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Holy Tears

11/23/2019

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Devotional - The Secret of Surrender

8/27/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

​Just as you used to be slaves to all kinds of sin, so now you must let yourselves be slaves to all that is right and holy.
—Romans 6:19 (TLB)

We have heard the modern expression, “Don’t fight it—it’s bigger than both of us.” Those who are meek do not fight back at life. They learn the secret of surrender, or yielding to God. He then fights for us! Instead of filling your mind with resentments, abusing your body by sinful diversion, and damaging your soul by willfulness, humbly give all over to God. Your conflicts will disappear and your inner tensions will vanish into thin air. Then your life will begin to count for something. You will have the feeling of belonging to life. Boredom will melt away, and you will become vibrant with hope and expectation. Because you are meekly yielded, you will begin to “inherit the earth” of good things, which God holds in store for all who trust Him with their all.
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Devotional - Unspeakable Joy

8/26/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

And the disciples were called Christians . . . 
—Acts 11:26

In the third century Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, wrote to his friend Donatus, “It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people, who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians . . . and I am one of them.” If you have repented of your sins and have received Christ as Savior, then you, too, are one of them.
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Devotional - We Must Decrease

8/23/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

​Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
—Lamentations 3:40

Our modern philosophy of self-reliance and self-sufficiency has caused many to believe that we can make the grade without God. “Religion,” they argue, “may be all right for certain emotional people, but you can’t beat a man who believes in himself.” But this self-confident generation has produced more alcoholics, more dope addicts, more criminals, more wars, more broken homes, more assaults, more embezzlements, more murders, and more suicides than any other generation that ever lived. It is time for all of us to take stock of our failures, blunders, and costly mistakes. It is about time that we are putting less confidence in ourselves and more trust and faith in God.
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Devotional - God Provides

8/22/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down-when we die and leave these bodies-we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself, and not by human hands.
—2 Corinthians 5:1 (TLB)

Death, to the Christian, is the exchanging of a tent for a building. Here we are as pilgrims or gypsies, living in a frail, flimsy home; subject to disease, pain, and peril. But at death we exchange this crumbling, disintegrating tent for a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The wandering wayfarer comes into his own at death and is given the title to a mansion which will never deteriorate nor crumble. Do you think that God, who has provided so amply for living, has made no provision for dying? The Bible says we are strangers in a foreign land. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven. When a Christian dies, he goes into the presence of Christ. He goes to Heaven to spend eternity with God.
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Devotional - What Heaven Will Be Like

8/21/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.
—Revelation 22:3

The Bible indicates that Heaven will be a place of great understanding and knowledge of things that we never learned down here. Sir Isaac Newton, when an old man, said to one who praised his wisdom, “I am as a child on the seashore picking up a pebble here and a shell there, but the great ocean of truth still lies before me.” And Thomas Edison once said, “I do not know one millionth part of one percent about anything.” Many of the mysteries of God—the heartaches, trials, disappointments, tragedies, and the silence of God in the midst of suffering—will be revealed in Heaven.
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Devotional - Cast Your Cares

8/20/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Look at the birds! They don't worry about what to eat-they don't need to sow or reap or store up food-for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.
—Matthew 6:26 (TLB)

Some section hands on a British railroad found a thrush’s nest under a rail. Peacefully sitting on her eggs, the hen was undisturbed by the roar of the fast trains above and around her. Someone has written a little verse which goes:
“Said the robin to the sparrow,
‘I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.’
Said the sparrow to the robin,
‘Friend, I think that it must be,
That they have no heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.'”
Jesus used the carefree attitude of the birds to underscore the fact that worrying is unnatural. I am learning in my own life, day by day, to keep my mind centered on Christ, and the worries and anxieties and concerns of the world pass, and nothing but “perfect peace” is left in the human heart. God has taken the responsibility for our care and worry.
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Devotional - Be Not Anxious

8/19/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
—Colossians 3:16

Christians are to rejoice. To do that, you need only to think of the great things God has done for you. Then we are told not to be anxious, but in our prayers to make our requests known to God. In your biggest problems you have One to whom you can go; and before Him you can pour out your heart with the assurance that He will not leave you without an answer to that great problem. Then we are to fill our minds with those things that are good. They are mentioned in the Scriptures as being things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and of virtue. It is upon these things that we are to think. Live positively, not negatively. Once you learn that secret, God will have given you the victory.
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Devotional - Hunger for Righteousness

8/16/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

I will give to the thirsty the springs of the Water of Life—as a gift!
—Revelation 21:6 (TLB)

God says that only those who hunger after righteousness will receive it. God thrusts this heavenly manna on no one. You must desire it, above everything else. Your yearning for God must supersede all other desires. It must be like a gnawing hunger and a burning thirst.
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Devotional - The Beginning of Wisdom

8/14/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom . . . 
—1 Corinthians 1:30

I believe we ought to get all the education we can, but we dare not make it our god. John Dewey once defined education as the systematic, purposeful reconstruction of experience; but so much of modern education leaves out God. What we are actually doing is reconstructing our sins. We expand our sins, enlarge them, multiply them. We need education, but not just for the mind and the body; we also need education for the spirit. Man has a spirit, and in our educational system today we need a spiritual emphasis. If we bring up a generation that lacks the wisdom that God can give, they can turn into educated savages and fools. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and education. Let’s make sure our rock is God.
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Devotional - Life Changing Power

8/13/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Christ died and rose again . . . so that he can be our Lord both while we live and when we die.
—Romans 14:9 (TLB)

With a frequency that is amazing, the Bible affirms the fact of the bodily resurrection of Christ. Perhaps the most direct of all its statements is Luke’s account in the book of Acts, where he reports, “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days” (Acts 1:3). What are we going to do with these “many infallible proofs”? Someone asked my colleague George Beverly Shea how much he knew about God. He said, “I don’t know much, but what I do know has changed my life.” We may not be able to take all of this evidence into a scientific laboratory and prove it; but, if we accept any fact of history, we must accept the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
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Devotional - The Unmerited Favor of God

8/12/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

For by grace are ye saved...—Ephesians 2:8

“Grace,” according to the dictionary, is the unmerited favor of God toward mankind. The word “grace” is used over 170 times in the New Testament alone. Grace is not bought. It is a free gift of almighty God to needy mankind. When I picture Jesus Christ dying on the cross, I see the free gift of God’s grace in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. I sing with the songwriter, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” Your human mind, with its philosophy of an equal return for favors done, can hardly comprehend the full meaning of this grace of God. But when you catch, by the inspiration of God, its full meaning, you will leave the limits of human reasoning and revel in the spiritual riches of divine truth and privilege.
Yes, the grace of God is a reality. Thousands have tried, tested, and proved that it is more than a cold creed, a docile doctrine, or a tedious theory. The grace of God has been tested in the crucible of human experience, and has been found to be more than an equal for the problems and sins of humanity.
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Devotional - A New World

8/9/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him.
—1 Corinthians 2:9

At the close of the Bible we encounter these words, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” A new world is coming! Each time we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” we should remember that that prayer will be answered. Heaven is described as a new creation in which we shall move in new bodies, possessed of new names, singing new songs, living in a new city, by a new form of government, and challenged by new prospects of eternity with social justice for all. The paradise that man lost will be regained, but it will be much more. It will not be the old one repaired, patched up, and made over. When God says, “Behold, I make all things new,” the emphasis is on all things. One day we shall live in a brand-new world. Centuries ago the apostles greeted each other with the word, “Maranatha”—the Lord is coming.
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Building Bridges

8/8/2019

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Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a Muslim man. He is a very outgoing, but somewhat strict Muslim. We talk very often about Muslim culture versus Christian culture. He loves to tell me all about how things work in the Muslim world from how people become exiled to who the most famous Muslims are. During that time, he also discusses with me about the challenges of being a Muslim in today's world living in the United States. I absolutely love talking with him about his life!

Through our conversations, I enjoy letting him know how I, as a Christian, might address those problems. I also discuss solutions to his problems that the Bible already has answers to along with similarities between the Bible and the Koran. Lastly, I talk with him about how since the Koran already discusses Jesus, it is always a good idea to read about Him in the Bible because it gives so much more detail than the Koran. It actually points an arrow directly toward the Bible so someone can find out more information on this mysterious Jesus the Koran talks about! What an honor and a blessing to have these discussions, because it is only through love, tolerance, and acceptance of others that we can engage in meaningful, and even fun, conversation that is Christ centered. I don't want to bring Jesus to people, because it is my religion or its "just how things should be," but because Jesus saves my life day after day and I seek for others to discover the true Christ and to see what he can do for them.

One day I meditated on God and asked him, Lord, what should we do about all this hate in the world;  these shootings, bombings, and fear mongering? He answered with the simplest, yet most profound, words I could have imagined. He said "Love. Just love. Pour into the streets and just bring My love to everyone you meet." See, we don't need to prove our religion to people. We just need Jesus to speak through our hearts and hands, letting the Holy Spirit guide them from there. In time, they will learn God's covenants, but today, our goal is to just show them what Christ's love is. We don't even need words, necessarily! Just love; but when they ask why it is we have such great love, answer, it is because of my master, and savior, Jesus Christ. 
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Devotional - Unity in Scripture

8/8/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

...holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
—2 Peter 1:21

Although one can derive inspiration from any portion of the Scripture, it is better to have an understanding of the general structure of the Bible to get the most out of it. The Old Testament is an account of a nation, Israel. Out of that nation came Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. The New Testament is an account of a Man, the Son of man, the Savior. God Himself became a man, so that we might know what He is like. His appearance on the earth was the central, most important event of history. The Old Testament gives the background for this event; the New Testament tells the story of its fulfillment. You will find a unity of thought and purpose which indicates that one mind inspired the writing of the whole.
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Devotional - The Mind of Christ

8/7/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
—2 Timothy 1:7

Many diseases of both body and mind are self-inflicted. For example, ulcers are often caused by worry and anxiety. Heart attacks are caused many times by overexertion. Unjustified worry, fear, prejudice, hatred, and envy can contribute to mental stress, which could lead to mental illness. So one way to have a healthy mind is to avoid those practices. But the Bible way to a healthy mind is this, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” If you have the mind of Christ, worry will be offset by trust, enmity by love, and fear by faith.
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Ills of the Human Race

8/6/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Set thy house in order . . . 
—2 Kings 20:1

Man condemns himself by his refusal of God’s way of salvation. In love and mercy, God is offering to men and women a way of escape, a way of salvation, a hope and anticipation of better things. Man in his blindness, stupidity, stubbornness, egotism, and love of sinful pleasure, refuses God’s simple method of escaping the pangs of eternal banishment. Suppose you were sick and called a doctor who came and gave you a prescription. But after thinking it over you decided to ignore his advice and to refuse the medicine. When he returned a few days later, he might have found your condition much worse. Could you blame the doctor? Could you hold him responsible? He gave you the prescription, he prescribed the remedy. But you refused it!
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Just so, God prescribes the remedy for the ills of the human race. That remedy is personal faith in, and commitment to, Jesus Christ. The remedy is to be “born again.” If we deliberately refuse it, then we must suffer the consequence; and we cannot blame God. Is it God’s fault that we refuse the remedy?
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Devotional - Love One Another

8/5/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.
—1 John 1:7 (TLB)

I received a letter from a man in Charlotte, North Carolina. He said that, until our Charlotte Crusade, he was filled with hatred, bitterness, and prejudice toward people of another race. He had joined one of the extremist organizations and was on the verge of engaging in violence. Out of curiosity he came to the meetings, and one night he was gloriously converted. He said, “All bitterness, hatred, malice, and prejudice immediately left me. I found myself in the counseling room sitting beside a person of another race. Through my tears I gripped the hand of this man, whom a few hours before I would have detested. My racial problem has been solved. I now find that I love all men regardless of the color of their skin.”
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Only Christ can solve the complicated racial problem that is facing the world today. Until people of all races come to accept Christ as Savior, they do not have the ability to love each other. Christ can give supernatural love, which enables you to love even those whom you otherwise could not love.
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Devotional - Demands of the Soul

8/2/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought . . . 
—Isaiah 58:11

The soul demands as much attention as the body. It demands fellowship and communion with God. It demands worship, quietness, and meditation. Unless the soul is fed and exercised daily, it becomes weak and shriveled. It remains discontented, confused, restless. Many people turn to alcohol to try to drown the cryings and longings of the soul. Some turn to a new sex experience. Others attempt to quiet the longings of their souls in other ways. Nothing but God ever completely satisfies, because the soul is made for God, and without God it is restless and in secret torment. The first step to God is a realization of your spiritual poverty. The poor in spirit do not measure the worth of life in earthly possessions, which fade away, but in terms of eternal realities, which endure forever. Wise is the man who openly confesses his lack of spiritual wealth and in humility of heart cries, “God, be merciful unto me, a sinner.”
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Article - Difficult to Love: Healing and Restoring Tough Relationships

8/1/2019

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One thing we all struggle with is the relationships that exist in our lives and how to handle each one. All the relationships we have are different and they all require a specific level of finesse. Whether you could use some work in your own personal inventory or you are great at dealing with people, chances are there is someone you love who isn't exactly easy to love. Nothing you do or say seems to change the trajectory of that relationship and you are wondering if there is anything you can do. The fact is sometimes there isn't! It's important, however, when you are trying to find life transformation to settle these issues, whether it means you repair a relationship or simply move on guilt-free so you can be free to begin finding the joy and solace you deserve! Let's begin:

Is that person capable of providing what you need?
Whether it is love or acceptance, guidance, or a bro to have a beer with on a Friday night, every relationship has a purpose to each individual. It's what initially brings us together and this purpose can change, but for a relationship to function, there must be an overriding motivation to secure the relationship. If you generally just like the person, a motivation must be found or the relationship will diminish naturally. A mission is needed, so to speak. This eliminates the need to feel emotional when relationships start fading away when you acknowledge that a new purpose to the relationship only needs to be found. Wearing our heart on our sleeve and overreacting emotionally to the ever changing needs of that relationship is often what drives people apart. No matter how close that person is, if a motivation to spend time with each other cannot be found, a relationship cannot exist. If you want someone in your life, you must ask what it is that you are looking for and if that person is capable of providing it. If not, don't feel angry or guilty about it. Simply find fulfillment in other ways until you can find that motivation. If that person actually cares about you, they aren't going anywhere.

Secondly, are YOU capable of providing what the other person is looking for? Often, this is where the feelings of hurt come in. We so want to have a friendship with someone, that we forget that the other person has needs and wants as well. We feel like failures if we suddenly can't be what that person wants. If they are looking for a casual "go out" kind of friend and you are more of a stay-home-and-be-with-family type person, you could understand why this relationship could struggle. Change would be needed in this case. Either they would have to be comfortable coming over to your house and maybe watching movies and playing games or you would have to learn to be comfortable going out on the weekend OR you could find a new commonality altogether. Perhaps you both love football and enjoy watching the games together.

Activity:
Make a list of all the people you would like to get into a comfortable place with and ask yourself what you would like that person to provide you with (companionship, daily interaction, occasional outings, travel, leadership, sense of belonging, etc). Then ask what that person is actually capable of providing you along with checking off the following questions in this article.

Are you ready to let the past go? Are they?
To move on in any relationship, past wrongs and errors by either party cannot have a place once addressed. By dwelling on these things, it acts like an energy vacuum. All joy and fulfillment you could be feeling will be polluted by not moving past exactly that...the past. Anger, rage, and holding grudges will end relationships as fast as they begin, no matter how close a relationship is, so you and the other person must be committed to letting the past go. Forgive and forget. For tips on forgiveness, please see my other article called "Forgiveness: Letting Go of Toxic Emotions."

Are you capable of setting boundaries and defending them tactfully?
For any relationship to flourish, boundaries must be set and lovingly defended. There is a reason why the relationship didn't work before so now that you know what you know, don't be afraid to tell that other person what you will and won't accept. After all, boundaries are part of who you are and your identity as a whole.

Recently, a friend discussed with me about the relationship between him and his mother. She often would drudge up his past mistakes, other family member's mistakes, her grudges, etc. He explained to her that discussing these topics is a boundary that couldn't be crossed and it strengthened their relationship when he agreed he would not accept it. They moved on and started having a very loving relationship. Over the course of several years, he let his guard down and because of his love for her, began allowing her to slowly creep in with her negative comments about the past as well as about the pasts of other family members as well. He began feeling alienated from her and once again, the relationship fell apart because of resent and anger from both sides.

Can you commit to action without letting emotion get in the way?
Restarting a relationship or addressing relationship issues is not easy. Are you ready to commit yourself to action? This involves making the decision that under no circumstances will you let emotion such as anger or sadness get in the way of progress. There will be times you may want to run and hide or even go down in a burning flame, but MINDFULNESS is key here. Since the relationship may already be fragile, you can bet that person's ways have not changed in the least bit. Expect that, but remember, in order to heal the relationship or make amends you must move past the past, set those boundaries, and commit to action.

Are you ready to listen to how they feel?
You may need to accept the fact that there may be something that has caused someone to take distance from you. It may not even be valid, but even if it isn't, you need to be ready to listen to what caused them to take that distance. You need to remember that the other person is doing nothing wrong by FEELING a certain way. Most people cannot help how they feel unless they are very practiced in mindful thinking. Many times, just by listening to how that person feels, situations may sometimes go from confusing to completely understandable.

Once while working as a manager at a retail store, I noticed a cashier that would always seem very shy and coy around me. She would always look incredibly nervous around me and it made me feel uneasy when being around her. I would see her change from appearing comfortable and candid to uptight. I could see her smile fading as I approached. Since she seemed inapproachable, I decided to ask about it to some of the other cashiers who knew her well. The answer I received was equal parts hurtful but also helpful. I was told that she felt as if I didn't like her. I couldn't imagine not liking her, in fact, I thought she had a great attitude and personality. What she didn't realize was that I kept myself very guarded around those I supervise so as to not give the wrong impression. If either one of us would have been willing to talk and listen sooner, instead of relying on insecurity and emotion, this problem could have been solved much earlier.

Are you ready to release your own guilt and shame?
Once you have apologized for your own actions in the past, all you can do is look forward to the future. You MUST release your guilt or shame. This continuous torment will constantly cause you to flee and ruin any chances you had with repairing that relationship. You don't have to overcompensate for your past actions or apologize endlessly. You cannot change what happened and you don't have to be a prisoner. The only thing you can do personally is acknowledge anything you did to harm the relationship, apologize, and change your actions. No matter what you've done, this is all the other person could ever want from you and if not, the real issue lies with them and they must overcome it in their own way, separate of anything you could do or say to change how they feel. You must release yourself at that point. Your joy depends on it.

In a nutshell, if you can find commonality with someone, let go of previous hurtful actions, set boundaries, commit to action, get past guilt, and start listening, there isn't any reason why you can't either flourish in a friendship, or at the very least, find common ground with someone. The choice is ultimately up to you, but whether you choose to just make peace or repair a friendship, it must always be for the sake of joy and hope. Good luck to you, my dear friends in all that you do and may you be blessed with abundant joy. 

If you are interested in learning more about life transformation techniques, please be sure to check out my life transformation programs at www.searchlightorganization.com/transformation. For additional articles please see my other articles here.

​Author: Jason Cook
Searchlight Organization
​www.searchlightorganization.com
Copyright-July 31, 2019
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Devotional - Internal Strife

8/1/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.
—Proverbs 16:18 (TLB)

David, king of ancient Israel, found himself in the midst of a confused national situation. His kingdom was torn by internal strife. Slave hated master; master hated slave. People blamed the government, and government blamed the people. David looked about him and saw that every man thought himself perfect. Each individual placed blame upon other individuals. David knew that if sinful pride continued to increase, his nation would collapse spiritually. He knew that economic depression, moral disintegration, or military defeat inevitably follow spiritual decline. So David turned to God, and it was revealed to him by the Spirit of God that the spiritual tide of his nation could rise no higher than the spiritual level of his own heart. So he fell on his knees in utter humility and prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24).
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Devotional - Molding You

7/31/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

When we suffer and die for Christ it only means that we will begin living with him in heaven.
—2 Timothy 2:11 (TLB)

I have a friend who during the Depression lost his job, a fortune, a wife, and a home. But he tenaciously held to his faith—the only thing he had left. One day he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a huge church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of stone. “What are you going to do with that?” asked my friend. The workman said, “See that little opening away up there near the spire? Well, I’m shaping this down here, so it will fit in up there.” Tears filled the eyes of my friend as he walked away, for it seemed that God had spoken through the workman to explain his ordeal through which he was passing, “I’m shaping you down here, so you’ll fit in up there.”
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Shield Yourself: Media and Mental Health

7/30/2019

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Copyright 2019
Have you ever had a moment where, because something you read or heard about on the news made you sad, upset, or even angry? Perhaps, a shock post on Facebook startled you. Various studies have shown that the images we look at on the news or on social media can affect our moods and even our mental health  (https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/social-media-linked-rise-mental-health-disorders-teens-survey-finds-n982526). The shows we watch, the songs we listen to, and the movies we entertain ourselves with all serve to affect us in some way.

This morning I was listening to a local radio show called "Love 'em or List 'em." On the show, a lady called in to discuss her friend, who she labeled as "clingy." She was talking how the person was invading her personal space, inviting herself with the caller's family on vacation, and wanting to see the caller nearly every day. She was looking for justification and an answer from other callers about if she should remove the person from her life. Consequently, I started thinking about my own "falling out" situation I personally had with a best friend. He was a friend that I deeply cared for that I no longer see due to his influence on my life and how he made me feel when in his presence. Because of this radio show, I began rehashing many of the conversations we shared, disagreements that occurred, and reliving all those painful moments. Then kicked in the need to want to fix something, but I had to remember, I separated myself for a reason and it was a good one. I had already fixed this problem.

After giving myself a moment to feel, I had to remind myself that thinking on it is not productive. Just like when watching the news and I find myself reading the extra gory details of a local crime. Beyond hearing about the incident, do I really need to bother myself with reading about every move the killer made, what weapon he used, and how it affected the victim's family, just so I can begin obsessing about the safety of my own family? Absolutely not.

The problem is that the media and news carries with it "energy." When something causes you to start thinking negatively about your own life such as second guessing your friends, wondering if it is time to move, if you should begin preparing for a perceived disaster when it isn't really justified, or if you should start homeschooling your kids because a teacher in Texas assaulted a student along with other irrational thoughts, we should ask ourselves, is the energy or messages we are receiving from the media a good and positive influence on our lives? Is it bringing with it love, positive energy, and hope or is it bringing hate, divisiveness, and anger? Don't get me wrong, however. It is important to keep up on local issues, but it is when we begin internalizing that negative energy and making it one with our own that a problem is created. 

This problem is the negative mindset we may slip into about our surrounding world and environment from the constant barrage of negativity coming from these external sources.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, 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." - Philippians 4:8

This is our shield and we must keep it on at all times. By reading scripture, meditating in prayer, reading books that bring us hope, pondering good things, staying away from the details of negative news, and working on a goal program, we can fend off the energies that seek to remind us of a darker world in which we have the ability to  create ourselves, depending on what we focus on. We also have the ability to create a world of excitement, joy, and beauty also, if that is what we want, because it is our thoughts that shape our world.

If you are interested in improving your life through setting goals, learning ancient wisdom, and taking control over your life now, take a moment to check out my life-improvement programs at www.searchlightorganization.com/transformation

Author: Jason Cook
​Searchlight Organization
Copyright, 2019
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Devotional - A Covenant with Eyes

7/30/2019

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Text and photo used with permission from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association - www.billygraham.org

Keep thyself pure.
—1 Timothy 5:22

Someone has said, “You cannot help the first look, but the second is sin.” Jesus indicated that you can engage in immorality by a look. The Bible places the “lust of the eye” right along with other major sins. Listen: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Peter spoke of having “eyes full of adultery.” No wonder Job said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Your eyes see only what your soul allows them to see.
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Putting the "Pro" in Productivity

7/29/2019

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According to research, the average person uses social media more than 2 hours per day (globalwebindex, 2018). This might include perusing Facebook, displaying photos on Snapchat, or shouting out on Twitter. Let's take a look at how this might fit in with our other daily responsibilities and see what kind of impact something as frivolous as social media may have on your productivity:

Facebook: 2 hrs
Sleep: 8
Work: 8
Commuting: 1 hr
Eating and Cooking: 2 hrs
Chores and Maintenance: 1 hr
Business Priorities: 1 hr
Favorite Television Show: 1 hr


Total hrs: 24
Time left to achieve goals? 0

After reviewing a typical working person's schedule, notice there is no time left over for any personal achievement? If this person wanted to begin filling out resumes, volunteering, or work on mental health, that could take up several hours per day, there would be no other option than to cut back on something.

Here are a few tricks you could use to become the "Pro" of productivity and get achieving more in your life:
  • Limit social media time to when you are on lunch, commuting, or give yourself 15 minutes in the morning, but make sure to leave your evening social media free to prevent hours of use. This will add nearly 2 hours to your regular productive day.
  • Limit entertainment. We've all binge watched. Leave this for the weekends! I, personally, have a policy at home that says that I cannot watch television or use the computer for entertainment on any week night. This basically freed up my entire schedule.
  • During the week, make sure cooking times are kept to a minimum by making easier meals or preparing during the weekend.
  • Put a time-limit on chores, even if it doesn't get done. Your time is a precious commodity.
  • Reduce commute time. Are you taking the bus and could potentially drive or car-pool? Perhaps you have the option to work from home.
  • How much do you sleep? Of anything, if you need more than 8 hours of sleep a night or take frequent naps, this could really cut into your ability to be productive. If you are dragging after a full night of sleep, you may want to question if you have a sleep disorder: (https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-disorders-warning-signs#diagnosis)
  • Lastly, use the small moments. Do you have a job that has downtime throughout the day or maybe you have a 1 hour lunch break? Use this time to read educational articles or making phone calls that are vital to achieving your goal.

With a little discipline, you would be surprised at how much more you'll accomplish and how great you'll feel! If you would like to start conquering your goals and begin living a life of achievement, feel free to check out my goal achievement programs at: www.searchlightorganization.com/transformation.

Author: Jason Cook
Searchlight Organization
Copyright, 2019


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