Bountiful Blessings
June
8th, 2014
Good
morning, my friends. How are you on the beautiful (though predicted nasty) day?
We are all good here. Ready to pile in the car and go visit family. Always a
highlight (and no, I am not being sarcastic. Well, the highlight is going to
visit family, not the piling in the car part. That part is yucky). I was
contemplating what to write this week (like my use of a big word?), and the
answer came to me pretty quickly. Disappointment. Specifically, disappointment
in someone else. I allowed someone to hurt me this week. He or she does not
even realize it (and I am not sure if “he” would even care if “he” did). And
then I got to thinking about myself. How often do I say a careless word that
hurts someone’s feelings or disappoints them? This month…this week… today?
Really puts it into perspective. Makes me feel crummy. But what causes
disappointment? (Beyond the fact, that people can simply be insensitive,
thoughtless or even rude) generally we place too high of expectations on others.
The only person who will not disappoint us is God. Does that mean that we shouldn’t
try a little harder? Absolutely not. You should always try to be a better
person. Always. But maybe we shouldn’t place so much pressure on others to
conform to our expectations and
ideals. When we do so, well, we are asking for disappointment. Only God is perfect.
Have
you faced disappointment in a friend or loved one lately? Did they do or say
something that hurt you? You thought better of them. You wondered how they
could say that to you or about you. What about you? When was the last time that
you did or said something that when you thought it over later, you thought,
maybe I shouldn’t have said that or maybe I could have phrased that better? Ugh. So what is the thought/the plan for this
week? I have two in mind for me. One – I am going to release this
disappointment (maybe even a little anger) that I have been holding on to this
past week. Let go of the pain and the nasty thoughts. Two – I am going to make
a conscious effort to watch what I say and do. My mouth often gets away with
me, and all it takes is one slip of the tongue to strike someone. (I try to
apologize when I do it. But the wound is already there. The apology is simply a
band aid. Sigh.) For me, I can often recognize the problem, even the solution,
but the actual putting it into practice, that is the difficult part….
Today,
I ask you to give your worries, your anger, your disappointment to God. Let him
take all those nasty feelings away. Replace them with love and forgiveness.
Then try to think about your words or actions beforehand. Instead of second
guessing and replaying conversations, think about them first. Always better to
be proactive instead of reactive, right?
Bible
Verse for the week:
Do
not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful
for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen. Ephesians 4:29
Picture
for the week:
Bible
Fun for the week:
Unscramble
the following Bible verse: (ant then try to follow it this week J)
Do otn
elt nay wnoleuhsemo tkla cmoe uto fo ryuo smutoh, tub lyon wtah si
hplelfu fro bdlgniu thores up accgnidro
to threi nsede, ttah ti yam bfitnee sehot how neslit. Dna od tno grveei the Holy Spirit of God, wthi
wmho yuo wree delaes rof eth yad fo derpmeniot. Teg idr fo lal ssenttreib,
arge adn ganre, gbwranil dan drenlsa, galon hitw eeyrv rmfo fo cielam.
Eb dink adn cmsspapoetan to eon reantoh,
fgivorign ecah rohte,stju sa ni Christ God rfgoave oyu. Ephesians
Prayer
for the week:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your presence in my life, for your
love and for your forgiveness. Please help me to monitor my words and my
actions, so that I leave a positive reflection in someone’s life. Lord, I also
ask that you help me to remember that only you are perfect and I am placing
unrealistic standards on those around me, hurting both them and me. Thank you
for being by my side, helping me, encouraging me, forgiving me. As I head out
into the world today, may everything I do bring honor and praise to your name.
I love you. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Have a wonderful week, my friends!
Terri
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