WHAT DO YOU WANT?

What if you trusted in God and he gave you everything you wanted? It is good to trust in the Lord, but is it really good to get everything your heart desires even if it is not really good for you. I submit to you that we do have free choice and a choice to choose what is good for us as well as what is bad for us. “However, personal freedom has to do with a decision to protect the heart, mind, and body from evil influences?” CHARLES STANLEY  Several years ago I wanted what I wanted and I didn’t care about being that obedient to GOD and his positive rules for my life. I didn’t realize that his tenets were not put in place to stop me from having fun in my life, but to protect my heart and soul. I only sought him when I was hurting. I took him off the shelve for my benefit. I didn’t realize I needed to keep him always in my life. And I was to take God permanently off of the shelve and obey his commandments. And that there could be value to me in living a positive life. This reasoning became apparent when a boyfriend that I thought would become a permanent fixture in my life suddenly dumped me. This was to be a permanent relationship with marriage as the conclusion. Heading off to my local church, I sought solace and comfort from God and felt so helpless and hurting. Upon reaching the entrance to the chapel a middle age woman accosted me. “So happy to have you here, she blurted. Welcome, Welcome, God is good,” She exclaimed, and then she quoted moving words and scripture that I wasn’t interested in hearing or willing to listen too. This was one of the reasons I had neglected coming to church in the first place. People always accosting me trying to save me and wanting to espouse their favorite reasons to convince me to love and obey the LORD. Didn’t she see that I was hurting? Did she not have any compassion? Just a religious nut, I thought. She then told me that when she was hurting she recited the 23rd PSALM sometimes over and over perhaps 100 times. Oh lardy, I though this woman is crazed. Didn’t she see my pain and anguish? What about me, me and me? Then she directed me to my seat. She said “The 23RD PSALM is so wonderful especially for me. You see I have three months to live. I have been diagnosed with an incurable type of CANCER!” I paused…….. I WAS WORRIED about a boyfriend dumping me? …How could I be so SELFISH?

Fast forward years later. I have had many trials and conflicts in my life some near death escapes, but I too wake up in the middle of the night repeating the 23RD PSALM and it peacefully gets me back to sleep. I often say it during the day when I am accosted by evil. It begins… THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD I SHALL NOT WANT!  I CHALLENGE YOU to Learn the rest of it for yourself. It will comfort you. It is HEALING!  A footnote…Is it good for GOD to give you what you want? The boyfriend that dropped me has since had three destructive and unhealthy marriages and divorces. Now my heart is calmer because God had a better plan for me. And he is permanently OFF THE SHELVE AND FOREVER IN MY LIFE! “WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL… HIS SWORD AND HIS STAFF THEY COMFORT ME!”

LOVE NEVER FAILS!

LOVE

Since February 14 is Valentine’s Day one must feel the need to write about LOVELove is described in many ways. This dictionary definition pops out at me! Love is to hold dear, show respect and to cherish. Too many people confuse love with lust and too often when these terms are mixed up someone gets hurt. That topic is perhaps for another blog. Lust is best described as unrestrained, uncontrolled sexual desire. Does that seem like the above description of Love? I am wondering how the two can be confused. LOVE in the Bible is described as perfect love: CORINTHIANS 13:4-8 There are sixteen proclamations. IS it possible to keep all sixteen? I don’t think so. The following are seven taken from those passages:

LOVE IS KIND
LOVE IS PATIENT
LOVE DOES NOT ENVY OR BOAST
LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED
LOVE DOES NOT DISHONOR OTHERS
LOVE DOES NOT KEEP RECORDS OF WRONGS
LOVE REJOICES WITH TRUTH
LOVE NEVER FAILS!

This sounds like a great love to have in a relationship especially a marriage. I am prone to say that following just the seven above could make a great marriage and that not following these tenets would probably lean towards ending a marriage. Having perfect LOVE is difficult in a marriage and can be even harder in a longer lasting relationship. It is so easy to get angry, feel hurt or abandoned when we don’t get our own way. Marriage indeed is undeniably compromise and some spouses indeed refuse to compromise. In your relationships, I hope that you are being cherished and honored and respected. And that you are indeed cherishing your loved ones too! You deserve the BEST in life! I hope for you that not just this month, but also every day, month and year you will receive and enjoy LOVE! REMEMBER TOO WHEN YOU FEEL UNLOVED BY OTHERS… THAT GOD ALWAYS LOVES YOU!

Love Soul Mates

 LOVE/SOUL MATES

Recently the public who loves to come up with new ideas or rework old ones came up with the magic words SOUL MATE. I am seeing it everywhere. If you are to fall in love, it must be with your SOUL MATE and that is what drives you to create a loving relationship or a marriage. If he or she is not your SOUL MATE then your relationship is doomed. I have heard people express the reasons for leaving a long marriage or relationship as “WELL THEY JUST WERE NOT MY SOUL MATE.” What does that mean? Does it mean they must delete their long-term relationship in search for the one and only that will make them complete. Did our parents or grandparents stay in long relationships even if they weren’t with a SOUL MATE??? And does this generation really know what the definition of SOUL MATE IS???There are really several definitions and I guess one can choose to form their own opinion and based on that they can conclude what to look for in their perfect relationship. But is this just a romantic notion promoted in movies and T.V.????

According to Webster’s Dictionary SOULMATE means a person who has deep affinity to another. Friendship, love, sex, compatibility and TRUST. Trust being a very essential component. The Religious definition of a soul is a material force within a human being thought to give the body energy, life and power. The soul then is described as immortal, spirit vitality or a sign of a person’s psyche. Also, it can be a person’s essence, emotion, or core. Most people think it is a harmonious, blissful, and symbiotic union. BUT a SOUL MATE UNION can be rough, because after all people are human and they can behave in human and inhuman ways. According to recent articles, a SOUL MATE is not someone who appears on ones perfect person check list and a lot of times physical appearance is not part of the equation. There are various sites you can go to that will give you terms and conditions and even a checklist of what a SOUL MATE RELATIONSHIP can be. However I am going to list ten that I think are important.

You feel their thinking and their pain

You know and accept their flaws

You have the same values, ethics, goals and want the same results

You can really communicate (meaning talking and listening)

You can respect their differences and opinions

You don’t scream, call names or curse at your partner

You don’t hurt each other

You are giving and generous

You can apologize

You can stick with them through the hard times

Also, it is important to note that often one partner is introverted and one is extroverted and that one can be social and one not social. Sometimes you can be like a puzzle piece that sometimes doesn’t fit until adjusted. Often you are attracted to one another to complete the missing pieces. But most importantly hugs are given several times a day and warmth is a component of your hearts. Actually these components seem like they could be available in any good relationship.

According to the religious beliefs even before you were born your spiritual half has been determined and each soul has a perfect match. True spiritual SOUL MATE is the one who is intended to help you complete yourself. A person cannot complete his mission alone. Someone is there to help them become a better person. And when one tries to help another on that journey it cannot always be blissful as some determine the perfect SOUL MATE relationship to be.

As ECCLESIASTES says, “TWO are better than one because they have a good reward for their hard work for if one should fall the other can raise his/her partner up, but how will it be if one falls and there is not another to raise him up” Love and relationships are important! Being honest sincere and committed helps you to see a better vision of yourself. You have to push beyond your comfort zone and be brave enough to have open eyes and an open heart. A relationship with God can be just as important and can enhance your life.

I wish for you, a loving caring relationship with a special person and a loving caring relationship with GOD.

IS IT REALLY A SOUL MATE THAT YOU NEED OR JUST TO BE LOVED?? REMEMBER GOD LOVES YOU…. UNCONDITIONALLY…..TRUST HIM!