DELIGHT IN YOUR WORK

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delights in his way." Psalm 37:28 ~ My Lord Jesus, before I begin my work this day ~ I want to thank You for the sunrise and for the fresh eyes You give me. Your holy presence is ever with me, so as I enter my work place ~ I ask You Father to take command of my tongue so that what words I speak will be full of mercy, grace and Thy peace. Order my steps this day and as I walk the halls, answer the phones, or respond in emails ~ I expect that all words spoken, each decision and thought would be full of Your purpose and power. Lord Jesus I thank You for the numerous gifts You have blessed me with and I commit to using them responsibly in Your honor. Refresh my body with supernatural strength that I may do my job with excellence. Infuse me with the Light and Love of Your Holy Spirit, anoint my mind, guide my steps and energize me when I grow weary. May the path I walk and the work that I do ~ inspire and encourage all those that I come in contact with. May my example increase joy and bring smiles in the work place ~ and Father when I leave this place, I ask for travelling mercies. Bless my family and my home with Your divine protection and safety. As I write to You my Lord, I know that You are watching and that You know that my intention is pure, that I write to bring You pleasure and Your Holy Name glory. In the precious Name of Jesus I submit these words with much love and thanksgiving. AMEN "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD." Psalm 89:15 ~ “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ~ "walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:2 ~ "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Galatians 5:16

A Living Sacrifice

"To offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God" Paul wrote to the Romans that we offer God a worthy, acceptable mind, heart and soul to our perfect, merciful Father. Monks and Nuns elect a monastic lifestyle in response to an inner call to 'seek God'. In our quest, our desire to trust and obey ~ the 'becoming' more like Christ is a mindful choice to grow apart from titles and possessions of things ~ that we might be purified from elevating ourselves by vocation or contribution. "You shall love your God with all your heart...and your neighbor as yourself." The three objects of love that the Holy Spirit refers to are: God, Neighbor, Self. Prior to his calling, Thomas Merton was a complete agnostic. At the age of 18 he entered Clare College, Cambridge. He began attending churches and admired the eloquence of the silence more than the message spoken. A great mosaic of Jesus Christ compelled him to read the new testament. Merton felt his human emptiness and began to pray and ask God to relieve him of the darkness. In 1938 he attended a Mass at Corpus Christi Church near the university. He was baptized and received Holy Communion on 2/22/39. In October 1939 he told friends he wanted to become a priest. Merton wrote books about his pilgrimage and his dialogue with Asian spiritual leaders. Accept Jesus, Know God, Love all, Serve all."lf ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7) Out of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to be able to claim the largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is never to quit Him for another love or another object, but to remain in living, loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The Monastic lifestyle certainly allows one to not become distracted with the world. All followers of Christ in a sense; abide in Him as He abides always within each soul that accepts Him. "Ask what ye will" Humans believe that the heart MUST remain in love, the mind MUST be rooted in faith, the hope MUST be cemented to the Word, the whole soul MUST be joined unto the Lord ~ at all times ~ however, we only can KNOW with certainty that God created us for His pleasure and that we are in constant need of His grace. Merton was an orphan at the age of 15. To love God, to love our neighbor as our self ~ is to trust and obey that we are to come together in community that we may encourage one another that we are beloved of God. When Jesus came He chose to walk among us, talk with us, go fishing with us, teach us, drink wine and show us His ways in action. WHAT IS CONTEMPLATION? A small booklet written in 1950 by Merton makes the Christian life so simple to understand. "These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be filled" ~ "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. Not as the world giveth do I give unto you." What JOY it is to contemplate what Jesus entrusted with us ~ what our Lord and Savior gave us! Indeed it is a magnificent vocation to "be" or "live in response" to our call by God to be holy as He is holy. Like when our mother reminds her child "BE GOOD" ~ Our holy Father is honored, as is our mother, when we choose to delight Him ~ to be His best creation ~ that we may bring Him glory! What a living sacrifice to do His will and not mine! Contemplate His love. Excerpt from WHAT IS CONTEMPLATION by Thomas Merton: "Why do we think of the gift of contemplation, infused contemplation, mystical prayer, as something essentially strange and esoteric reserved for a small class of almost un-natural beings (monks and nuns) and prohibited to everyone else? It is perhaps because we have forgotten that contemplation is the work of the Holy Ghost acting on our souls through His gifts of Wisdom and Understanding with special intensity to increase and perfect our love for Him. These gifts are part of the normal equipment of Christian sanctity. They are given to ALL in Baptism, and if they are given it is presumably because God wants them to be developed. Their development will always remain the free gift of God and it is true that His wise Providence sees fit to develop them less in some saints than in others. But it is also true that God often measures His gifts by our desire to receive them, and by our cooperation with His grace, and the Holy Spirit will not waste any of His gifts on people who have little or no interest in them. It would be a great mistake to think that mystical contemplation necessarily brings with it a whole litany of weird phenomena ~ ecstasies, raptures, sigmata and so on. These belong to quite a different order of things. They are 'charismatic' gifts, and they are not directly ordered to the sanctification of the one who receives them. Infused contemplation, on the contrary, is a powerful means of sanctification. It is the work of love and nothing is more effective in increasing our love for God. In fact, infused contemplation is intimately connected with the pure and perfect love of God which is God's greatest gift to the soul. It is deep and intimate knowledge of God by a union of love ~ a union in which we learn things about Him that those who have not received such a gift will never discover until they enter heaven. Therefore, if anyone should ask, 'who may desire this gift and pray for it?' the answer is obvious: everybody. But there is only one condition. If you desire intimate union with God you must be willing to pay the price for it. The price is small enough. In fact it is not even a price at all: it only seems to be so with us. We find it difficult to give up our desire for things that can never satisfy us in order to purchase the One Good in Whom is all our joy - and in Whom, moreover, we get back everything else that we renounced besides! The fact is that contemplation will not be given to those who willfully remain at a distance from God, who confine their interior to a few routine exercises of piety and a few external acts of worship and service performed as a matter of duty. Such people are careful to avoid sin. They respect God as a Master. But their heart does not belong to Him. They are not really interested in Him, except in order to insure themselves against losing heaven and going to hell. In actual practice, their minds and hearts are taken up with their own ambitions and troubles and comforts and pleasures and all their worldly interests and anxieties and fears. God is only invited to enter this charmed circle to smooth out difficulties and to dispense rewards." Thomas Merton ~ taken from the first pages of "What is Contemplation" printed in 1950 ~ We repent, most merciful Father God, for all our sins; for each thought that was false, unjust or selfish. For every word spoken that ought not to have been spoken; for each action done that ought not to have been done. We admit that most of our secret, hidden words and thoughts are inspired by selfishness, rebellion, pride or the desire to cause another to suffer. We admit that we are weak and that lust enters at will while we lie to ourselves and deny to God that we have impure thoughts. Forgive us Father for each broken promise, for our joy of gossip, and for participating in slander. We are reduced by our guilt for having brought ruin to others, for every word and deed that caused others pain. In Your unbounded mercy, Lord Jesus we ask You to forgive us. O God, for all these sins committed by us, forgive us for our constant failure to think and speak and act according to Your wish. AMEN

RUBY SLIPPERS

Soul supporters are essential! Diana gave me these ruby slippers and today I wear them as I post this. Watching the life of Di and Katie transform has been like watching a brilliant sunrise in the land of OZ, a place where colors are most vivid, and memories are unforgettable! We are all on the yellow brick road to OZ, the place where it is safe to use the gifts, to employ the talents we were born with. Awe is what I felt this morning as I remembered my hearts hope expressed in July ~ That I would be able to witness Christ alive in my son. Watching Diana and Katie heal and share the RAIN coming down on all four of us at the Shoreline! WOW! Diana's first assignment for her writers group was entitled "A year of Firsts" ~ In reflection, hopefully we can all look back in 2010 and pinpoint a first time ever "I felt love" "I saw light" "I knew truth" "I trusted God" or that "I loved well" and "I witnessed transformation"! 2010 was totally amazing for all who look back and remember the season changing, death, birth, and new beginnings. Dorothy, like many of us had her heart broken. Along her scary path, Dorothy meets a Lion who lost courage, a person dressed in tin to protect their broken heart, and a silly Scarecrow who lost his memory. MY 2010 roster of life changing events included a surprise surgery in August, a delay (for His purpose) in moving into the Fullerton house, a complete MIRACLE in my son, and multiple prayers answered in ASTOUNDING ways ~ a new boss at work, and the JOY of sharing the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY, with a motley crew of souls at work! We bond over a cup of Starbucks and journey down the yellow brick road singing some where over the rainbow, where troubles melt like lemon drops, and........ when violent threats and unexpected challenges pop up, the group sticks together with confidence! Lynn the lion laughs, Alma removes her tin armor, and John the scarecrow begins to use his brain -- thanks to Ron the wizard! As the wise wizard, Ron retired his crystal ball and encouraged the trio to help each other melt the wicked witch of doubt! Evaluating their combined talents, they work through matters, overcome obstacles, as they cheer each other to "GO FORTH" and ."BE BOLD" They kick up their heels, laugh and have a good time! Our spirit and talents did not come from our parents, but THEY were placed in us by our Creator! Sometimes our mates, siblings, co-workers, or teachers -- they just do not understand what drives us and makes us thrive! But somewhere out there is a co-worker, a small group, or a soul sister/brother that will walk alongside us and speak to our soul's desire to emerge. That is when we contribute our significant, unique verse! We were not designed to flourish on our own. In order for a flower to bloom it needs to have the weeds pulled, and it needs to be watered with just the right amount of encouragement. We were created and given talents to use, not bury in the ground of fear. IZZY boldly strikes a chord, he appears different, and he found his way home, and his future life, over the rainbow. Wake up where your troubles are behind you, where burdens are light. Dreams really do come true! Like a poinsetta can only blossom when it thirsts for more, so do we blossom when we strive for more living water. My ruby slippers clicked me to a place where I felt at home. Arriving in Ajijic was like finding the pot of gold at the end of my work life. As we walk, run, or fly into the unknown, up the yellow brick road, without seeing, only believing, we arrive at the doors that God has opened for us. THE SECRET and world success guru's promote NAME IT and CLAIM IT, or BLAB and GRAB whatever you want in life. However, the truth about the buried talents of any successful person today is that nobody uncovered their unique talent, their gifted treasure overnight! We begin with mustard seeds of faith --- and we must dig through the dirt of doubt to reveal our talents. When our desires and talents are buried, His way is to give us opportunity that requires a shovel, to uncover, to expose, to remove the piled on dirt of doubt one shovel at a time. After years of struggle to believe in ourselves, to trust our instincts, we gotta admit that we NEEDED that kick in the pants, that wake-up dream, those night sweats, or that news release that appeared bad, but - through the eyes of another - an opportunity of GREATNESS became visible and POSSIBLE! WOW - In August 09 my condo foreclosed, then in December 09, my dream Casa in Mexico was purchased! Any desire that we hold and release to God, for His will be done, we then walk in faith and release our dreams, trusting the best outcome. We humans NEED support, we NEED to be cheered - just like the tin man, the lion, Dorothy and the scarecrow! Together, one day at a time, one shovel at a time, one step along the yellow brick road at a time, this motley crew of strugglers - identified each others strengths and voiced them! Our ancestors started out in the garden of Eden where they could just wake up and grab the fruit they wanted from a vast unlimited orchard of trees. On Monday they might have chosen to grab a shiny dress from the Macy tree, and Tuesday to grab a tennis ball from the US OPEN tree. The grace of God paves the long and winding yellow brick road to eternity. He did not promise that it would be easy, but He did say that a full life would take a community of believers sticking together through the good and bad times. FAITH is walking in a way you have never walked. FAITH invloves risking loss, it requires us to stretch and move in scary directions. The first tiny step might be to do things differently than you ever have! Change your comfortable routine, strike out and appear foolish! Perhaps you need to talk to a tin person with a guarded heart, or sit next to a cowardly lion - LISTEN, watch and encourage them! We grow stronger as we acknowledge the reflection of spirit in others! There are scads of folks who would love to walk beside you with their own pair of ruby shoes! Tiny steps of courage may cause a panic attack, your adrenaline to pump, but remember that the witch of doubt, or any fear found on the yellow brick road is NOT REAL! The reality IS that God gave us the VISION and the talent! He placed His spirit within! We KNOW that we can do all things through Him! When God called His people to the promised land, ten spys made the majority of hearts afraid when they reported that there were too many obstacles to overcome. Joshua and Caleb came back and said "we can do this". FEAR is a state of mind, often times unjustifed, but unless we take a step out, we are NOT exercising FAITH.
Journey on the YELLOW BRICK ROAD requires:
1) DIG thru the DIRT and unearth dreams and courage
2) FAITH the wee size of a seed, and tiny steps
3) THE POWER AND FUEL OF A SUPPORT GROUP
God empowers us to do exceedingly more than we can imagine. However, traveling down the road in the way that God compels us, is to travel believing that His presence is with us. God gives us the dream, the vision, our hope and the JOY goose bumps we experience when we arrive at our destination! His spirit is ever in us. He goes before us to open doors. God gave us His invisible, untouchable power and He also gave me the desires of my heart to live near a lake, in a house of light to write! When the people of Israel took the yellow brick road away from Egypt (bondage) to the promised land, there were no solo travelers. People were fueled from the inside by God and outside by the people placed on the path alongside them. We were created by God, He is self-sustaining, but we can only thrive as we come together. There is no such thing as a self-made person. My trip to Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico was because I felt compelled to go from the inside. Trusting that God's plan for me ~ walking in faith ~ His courage allowed me to trust that He would go before me and open doors in Mexico. I asked God for help and He put Kristina Morgan, Cathy Roberts, Don & Linda Wright, and Michel in my path! Lake Chapala!

Royal and Holy

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9)~ We must come to realize our position and responsibility as believers in Jesus Christ. We have been saved and we have therefore escaped the torments of hell, and as His own special child, we may enter into a relationship with our loving Father, our Creator, and accept that we are indeed His prized possession. The Holy Spirit used specific words to describe our relationship to the Lord:

Chosen generation ~ We are a generation taken out of the wicked sea of humanity and set aside for God alone.
Royal priesthood ~ All believers are ordained by God to represent God to the world, and to bring the lost of the world to Him. Don't ever forget this; all believers are priest, not just some special class within an ecclesiastical society. Holy nation ~ The population of the Church makes up a nation without boundaries or borders, covering the globe to serve the Lord. His own special people- This sums it all up; we are His special people, we belong to Him.

God speaks the truth. He gives us our identity. We are royal, we are chosen, we are holy ~ therefore let our identity dictatate our actions in this world, and our reactions to those who do not know their divine heritage. Let us proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!

FACE to FACE

Lord Jesus ~ I love YOU more each day as I realize all that You have provided, and all that You have personally done for me. I seek You in the eyes of those You send me, I seek You in the beauty of nature, and I seek Your righteous ways in Your Holy Words. My life’s purpose is to love You above all things, all people, all possessions, all accomplishments. As I devour the Holy Word of God, ~ my heart is filled with awe at Your consistent compassion, love and provision for the good, the bad and the judged. Walking in step with my Father, worshipping Him in thought and song, loving Him as much as I am humanly capable, is my greatest JOY! Jesus, You are the center of my life, You dwell within my core, You envelope my soul, You abide in each thought, You bless me with Your omni-presence inside each moment, You surround me with wonders, You amaze me in the smallest details, You surprise me with impressions, You cause me to laugh easily at myself and love how wonderfully You created me. You are my source of strength, joy, health and finances ~ and I thank You for the abounding non-wage blessings in my life. How very good You are ~ all the time ~ even when I am silent, even when I forget to call on You ~ You are faithful to love me still! I choose to turn my eyes to seek Jesus in all things ~ I look deeply into His loving face ~ and the things of this world, the views of this world, the temptations fall away. As I look into the brightness of God’s glory, as I seek His will and ways, my worries and cares become deaf, blind and muted. Oh Father ~ how I love Thee ~ this is my story, this is my song ~ I Love the Lord Jesus, all the day long ~ Thank You Jesus for depositing the Holy Spirit in me, for always remaining beside me, for protecting me, and for satisfying all my physical and spiritual needs. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath already anointed me” Luke 4:18 You are more than what meets my eye! You made and put all laws of order into motion. In Your perfect timing is where I expect to see the manifestation of Your spirit in physical form. You are consistent, Your perfect ways do not vary. Loving to witness Your hand at work, I realize that Your promises do not manifest instantly, but as the Governor of all things, I trust You my Lord completely, regardless of appearances. Lord God, I am so thankful that my faith is governed by Your law! Jesus said “Have faith in God” Mark 11:22 ~ Lord Jesus I ask that You enable me to obey all Spiritual laws ~ that I may reap the rewards You intend for me. I trust that Your Word will never become void or violated by God. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” James 4:7 ~ Now I accept my responsibility to obey ~ as I speak, according to God’s law ~ I shall be satisfied with what is manifested. “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Matthew 12:34; Mark 11:23, James 3:2. I desire to be healed in body and spirit, yet my occasional words speak into being ~ continued wreckage and disease. Lord Jesus I ask that You enable me to control my tongue so that what comes out of my mouth, and what thoughts stir in my mind ~ that all will be a blessing to You ~ as well as manifest all that You desire as the BEST for all.

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:22 ~ Do NOT ask Jesus to remove it ~ but trust in the power He gave me to speak!
I MUST speak to the obstacle ~ MY responsibility ~ is to tell it to MOVE ~ in the name of Jesus!

The purpose of prayer is not to inform God of what is going on ~ He knows ALL. The purpose of prayer is to LOVE GOD for what He has already done. “By His stripes, we are healed” ` Peter 2:24 ~ I enter into His presence with praise on my lips! ~ Thank You Lord Jesus for putting into place all that must happen in order for my body to recover fully ~ In the name of Jesus I command the root cause of my suffering to depart from my body, my mind and my experience! AMEN

ENCOURAGED

The book of Ephesians is one of my favorite letters to read. As it is a letter of Holy inspired words of ENCOURAGEMENT, I look forward to listing the FACTS and LESSONS! The church in Ephesus was one of the most prominent established by God in A.D.53. The church of our Father God, His Son Jesus Christ, and our Counselor the Holy Spirit is His use of His creation, His people. Crossroads Church in Manteca is not confined or contained inside the building, it is a collection of many believers who came from Catholic, Jewish, Nazarene, Baptist, Budhist, Methodist, Pentecostal places that now delight to share the same essential belief in Jesus as Lord. The very first church was formed by God as He drew a large crowd of people, from every nation, to Jerusalem. "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together, in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the HOUSE where they were all sitting. They saw like tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Note that it does not say that speaking in tongues is required, but the word says that ALL were filled with the Holy Spirit, and as the Spirit enabled, they spoke in other languages. "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' - Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off---(those that live in 2010) for all whom the Lord our God will call....And the Lord added to their number daily (the LORD added, He drew, He called) those who were being saved." (ACTS 2:37-46) The day of Pentecost----the day that the COST of the BLOOD of JESUS required REPENTANCE of sins, to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit. All the miracles that occured were witnessed by hundreds --- the book of Ephesians, written by Paul to affirm the nature of the church is to understand the importance of the Holy Spirit. To be reminded of the glorious FACT that BELIEVERS in Christ have been SHOWERED with God's promised Holy Spirit, filled with the Spirit's power, freed from sin's curse and bondage, marked with the Holy Spirit, and brought near to God. "Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us IN HIM before the creation of the world to BE HOLY and blameless IN HIS sight. IN LOVE HE predestined us to BE ADOPTED as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with HIS PLEASURE and WILL --- to the PRAISE of HIS GLORIOUS GRACE, which HE has FREELY GIVEN us in the One He loves. IN HIM we have redemption through HIS BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, in accourdance with the riches of GOD'S GRACE that HE LAVISHED on us with ALL WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING. And HE MADE KNOWN to us the MYSTERY of HIS WILL according to HIS GOOD PLEASURE, which HE PURPOSED IN CHRIST, to be PUT INTO EFFECT when the times will have reached their FULFILLMENT---to bring ALL THINGS in heaven and on earth TOGETHER under ONE HEAD, even CHRIST. IN HIM we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the PLAN OF HIM who works out everything in CONFORMITY with the PURPOSE of HIS WILL, in order that we, who were the first to HOPE IN CHRIST, might BE for the praise of HIS GLORY" Ephesians 1:3-13 WOW - take some time, read this again, DIGEST IT FULLY of what God is saying to YOU, your heart, your soul, your purpose IN HIM.
'Be Still and Know that I AM GOD' Psalm 46:10 When we are still, His Spirit flames up inside, He moves, He speaks to us.

The Evidence

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law". Galatians 5:22-23 The clusters of fruit, the attributes of our relationships are:
1) Love, joy and peace = our relationship with God
2) Patience, kindness, goodness = our relationship with others
3) Faithfullness, gentleness and self-control = our relation to self.
Fruit is natural in its growth, it cannot be hurried or picked before it is ripe. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us NOT become weary in DOING GOOD, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do NOT give up." Galatians 6:7-9

SOW A THOUGHT, REAP AN ACT
SOW AN ACT, and YOU REAP A HABIT;
SOW A HABIT, and YOU REAP A CHARACTER;
SOW A CHARACTER, and YOU REAP A DESTINY.
We need humility and faith to bear fruit in our lives. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me." John 15:4
We must ask for help to activate our self-control. Through the discipline of our mind, we cultivate habits of thinking and action that with practice, over time produce maturity --- maturity requires patience with ourself. "Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near." James 5:7-8 So as we wait, as we exercise the holding of our tongue and the self-control of our actions, we are encouraged by this inspired word from God. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Phillipians 4:8

THE FULLNESS OF JOY is descirbed by God in Psalm 16:11
THE PEACE OF GOD is described in Romans 5:11
THE ACCESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT is for us in John 14:27

MESS with SUCCESS

To successfully MESS with SUCCESS is to maintain the MIND of a DOG. Note that dogs wake up HAPPY. Note that dogs do NOT worry about the economy and they are forever READY to GO for a WALK. Note that a dog LOVES all the time, even if they are neglected, not elected, or forgotten while we go on VACATION. To GAIN a dogs mind full of peace is to practice emptying our mind. CAUSE and EFFECT LAWS dwell in our hearts and they have been written on our minds. If you carry any worry or anxious thoughts --- CLOSE YOUR EYES, and IMAGINE that you are out on the deck of an OCEAN cruiser. Get that VISION fixed in your mind. Now reach into your MIND, and PULL out all the thoughts you have been tackling with. GOT THAT? Now drop those worry thoughts overboard and watch them disappear in the wake of the ship! "Forgetting those things that are behind" Now when the MIND is emptied, something NEW is bound to enter. We can all admit that we have seen a few folks who seem to be empty minded, or clueless most of the time. NOW TOOT your HORN if you ENVY their HAPPY! SO as we PRACTICE emptying our minds, it is necessary to REFILL with FRESH positive thoughts or the worry we just flung overboard will for sure climb right back in. IMMEDIATELY we must INTENTIONALLY fill the ENGINE of our mind with new FUEL. "Think about whatever is lovely, whatever is true, whatever is noble.." JUMP UP and shout leaping lambs ~ "ITS ALL VERY VERY GOOD!"