couple's day out...tagged ...COLORS OF MY HEART..

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Thinking and Acting Like Jesus - (1)

'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.' Philippians 2:5

Max Lucado writes: 'What would your life be like, even for one day, if you were to think and act like Jesus? If His priorities governed your actions, His passions drove your decisions and His love directed your behaviour? What would you be like? Would people notice the change in you? Would your family see something new? Would your co-workers sense a difference? What about the less fortunate; would you treat them like you normally do? How about your friends; would they detect more joy? How about your enemies; would they receive more grace and mercy? And how would it affect you personally? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you view death differently? Would you pay your taxes differently? Any chance you'd need fewer aspirins or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? Or when the deal falls through, or people don't do what you want them to? Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing? Pause and think about your schedule, obligations, engagements, outings and appointments. With Jesus fully in control, would these all change? Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants! "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." If you committed to living this way for a lifetime, or a year, or even a month, you would be a transformed person. So just try it for one day: today!'

It's for a purpose.!

'We know that all things work together for good...' Romans 8:28

When you know God's plan for your life, you won't permit things that are contrary to it. You won't be quick to get discouraged when situations bring conflict and disorder. You won't become frustrated or overwhelmed by those things you can't pray away, confess away, or speak away. Why? Because you know that if it's in your life, and it's not caused by disobedience, God has allowed it and He wants to use it to produce in you the nature of Jesus. 'All things', not some things, work together for good to those who love the Lord. You say, 'But I can't see any real purpose in it.' Hold on, you will! God is building a foundation under you. He's equipping you to handle a level of success you can't cope with right now. Out of this pressure will come the power to do what He, not others, desires in your life. He's teaching you in the wilderness so that when you get to the Promised Land and people become unco-operative, resentful, or jealous, you won't be afraid to cut those unhealthy ties. He wants you to know that your help comes from the Lord, not people. Do you understand that? If you don't, you'd better ask somebody! But don't ask just anybody, ask the Lord. His Word says, 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know' (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). Don't be afraid to ask God, 'Why?' Men and women in the Scripture asked that question often. But be ready when God answers, 'It's for a purpose!'

Knowing God's Voice

'...His sheep follow him because they know his voice.' John 10:4

Here are seven occasions when knowing God's voice is all-important: 1) Hearing from God before you entertain the ideas of others. Why? Because their ideas are not His commands. Don't make commitments and end up bound by promises you can't keep. You must love others, but be led only by God's Spirit. 2) Hearing from God before you listen to the complaints of others. Why? Because you are not responsible for their happiness. Your need to 'fix' others in order to feel good about yourself is called 'co-dependency'. Give them to God! 3) Hearing from God before you consider the needs of others. Why? Because their needs are driving them; only the plan of God should be leading you.  4) Hearing from God before you respond to the requests of others. Why? Because you must discern what's behind their requests. Check the soil before you sow your seed. 5) Hearing from God before you share your dream with others. Why? Because it's not enough to have a dream, you must have a team. You need people to help you, cheer you on and lift you to a higher level. The right people motivate you to grow stronger, think better, work harder and risk more. They compel you to continue! 6) Hearing from God before you seek the approval of others. Why? Because people with an agenda will flatter and manipulate you. Hearing God's voice will keep you from falling into their trap. 7) Hearing from God before you make significant changes. Why? Because it's not your job to decide what God wants you to do, but to discover it and do it.

WORRY!

'Don't worry about anything...' Philippians 4:6

Identify the source of your worries. Did you grow up in a fear-filled family, always feeling insecure, never measuring up, and never hearing words of affirmation and approval? Are you listening to the prophets of doom, hearing only about what's wrong, and how much worse it's going to get? What's the source of your anxiety? What feeds your worries? Until you can express your fears you can't expel them. Putting your worries into words disrobes them. They look weak and silly standing there naked. In his novel Life of Pi, Yann Martel's main character, Pi, finds himself adrift at sea on a lifeboat with a 450-pound Bengal tiger as his companion. While on the lifeboat, Pi begins to analyse his fears, both of the sea and the tiger. He gives this counsel: 'You must fight hard to express your [fear]. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don't, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.' So pull back the curtain and expose your fears, each and every one. Like vampires, they can't stand the sunlight. Financial fears, relationship fears, professional fears, safety fears - call them out in prayer. Drag them out and make them stand before God. How do you do that? 'Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything... Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand...' (vv. 6-7 NLT).