Divine Couch Connections

This statement stood out to me this morning from twitter: 

@wendytreat Parent thought: Have people over to your home-show friendship.

 My husband and I from day one in our marriage have lived by this...opening our home for people to come hang out.  Some of strongest friendships that we have were built sitting on our couch.  We love inviting people over for some food but really for the relationship.  I do think that this is a fantastic parent thought, as our kids learn how to become friends by how we are friends. 

 

What do they see in our relationships?  More than anything they should see that we love, respect and cherish those around us.  It was easy for Alex to understand when we told him that he had to be friends with each classmate.  He sees the example of Bobby being a friend those around him…it’s just what is done in our family.  Furthermore as we invite friends over they learn to meet new people too adding to how to have good manners.  

At this time in our life we are connecting to new friends in our church with expectation.  We know the blessings and the strength that friendships can bring.  Throughout the Bible we can see the importance of reaching out to each others through building family.  We are His family living life so why not do it together?  The buzz word we continue to hear is to really take relationships to a new level, to be intentional with each of our friendships.  

 So do not take it lightly to invite friends and potential friends over for a meal.  There is so much that can come from sitting at home on your couch…let us pray for divine connections right from our couch!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday is more like limited wording.

My son Noah has not one but two cowlicks that go in the opposite direction of each other.  His hair has been adaptable to some style but we have had to try to control the cowlicks.  Finally I found a look that will just take his cowlicks sticking up making his hair rock star....

...hmm makes me wonder what things we have in our life that we should just go with rather then try to keep it down.

Tuesday Thought Transformer

I have the privilege to share with you every Tuesday the encouraging ministry of Dr. Rob Carman.  Both Dr. Rob and Mrs. Ginger have influenced my life through inspiration, courage and encouragement to know that I can do anything with God. 

Here is a glimpse of their ministry: Victory World Missions was founded by Dr. Rob and Ginger Carman, for the purpose of taking almost three decades of their life and depositing them into national pastors and church leaders. Their heart remains the same; "Our Vision is the World, Our Passion is Souls!" ...click for more information www.robcarman.com

Without a doubt I know that you will also be influenced to know that you can do anything.....

The Great Paradox

All of us have one thing in common, the desire to have energy and vitality, to not only meet the responsibilities of life, but to meet them with excitement and a sense of adventure!

We all want to live on a higher level physically, mentally and spiritually.  We want to enjoy life and everyday living. There are two ingredients necessary for this to happen and those are joy and enthusiasm.

Joy and enthusiasm are a great paradox, because they can grow in any soil and live under any condition.  They defy the environment.  They come from within not from without. They are not the result of having, but of being.  Not of possessing, but of enjoying. They are a paradox, because they can coexist with trails, tragedy and poverty.  A martyr at the stake can be the envy of a king on the throne  

Look at the tremendous physical effects they have on us.  A well quoted scripture found in Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart does good like medicine" can be and has been proven scientifically.  Norman Cousins was a man who had a rare disease of the connective tissue and was given one chance in five hundred of a full recovery.  Cousins took Proverbs 17:22 and filled his life with joy and enthusiasm.  He concluded in his book, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by a Patient, that if negative emotions cause negative results, why can't positive emotions bring the opposite. Cousins than asked himself. "Is it possible that love, faith, laughter, confidence and the will to live can have therapeutic value?  They did and he went on to live into his nineties.

Consider asking God to guide you and show you His best as you follow this week's Action Steps:  Action Steps    Begin today to look for all the good, the beauty, and the wonders of God. Fill your life with the positive thoughts that come from God's word, go through the sayings of Jesus and allow them to create a picture in your mind. Remember joy and enthusiasm are a great paradox!  Let them live in you in spite of the conditions around you.

These simple yet proven "Thought Transformers" will change your thinking which will change your life, if you let them... The "Thought Transformers" are not just ideas, they are the principles I follow in my daily life. - Dr. Rob Carman