"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows)." ... John 10:10
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Remember all those pieces of bark which fluttered down upon our lawn this past week? Most of them were easily eaten by our lawn mower. (Yay!) As for the 4 piles of bark I'd raked up? Slowly I'm crushing those pieces by hand, turning them to mulch for my Farm Garden Bed (as I call it, the one which gets incredible sunlight).
I'm loving that look!
And remember our neighbor's sewer pipe sticking up in the middle of her lawn and the way she sat an adorable ceramic frog on it? Well, now she placed a beyond-sweet tiny wishing well with flowers over it. Another wonderful idea.
As I see it? There are two ways to live this life on Earth.
1. We can see ourselves as victims, powerless to overcome the rotten things we're handed and so we just accept that we've got an (unchangeable) bad life
--or--
2. We can live this abundant life Jesus died to give us using all His incredible, creative possibilities to make it amazing, allowing it to appear different than other peoples'... and finding the unique joy in that.
I believe Eternal Life begins the day we ask Jesus into our hearts--not just when we zoom through Heaven's Gates.
What kind of eternal life are you experiencing right now? A decade-after-decade defeated, sad, miffed-at-God, jealous, hopeless one?
Or an overcoming-bad-times, joy-on-your-face, faith-splashing one?
Always the choice is ours. Always. Only Jesus and you are inside your head (and heart), so well, what are you both believing in there today?
How's your 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' going?
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And of course.... I'm not just talking falling bark and sewer pipes here! :)
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I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." ... Ezekiel 36:26
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Immediately Get Rid Of Your Victim Mentality
And here's a wonderful article about how certain athletes overcame obstacles.
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As I see it? A victim mentality is like having a syringe full of poison injected into your brain daily.
Oh dear.
“As long as you think that the cause of your problem is “out there”—as long as you think that anyone or anything is responsible for your suffering—the situation is hopeless. It means that you are forever in the role of victim, that you’re suffering in paradise.”
― Byron Katie, Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life
Message received. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Debra! My life is getting better day by day. Recovering from all those medical things earlier. Did you read on the maud list that Kathy Baxter was in Buffalo yesterday and wishing she could find Bick's grave...?Too bad she didn't say something earlier about it.
ReplyDeleteI still have lovely memories of our day with you and Tom.
Dolores: :) Thanks for letting me know.
ReplyDeleteKristi--oh wow! I hadn't read Kathleen's post yet, but went and read it after your comment here.
Darn. I would have loved to give her and Riley the grand tour had I known sooner. It would have been a little tricky to arrange things with Naomi being here, too, but it could have been done. Oh well!
And I still love remembering when you and Paul and Tom and I visited Bick and her husband's graves and the house! And you know? I often recall how, afterward, you and I walked back to our yard and a huge flock of birds arose into the sunny skies from my flowers and the birdseed. Another favorite memory of the many I have here in Buffalo!
Thanks again......Debra