Simplify Your Life
November 2, 2009
Simplify Your Life
Indecision is a miserable state to be in and certainly is not a fruit of the simple life. Simplicity prays, seeks wisdom and decides. It doesn’t waffle. It sticks with the decision it made unless there is a very good reason to change it. The apostle James said the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and will not receive anything he asks from the Lord.
How can God give us anything if we can never make up our minds concerning what we want?
Inevitably, our journeys through life bring us to many unavoidable decisions, and we will always get into trouble if we make them emotionally or according to what we think or want. God wants us to make wise decisions. I believe having wisdom is choosing to do now what we will be happy with later.
I love Proverbs 8:2-3: “On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly]; at the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out” (The Amplified Bible).
If you want to simplify your life, you must think about the future and realize the choices you make today will affect tomorrow. Some people are never able to relax and enjoy life because every day they deal with messes resulting from not walking in wisdom. I frequently hear people say, “I know I should not do this, but … .”
It is foolish to do things we know we shouldn’t do. How can anyone expect to get a right result if they already know they are making a wrong decision?
They are gambling on things turning out right anyway, but wisdom does not gamble; it invests. Making the decision to do the right things now may not bring pleasure right away, but it does later on. So many people pay a high price for a cheap thrill, but you can make a decision right now to not be one of them.
It’s entirely possible that we make a million decisions in our lifetime, and the wiser they are, the better our lives will be. Simplifying your life requires that you really think about your decisions before you make them. James 5:12 says, “But above all [things], my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but let your yes be [a simple] yes, and your no be [a simple] no, so that you may not sin and fall under condemnation.”
What James is saying is, “Make a decision. Just say yes or no; and don’t keep changing your mind.” We often labor over the choices before us when we just need to make a decision and let it stand. This may be a simple example, but think about it: When you stand in front of your closet in the morning looking at all your clothes, just choose something and put it on. Do not go back and forth until you make yourself late for work!
Let me encourage you to start making decisions without second-guessing yourself or worrying about the choices you make. Don’t be double-minded or wishy-washy because doubting your decisions after you make them will steal the enjoyment from everything you do. Make the best decisions you can and trust God with the results. Do not be anxious or afraid of being wrong.
If your heart is right and you make a decision not in accordance with God’s will, He will forgive you and help you move on. Be decisive. Whatever you need to do in life, just do it—and keep it simple. “Let go and let God be God” really is a good idea. It immediately simplifies any situation, no matter how difficult. We need to do what we can and then cast the rest, along with our cares, on God.
The Bible says we should do what the crisis requires and “having done all … to stand” (Eph. 6:13). Work at having a simple approach to decision-making. Life is too short to live it frustrated.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. She has written more than 70 books, including the popular Beauty for Ashes and Battlefield of the Mind, and her most recent, Never Give Up! (all FaithWords). She is also the founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. and the host of Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide.
Where To Put Your Troubles
November 2, 2009
“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22)
Put your troubles where you have put your sins. You have put your sins onto Jesus — put your troubles there also!
As soon as the trouble comes tell it to your Father in heaven! Remember, the longer you take telling your trouble to God, the longer you will wait for peace. The longer the frost lasts, the more likely the ponds will be frozen. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Putting your burden upon the Lord is the way to soothe sorrow. Oh, troubled Christians, don’t dishonor your faith by always wearing a frown of concern. Come, put your burden upon the Lord. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
I see you staggering beneath a weight that He would not feel. What seems to you a crushing burden would be nothing but a bit of dust to Him. The Almighty bends His shoulders, and He says to you, “Put your troubles here!”
- C.H. Spurgeon
via Where To Put Your Troubles – Bible Study Planet.
The Choice to Forgive: Healing is a Choice (part 2) | New Life Article Answers
November 2, 2009
Steve Arterburn
Real resentment over real damage by a real person produces a justifiable resentment, and it becomes such a huge part of your life that it feels like a vulture sitting on top of you, a dark and dangerous presence that affects everything that you do.
If the resentment was not justifiable, someone could just talk you out of it. A friend could tell you things he or she has told others who had a bad attitude;
1. Stop being so negative
2. Look at the bright side of things
3. Stop seeing the glass half empty
4. Start thinking more positively
5. Look for the good in people
6. Try accepting people for who they are.
These are the things people say to someone who just needs to make a few changes to make herself more comfortable and enjoy life more.
But none of those things apply to you, because you have something to hang on to. There is a date and a person and a trauma that really happened. It is your Auschwitz, and those who know of your terrible ordeal support your feelings. That is the problem; no one questions your feelings. Everyone feels horrible for you, so it is easy for you to hang on to the resentment. Anyone would, but you can’t.
You can’t, because it is eating you alive. It is your own internal terrorist that is destroying your life, keeping you from living the best life possible. It is hurting your relationship with God and with others. You will be firmly rooted to your past and to your abuse as long as the justifiable resentment grows within you. Everything you do in life will lean up against your grudge. It will come to define who you are and limit what you can become.
Although it might be very difficult to imagine, you really can be free from that justifiable resentment. You can let it go and experience the healing power of forgiveness. You can choose to heal a very troubled area of your soul by choosing to walk through a path of forgiveness. And if you take this path, something very amazing is going to happen to you one day.
One day you are going to awaken and realize that everything in your life has changed. You will sense that you are no longer rooted in your past. You will realize that what once defined your life and your inner thoughts is no longer relevant to how you live your life. You won’t forget what happened, but you will be aware of something with the magnitude of a fly you just swoosh away. That little fly is nothing compared to the vulture that now sits atop your head, talons deeply implanted in your heart. One day you will awaken and that vulture will no longer be there, and you will be free!
via The Choice to Forgive: Healing is a Choice (part 2) | New Life Article Answers.
The Choice to Forgive: Healing is a Choice (part 1) | New Life Article Answers
November 2, 2009
Stephen Arterburn
The Seventh Big Lie: ‘Forgiveness is only for those who deserve it or earn it.’
The fact that you are even reading these words is a miracle, because you have read a lot of stuff on forgiveness and understand everyone’s angle on it, and none of it does one bit of good for you and your situation. You have been abused, mistreated, or neglected in such a severe way that you believe that forgiveness of that person or persons is impossible for you to experience. You are a good and kind and loving person, but there is one person that you harbor a grudge against, and you plan on keeping it. The person does not deserve to be forgiven by you or by God. Anyone looking at what happened would say that you are totally entitled to your feelings.
If what I have described above is the way you feel, or you feel that way to a lesser degree, I am hoping and praying right now as I write this that this could be the time when everything changes for you. I am praying that as you read on I can help you walk through some steps and help you make some choices that lead you to the choice to forgive the unforgivable. And if you are someone who has not been hurt deeply, I pray that you will use these words to minister to someone else who is struggling because he or she is unable or unwilling to forgive. I pray that in the future if you are ever hurt deeply, you might come back to this and use it to walk out the anger, bitterness, and resentment.
The Most Dangerous Thing on Earth
We live in a world where danger and terror are all around us. We live with uncertainty each new day because we never know what might befall us. Since9/11 most of us have a little more fear of terror in the world that might one day intersect with our personal world. There is something much more dangerous than a terrorist somewhere out there in the world that may or may not harm us one day. There is something worse, much worse than that. It is worse because it can exist within us and affect everything we do and the very person we become. That internal terrorist is called a ‘justifiable resentment’.
A lot of people have resentments. Some just seem to have a bad attitude about life, and they lean toward resenting everything. They resent paying taxes, paying more than a dollar for a gallon of gas, or being asked by their church to give money to support the new building campaign. They resent the person they are living with. That person is not bad, but the ‘resenter’ collects little things done over time and walks around with a huge collection of little things to hold against the person. It makes him feel a bit superior, so he hangs on to everything he can find. Resenters go through life pretty negative on anything and everything. They have a problem, but it is nothing like what I am going to describe. These petty resentments are real resentments, but they are not the type that will kill you.
A justifiable resentment is the type of resentment that will kill you. It is not about anything petty. It is about real and horrible abuse or mistreatment. It is about a real life event that anyone would say was terribly wrong, and most anyone would tell you that you are totally justified in feeling the way you do. Tenderhearted people will cry with you over it, and many probably have. All the evidence supports your feelings of anger, resentment, bitterness, and unwillingness to forgive. The other person does not deserve it, and no one wants him or her to have it. That is what I call a justifiable resentment.
via The Choice to Forgive: Healing is a Choice (part 1) | New Life Article Answers.
Alcohol Dependency | Sober Recovery Articles
November 2, 2009
The terms alcoholism and alcohol dependency are often used interchangeably. While both indicate a physical reliance upon alcohol, alcohol dependency is characterized by a dependence upon alcohol that results in physical withdrawal symptoms while alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol characterized by marked behavioral problems due to prolonged and excessive harmful use.
This may seem like splitting hairs and it’s likely only a trained professional could be able to differentiate between alcohol dependency and alcoholism. While the marked difference is characterized by behavioral and personality patterns, in all likelihood alcohol dependency is merely a precursor to alcoholism. No one can tell when the invisible line will be crossed.
Someone experiencing alcohol dependency can be said to be physically dependent upon alcohol and will suffer withdrawal symptoms when alcohol leaves their system. These symptoms can range from mild to severe, resulting in headache, nausea, tremors, irritability, insomnia and anxiety. A higher level of dependency will result in more severe withdrawal symptoms, such as night sweats, night terrors, hallucinations, delirium tremens (DTs) and seizures.
Its important to not get too caught up in the differences between alcohol dependency and alcoholism. The best judge is not a professional but your own experience. If you are suffering serious consequences from your alcohol use that is jeopardizing your health, relationships, work, school, responsibilities, opportunities or the ability to live a happy and functional life, it’s time to ask for help. Alcohol dependency, alcoholism and addiction in general carries the major symptom of denial. When confronted with their alcohol or drug usage, most people in the grip of addiction will deny there is a problem. It usually takes friends and family members to encourage those in the grips of alcohol dependency or alcoholism to get help.
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol, don’t wait. Talking to a professional can help you make the decision necessary to save your life.
via Alcohol Dependency | Sober Recovery Articles.
A Violent, Vicious Cycle | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction
November 2, 2009
Only the most insensibly violent acts can grab the attention of Americans who enjoy dramatized violence in their favorite television shows and movies. When we hear about these heinous crimes, something stirs inside all but the most desensitized. Sadly, two such incidents have grabbed headlines in recent days.
Observers are struggling to comprehend what happened outside a high-school homecoming dance in Richmond, California, the evening of October 24. Authorities have detained five people after a 15-year-old girl was reportedly beaten and gang raped for more than two hours. As if the assault wasn’t bad enough, authorities believe than more than 20 people looked on or participated. Police report that some of the onlookers laughed while others snapped pictures. No one reported the crime to authorities. No one taking photos on a cell phone used the device to call for help.
“This just gets worse and worse the more you dig into it,” Richmond Police Department Lt. Mark Gagan told CNN. “It was like a horror movie. I can’t believe not one person felt compelled to help her.”
Some experts suspect that witnesses feared retaliation if they “snitched,” a grievous sin in violent communities. But that theory does not explain why some of the onlookers eventually joined in the rape. Others believe that the so-called bystander effect kicked in to convince at least some of the witnesses that someone else had reported the crime. Or perhaps they simply fell in line with the rest of the tight-lipped crowd.
“If you are in a crowd and you look and see that everyone is doing nothing, then doing nothing becomes the norm,” Drew Carberry, a director at the National Council on Crime Prevention, said to CNN.
Similarly, no one did anything to stop the deadly beating of 16-year-old honor student Darrin Albert. Earlier this fall on September 24, a melee erupted between rival groups at Fenger High School in Chicago. Albert, a bystander, was struck with a wooden plank in the brawl, which someone videotaped. Later, Chicagoans watching the fight on the news could hardly believe they were actually seeing such raw violence unfold in broad daylight, in a school, with no police presence to be found.
“This has got to stop,” Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich wrote. But why doesn’t it? The cycle of death repeats itself again and again.
“The killing, the shock. The shouting, the weeping. The refreshed resolve to make it end. And then the urgency wanes.”
National and local leaders dutifully stepped forward to offer their theories for the fight’s root causes.
“Somehow many of our young people have lost faith in the future,” said Arne Duncan, President Obama’s secretary of education and the CEO of Chicago Public Schools between 2001 and 2008. “They’ve been denied love, support, and guidance and have grown up believing that their life is not worth anything—so no one else’s life is worth anything either.”
As in the Richmond rape, experts identified reasons for the violence related to social development.
“For a young person to pick up a weapon and kill, the capacity to carry out the act will often have been planted in the heart of the young person early on,” Kevin Limbeck, the executive director of Family Focus, wrote to the Chicago Tribune. “That capacity for violence is the result of a negative development process which can take place in the formative moments of his/her young life.”
Illinois Democratic state Sen. James Meeks, pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, noted that many people tend to blame the parents after these violent outbreaks. But he delivered choice words for the “disastrous school system” where these kids languish. Meeks wrote that 98 percent of Fenger juniors read below their grade level. The situation isn’t much better in other schools on Chicago’s South and West Sides. College is no option for students trapped in these schools, so hope for the future fades. When hope fades, restraint disappears.
share this pagevia A Violent, Vicious Cycle | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.
Rising from the Valley of Death | Steven Curtis Chapman | Christianity Today
November 2, 2009
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It’s been a year and a half since Steven Curtis Chapman lost his youngest daughter, 5-year-old Maria Sue, to a tragic accident at the family’s Tennessee home. Maria’s death rocked her father’s world, causing Steven and his wife, Mary Beth, to question God and their faith, while also clinging to the hope of things to come. The grieving process brought Steven, like King David, to his knees, simultaneously shouting at God while also desperately grasping for hope. Chapman journaled the journey, which he likens to penning his own Psalms—and not surprisingly, many of them turned into songs, and now his first album since Maria’s passing, Beauty Will Rise.
Chapman spoke with CT about losing his daughter, the “black hole” of pain and despair, and the glimmers of life they’ve clung to through the last 18 months—including the opening of Maria’s Big House of Hope, an orphanage in China for special needs children. The Chapmans had already adopted two Chinese girls before Maria, so returning to China over the summer to open Maria’s Big House was a bittersweet time to both mourn Maria yet again, but to celebrate her life and legacy.
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a piece of art where hope and pain are so beautifully intertwined. You’ve said it didn’t feel so much like making a record, as you were just being David recording your personal psalms.
Yeah, I was hiding out in the valley of the shadow of death, just crying out to God. Man, I’ve never been so thankful for the Psalms. I’m not sure I really even got the Psalms until I walked through this. Obviously the Psalms were a great comfort before walking through the valley, but all of a sudden, I’m just so thankful for God’s honesty to us, to allow us to look into the heart of a schizophrenic worshiper like David, because that’s what I’ve found myself to be. To go in the same breath, How long, O Lord. Where are you, God? Are you doing anything about this? Do you even hear me? to But I’ll trust you. Your love is better than life. I worship you. I praise you. How can you do that? But I have, and my family has.
I almost get this image of David beating on his chest when he’s saying, “Why are you so downcast within me?” He’s thinking, Heart, come on. Get with it. You know what’s true. Hope in God. It’s like that for me, where my heart and mind are going into this dark abyss. But then I say, Wait a minute. Come back. Come back to your senses. For me, that’s where these songs came from.
What else was non-typical about making this album?
I ignored every rule that I’ve ever had for myself for making records. I’ve always been a rule follower. Even when I was a kid, I tried to do everything by the book. Over the years writing songs, I’ve developed some rules—always thinking of the listener and always putting myself on their side of the speakers and going, Okay, my job is to try and put this thought in a way that they’re going to be able to grab hold of and stick in their own pocket in their own life, in their own heart and experience.
I’ve done it so long, these things just come automatically. But here, I ignored the rules. This wasn’t me writing songs. This was me just screaming and crying out to God. Nobody heard these songs, not even my wife till most of them were recorded. No record guys. No managers. I am prone to reshape and refashion things to try and please as many people as I can, to get as many nods or smiles out of as many people as possible. But this was such a completely different thing. It was important that it’s coming straight out of my gut and out of my heart. That was a strange, scary process, but it was important that whatever it is—good, bad, ugly—it’s true and it’s real.
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Rising from the Valley of Death | Music | Christianity Today.
Alcohol Abuse | Sober Recovery Articles
November 1, 2009
Alcohol abuse may start innocently enough. Letting off steam on the weekends, sporting events where you tie on a few too many, grabbing a buddy to hit the bar scene after a break-up. No one intentionally sets out to engage in alcohol abuse or set the stage for alcoholism, but all too often that’s exactly what happens.There’s a lot of misconceptions swirling around about the notion of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. While alcohol abuse is often a precursor to alcoholism, this is not always the case. Someone can abuse alcohol and not be an alcoholic. The difference lies in the genetic make-up of each individual. People predisposed to alcoholism have a genetic predisposition that results in processing alcohol differently than others. This makes it difficult for them to stop drinking once they start. This phenomenon is known as craving. Craving for alcohol occurs on a mental and physical level, and can be so intense in alcoholics that everything else goes out the window. Work, school, relationships, responsibilities – all have been known to fall by the wayside in order to satisfy the craving for alcohol.This is a considerable difference from someone who may begin drinking heavily after the loss of a loved one. Major life trauma or transitions can lead an individual to abuse alcohol in order to cope with grief and stress. While this is not the healthiest behavior, neither does it mean someone is an alcoholic. The best indicator is life management. If someone drinks, even heavily, but maintains significant responsibilities such as family, work, school and health, then counseling may be a more appropriate course of action than alcohol rehab. However, if after a period of time alcohol abuse continues instead of abates, then professional help to determine whether alcohol rehab is necessary should be sought.Where alcohol abuse generally occurs in response to life situations, alcoholism is a set of behavioral and personality problems that lends itself to drinking regardless of the circumstances. In any event, if you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol abuse or alcoholism it’s a good idea to seek professional help. A Christian counselor, Christian therapist or intake coordinator at New Heart Place can help evaluate your specific condition and determine whether you need the structured environment of an inpatient alcohol rehab to overcome it.Time for Renewal | New Life Article Answers
November 1, 2009
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.
EZEKIEL 36:26 HCSB
Even the most inspired Christians can, from time to time, find themselves running on empty. The demands of daily life can drain us of our strength and rob us of the joy that is rightfully ours in Christ. When we find ourselves tired, discouraged, or worse, there is a source from which we can draw the power needed to recharge our spiritual batteries. That source is God.
God intends that His children lead joyous lives filled with abundance and peace. But sometimes, abundance and peace seem very far away. It is then that we must turn to God for renewal, and when we do, He will restore us.
Are you tired or troubled? Turn your heart toward God in prayer. Are you weak or worried? Take the time—or, more accurately, make the time—to delve deeply into God’s Holy Word. Are you spiritually depleted? Call upon fellow believers to support you, and call upon Christ to renew your spirit and your life. When you do, you’ll discover that the Creator of the universe stands always ready and always able to create a new sense of wonderment and joy in you.
God specializes in things fresh and firsthand. His plans for you this year may outshine those of the past. He’s prepared to fill your days with reasons to give Him praise. ~Joni Eareckson Tada
He is the God of wholeness and restoration. ~Stormie Omartian
In those desperate times when we feel like we don’t have an ounce of strength, He will gently pick up our heads so that our eyes can behold something—something that will keep His hope alive in us. ~Kathy Troccoli
Repentance removes old sins and wrong attitudes, and it opens the way for the Holy Spirit to restore our spiritual health. ~Shirley Dobson
TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, You are my rock and my strength. When I grow weary, let me turn my thoughts and my prayers to You. When I am discouraged, restore my faith in You. Let me always trust in Your promises, Lord, and let me draw strength from those promises and from Your unending love. Amen
via Time for Renewal | New Life Article Answers.
Make Peace With the Past | New Life Article Answers
November 1, 2009
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
JOHN 14:27 KJV
Some of life’s greatest roadblocks are not the ones we see through the windshield; they are, instead, the roadblocks that seem to fill the rearview mirror. Because we are imperfect human beings who lack perfect control over our thoughts, we may allow ourselves to become “stuck” in the past—even though we know better. Instead of focusing our thoughts and energies on the opportunities of today, we may allow painful memories to fill our minds and sap our strength. We simply can’t seem to let go of our pain, so we relive it again and again . . . with predictably unfortunate consequences. Thankfully, God has other plans.
Philippians 3:13-14 instructs us to focus on the future, not the past: “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (NKJV). Yet for many of us, focusing on the future is difficult indeed. Why? Part of the problem has to do with forgiveness. When we find ourselves focusing too intently on the past, it’s a sure sign that we need to focus, instead, on a more urgent need: the need to forgive. No amount of anger or bitterness can change what happened yesterday. Tears can’t change the past; regrets can’t change it. Our worries won’t change the past, and neither will our complaints. Simply put, the past is, and always will be, the past. Forever.
Can you summon both the courage and the wisdom to accept your past and move on with your life? Can you accept the reality that yesterday—and all the yesterdays before it—are gone? And, can you entrust all those yesterdays to God? By God’s grace, you can.
So if you’ve endured a difficult past, learn from it, but don’t live in it. Instead, build your future on a firm foundation of trust and forgiveness: trust in your Heavenly Father, and forgiveness for all His children, including yourself.
If you are God’s child, you are no longer bound to your past or to what you were. You are a brand new creature in Christ Jesus. ~Kay Arthur
TODAY’S PRAYER
Heavenly Father, free me from anger, resentment, and envy. When I am bitter, I cannot feel the peace that You intend for my life. Keep me mindful that forgiveness is Your commandment, and help me accept the past, treasure the present, and trust the future . . . to You. Amen
via Make Peace With the Past | New Life Article Answers.