Tag: Personal Worth and Value

A Date With Destiny

The Spiritual Bond Between Humans and Animals

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Happy Birthday 1/28 

  Genesis 1:28  
  God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.”

You care deeply about animals, and you understand their fundamental value to the ecosystem of this planet.

You sometimes prefer the company of animals to humans because you appreciate their non-judgmental acceptance.

You realize that the human connection to animals is a deeply spiritual bond.

Medical breakthroughs and scientific discoveries are dependent upon the animal kingdom to guide the way.

Animals play a vital role in the development of life-saving medical procedures.

Throughout the centuries, animals, both domestic and wild, have been the inspiration for  countless human inventions and technological advancements. By studying and mimicking the unique traits of other species, humanity was able to survive.

You are intrigued by the interconnectedness of the ecosystem. You hold a deep sense of honor and respect for conservationists. You admire people who preserve the natural habitats of untamed creatures who reside on this planet.

You live in harmony with creation and the Creator, because you hold deep reverence for the wild world.

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A Date With Destiny

Sharing Divine Light: A Guide to Spiritual Influence

lastwordrecovery 

Genesis 1:27  

So God created human beings in His image.

The relationship you enjoy with God as your Father creates an aura of warmth and light in the atmosphere surrounding you.

This glow of God’s reflection in you, illuminates spaces which were once dark and gloomy. People are drawn to your light and seek to experience it for themselves.

The wonderful thing about the radiance of this light, is that it can be shared freely without losing its intensity. The glow of God’s likeness radiating from you is like sunshine.  There is no limit to the number of recipients who can receive the warmth and comfort it brings.

 And as the sunshine persuades spring flowers to emerge, you too carry the ability to encourage the colorful expressions of God’s creative design to blossom in the lives of those you influence.

You carry a big responsibility, for without the image of The Father shining through you, some of His wandering children who are searching for the light might never find their way home.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Choose Healthy Thoughts: Level Up Your Mindset

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When we catch ourselves feeling discouraged or ashamed, we simply ask, “Is this thought excellent and praiseworthy?” If it is not, we need to drop it.

As hard as it is for us to believe, we have more power over our thoughts than we ever imagined. We find it is perfectly fine to set a negative thought down. We don’t need to lug it around with us until we make sense of it. We aren’t required to analyze and over-think, searching for some secret solution hiding inside our rapid-fire scatter thoughts. We can just let go and let God.

Unhealthy thoughts are just that. Unhealthy. They can never help us level up. If a thought is not healthy, we can set it down and choose a healthier topic.

As it turns out, our thoughts are a lot like books in a library. If we happen to pick one out that isn’t good, we can just put it back and choose a better one.

Using the criteria listed in Philippians 4, while paying particular attention to the instructions following the word finally, we can select our thoughts with intention and precision. We don’t need to be saddled with thoughts that hold us down and hold us back. We are leveling up and need to clear our minds of the unproductive clutter.

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Tetelestai Recovery

This is a Test. This is Only a Test.

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My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.   James 1:2-4

As it turns out, these times when we feel spiritually depleted or disinterested are not red flags for us to fret over. They are simply tests. These temporary times when we lack inspiration or get caught up in life’s drama have no bearing on our position in Christ or our commitment to His work.

We have come to understand that the testing of our faith can never happen during good times when inspiration flows freely, we are highly motivated, and praise songs play on a loop in our heads. Times of high spiritual energy and passion are thrilling, but they can’t do the work of generating patience. Only the testing of our faith can do that.

What is the Testing of Our Faith?

  • When our feelings betray us and tell us we don’t love God like we should.
  • When our behavior slips into an old pattern and makes us believe we have not changed.
  • When the excitement and enthusiasm we once had for God seems dull and muted.
  • When we just don’t care about trying so hard, because it’s too much work.

Previously, these difficult times had been dark and made us doubt our relationship with God. We were frustrated to find Him so distant when we needed Him the most.

However, when we begin to view these events as a process which increases our patience and equips us for the next level, we start to see their value. We no longer need to feel frustrated when God goes silent. A good teacher is always silent during a test.

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A Date With Destiny

The Promise of a New Day in Christ

lastwordrecovery 
  Genesis 1:13  
  Evening passed, and morning came.

The Lord cares deeply about you. He surrounds you with compassion when you are going through times of discouragement and exhaustion.

Although these experiences may feel like endless nights of the soul, you rest assured that morning will come. You know that  when the light breaks through the darkness, and you have had some rest, you will see things clearly once again.

God sees that some of the things you go through are difficult.  He is there to help you endure the darkness. He keeps you safe when the shadows fall and brings you through the lonely nights. As the darkness passes, your soul is refreshed by the dawn of a new day.

Knowing that God has designed nature with the assurance of a sunrise, you rest assured that after the darkness  passes, the light of a new day will drive it away.

Assured that the Creator of the universe is interested in your emotional well-being and is willing to listen as your pour out your heart, you are able to move through the stages of melancholy with calm acceptance. You know that God keeps you protected in the darkness and it will always pass.

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A Date With Destiny

Joshua 1:6: Courage in the Face of Adversity

lastwordrecovery 
 Joshua 1:6  
 So be strong and courageous, for you will lead these people.

While it is true that there is strength in numbers, there is another type of strength which is required when you must stand alone.

Your path is not always the one of least resistance. You are often led across barren deserts and through dense forests. These are times that try your soul and require strength beyond any human support system.

These are the times when you must strengthen yourself in order to accomplish the assignments God has ordained for you.

Personal and spiritual strength come from daily diligence. You have dedicated yourself to a spiritual workout each day, in order to be strengthened for the journey ahead.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Addiction: The Desperate Search for Relief

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As far back as we could remember, we felt different, damaged, and just plain wrong. We did not know exactly what was wrong with us. We only knew that we felt things more intensely than others and we processed our problems with great difficulty.

We obsessively examined ourselves, looking for clues to solve the mystery and find a key to unlock some invisible door which kept us perched precariously on the outside edge of normalcy. We noticed people we admired and made feeble attempts to imitate their persona. We sought out damaged friends who would validate us in our dysfunction. We pursued money to prove our worth. We questioned and blamed. We fought with ourselves and resented God. We learned how to act right, but we didn’t know how to feel right. Eventually it was our feelings which became our undoing.

The presence of unwanted feelings such as insecurity, inadequacy, fear, anger, and other social phobias, coupled with our inability to manage or control them, unleashed within us a desperation for relief at any cost.

We soon learned of a temporary reprieve which occurred when our brain chemistry became altered. We didn’t care that the relief would be short lived or cause irreparable damage to our relationships, our finances, and our minds. The momentary relief of rightness, contrasted against the life-long agony of wrongness, offered such an enchanting embrace, we surrendered without a fight….

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Tetelestai Recovery, Chapter 2

Tetelestai Recovery

Unlocking Miracles: The Spiritual Meaning of Tetelestai

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Tetelestai is recorded in the original Greek text describing what Jesus said from the cross in His final moments of mortality. The English translation, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), is the basis for this program.

We believe that Jesus’ words hold miraculous power. We speak these words into our own lives and into the lives of others. We are confident that a spiritual principle is set in play when our statements come into alignment with the words of God.

So also, will be the words that I speak: it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. Isaiah 55:11

Since Jesus gave witness on the cross, “It is finished,” we align with Him in calling an end to our addictions and dysfunctional behaviors. We testify in agreement with Jesus and thus, the matter is resolved. 

Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.   
2 Corinthians 13:1
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A Date With Destiny

Finding Strength in Solitude: A Spiritual Journey

lastwordrecovery 
Hebrews 12:12
So take a new grip with your tired hands. Stand firm on your shaky legs.

While it is true that there is strength in numbers, there is another type of strength which is required when you must stand alone.

Your path is not always the one of least resistance. You are often led across barren deserts and through dense forests. These are times which try your soul and require strength beyond a human support system.

These are the times when you must force yourself to fulfill your duties, even when you feel too tired or too weak for the task at hand. You do what is required, relying on the power of the Spirit to keep you strong and steady.

Excerpt from: A Date With Destiny – December 12

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Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding Emotional Needs: A Path to Healing

lastwordrecovery

When we pull away from relationships because the emotional cost is too great, we feel like a bad person. We want to follow the leadership of Jesus. We want to be the kind of person who turns the other cheek and goes the extra mile. But being that person takes its toll on our sense of well-being. Our trust turns into suspicion. Our self-sacrifice turns into self-defense and self-preservation. We become discouraged and frustrated. Our personal investments don’t always pay off and it seems pointless to throw any more emotional currency toward relationships that are bankrupting us.

With our emotional center depleted, it is easy to just shut down and go dark. For some of us, the darkness is called depression, and we struggle with thoughts of self-harm. For some of us, the darkness is shoved aside with distractions. We bury ourselves in work, entertainment, shopping, or anything else that will keep us from dealing with our unmet emotional needs.

These needs keep us running from one relationship to another; one career path to another; one church to another; one substance to another. We play the blame game, accusing our parents, our partners, or our culture. We know we have unmet emotional needs, so we are naturally drawn toward people and situations that promise to meet them. Of course, it is only a matter of time before they fail us. No human can fully meet our deep emotional needs. It is a painful lesson we have to learn time and time again, until we begin to understand what it means to level up…

Excerpt from Tetelestai Recovery 3 – Leveling Up; Chapter 2: No Need

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