith are joined together. They are both something that you cannot rely on your own strength for.

Our trust in God is something the enemy would LOVE to steal from us…. Psalm 22:9 tells us of when our need for trust began and with whom. Exercise on lower page 14 is what happens when our trust in someone is broken. These emotions that we feel is something that the enemy is looking for…because when we feel alone, rejected, and confused…then, he decides to come in with the lies.

  

2. God, do You love me? – LOVE – have to have it, right? This is something that most, if not all of us, yearn for…single, married, dating, whatever…. We all want to love, and to be loved.

 

5 different types of love:
Eros is a passionate love, between a man and a woman with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". However, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the philia love of friendship. It can also apply to dating relationships as well as marriage. Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself.

 

Phileo, which means friendship in modern Greek, a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept developed by Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity. In ancient texts, philia denoted a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers. It is as the affection between two people drawn together in a relationship based on common interests.

 

Agapē means "love" in modern day Greek. It is the unfailing, selfless love that every single one of our hearts longs for. Agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for a good meal, one's children, and the feelings for a spouse. It can be described as the feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. The verb appears in the New Testament describing, amongst other things, the relationship between Jesus and the beloved disciple. This kind of love always considers the other person’s interest. The only way we can love this way, is if we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

 

The problem with this is that we come to God with the understanding of what we have experienced love to be from the world…because that’s all we know. And so when God tells us He loves us, we have a hard time grasping the concept.

 

Storge means "affection" in modern Greek; it is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring. Rarely used in ancient works, and then almost exclusively as a descriptor of relationships within the family.

 

Thelema means "desire" in modern Greek; it is the desire to do something, to be occupied, to be in prominence.

  

3. God, are You good? The question in the book is “what do you do when the person who we believed has disappointed us the most in the area of being good to us is God Himself? This is a great question! Then the other part of this question deals with the presence vs the presents of God. Is God good only when we get things from Him or is He just a good God all together? How much do you and I equate the goodness of God with our personal happiness and comfort?

 

4. God, are You just? You know we look at our lives and compare it to the lives of others and we start asking God if certain things are fair….are they just… etc.

Read 1 Sam1:1-8

 

Making the choice to leave the pit. How do we get out of it? With God’s help, of course. First we need to recognize who God is, and secondly, examine our feelings and emotions…and see if they agree and accept God for who He is.

 

This is the battle in our minds.

Self Builders:

• Are you honest with yourself that you have once in your life asked one of those 4 questions?
• What has been the outcome?

Risk, and Reward

Have you ever thought of taking a risk?  Doing something entirely different from the way you are used to? A little change here and there....might actually bring you a greater reward.

We think of something different as a catalyst for stress. Taking risks does not have to be stressful.  If we go into it trusting and hoping for good results, we'll get it!  Just as Ruth (in the book of Ruth) took a huge risk, stepped out of her comfort zone and traveled with Naomi, it strategically put her in a lineage of blessings.

We have that part of us that wants to hold on to tradition, to the safe, to the norm, to the comfortable, the way its always been.  But like Ruth, I want to trust that change - even unwanted change - can be the threshold to a new dimension of growth. 

I pray this for you too ladies! :)

Risk-Taking Builders:

• Are there any unsettling changes that you are currently facing?
• Despite the risk of change, how can you look forward to new areas of growth?