Embrace the Within no. 23

“What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways!

He won’t walk in step with the wicked,

nor share the sinner’s way,

nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat.

His passion is to remain true to the Word of “I AM,”

meditating day and night on the true revelation of light.

He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree

planted by God’s design,

deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,

bearing fruit in every season of life.

He is never dry, never fainting,

ever blessed, ever prosperous.

But how different are the wicked.

They are like chaff blown away by the wind.

The wicked will not endure the day of judgment,

for God will not defend them.

Nothing they do will succeed or endure for long,

for they have no part with those who walk in truth.

But how different it is for the righteous!

The Lord embraces their paths as they move forward

while the way of the wicked leads only to doom.”

Psalms 1 TPT

I am not alone. This week has been something else. Taking my eldest daughter to college, having a swollen knee, having her get homesick, and walking on crutches for the first time have all been experiences that I don’t really want to go through right now BUT they are what I am going through right now. I am quite humbled by everything.

The swelling is going down and I have learned a lesson in both my limitations and in trusting others. I am not a fan of either lesson. And that is the way life goes. I don’t get to choose the lessons I learn. I don’t get to choose the obstacles I face. I don’t get to choose how this journey goes and how it ends. I just get to choose while it happens.

And I can choose righteously or wickedly. We all get to choose. And choosing righteousness does not mean I am always right. Choosing righteousness does not mean I will have it easy. Choosing righteousness does not mean I have it all figured out. Choosing righteousness means that I am not alone in my choice. I have the Word to guide my choices. I have the Spirit to grant me wisdom. I have the Son to grant me forgiveness. I have the Father to give me law. When you have God, you not only have one ally BUT all the allies you will ever need. You get a treasury of ancient wisdom laid out for you in the pages of those that came before us. You get a presence in your life, a redeemer of your sins, and a guide for your life. You get all you will ever need.

There are more than enough choices for me to make for my life that occupy my time. And rather than worrying about the wicked, I am going to concern myself with doing right. I can only do so much. Just as this injury has limited me physically, I need to embrace that my actions are limited as well. My sphere of control is not so much further than my own skin. And working on my nephesh is a great place to start.

I can be in the best shape of my life and still find myself struggling. It’s literally happening to me this week. BUT, I am not alone. I have more than enough resources when I put my faith, my trust, and my belief in the only true God. I can no longer rely on my own strength to get me through. I must rely on God.

Peace to your home. Bless your being. The reign of God is now. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin

Embrace the Within no. 22

“Ah! believe me, whatever we may say about the reckless, heedless multitude of mankind, those whom God blesses, and those whom God uses, cannot fall until the day’s work is done.”

• Edwin Paxton Hood

Yesterday was a physical struggle and today continues on that note. With my knee being a constant problem for mobility, I am having to rely on others to get things accomplished. And this is definitely not in alignment with my character. I will not ask for help. I will struggle and fight through the pain and problems to get things completed.

So, this injury is humbling. And I really think that is the purpose and lesson I am supposed to be working through over the next few days as I heal. I need to learn to trust in others. And that is a really difficult thing for me to do, even when it is my own people.

I am going to be receptive to the lesson and learn what I need to grow and continue on my journey. This may not be the way I want things to be, however, it is the way that things are. And no amount of worry or anger is ever going to change that. I can only pray and read as I walk the path ahead of me.

There is still work to be done and that work is not getting accomplished through my own stubbornness and determination. That work is now going to rely on compassion and cooperation. This weekend is going to be a chance for my family and I to work together out of the necessity of my limitations. And that process can only make us stronger as a whole. Rather than me working on things as an individual, I have to put trust and faith in them just as I easily put trust and faith in God.

I think one of the biggest problems I have experienced in the past is the limitation I have placed on the importance of others in my walk. I am not a huge fan of the folks that gather in churches because I have seen in the past how folks get turned away from their main focus of worship and end up worrying about baser things. BUT, I cannot let other people be a stumbling block in my walk with God. So, I have worked around that by attending a few different church buildings at different times. Now thinking that I might be limited in my ability to be among those folks this weekend is even starting to trouble me in spite of the fact that I started out just looking for an intimate study group and resigned myself to attending services.

The blessing has been that the places I have gone have not been packed with people. And the folks I have met over the past few months of working on my walk have been really beneficial in helping me dispel my fears of the folks at church. And, at this point, even if they were your typical church ladies with their bonnets tied too tightly I would still be going to church. I am never going to let other people stop me from attending church. So, just as with this lesson I am learning now, through all these struggles, obstacles, and challenges, I am continuing my walk and, hopefully, strengthening my relationship.

If I want any relationship to be stronger, I must share in what the other values. This weekend will be a journey in strengthening relationships with others as I humble myself to ask for help.

Peace to your home. Bless your being. The reign of God is now. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyNepheshMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin