"Heart Soul & Mind: Sanctuary" by Felicity

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Felicity

His Love Trumps Fear



Alright. I confess.
I have a problem sometimes (like most of the human race)
feeling loved and accepted as I am for who I am.....
the fear of rejection a hounding presence ... keeping close company ...
shadowing & hindering relationship.

Trust, I've learned, is to be treated with respect, extended guardedly
and certainly not without full awareness that it, disappointment, and betrayal often go hand in hand.

Getting too close to people and allowing people to get too close to me frightens me - plain & simple.
I wake in the darkness of night swallowing panic
fending off palpable enemies of dread and worry
creating resolve to back up, back off, back away but ....
I've never had a problem trusting Jesus.

He won me over by a LOVE so pure
so amazing so brilliant so all-encompassing
so accepting and nurturing and forgiving and assuring
without condemnation .... and measureless!

Taking away my fear, my shame, my sin and iniquity,
replacing it with joy and peace and power and hope
and a knowledge that I am loved
by Someone who defines the word "LOVE"!
Mighty King of the Universe!
My Deliverer!
Defender!
Strong Tower!
Refuge!
Lover of my Soul!

Who would never leave me, misrepresent me, abandon me,
reject me, betray me, threaten me, wish me ill .....
or ever hang me out to dry!
But pursues me and woos me
ardently, tenderly, committedly, relentlessly, passionately
with a love SO incomprehensible.

I could never walk away from that kind of LOVE!
No, never!!

Wonderful post, Felicity...you have a dread and fear that most can relate to.

Tis true that no greater love has ever been shown to us than that displayed by the Master...!!

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I've been considering doing this for a while now - starting an online journal of sorts where I can keep track a bit of what is going on in my world.

Where I can squirrel away thoughts, inspiration, poetry, quotes, a little of this and a little of that .... whatever catches my attention, captures my heart or brings fresh perspective in a way that I want to put to paper - well, in this case a message box.

I hope you'll enjoy what is written here and that you'll feel free to comment and join in.

I had forgotten about this, so rather than have two places with quotes, I think I'll drop some here...

The daily bread of grace, without which nothing can be achieved, is given to the extent to which we ourselves give and forgive.

-- Aldous Huxley

There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.

--Corrie ten Boom

Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done.

--Charles Wesley

All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.

--Winston Churchill

[Felicity]

Ten Ways of Thinking That Lead To Anger

1. If I want something, I should have it -- no matter whom it hurts or how I get it.
   
   
2. It is terrible and unjust to be kept waiting. I can't accept excuses.
   
   
3. I must never be uncomfortable or frustrated. I can avoid distress at all cost.
   
   
4. I have a right to be angry when others hurt my feelings, cause me discomfort, or disappoint me.
   
   
5. If I don't sleep well or if I've had a bad day, I have a right to be irritable and others should leave me alone.
   
   
6. My parents always helped me. Others shouldn't expect me to do it by myself.
   
   
7. I detest it when others think their way is the only way -- even if they are the bosses.
   
   
8. I must succeed at everything I choose to do. There is no room for failure.
   
   
9. I deserve immediate gratification. I am entitled to "It."
   
   
10. Other motorists need to get out of my way.

[Felicity]

DON'T TEAR DOWN ALL THE FENCES!!

I've had "fences" on the brain (for some reason) for the last day or so: the importance of them, the value of them, the upkeep of them, the building of them, etc.

There are fences that need to be maintained, inspected, repaired when or if damage occurs in order to keep those things that would negatively affect our walk with God at bay. On the other hand, there are fences that need to be destroyed or torn down if they're keeping us from reaching our potential in Christ and receiving everything we have access to as a result of being His child and heir.

We balk sometimes at the idea of being "fenced in" and resent the idea that we're not free to go and do what we want where we want and how we want .... when all the time those fences are for our own protection and our own good.

Wander outside, tear them down, climb over them, crawl under them and you may find yourself in a place where the hounds of hell will run you down and devour you.

More to come on ........ "fences". Stay tuned.

[Felicity]

In the meantime I ran across this rather mysterious ... rather lovely poem by Robert Frost .....


Mending Wall

SOMETHING there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made, 10
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of outdoor game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
He is all pine and I am apple-orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, "Good fences make good neighbors."
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down!" I could say "Elves" to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there,
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Felicity

DON'T TEAR DOWN ALL THE FENCES!!

I've had "fences" on the brain (for some reason) for the last day or so: the importance of them, the value of them, the upkeep of them, the building of them, etc.

There are fences that need to be maintained, inspected, repaired when or if damage occurs in order to keep those things that would negatively affect our walk with God at bay. On the other hand, there are fences that need to be destroyed or torn down if they're keeping us from reaching our potential in Christ and receiving everything we have access to as a result of being His child and heir.

We balk sometimes at the idea of being "fenced in" and resent the idea that we're not free to go and do what we want where we want and how we want .... when all the time those fences are for our own protection and our own good.

Wander outside, tear them down, climb over them, crawl under them and you may find yourself in a place where the hounds of hell will run you down and devour you.

More to come on ........ "fences". Stay tuned.

As I began to read, I audibly said, "Wow!!"

Some good stuff here... I anxiously await more to come...

[Felicity]

Thanks Sis. Barbara. And thanks for the quotes too!

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Ten Ways of Thinking That Lead To Anger

1. If I want something, I should have it -- no matter whom it hurts or how I get it.
   
   
2. It is terrible and unjust to be kept waiting. I can't accept excuses.
   
   
3. I must never be uncomfortable or frustrated. I can avoid distress at all cost.
   
   
4. I have a right to be angry when others hurt my feelings, cause me discomfort, or disappoint me.
   
   
5. If I don't sleep well or if I've had a bad day, I have a right to be irritable and others should leave me alone.
   
   
6. My parents always helped me. Others shouldn't expect me to do it by myself.
   
   
7. I detest it when others think their way is the only way -- even if they are the bosses.
   
   
8. I must succeed at everything I choose to do. There is no room for failure.
   
   
9. I deserve immediate gratification. I am entitled to "It."
   
   
10. Other motorists need to get out of my way.

I'm gonna steal this one.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Felicity

DON'T TEAR DOWN ALL THE FENCES!!

I've had "fences" on the brain (for some reason) for the last day or so: the importance of them, the value of them, the upkeep of them, the building of them, etc.

There are fences that need to be maintained, inspected, repaired when or if damage occurs in order to keep those things that would negatively affect our walk with God at bay. On the other hand, there are fences that need to be destroyed or torn down if they're keeping us from reaching our potential in Christ and receiving everything we have access to as a result of being His child and heir.

We balk sometimes at the idea of being "fenced in" and resent the idea that we're not free to go and do what we want where we want and how we want .... when all the time those fences are for our own protection and our own good.

Wander outside, tear them down, climb over them, crawl under them and you may find yourself in a place where the hounds of hell will run you down and devour you.

More to come on ........ "fences". Stay tuned.

Who are you, Larry Booker?

[J-Roc]

Originally Posted by Felicity

The above quote from Max Lucado went along with these thoughts that I wrote last night...........



WHERE'S YOUR MIND?

Sometimes I think I've lost mine or that at the very least it's taken a momentary leave of absence. LOL.

I had the opportunity to share with an acquaintance the other day who was fretting and upset and worried the fact that we have power over our thoughts. It's very easy to fall into habits and develop mindsets where we dwell on the negative, think the worst, believe the doubts and allow worry to gnaw at us until we become so weighed down that we're not much use to ourselves or anybody else.

The mind is a powerful thing. Many people don't even realize that they've fallen prey to a mindset and attitude that is actually in rebellion against God. Jesus Himself spoke about the power of the mind and told us NOT to worry.

Paul taught in 1 Cor. that we need to "cast down" thoughts and imaginations that exalt themselves against the mind of Christ. So there is an imperative here that we do just that. How do we do it? By training your mind. And yes, you can do that!

When negative thoughts come and you start to dwell on the maybes and possibly's of all the bad things that might be happening or could happen in the future ........ OR dwell on the negative stuff from the past .... you can turn those thoughts around to more positive ones or cut the BAD stuff off - immediately. Begin quoting the promises of God to yourself, sing a chorus that is uplifting. Just do whatever is necessary to turn your thoughts around in a positive direction. By doing this, you'll become become more aware of what you're thinking and HOW you're thinking and recognize negative thought patterns and put a stop to them before they have a chance to take hold.

Negativity pulls you down, makes you feel bad, only aids and feeds discouragement. You are what you think. It's true.

Notice how some people when you're around them make you feel good? I'm not talking about silly foolish type of actions and talk that just becomes annoying, but some people have a way of bringing light and happiness wherever they are. It's because of their attitude and the fact that they've learned to be positive in spite of the negative. The LIGHT within them shines out and around wherever they're at.

2Cr 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Wow...I truly enjoyed this post! You're a rock star!