5 Simple Truths to Help Combat Defensiveness - Posted on Daughters of the Deep

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 12:15, NLT

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “… it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.” 1

Recently, I began to dig into scripture and books about self-understanding, in order to try and figure out why I have a growing issue with becoming defensive easily and way too often.

I have noticed an increase in my defensiveness, especially in my career, and that causes me to wonder why?

Sometimes, when I am corrected or given advice, I immediately feel as though the individual is degrading me or decreasing the value of my hard work. I get upset and feel as though I am being told that I am not competent to handle it.

I have self-confidence, and I believe that I am competent enough to figure out most things that come my way (with prayer and God on my side, of course!). But I don’t believe that I am prideful or boastful, except…in these moments that defensiveness takes over.

I recognize that it does not feel good when I act defensively, so why am I allowing this reaction to overtake my better judgment?

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense”2

Wow, that is powerful! I have to agree with that statement! My current sense of contentment is lacking greatly!

Still I seek an answer to “Why?” I am experiencing such defensiveness…

In the midst of writing this blog post for Daughters of the Deep, I am also preparing to start teaching a new book study. Tonight as I was walking on the treadmill and thinking about this post, I am also reading the book for my upcoming study, and this is what I just read, “If we get so focused on our kingdom-call that we miss the daily call, we will be susceptible to selfish ambition, self-centeredness, and a self-important view of our role in God’s kingdom work.  And if…we miss the importance of the present moment, we may get a wrong picture of what faithfulness (and even success) looks like.”3

That makes a lot of sense! I definitely think my view of “success” may have become skewed lately…

Having a right view of ourselves has a profound effect on everything. In Romans, Paul says, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.” (Rom. 12:16).

And Paul later said to the Philippians, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3–4).

A single sentence summary of all this information that I have gathered is, that Pride is one of the devil’s most destructive tools. Pride can cause us to lose our true selves and become someone that we are not, even if for only a moment.

What beautiful thoughts and deeply helpful information God has put on my heart and mind as I have pondered and researched this topic!

The result, is these 5 simple truths to help combat defensiveness:

1. The wise listen to others. (Proverbs 12:15)
2. Pride can eat up contentment, and even common sense. (C.S. Lewis)
3. If we miss the importance of the present moment, we may get a wrong picture of what success looks like. (Susie Larson)
4. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)
5. Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:16)

I hope and pray that this information I have gathered and this list of truths, blesses your life as it has mine!

1. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Simon & Schuster Touchstone edition, 1996), 109, 111.
2. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 112.
3. Susie Larson, Your Beautiful Purpose (Bethany House Publishers, 2013), 32.

Praying for the World - Post on Daughters of the Deep

In this time of deep uncertainty in the World.  Many staggering questions surround us daily...

The best thing for us to do when we want to help, is Pray! 

Click below to read my newest Blog Post on Daughters of the Deep: 

Praying For the World post 
                  Click Above

Imagine what might happen if each of us prayed longer and stronger for the World, each time that we were fearful about something going on in the World.

Let us cover this broken World with prayer! Let us all put down our fears, as we kneel powerfully together and repeatedly call upon the healer of all, the maker of the Universe; to help this land and to use us each to make a difference in any way, large or small, that we are able.

Sprinkle Love All Around - My Recent Post for Bridging the Gap

“If you wrote a song about recent experiences in your life, what would the title be?”

My recent answer was: 

"Sprinkle Love All Around"
                 Click Here

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Romans 12:9 (NLT)

Isn’t it amazing how love multiplies and spreads?

Please click above to read my story about sharing love and being surrounded by love! 

Peace to your week! 

What Is Your Vocation? - posted 1st on Daughters of the Deep

Hello dear readers!

Today I have a post to share with you all, which is very dear to my heart!

Here is my favorite quote from the post, "Do EVERYTHING that you do, whether mundane or classy, whether required or soul-provoked, whether boring or delightful; do it all in the name of God and with the full love of God poured out to those you share life’s moments with!"

My post,  What Is Your Vocation?  just went live on the Daughters of the Deep blog, and I am so excited about it!

Please click above to read and enjoy mu most recent post!

Love Your Neighbor - Posted on Daughters of the Deep

Please check out my most recent Blog Post that was just published on Daughters of the Deep:  

Love Your Neighbor - Posted on Daughters of the Deep
                                         Click to View

Here's a quote from the post: 

"Understanding that prayer is helpful in all circumstances is the key to letting go and letting God handle it!"

Enjoy! 

Live By Grace, Not By Perfection

Live by grace,

not by perfection.

That is the sign above my desk at work.

I need to be reminded of that every day!

Does someone in your life expect perfection from you?

If so, hold strong to the truth that we cannot obtain perfection, and that is OK.

I find myself striving so hard to please others.

Especially when it comes to my coworkers, who demand perfection from me. It is very difficult when we find ourselves in situations in life, in which perfection is expected.  As believers, we know in our hearts that perfection is unattainable for us, but that does not make the pressure from the World around us go away.

The grace of God is Enough! Believe it!  Live it!  Know it every day!

The only human that could ever, can ever, and will ever obtain perfection, was half-human half-holy, Jesus our Christ. So if the people in your life are pushing you towards perfection, stand firm in your belief that God's grace is enough!

We can sometimes put so much pressure on ourselves; the last thing we need is to internalize pressure from others!

Listen to the truth in these scriptures I highlight today. 

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not in vain

As long as we work with all our heart, and give our personal best to whatever we do, the grace of God makes that enough!

You are enough just as you are!

Listen to this wonderful song, that I have chosen to interpret to be about the struggle to accept that we are Enough. And also that Jesus' sacrifice if Enough for us and we do not need to strive so hard! 

"Enough" By Branan Murphy

You are enough for God! Jesus is enough for you.

Put a stop the pressure around you and within you, pushing toward perfection. Believe that You are enough!

"Another Blessed Year" - My Post on Daughters of the Deep

Hi Readers! 

Here's an excerpt from my most recent post, that went live last week, on Daughters of the Deep: 

"...if the numbers added to my age equate to more love and more wisdom and more friendships and more opportunities to care for others and share the love of God, then I guess I’ll take it!"

"…what if we broadcast our physical age as “years loved” or “years praising” or “years of wisdom”?  What if we all embraced that number as an accomplishment?

“Another year well spent loving God’s people as he loves me!”

Click HERE to read my "Another Blessed Year" post

Enjoy! 

Tomatoes & Tears

Ladies, I don’t know if you all will admit it, but I will… sometimes us women get emotional over some really strange things…

Hence the title of this post, “Tomatoes and Tears”.

I had an experience, just 2 days ago, in which I was crying; tears streaming down my face, about tomatoes.


Yes, tomatoes.

You see, the availability of fresh, home grown, organic produce for my family, recently changed drastically. Over the last several years, I had many types of fresh organic vegetables readily available to me, all through the summer months. And in the Winter months, because I was involved in
canning of many types, my family could enjoy the healthy  vegetables year round.

But, an unforeseen wedge got jabbed really hard into the beautiful arrangement that I had going then, and the engine of that healthy, glorious train, stopped.

This past winter, there I was , left with no canned goods at all. And let me tell you, my whole family missed them tremendously!

Anyway…..how did I get from there to tears…..

Well, the tears come in, this fall…after 3 weeks of begging friends and acquaintances (that had been saying they would have too many tomatoes from their gardens) to share the abundance with me; and being given none. And then, the person that I asked most often, and the person that I am closest too personally, gave her extras to someone else.  Right in front of my eyes none the less…in comes the tears….
 
I guess the level at which my family missed the canned goods, and the yearning, as a mom, to feed my family the best, homegrown produce and foods possible, and having lost the previous opportunity, had brought me to a place of deeper sadness than I had realized…

Well, God intervened…..and today (just 2 days after the teary breakdown) as I type this post, I am admiring, right in front of me, 75 lbs. of beautiful fresh produce, purchased from a local organic farm, waiting for me to can…..And tomorrow I am blessed to pick up 20 more lbs. from one of those loving friends that I had dropped all the hints to…

I wish now, that I would not have let my emotions get the best of me.  God provides! Instead of getting emotional and feeling so hurt, I should have simply prayed to God for providence.

He did provide, and in abundance, as God always will!  Sometimes it may not be in the way that we think it should happen, but He provides!

Psalm 36:8 (NIV)
They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights. 

“River of delights”….yes!  What a beautiful delight the Lord has given me, as I look at these beautiful vegetables and smile!  God quickly turned the stream of tears to a river of delight!  Click to Tweet

He will provide the same for you too!

Dear Lord,
Help us to remember to rely on your providence.  Remind us to pray to you for our ever need and want.  For You will provide, when the time is right! Amen.

**  Published 1st on "Daughters of the Deep", in Nov. 2017

Faith Incompatibility in Your Relationship

Observing your own faith grow, can be a very magical experience!  We often have a desire to talk to others about the positive changes in our lives and to share our excitement in this regard!  What happens when we try to share our interest with someone important to us, and the feeling is not returned?

More and more women are experiencing relationship struggles regarding their faith incompatibility with their significant other. Many couples do not regularly attend church together, like was a custom in years past.  

I can relate! This has always been an issue in my own relationship. As I have grown and matured in my faith over the years, my husband seems to have stayed stationary; in the same spot he was when we said our vows.

If partners do not understand each other’s stance on the topic of faith, this can become a source of deep relationship frustration!

Many times, I have found myself hoping and praying that my significant other could experience deepening faith, as I have. I have wished for him to experience the love of God in the beautiful ways that I have. But, after years and years of praying for him to experience what I have, I finally realize, that each person has their very own “rate of growth” when it comes to their relationship with God.

So rather than praying for your significant other to progress in faith in a manner similar to you, pray for them to progress in faith as God intends for them to progress!

As I began to pay closer attention to the “faith gap” between my significant other and myself, I realized that some of it was being amplified by my desires for him to understand me more fully.  Who am I to expect that? All these years, I should have been praying for him to more fully understand GOD, not ‘my’ faith.  Because really, his relationship with God will blossom in its own way and at its own time as God leads him to a fuller understanding of His blessings and the importance of a solid relationship with Him.

As you wait patiently, to watch God move in your loved one’s life; I would urge you to pray Romans 15:5-6, over your relationship (replacing “you” with “us/we”):  

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

And then, watch and wait. God is holding your relationship in His hands.  We can be certain that He has a plan, and will bring it to fruition at the perfect time!  So let us stop comparing our faith with that of our significant other, and let us embrace the difference and enjoy the ride as we wait and watch God move in their life, in His own time!

www.frommylifetoyourheart.com

When it Rains it Pours

But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.       Isaiah 40:31

My title was chosen in the sense of a wonderful rain; a blessing filled rain. I am writing today about God raining down blessings. Your mental image, however, should be of Him pouring them out so heavily, and so quickly, that the positive change is overwhelming.

Have you been there?  I hope so!

Let’s reflect with sheer positivity for a moment… Have you been overwhelmingly blessed?

I am at that point right now in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing to complain about at all; but still I am overwhelmed. The good Lord blessed me with a wonderful new Full-time job (better for my family, scary for the future of my volunteer ministry…), a finished book proposal (finally!), several speaking engagements, and 3 Publisher appointments, all in the same month. This is very wonderful and prayer answering indeed, however, I am quite overwhelmed while preparing for Publisher meetings to pitch my 1st solo book, while also learning a new, complicated, job.

So, I look to the Bible for encouragement in this time of happy exhaustion…

And I am immediately reminded, from Isaiah, that the Lord will renew my strength.  That when I feel as though I can no longer walk on, the Lord will provide me with wings to fly ahead and rest my weary legs.  That I will not faint, for with strength from the Lord in my heart, mind, and body, I can run any and every race to its completion!  And you can too, dear sister in Christ!

Lean on the Lord; Trust in the Lord.  These statements are not only for trying times, but rather for all of life’s overwhelming times, whether positive or not. 

Remember, dear sisters, that you might still feel exhausted, even when you are deeply blessed, and that is OK! And with that, look to the Lord for strength of carry on!

God gives us blessings for specific reasons that only He knows, and while we are praising Him for the blessings, lets always also remember to pray to Him about the intended use of those blessings, and that our Heavenly Father help us Bless others through all that we have been given!

Ministering to others can become exhausting and overwhelming. I’ll be the first to admit that I have almost lost my cool teaching Sunday School. Yes, I have dragged myself out of bed, and half-heartedly went to worship on Sunday morning. But do you know what? God pushes us through the exhausting points, and onward, toward the moments of value, when we can sit back and say, ‘that was worth it! I reached someone today’ or ‘God touched me through that experience’. The purpose will be found in every single moment that God pushes us through and to; and once that beautiful purpose is revealed, the overwhelmed-ness turns to gratefulness!   Deep gratefulness for the opportunity to experience that blessing!!

Be Thankful!   Be Humble!   Feel and admire the strength coming directly from God, to you, for His purpose. And dear Christian Sisters, enjoy the pouring rain; dance in the pouring rain!

*This post was 1st seen on Daughters of the Deep