I'm Just Thinkin'

Friends... more than just a sitcom... often the central perk in our lives!

Friends are said to come into our lives for a season, reason or for a lifetime…

I wanted to share with you today a poem that I ran across about the people who we cross paths with… very cool…

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with guidance and support; to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Author Unknown

This concept truly amazes me… we never know who will come and stay… or even go… and sometimes they come and go and we don’t really know why… but they surely all arrive and leave with a purpose.

We should cherish each and every person that we encounter and hold on to the good… memories, lessons, love and laughter that we share each step of the way… I’m thinkin’ I’ll make a sticky note reminder for that one… for this and every season!

Who is your best friend… and why?

Well... it is a pretty deep subject!

The Hydrologic Cycle And Your Heart is a 6-post series about some of the choices we make and how they affect our heart.Please check out the other posts in this series here…

It’s one thing to just let something or another into your heart… and quite another to store it in there.

The word “storage” to me has a tone of permanence. Rainwater infiltrating into the ground to create recharge or storage in the form of groundwater. Groundwater flows… typically very slowly under natural conditions. The underground rivers that make up storage in the form of groundwater are epic… they are often considered resources, abundant in quantity and quality that can benefit us. At the same time, as we are learning in Northeast Florida, this resource (ours is call the Floridan Aquifer) is finite. The same is true of all the groundwater resources present throughout the world. Some of the world’s greatest aquifers include the Great Artesian Basin in Australia, the Guarani Aquifer in South America, and the Ogallala Aquifer in the central U.S. Renewable resources, when we consider mass balance and use them at a rate no greater than mother nature can replenish. And when we use the resources at a rate greater than recharge, we can rest assured that one day storage will run out… and we then have to turn to alternative resources to help supply our needs.

… and so it goes with the love muscle buried within our chest… well, to some degree, that is. Adding water to the underground river is like adding the fruit of the spirit to your heart… the abundant overflow is an outpouring of His great love.

Brewing goodness in the heart conditions it to function in the warm, loving way that God intended. This goes very deeply into our focus.

The baseflow…

of our heart is…

the vibe we resonate…

How to keep it in tune with goodness?

Guard – Don’t let bad stuff in there in the first place. Think surroundings/environment. Remember, you make the choice! Pastor Tom Bary of Neptune Baptist Church once said… “If you hang out in the barber shop long enough sooner or later you’re going to get your hair cut.” So true, Tom. The same is true about my peanut butter. Yep, I can handle it… well, not really. So why keep it around? That’s a part of guarding your heart. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an aquiclude… but at least be wise and put up an aquitard.

Flush – Let go of the bad… retain the good stuff. A little bad water splashing over or through the aquitard doesn’t mean you have to keep it in there. Sure, we all make mistakes… Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy, right? I want to learn from every experience, and just hold on to the good stuff. Flush the rest. How? Forgiveness… if it involves someone who’s hurt you. Forgiveness is the biggest word in maintaining the good condition of your heart. More on that one later… Also, don’t hang on to evil wicked badness. Let it go through by adjusting your focus…

Focus – Doing good adds goodness. Be intentional about this one. Remember what the fruit of the spirit is… that’s goodness. Focus on doing good, a good environment, and good thoughts. We’re going big and bold with this F-word tomorrow… that’s Focus… until then, keep smiling and being great!!

How do you guard… flush… and focus?

Hello kerplunk, this is my dear friend pitter patter...

The Hydrologic Cycle And Your Heart is a 6-post series about some of the choices we make and how they affect our heart.

Water is everywhere in our world… we breathe it, drink it, swim in it, snowboard on it, you can hear it go whooosh, splash, crash, and kerplunk. It is essential, forming the very basis of us… the very basis of life itself. Water in our environment is present within a free flowing cycle or system… there really is no beginning or end to it.

Much the same as life… water happens.

The hydrologic cycle goes straight to the heart of the matter of how we nurture our heart thorough the course of life. This goes deep… but in a light-hearted way. Like so much in life, it is what you make of it… you’ve got some choices to make.

All of our thoughts, feelings and emotions cycle or process through our heart.

Lighten up on your heart and connect with a life filled with love… joy… and peace. Hello kerplunk, this is my dear friend pitter patter… you two have much in common… be mindful of the direction of your affection and you two will be holding hands before you know it!

The hydrologic cycle and your heart…

inflows…

outflows…

and storage…

what are you letting into your heart?

what flows out of your heart?

what are you storing in your heart?

what happens in there?

What happens in our heart… mind… and soul... it is a linked system… you do have some choices. When you “live from the heart” … and your heart is in the right place…you’re living the life of abundant overflow.

What will you choose?

I’m writing today as a contributor to the Christian Writers Blog Chain. Our theme for this month is “Quest.” Christianwriters.com is an excellent place to network if you’re a Christian writer or author.

The prophets were messengers… they carried God’s word to an audience, the people, encouraging them to live their lives according to the word.

The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.” 2 Kings 17:13.

They also, at times, predicted the future, including the events related to the coming of Christ.

The kings in charge back in the day were generally a bad lot, leading the people to worship false, pagan gods. The prophets were called to help bring the people back to God from their moral and spiritual decline.

The Career Path Of A Prophet… how did one climb this corporate ladder?

I’ve chosen the quest of Isaiah as an example.

Isaiah began the quest as a scribe in the time of King Uzziah’s throne. Isaiah was commissioned to serve as a prophet by answering to God’s calling with “Here I  am. Send me!” Isaiah responded to a vision of the Lord. Isaiah’s mission was a difficult one… he had to deliver a message: The Lord will destroy you because of your disobedience. The people thought the opposite… that they were, in fact, blessed by God.

Isaiah message from the Lord: help the people see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts.

Isaiah was a rebel with a cause. Hard to imagine that religious people were giving him flack? Think again. Isaiah, like other prophets, was heavily persecuted. He was also considered by some to be a traitor. The people did not want to hear what he had to say. His journey was filled with many trials. He carried God’s message to the people through the reign of 5 kings.

Suffering in the land…

… and while Isaiah brought a warning of judgement, he also brought a message of great hope.

One of my favorite Bible verses is from Isaiah…

“The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31

Being a prophet would be a difficult assignment for me. I really like my simple existence of just being a growing believer in Jesus… a father and grandpa (aka Papi)… an aspiring author and Geologist.

Answering to God’s calling… and your quest… it could be quite simple… or like the career path of a prophet.

Answering to God’s calling… what would your answer be?

“Here I am. Send me!” ??

Christian Writers Blog Chain

After the flood God said to Noah…

“I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you – the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living creature on earth. I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and a rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:9-16.

Everybody reads this and knows about the flood… the covenant… and the rainbow. However, buried within these verses, there is goodness that may just help you through the season of winter.

This covenant is mentioned as “a covenant for all generations to come” … it’s “everlasting” … it’s a promise. The rainbow is simply a reminder to God himself… and a reassurance to man.

beauty abounds even in winter!

We’re heading into the heart of winter here in the northern hemisphere. This can be a gloomy time of year for many… short, cold days… no more football… overweight from the holiday cheer… extra bills to pay… the empty memories of Valentine’s past… the list could go on and on…

Just as we have the rainbow as a reminder of God’s covenant, we can also count on the seasons coming and going. This is His assurance for all generations to come… it’s everlasting.

I like the winter season in the same what that I like a rainy day. Rainy days really don’t bring me down. I look at rainy days as an opportunity… an opportunity to do something different. If I spend a rainy Saturday lounging around in my jammies and reading a book, going to the movies or playing a board game with my family… it’s typically been a really good day!

I believe that God created the winter season for much the same reason… a time of reflection… a time to be still… to think… and a time to learn.

This winter season, instead of looking around and seeing darkness…

be still…

look back and reflect…

look around and be thankful…

look ahead and see the bright beaming sunlight…

because even on the darkest, gloomiest day of winter…

there’s still something good going on…

you can count on it…

just like the rainbow!