WHAT IS IT YOU WANT TODAY?

Anyone whoever did anything worth-while and stuck with it, is considered an Achiever. Jesus, the master teacher Himself gave us the formula in Matthew 24:13 when He said, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” There it is, plain and simple, the pay off, the reward, the achievement, that final accomplishment in some work towards a personal desire. In a recent study from a well know University, a five year survey was done on some of the top 20 performers in this country in various fields, including a wide range of successful athletes, sculptors, mathematicians, physicians, teachers, musicians, actors, scholars and chief executives. This study also included an interview with the families and teachers of these celebrated high achievers to try and find out what the common key in their success was. What they discovered was, that the mere drive and determination, not talent led them to their success. Imagine that! Just some plain old determination that fuels the will power of anyone that strikes out to do a thing and does not turn back! That reminds me of a woman in the Bible, whose faith was rewarded by her determination to have what she longed for, her health! In Mark chapter 5, "If I could just touch His clothes, I would be healed", that is what she told herself, this nameless bleeding woman who had traveled many miles, fueled by nothing but her faith. She had a bold plan. According to the Mosaic Law, a woman who was ceremonially unclean wasn't allowed to touch anyone, let alone the Son of God, yet desperation calls for desperate things. For 12 long years she had had this problem with loosing blood and it was causing her to be physically sick and even socially unacceptable. The Bibles says that the physicians of her time were unable to relieve her suffering. She spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she only grew worse. Most of us would have thrown ourselves in His path, begging Him to help us. Instead our bleeding sister quietly "came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak" Mark 5:27. By law, her touch would have made Him unclean. By grace, just the opposite happened. "Immediately her bleeding stopped" Mark 5:29 says. Without a word, a look, or a touch from Jesus, she was made whole simply by believing He could heal her...and daring to act on that belief. As her faith was rewarded her, she wasn't the only one who noticed. Jesus turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" Mark 5:30. At that point she and Jesus both knew that it had happened, her faith had healed her. Wow, how that scripture illustrates how sensitive Jesus is to our needs, that just a touch in faith to His garment will get His attention for us! How her heart must have pounded as she heard Him say, "Who touched me?". When the disciples pointed out to Jesus that there were many in the crowded street and everyone was touching and grabbing Him, Jesus kept looking around to see who it was that had touched Him with that kind of faith! He wasn't looking to accuse but to affirm. The same faith that empowered her to stretch out her hand now, gave her the strength to step forward. She "fell at his feet and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth" Mark 5:33. She risked everything, public humiliation, and maybe even possible punishment for her actions to explain her, confession of faith to Jesus. The true miracle in this story is about the faith she had, not what she did. Her determination was fueled by her faith. Her willingness to believe she could be well again, despite all evidence to the contrary, and do whatever it would take to get it. When she heard about the man Jesus who'd healed many who had various diseases in Mark 1:34, she made a beeline for Capernaum to see Him.  What is it that you want from Jesus today? When was the last time that you longed to touch the hem of His garment because you knew that only He has what you must have to be better, to be whole, to be free; whether it be physically, or spiritually? He will not disappoint you dear friend, but your faith will determine your answer. If you struggle with your faith; simply ask Him to help your weak faith and show you where your answer lies. And do everything in your power to trust and get to Him!

Loving on you today,

Bren

Changing Your Attitude

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. (I Thessalonians 5:18). This is one of many, many verses in Scripture that instructs us to give thanks, or be thankful. God knows that life is hard and dealing with life’s circumstances can deplete us of our energy as well as our kind attitudes, and that is why He gives so much instruction to help guide us through those tenacious times. There is nothing that touches our lives, that He has not already given a prescription to follow to help, in alleviating the pain and stresses that life brings us. So in our trying to maunder though those difficult times, let’s apply some practical lessons to change the way we look and deal with them and see for ourselves, how changing our views on them will change our entire outlook and drive us to a higher level, in living and walking through them. One of the reasons that we get so bent out of shape over our circumstances is because, it constitutes a change that may have to take place in us. A choice if you will, and this, can upset us. We get upset because, we do not like what we are confronted with and the answer to alleviate the problem may be, that change in our will or attitude will have to take place. You see, change is always connected to complaining; when the change goes against what we want to happen. It conflicts with our feeling of entitlement, for something. When we say things like, "I hate my job”, “I can't stand this house I live in”, “why can't I make more money”, “my spouse doesn't even try” or “I thought they were my friend?", you get the picture! Those feelings must be met with change and practice or you will stay in the rut of discouragement and gloom and doing so, very possibly will pull those around you down as well. We can change a bad attitude by choosing to change it, stretching ourselves to reach for something deeper within us, that is not always laying around on the surface of our expressions and attitudes.

As we do, we reap the benefits of our gratitude. What better time to start freshening up your thankful thinking, than the upcoming, Thanksgiving Holidays. As we do, our appreciation stimulates in us a sense of obligation. Not an externally imposed obligation, but a sense of obligation that arises naturally within us as we recognize how we have been supported and cared for and not only how we are should pay it back, but out of obedience to the Word of God. Your gratitude can be cultivated through your sincere self-reflection on having a choice. Our deepest sense of gratitude comes simply through grace, with the awareness that we have not earned it, nor do we deserve all that we've been given. The Lord gives grace to the humble and He can change us, if we will obey what He ask us to do, through our choices. Choose today, how you will respond to your life’s circumstances. Don’t wait for the trial to come, choose now what your plan will be and how you will respond. Learn to see your situations as God sees them and be very careful not to judge God by your own equations, of how and what you think about your circumstances, but always by what He has to say about them. Maybe today sweet Friend you are judging God because of what you think you know about Him and not what is the truth. Never equate the love of God for you, by what is happening in your life. But, know this: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. Romans 8:28.

Loving on you today Sweet Friend,

Bren