A.W. Tozer
Rules for Self Discovery:
1. What we want most;
2. What we think about most;
3. How we use our money;
4. What we do with our leisure time;
5. The company we enjoy;
6. Who and what we admire;
7. What we laugh at.
Category Archives: Personal Growth
These are two short videos that I did, with host Angie McGregor, for a TV segment called Joy In Our Town. The first video is about how to improve depression. The second segment is how to help adult children transition.
| Appearance: | Interviews with Angie McGregor, host of Joy In Our Town. |
|---|---|
| Outlet: | TBN |
| Location: | Chattanooga, TN |
| Format: | Television |
Gratitude Liberates
I don’t know anyone that is not busy or stressed. I am no different because the last several months for me have been very hectic and stressful. Not for bad reasons but new and exciting opportunities on top of the dark dreary winter. Is it possible to increase our capacity for life, relationships and joy in the midst of busy productive lives? I think it is. The solution is counter intuitive though. We add capacity by letting go rather than just trying harder.
When life is hard and stressful I want to step back, regroup and feel safe. I move into control mode. I want to keep people out or manage them with kindness. The goal is to make life work, I want a safe soft place to land. I try to grab hold of life and control it. The interesting thing is that I have found that this does not work.
The lifestyle of risk and vulnerability is where enjoyment is found. The risk is letting people in and creating relationship rather than closing off and managing people and life. I have found that a lifestyle that regularly includes gratitude and forgiveness brings joy and freedom. Two things open life back up:
The way to do a great deal is to keep on doing a little. The way to do nothing at all is to be continually resolving that you will do everything – Charles H Spurgeon
Faith makes things possible, not easy. Impossible is an opinion not a fact. Through Christ you have the power to change the world. Live in community and relationship as you watch the impossible become possible.
When You Get Stuck
Relationships get stuck when we live in the past. It is difficult to love fully or show kindness when you are replaying conversations and events in your head. We are always living in the present. We lose the focus or attention of the present by allowing or thoughts to live in the shame of the past or the anxious fear of the future.
This bind or struggle can effect how you live with and love the relationship that are most important to you. We judge the motives or meaning of our spouse and friends by being caught up in the struggle of shame or hurt from the past and fear and anxiety of the future. Here are a couple things you can do to help you live in the joy of the present.
“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.”
― A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us. ”
― A.W. Tozer
The Pursuit of God
Trade Holiday Stress for a Grateful Heart
As I sit here and type I am stressed with schedules, meetings and expectations. The Holidays should be a time that I focus on the gift of Christ while enjoying family and friends. Instead I can feel my heart racing wondering how long it will take to finish this post and get to the next thing. I need to take my own advice, slow down, change the self talk, be more positive and don’t forget to breath. I am beginning to learn that A heart of gratitude can change everything….yes everything. We all need to develop a heart of gratitude that overflows with joy and hope. An attitude of gratitude and thankfulness has been shown to help people cope with daily stress better.
Most of us suffer from what I think of as an abundance paradox: Because we have so much, it becomes easy to take our good fortune for granted; as a result, we are more likely to feel disappointed when we don’t get what we want than to feel grateful when we do. – Christine Carter, Ph.D
God, Change My Situation
I felt stuck. I did not like the situation, the job, the environment I was in. Why won’t God get me out or why won’t He open the door so I can get out of this. These were the words that I said, prayed and complained to God and others during the years that I was stuck in jobs and situations I didn’t like. I was convinced that I would experience true joy, peace and goodness if I could just change my job and my circumstances.
Most of us are probably still laboring under the impression that freedom comes first in our circumstances, and then we can experience love, joy, peace, patience, and all the other wonderful fruits of the Spirit. Not so. God usually begins first with the transformation of our attitudes; then He can change our circumstances. Stasi Eldredge – Becoming Myself
Gratitude Changes Everything
Gratitude changes everything. Yes everything…. Think about it. Gratitude transforms the way you interact with your relationships. It fills the empty glass of your emotions. Gratitude truly is able to say “God has worked all things together for my Good!”
For the week of Thanksgiving I want to give you some thoughts on Thankfulness and gratitude. Over this next week as you interact with your family and friends start a discussion about what you are thankful for. My hope and prayer is that it will create thoughts and actions of gratitude in your life.
Here are some of the benefits of a Grateful Heart: