By Daneen James God sees you.
He knows the adversity you have overcome. He understands that you’ve endured things you didn’t deserve. That you’ve had many reasons to give up, but you found the courage to keep going. Despite the heart break, challenges, and disappointments that threatened to overtake you. You are still standing. But sometimes what we use to survive in one season can create patterns that keep us stuck, restrict our heart and stifle our spirit in another season. Nothing makes God happier than to see you living the life that He created you to live. He wants to help you reach your full potential, in every area of your life. He wants to help you. He’s extending His hand. Will you take it? Begin by answering these 3 questions (inspired by Dharius Daniels): Where’s the hurt? What was done that shouldn’t have been (feelings of grief, loss and unmet expectations offer clues)? Where’s the hole? What wasn’t done but should have been? Where’s the hazard? What thought or memory keeps tripping you up? What video plays in your mind that you find it difficult to escape? Will you allow God into these areas? Will you choose to accept Christ as the answer to bring you wholeness and peace? Here’s a prayer: Father, there are places where I am stuck. Regrets and resentments cloud my perspective. I have done things for which I'm ashamed. Made areas of my heart unavailable to you. But I want to know your freedom. I invite you into my life, nothing is off limits. Help me give you my broken pieces. Strengthen me to expose my wounds. Give me the courage to be honest, withholding nothing. Then God do what only you can do. Let your love wash over me and lead me to healing. Father, when it gets hard, help me look to and lean on you. For more inspiring messages: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Sign up for Daneen's newsletter and receive updates about her upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/live-your-light
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By Daneen James Each of us is uniquely gifted by God. We are never happier or more fulfilled than when doing what we're made to do. So why do we make it so hard?
Here are a few of the lessons I've learned. Unique on Purpose We can misunderstand our "unique" qualities. Dismiss their value and link to our purpose. Our natural inclinations offer clues about the distinct ways we are meant to impact the world. When channeled constructively, our gifts glorify God. One of my "special gifts" is recognizing when something is out of order or needs improvement. Whether it's a crooked picture on the wall, an item that has fallen from a store shelf or the misplaced cart in a store parking lot. It cries out to me and I feel compelled to fix it. Suffice it to say, my "helpful attention" isn't limited to carts and store fixtures. People (myself included) and situations get equal play. Admittedly, I've not always considered my attention to detail a positive trait. It can be exhausting. But I’ve come to understand that God created me to uplift and inspire others. So, I've learned to embrace the beauty in seeing what others miss and consider the desire to leave people and situations better, a gift. A gift that helps me do what God has called me to do. We Get In The Way That being said. The journey to embrace my calling challenges my tendency toward perfectionism and "overthinking". I push for the best possible result in whatever I do. While the pursuit for excellence is admirable. My pursuit for "the best" can be never ending. I always see how something could be better. What should take me days to complete, often takes weeks (sometimes longer) because of my constant refinement and revision. God has made it increasingly clear, that in order to effectively do what He's created me to do, I must get over myself. Greater Is He He’s helped me realize that whatever I do comes through me but is not about me. Yes, I maintain a commitment to excellence in everything I do. But there's no scenario where my efforts, talents and focus alone are sufficient. I need God. So, rather than being so consumed with doing and saying everything right, I make space for God’s Spirit to work through me. Whenever I get fanatical or feel nervous, scared and insecure, I ask God to help me refocus. He calms me. Assures me that He is with me and reminds me to trust His power. When we step out on God's assurance, become vulnerable and do the uncomfortable, He is glorified. People see God in us and reach for the God in them. That's the Creator's plan. Live Your Light Until I was willing to embrace God's plan for my life and accept that my purpose was bigger than the life I was living. I fought the process and sabotaged my progress. Fearful of what living out my potential required, I shrank to stay safe. But the light within me longed to be lived out and I lost the willingness to deny it. Each day we get to choose whether we'll live a life consistent with who God calls us to be. I don't want to leave this world without giving all I have to give. I'm hungry for everything God has for me. How about you? Here are a few ways to live your light:
Make This Your Prayer Today I can’t settle for a life half-lived. Not going to talk myself out of reaching for the dream that shouts to me in the silence. Won’t forfeit another opportunity to walk toward my potential. Refuse to be shackled by the hurdles in my head. Today, I see the truth of who I am. I don’t downplay or diminish my shine. Today, I’m going for it and I’m not leaving anything behind. “The sovereign Lord is my strength, with Him I can do mighty things. He makes me as surefooted as a deer able to tread upon the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19, Psalm 60:12. Now go for it, then repeat. For more inspiring messages: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Sign up for Daneen's newsletter and receive updates about her upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Shop the SPARKSAFLAME Store: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/a-matter-of-perspective By Daneen James "When we were utterly helpless, God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. We have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ. Our friendship with God was restored by the Son." Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)
I read that scripture and I am overwhelmed. God, what made you do it? How can you love me like you do? What am I that you consider me? Despite my best efforts, I’m not always good or righteous. I disobey and disappoint God. I know better but don’t always do better. I mess up and miss the mark. Yet every day God shows me new mercy and extends His grace and gives me another chance. God sees us and knows our inner thoughts, nothing is hidden from Him. He sees the ugly, the selfish and the dark. Yet it’s in our darkest places that He shines His light. His Spirit won’t let us be. It works with His grace to refine us. Even when you walk away, God never does. He wants you. He decided long ago that you are worth it and won’t throw you away. He offers you life, the chance to change and grow. Oh, the possibilities when you listen for and obey His voice. Each time we choose Him, every move we make toward Him, we stand more in His power. This was God's plan all along. There's a song I remember singing as a Kid in church, “I Just Want To Thank You Lord.” Though I haven’t thought about that song in years, this morning I woke up with its words on my lips. “Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You’ve been so good. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You brought me out. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You saved my soul. I Just want to thank you Lord.” I even watched a performance of the song on YouTube. As I listened to the lyrics, my eyes began to water. On Good Friday, the day we commemorate the death and crucifixion of Christ. I am overcome with awe and appreciation. Father, I just want to say, THANK YOU. For more inspiring messages: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Connect and receive updates about Daneen's upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Shop the Sparksaflame Store: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/in-his-absence By Daneen James This is an interesting time in our world. Even if you’re not experiencing financial hardship, or facing a health challenge. It’s not business as usual. Your life has likely been altered in some way. Many among us have real and immediate concerns about the days, weeks and months to come. What will happen to their lives, livelihood and families? None of us can predict when we’ll return to work or control the government’s response. No matter how many models or trends we use, there’s no way to anticipate the global impact of the COVID -19 pandemic. But there is something each of us can do. Fight. When feelings of doubt, fear and dread flood your mind and threaten to overwhelm you. Fight to stay expectant of positive outcomes. Resist the urge to be overtaken by despair. Challenge every negative, nonproductive thought and feeling, don’t let them go unchecked. Push yourself to recall positive moments and experiences. Use them as encouragement to keep going. Inherent in every situation is opportunity, this one is no different. Is there a lesson to be learned, perspective or growth to be gained? Take a step back. Regardless of circumstance, look for and embrace the opportunity to learn and grow. It builds character and fortifies faith. Some days you’ll feel stronger than others. Yes, there’ll be moments when you won’t be motivated to move forward. Days that you won’t want to be encouraged. You’ll certainly encounter circumstances that cause you to question and doubt. You’ll likely have instances where you want to blame others and throw yourself a pity party. You might want to throw in the towel. But even when you face situations that drain your energy and tax your spirit. Faith falters and you're caught up in a sea of negative thoughts and emotions. Don’t just give in and throw your hands up in surrender. Reach for hope. Remember nothing in life lasts for all time. You have faced crisis before. You’ve overcome adversity in the past. Though pressed on every side you were not defeated. You’re still standing. You will get through this. Not just survive but thrive. Encourage yourself daily. Every day act to feed your faith. Overtime you’ll create a reserve that feeds you when you need it most. You may sink, but not as low as before and you won’t stay as long. Here are a few ideas to help feed your faith:
Faith feeds faith. The more you do the thing you know is right. The more you’re convinced that what you’re doing is right. Get more on this and other topics: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Connect and receieve updates about Daneen's upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Feed someone’s faith with a card: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/keep-it-fresh By Daneen James In the wake of the COVID 19 global crisis, we're more aware than ever, life can change in an instant. Suddenly, the life we knew has been suspended, indefinitely. What we planned, wanted and hoped to do must be deferred or at least altered. Yet, inherent in every crisis is opportunity. This crisis is no different.
Inevitably, during this time, most of us will likely take some time to reflect, assess and examine our lives. When you look closely, you'll see a crossroads. An opportunity to make decisions that can be a turning point in your life and our world. What will you do? How will you choose? After reading the stories below, you may think differently(https://www.marcandangel.com/2015/08/19/30-quick-stories-that-will-make-you-think-differently/). Life Lesson On his 27th birthday a young man wrote a suicide letter. He was ready to go through with it, when his girlfriend showed up at his apartment and told him she was pregnant. She saved his life. Suddenly he felt like he had something to live for. Today, that young man's pregnant girlfriend is his wife. They have been happily married for 19 years. And the baby, his daughter, now a 21-year-old college student, has two younger brothers. Every year on his birthday, the man re-reads his suicide letter as a reminder to be thankful – thankful he got a second chance at life. The Heart Goes On Nearly five years after her husband’s death, a woman receives an unexpected knock at her front door. It was a beautiful couple and their three kids. The man smiled and said, “Your husband was my heart donor. He saved my life. Not a single day has gone by that I don’t pray for him and think of you. Thank you! " From Where I Sit There was a group incoming freshman on a tour of their "soon to be" college campus. Amongst the group was a young man in a wheelchair. He was exceptionally friendly and never stopped smiling. His positive energy was absolutely contagious. The group learned after the tour that he had a scholarship to play basketball before a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. When asked about the accident, he responded, “It didn’t ruin my life, it just changed my circumstances. I’m happy to be here with you right now, with so many opportunities in front of me.” What matters most A woman rushed to the hospital after getting a call from her twin sister. After being in a coma for almost a year, her sister was still weak but surprisingly coherent. The siblings spent the entire night together, talking and laughing. The woman was elated to share the holiday season and enter the New Year with her sister back at her side. You'd never know a month before the accident, the twins got in a ridiculous argument and didn’t speak to each other for that entire month. Today, neither one of them can even remember what made them so angry. Joy from Pain During a conversation with his daughter, a 71-year-old dad talked about living and growing through adversity. He said, “It’s been my experience that most people aren’t truly happy until they’ve had many reasons to be sad. I believe it's because it takes all of those bad days and hardships to teach us how to truly appreciate what we have. It builds our resilience.” The Best You A woman recalls the relationship advise her grandfather gave her more than two decades ago, “Honestly, the moment I stopped trying to find the right woman, and started trying to become the right man, your grandmother walked up to me and said, ‘Hello.’” The Truth of Life While interviewing a terminally ill woman for a school project, a high student tentatively asked “What is it like to wake up every morning and know that you are dying?” “Well,” the woman replied, “What is it like to wake up every morning and pretend that you are not?” This life is not forever, every moment we get is a gift. God willing, though unprecedented and uncharted, this time will pass and fade into memory. In the meantime, there are lessons to be learned. Lessons of how to live and love differently, better. Reminders to pursue lives that reflect our purpose more fully. Lessons of how compassion feeds and elevates our spirit in such extraordinary ways. Here are a few ways to make space for the lessons of this time:
Get more on this and other topics: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Sign up for her newsletter, get notified when Daneen’s latest book is available for purchase: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Brighten someone's life with a card: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. You might also enjoy: https://www.daneenjames.com/blog/in-the-light-of-hope By Daneen James Can you name anything that you don't like fresh? Think about it - everything we buy, use or eat, we typically want it fresh. Our relationship with God should be no exception. Relationships thrive on flexibility and spontaneity. When we feel restless in life or disinterested in relationship with God, it's often a sign that our connection to God has become stale.
Sometimes our discontentment is a cry for deeper connection with our creator. Fellowship with God feeds our lives, here are five ways to keep it fresh... Music Music is the heart’s marinade. The melody and lyrics of a good song move us like few other things can. Although I love music, I'd never used it in my private time with God. But once I did, I realized that instruments combined with words that profess God's love and faithfulness produce pure praise. Since God inhabits our praise, worship music literally creates an atmosphere where there's more God and less you. That's why II Chronicles 5: 13-14 says "Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: He is good! His faithful love endures forever! At that moment, the glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple of God." Try it. Incorporate music into your personal time with God. Find a way that works for you. It doesn't need to be every day. It could be before, during, after or all three. Just be spontaneous and let the Spirit lead. Choose an artist or style of worship music that speaks to you. Lie on the floor, get on your knees or just sit. Allow the lyrics to guide you and draw you into fellowship with God. Worship God differently today than you did yesterday and you will tomorrow. Prayerful listening Prayer had pretty much been a one-way conversation. I'd tell God my needs, concerns, confessions then move on to the next thing. I would clear my mind, but failed to engage my heart. Intimacy with God requires you to open your heart. Talk with God, be honest about your needs, concerns, hopes and confess where you've fallen short, but when you're done, don't just rush off to the next thing. Stay and linger in God's presence. Ask, "God what do you want to share with me?" Then wait. Romans 8: 26-27 says we don’t know what God wants us to pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Ask God to search you and reveal your heart. You might get His conviction for sin(s) you didn’t realize you were committing. You can then ask for forgiveness and grace. You may get directed to a verse, a person or a situation that He want to use for your growth. Listen – then pay attention to God’s direction for action. Get Quiet Sometimes meditation gets a bad rap. Some people believe "clearing your mind" is weird or can make you vulnerable to evil forces. So, let me create context. Godly meditation is actively inviting God to speak and reveal himself in a way that you can recognize and understand. It means taking a pause to focus on God and His word. It is a spiritual tool that makes space to hear God's direction and notice his guidance. Joyce Hugget says it this way. "I close my eyes to shut out visual stimuli. I close my ears by dealing with distractions which threaten my ability to tune into God. I close a series of shutters on the surface level of my life, thus holding at bay hindrances to hearing the still, small voice of God, and I release a trigger that gives deeper, inner, hidden parts of myself permission to spark to life.” Meditation is like a muscle that needs to be strengthened, start light, grow stronger. It’s your practice, there's only rule - make the effort to focus on God. Start by reading one verse and ask God to open it up to you. I Kings 3:9 and Jeremiah 33:3 can be helpful as you begin. Yes, you'll probably get distracted and your mind will wonder. But when you notice you’ve wondered, just gently bring yourself back. You'll likely get restless, it's ok. Try making a list of all the stuff you need to do, then set the list aside and begin again. When you get frustrated, use a word or phrase to give your mind a point of focus. Sometimes I use adjectives to describe God as I understand Him. God is kind, generous, patient etc... use your own words. It might help to set a time limit - start with one minute, you can do more over time. Just as the water washes over you when you take a bath or jump in a pool. So are you engulfed by God's presence when you meditate. You become keenly more aware of the essence of God. You can feel His power, grace and love. It’s like meeting God where it’s just the two of you – the place beyond all the doors and walls, under the layers, to find the Him that rests in you. Gratitude I have kept a journal for years, each day listing at least 5 things I’m grateful for. As of late, I have asked the question, when did I feel God most today? This challenges me to really reflect and go deeper. It's an exercise that not only fosters gratitude, but also praise and humility as I recall God’s presence and power. The result is a rich and unique fellowship with God. James 1: 17 says is nicely. "Whatever is good and perfect comes from God our Father." Look for the good and wonderful, big and small, divine details. Pay attention to the ways God injects himself and His grace in your life - parking spots, kindness of strangers, an unexpected gift. Think about all that’s happened since you’ve been up today. Where have you felt God most? As you focus on God, you move you closer to him. Colossians 2:7 says it clearly. "Let your roots grow down to Him and let your lives be built on Him, then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness." So even when unpleasant things happen, you can reflect on God’s power and His grace. Despite your situation you can be grateful, because you know God and His power always prevail. Lamentations 3:20 says it beautifully. "Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD'S loving kindness indeed never ceases, for His compassion never fails." There’s a circular property to gratitude. The more grateful you are the stronger in Christ you become, the stronger in Christ you become, the more grateful you are. Take it outside Get out of your daily routine. Go for a walk, get around an ocean or a river. Sit on your porch or patio and find the stars. Spend even a few moments just observing how the breeze moves through the trees. Listen for the wind. Watch the birds as they glide effortless from the sky to the ground. Find a flower or plant, appreciate its delicate beauty and detail. Feel the sun on your face or the coolness of the moon at night. Let yourself marvel at the extraordinary colors in the sky at sunset. Nature has a way of reminding us of God's presence and affirming His power. What better way to connect to God than to get around His creations? These practices are a recipe for fresh and deepened fellowship with God. Mix and match, personalize these practices for use in your private time with God. As you do, I pray they expand your capacity for Him and propel you closer to Him. Get more on this and other topics: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Connect and receive updates about Daneen's upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Bring light to someone's life, share a card: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. By Daneen James Why are there over three billion search results for "books written on love"?
What makes the Bible, a book about God, the best-selling book of all time? Regardless of the issue, situation, person or circumstance, everything comes back to love. Here's a story that illustrates this point beautifully. (https://www.inspirationalstories.eu/?s=love) A university professor asked his students a question, "Did God create everything that exists?" One student answered bravely, "Yes, God created it all." The professor quickly replied, "If God created everything, then that means God created evil, because it exists". The student got quiet after hearing that answer. Then another student got up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" The professor answered confidently, "Of course it exists, didn’t you ever get cold? The young man said, "Actually, sir, according to the laws of physics, cold doesn’t exist. We created that word to describe what we feel at the absence of heat." The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist? Certain he was right this time, the professor responded, "Yes, it surely does." "Sir, you are wrong again," replied the student. We can study the light, but not the darkness. People use darkness to describe what happens in the absence of light." Finally, the young man asked, "Professor, does evil exist?" The professor timidly responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it every day. Cruelty among people, crimes and violence around the world. These examples are nothing other than the manifestations of evil." The student paused and then said, "God didn't create evil. Evil – is the result of the absence of Godly love in a human heart. It’s like the cold, which comes when there is no heat, or like the darkness, which comes when there is no light." God is the very essence of love. Love prospers in His presence and fades in His absence. As the instruments of God, our task is to live so that others feel His presence and experience His love through us. Each time we are kind, patient, giving, and compassionate (with ourselves and others) love flourishes within us and floods into our world. Here are some ways to spark love daily:
Get more on this and other topics: Book Daneen as a speaker: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Connect and receive updates about Daneen's upcoming book: https://www.daneenjames.com/contact.html Shop the Sparksaflame Store: https://www.daneenjames.com/shop.html Daneen James is an inspirational author, speaker and develops uplifting products and media through her company, SPARKSAFLAME. |
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