Sun, 22-Jan-2012 -- Freedom

Freedom, a photo by Pardesi* on Flickr.

"Freedom is not the absence of bars, rather it is the presence of Christ." Sheila Walsh

She goes on to say that freedom isn't circumstantial, but true freedom comes from the inside when the Son of Christ sets you free, you are free indeed.

Freedom doesn't come when this or that happens, it comes from Jesus Christ. I've been learning a lot about freedom in a somewhat painful way, through relationships with people, one in particular.

I found that I was in prison with certain beliefs and mindsets that kept me in bondage. I had become accustomed to feeling and thinking that way, that I knew no difference, that I was even enslaved.

God is so patient. He used the Holy Spirit and certain recent relationships to reveal just how faulty my thinking was. Humbling. But, along with gaining freedom, though Jesus Christ is already my personal Savior, I wasn't living in total freedom, there was a cost for it.

I'm learning some of the cost for me gaining freedom is some people will not come along with me because they remained enslaved to wrong thinking that they cannot or think they cannot get out of. In it of themselves, they can't. But, Christ and total surrender to Christ will bring freedom.

I realize that as I change, some people will become a greater part of my life, some people depart, new people come in. It shows me that I am growing as a person.

Are the people that are showing up in your life steeped in all sorts of bondage & turmoil, a prisoner of their thoughts, feelings and circumstances? Maybe you should look no further at yourself in what God is attempting to show you about yourself.

Observe your life to see what is showing up. It's very curious and interesting.

Sat, 14-Jan-2012 -- Hero

Skillet is probably one of my top 10 favorite groups.  There is something angry, depressing about them that I love as there is a part of me that is that way. Yet, that is a small part of me and the greater part of me is hopeful, optimistic, loving.  But, lately, a number of Skillet's songs have been dotting my days and this one in particular has been coming up:

This is "Hero".  The lyrics - I need a hero to save me.  Often as humans, we want someone to save us from all our miseries, or maybe that event will occur and something will magically happen to reverse everything around.  And, on the rare occasion, something like that does happen.  Probably the most noticable one that we can all see is someone winning the lottery.  Perhaps it's a person that is broke and wins mega millions and is instantly thrust into riches.  But, usually, less than a decade later, the person is even broker than before winning the lottery.

Did their "hero", the lottery really benefit their lives in the long run?  No.  They weren't ready to have money yet and when they came into it, they could not steward the money well as they did not have the character that could help them use it well.

FEAR

The past few years, though I have known Jesus as my personal Savior for over 35 yrs (wow, that makes me sound old), it's not until all my super hardships hit and I totally had to lean on God, because my Plan B, C, Z all failed.  I realized that I had placed my focus on the wrong places and people, that Jesus was really my hero.

When we lean on the right things to help us through life, I think God can also create people who can be great role-models or "heroes".  I think about my parents and what they had to go through growing up, or raising 5 children (especially me, because I greatly challenged them and probably made them rethink being a parent), or the many things they endured.  They are my first heroes.  My siblings are also my heroes, because I know that them being my siblings and me their sister hasn't been easy either.  I tend to challenge those I'm closest to.

HURT

But, I see many people that have risen above the great challenges they've faced to overcome beliefs they've been living out that were not healthy or good, to smash those wrong beliefs, to create new beliefs in which they stepped into.  I've been doing that a lot in the past couple years very aggressively.  My family, church, and friends have come along side of me to help me when I would fall down and can't get back up.

SHAME

Other times, it's just God and I and asking Him to give me the courage to face the ugly things I've believed, those lies, and to smash them.  What I've learned when you challenge your belief system, you will come under great opposition the harder that belief system is engrained into you.  But, every time you get knocked down as you challenge wrong beliefs, and get back up to take action against that wrong belief, it chips away at that wrong belief a little at a time.  Eventually, that wrong belief is whittled away to nothing and you've replaced it with a correct belief system.

RESOLVE

As we are at the beginning of a new year and New Year's resolutions are at the peak of the year, one of the big challenges that many people face is to lose weight.  Those who succeed will be the ones that continue chipping away at wrong actions that led them to where they are by making healthier choices until they no longer make those choices.  With some, they may need to spend years to do this, others not too long.  But, whatever it is, it's to not give up and to keep on keeping on until you have a correct belief system in place.

COURAGE

How do you know if you have a correct, healthy belief system?  The actions you take, how you live your life will reflect your belief system.  We always live out what we believe.

What do you believe?  What does your life say you believe?  Are you making hero choices?

HERO

It's not that heroes aren't afraid, rather they choose to continue to act inspite of opposition and difficulty.  Are you a hero?  Share your hero stories with me.  I'd love to hear them.  Let's inspire each other.

Don't give up!  You are not alone.