Category Archives: Reflections

Am I too Easily Pleased?

Posted on June 14, 2012 | Leave a comment


Spring has come and gone…. I am still trying to read the book “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh.  My plan was to get everything organized in my house.  I have renewed this book three times from the library.  I was hoping that I would be inspired and motivated to get rid of a lot of stuff and it is not happening.  After living over 20 years in the same house it is amazing how much stuff is accumulated.   This is what I have managed to do…just make more piles of stuff but instead of being hidden in spaces the stuff is in the middle of the empty rooms.  So I have been wondering if I  ……..

….. routinely fall into the lie that the secret to a fulfilled life is the possession of more belongings and the achievement of personal gain.  Joshua Becker

And if I my …..

“….. desires are not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”  C. S. Lewis

….That the reason I can not get rid of stuff is that I am too easily pleased with my possessions., that I am focusing on the wrong stuff, and worst of all that I am living a selfish life instead of a fulfilled life ….. much to ponder today.

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What Would You Do If You Had Complete Control?

Posted on June 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Control and freedom aren’t mutually exclusive. If we let them, they can act as entirely complementary notions.

Control isn’t allowing outside forces, like a goal or plan we (or someone else) created weeks or months ago, to shape our actions.

Control is taking full responsibility for how we spend our time, right here, today. And in that control lies freedom: we get to choose.

What would you do if you had complete control—the freedom to do whatever you wanted today?      Georgina Laidlaw

What would I do if I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted to do today?  Now   that is a very good question.  From the definition above control is taking full responsibility on how we spend our time.   Time…I hate that word.  I am always running out of time.  I am always wishing I had more time in the day to get things done.  I feel controlled by time.  I work in a job when I have to account for every minute of my day.  We have little timers that we have to turn on and off while working on clients or while doing administrative things.  I am always wondering what it would be like not to have to put down every second of one’s work day.

I think from my ranting above that if I were going to do whatever I wanted it would not be working at my job.  But I need to be responsible with my choices.  I do need money to pay for food, shelter and that never ending pile of bills. So I guess that my choice for today …. is to go to work.  Maybe I need to change my attitude.

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What is the Secret of Being Content?

Posted on June 6, 2012 | 3 comments

. . . I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11–13)

When we’ve been humbled or embarrassed. When there’s no food on the table — can you imagine that? When our team loses. When we’re unmotivated. When we err. When we’re feeling depressed. When we think we may have lost the strength to go on. That’s precisely when we need strength from Jesus.

Jesus is the one who by his Holy Spirit loves to give strength to his people both for doing life’s most enjoyable things and for enduring in life’s hardest things. Jesus is the strength-giver both for eating a good meal with thanksgiving and for missing one with thanksgiving. Jesus is big enough to sustain us when we’re low. He’s strong enough to hold us when we’re at our weakest. We can do all things — not just the things we want most to do, but even (and especially) the things we want least to do — through Jesus who strengths us.     David Mathis

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Something To Think About Today

Posted on June 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

“If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.” (Hunger for God, p. 23)

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Humility

Posted on April 2, 2012 | 1 comment

Humility is the state of being humble; absence of pride or self-assertion – Webster’s New World College Dictionary.

I would like to think that I am a humble person – Someone who is not prideful or thinks that they have all the answers.  However,  the more I think about this word humility I realize that I do not possess this trait.   I do not particularly like it when someone points out that I am wrong.   I do not like to put others first.  I do think I am better than some people – that is in my mind I do – because I would never say it out loud because I want people to perceive me as a humble person – not a know it all jerk. Confession time is over.

The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy.  Do not be proud, therefore because of your learning or skill.  Rather, fear because of the talent given you.  If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much that you do not know.  Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance.  Why prefer yourself to someone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?   …..If you wish to learn and appreciate something worthwhile, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing.  Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel.  To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think will and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom.  Thomas a’ Kempis

I Peter 5:5     You younger men, likewise, be subject to you elders: and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

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All Is Vanity

Posted on March 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

It is that time of year where I am drowning in preparing tax returns.  Since I am working more hours the extra money is always nice at first.  But then after a few weeks of no time off, working seven days a week the money is no longer as attractive as it seemed at first.  I miss time with my family, working in the yard, being with friends and even household chores.  This is what comes to my mind.

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3  “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.  What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?”

This is the greatest wisdom – to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world.  It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride.  It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come.  It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provisions for things to come.  It is vanity to love what passes and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides. – Thomas a’ Kempis

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Unbelievers Who Do Good Deeds?

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

But someone will say, “This can’t be, because I know many unbelievers who do good deeds.” Ah, but when you say that you do not have a view to God. When you judge what is sin and what is righteousness, don’t just think of man! Think of God. We were made for God! He is worthy of all our love and trust and honor and thanks and obedience and worship. We may well build our hospitals and feed the hungry and educate the ignorant, but if it doesn’t spring from trust in God, and if we don’t do it to give him glory, and if we don’t have a view to the salvation of others, all we do is sin with respect to God. – John Piper

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To Trust or Not To Trust

Posted on January 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

For me it is very hard to trust people.  It seems that they are always saying that they are going to do something and then they do not do it.  Many times people will say they will do something and I only half way believe that they will follow through.  Then when they do I am pleasantly surprised.  The sad part about all this that I think it makes it hard to trust in God.  I do not know why this is so – maybe because man is made in the image of God and so if we are in God’s image and man is not trustworthy then maybe God is not trustworthy.  I know, I know. There is a flaw in that kind of thinking.  So as I was reading today, I came across this blog talking about trust and I think it helped me understand the concept of trusting God.

This is why it is hard to trust. We can trust Him to do anything, all things, great things. However, He doesn’t always do our thing…… He won’t take away every pain. He allows many things for reasons beyond my understanding. Yet, when circumstances seem like more than we can bear, He leans in and whispers, “Here’s my Hand. Through the pain and suffering, hold tight. I’m not going anywhere.”And He doesn’t. That I can trust.  – Cherish the Call Blog

“Our thing”… am I wanting to be in control of God causing me to falter in my trust in Him.  Am I trusting God for the wrong thing – that is to make my life a comfortable life with no hardships?  There is much to think over here…..so my prayer today is for God to help me to know that He is here – right beside me all the time no matter what and to help me trust Him more and more each minute of the day.


 

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What is Stressful for Me – Thinking about the Upcoming Tax Season

Posted on January 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I always like the month of January.  I like to make New Year’s Resolutions and I like to think that I can actually keep the resolutions that I make.  And I think I have good progress on the resolutions for a couple of weeks.  I know, I know a lot of people fall off keeping resolutions after only a few weeks.

It is now time for me to write about my excuse for breaking my resolutions.  I can sum it up in two words – Tax Season.  Starting in January, my workload starts to increase and I begin to think about how I can do more work during the week.  Of course, that means more hours working and less time to exercise, organize, read etc.  and there go the resolutions.

This week one of my c0-workers announced that they are going to work for a client of hers as an employee for two days of the week and will only be able to work in our office for three days a week.  This co-worker was very nervous when she finally gathered enough courage to tell the boss.  This was because we thought the boss would be very mad about this decision.  When it was said and done the boss seemed quite pleased.  Probably because she saw it as a cost saving move for the firm. I can only see as more work for me; more stress for me.

I have already decided that it was time to maybe start putting in some weekend hours.  This means it is starting.  The time when work starts to overtake my life. This year I do not want to be consumed with working on tax returns every waking minute of the day.  Every year I say this and I fail miserable in trying to keep a balance between work, family and leisure.

I was reading the paper this morning and luckily for me I came across an article on stress.

Stress happens when people perceive that the demands they face exceed the ability to cope. – Sharon Jayson

Well that is what happens during tax season.  The demand to complete tax returns accurately and quickly as more and more of them are dropped off to prepare create this unbelievable feeling of not being able to get them done.

So here is the way suggested to manage the stress.

  • Exercise
  • Take a break even if it is only 20 minutes
  • Share feelings with others who you trust and can validate your feelings
  • Meditate or mindful prayer

Then this morning I started reading some blogs that I like to keep up with.  I came across these excerpts of a sermon by John Piper that I think may help me, too.

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Thought for the Day – Is My Love for God Cold?

Posted on January 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matt. 24:12-14

Lord Jesus, this is a sobering warning, indeed—”The love of many will grow cold.” What could be worse than to lose, leave or leak the love we have for you? When the fire of affection for you chills, then all of our other relationships suffer as well.

We become critical and cynical, instead of compassionate and kind-hearted. We keep indelible records of the ways people hurt and fail us, instead forbearing with and forgiving one another. We become fragile or hard, insecure or indifferent. We despise weakness in others, while denying our own. We marginalize the needs of others, while maxi-sizing our own. We don’t care for the poor, because we lose our own poverty of spirit. Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.  – Scotty Smith

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