Thought Transformation Guide

Gunner contemplating ;)

 

Taking on a mindset shift challenge involves identifying and transforming negative thought patterns or limiting beliefs into more positive and empowering perspectives. Here's a basic step-by-step guide:

1. Identify Negative Thought Patterns:

   • Reflect on your thoughts and identify recurring negative patterns. These could be self-doubt, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, or any belief that holds you back.

2. Challenge Negative Thoughts:

   • Question the validity of these negative thoughts. Are they based on facts, or are they assumptions? Challenge the accuracy of your negative beliefs.

3. Replace Negative Thoughts with Positive Affirmations:

   • Develop positive affirmations that counteract your negative thoughts. For example, if you often doubt your abilities, replace it with affirmations like "I am capable and resourceful."

4. Practice Mindfulness:

   • Cultivate mindfulness to become more aware of your thoughts without judgment. Mindfulness helps you observe negative thoughts without getting overwhelmed by them.

5. Seek Evidence to Counter Negative Beliefs:

   • Look for evidence that contradicts your negative beliefs. If you believe you can't succeed at a particular task, recall instances where you've overcome challenges in the past.

6. Set Realistic Goals:

   • Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps. This helps build confidence and demonstrates that progress is possible, shifting your mindset from "I can't" to "I can."

7. Surround Yourself with Positivity:

   • Spend time with supportive and positive individuals. Surrounding yourself with optimism and encouragement can positively influence your mindset.

8. Practice Gratitude:

   • Regularly express gratitude for the positive aspects of your life. Focusing on what you're thankful for can shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance.

9. Visualize Success:

   • Create mental images of yourself succeeding and achieving your goals. Visualization can help rewire your brain to focus on positive outcomes.

10. Seek Professional Support if Needed:

    • If negative thought patterns are deeply ingrained, consider seeking support from a therapist or counselor. They can provide guidance and tools to facilitate a mindset shift.

Remember, mindset shifts take time and consistent effort. Be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way. Consistent practice of these techniques can contribute to long-lasting positive changes in your mindset.

Are You A Seeker?

Photo from: https://www.intelligenthq.com/10-inspiring-quotes-by-jason-silva/

Seeker - noun; A person who is attempting to find or obtain something. One that seeks to discover, inquire, endeavor.

I've always been a seeker. I want to know people, their perspectives and their experiences. Lately, I've begun enjoying new speakers and philosophers like Sadhguru, often referred to as an Indian Yogi, and Gaur Gopal Das, the former Hewlett Packard engineer turned Indian lifestyle coach and motivational speaker. Thanks to my new Google mini, I've been connecting to a larger source of outside news and science reports as I get ready for work in the morning.

I've been reflecting a ton on a recent short segment I heard from, "Curiosity Daily." The segment in this link shared about how our human networks changes how we think. Basically, the people we surround ourselves with modify how we see the world. As a result, if we are only getting our information or news from our immediate social network, then we are getting a slanted view.

Yesterday, I came across an interview video of storyteller and futurist, Jason Silva, by Vishen Lakhiani. I enjoy listening to these deep thinkers talk, share, and provide their different perspectives. One true quote I heard was that, "once a mind is stretch by an idea, it never returns to it's original position." Seekers like to have their minds stretched. I don't always agree but I'm inspired quite often to reach outside myself and my immediate social group to experience a richer thought life.

In the interview, they spoke about many topics that are worth a listen:

• Nationalism
• Socialism verses social democracy
• Being a "Wonder Junkie"
• The Search 
• Flow and humans as "infovours"
• The Venn diagram - science and art intersecting in wonder

You may ask yourself, "But should a Christina listen to views that maybe opposite of what they currently believe?" The answer is yes. Don't just stay around a specific social network all the time. Learn about people. Learn about how they think. Stop being so scared. When you are open to others' thoughts and experiences, often they are open to you and what you share.

Photo from: https://www.tumblr.com/search/open%20minded%20quote

à la mort

Kou Art

I am uninspired lately; almost lifeless. Life is so hectic, not with things I truly enjoy though, it feels dull. I've not been in such a place in a lustrum. I don't have the energy to brighten myself. I push forward, like a tired jouster. I know the routine; I drag along. Why talk? No reason to engage. I'm licking wounds and repenting.

Isaiah 1:18 The Voice (VOICE)

Come on now, let’s walk and talk; let’s work this out.
        Your wrongdoings are bloodred,
    But they can turn as white as snow.
        Your sins are red like crimson,
    But they can be made clean again like new wool.

Lectio Divina ~ Devine Reading

I’m reading Shauna Niequist’s new book, Present Over Perfect and have been looking at the practice of Lectio Divina. Ever heard of it? There is something about it that I find so beautiful… specifically cuddled in the thought of, as she wrote, “trying to reimagine my faith as a soft place.”(1) I want to carry a gentle faith, almost soft, yet with the full knowledge that my faith is protective. And I desire my faith to be beautifully well-balanced and not to just see faith as a motivator.

“I picture God’s heart, red and beautiful; I breathe deeply and try to imagine my faith as protection from this frantic, soulless way of living, instead of one of its motivators.”(2)  - Chapter “Daughter”(2) from Present over Perfect (1)

The following is paraphrased from Wikipedia - So in portions of the Christian faith, Lectio Divina (Latin for "Divine Reading") is the practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God. Scripture is not studied in this practice but instead soaked in as the word, living and active. In a sense, the beloved glance at the verses with Christ. For example, in John 14:27 Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you." An analytical approach would focus on the reason for the statement while in Lectio Divina, we would seek to rest inside this peace from Christ rather than "dissecting" it.

“Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation — The four stages of Lectio Divina as taught by John of the Cross.”

Another way of viewing Lectio Divina has been likened to "feasting on the Word": first, the taking of a bite (lectio); then chewing on it (meditatio); savoring its essence (oratio) and, finally, "digesting" it and making it a part of the body (contemplatio). 

The Practice:

• Lectio ("read")  “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9–10. In Lectio, you relax into a calm and tranquil state of mind to prepare for full Lectio Divina. A stillness, as in Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God,” while inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the reading of the Scripture. The biblical basis for the preparation goes back to 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 which emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Word of God. Following the preparation, the first movement of Lectio Divina is a slow and gradual reading of the scriptural passage, perhaps a few times.

• Meditatio ("meditate") Although Lectio Divina involves reading, it is less a practice of reading than one of listening to the inner message of the Scripture delivered through the Holy Spirit. Lectio Divina does not seek information or motivation, but communion with God. The second movement in Lectio Divina is meditating and pondering on the scriptural passage. The English word ponder comes from the Latin pondus which relates to the mental activity of weighing or considering. To ponder, the passage is held lightly, gently, and considered from various angles.
• Oratio ("pray") In the Christian tradition, prayer is understood as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with God who has invited us into an embrace about what you "savored" about the verse and God.
• Contemplatio ("contemplate") Contemplation takes place in terms of silent prayer that expresses love for God through what the scripture and Spirit reveal and absorbing it into yourself deeply. In the 14th century, Richard Rolle expressed that contemplation as the path that leads the soul to union with God.

There are all kinds of videos on this practice but when I felt that they all seemed very strategic and  seemed too strict especially since this practice provided descriptions of a deep, gentle time with God. So instead, I'll leave this post with a video from David Steindle-Rast because I love his description of considering so many ways God expresses love.

Listening to God: What does it mean to listen to God? Brother David Steindl-Rast explains that "God is so simple that he has only one thing to say: I love you."
Video also found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCqdoEF_Uus

 

Selah - Pausing for Silent Meditation

"...I said to myself, ' I will confess my rebellion to the Lord. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone! Selah* " Psalm 31:5b

Do you ever follow those little asterisks in your bible down to the subtext? A few weeks ago, I did this for the word "Selah." I've been doing some research and what I've read has been interesting. (see below for a summary)

In the end, for me the action the word calls us to when reading is key! Similar to a musical rest in a piece of music which causes dramatic pause, I understand "Selah" as a moment of silent reflection. In light of that, when I read a section of scripture and get to this word, I pause my reading and meditate on it. I think more deeply about what the writer has just written, how I can relate, and what it means in my own life. 

Try it! It can be powerful if you dig deep. Here are just a few that you can practice reading, pausing, and meditating on this morning. 

• For you [God] are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Selah  - Psalm 32: 7
• So many are saying, 'God will never rescue him!'...I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Selah - Psalm 3:2 & 4
• ...Each of us is but a breath. Selah - Psalm 39:11
• Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. Selah - Psalm 66:4

___

"Selah (/ˈsiːlə/; Hebrew: סֶלָה‎, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used seventy-four times in the Hebrew Bible—seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. The meaning of the word is not known, though various interpretations are given below. (It should not be confused with the Hebrew word sela‘ (Hebrew: סֶלַע‎) which means "rock".) It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen." Selah can also be used to indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm.^[1] The Amplified Bible translates selah as "pause, and think of that." It can also be interpreted as a form of underlining in preparation for the next paragraph.

At least some of the Psalms were sung accompanied by musical instruments and there are references to this in many chapters. Thirty-one of the thirty-nine psalms with the caption "To the choir-master" include the word selah. Selah may indicate a break in the song whose purpose is similar to that of Amen (Hebrew: "so be it") in that it stresses the truth and importance of the preceding passage; this interpretation is consistent with the meaning of the Semitic root ṣ-l-ḥ also reflected in Arabic cognate salih (variously "valid" [in the logical sense of "truth-preserving"], "honest," and "righteous"). Alternatively, selah may mean "forever," as it does in some places in the liturgy (notably the second to last blessing of theAmidah). Another interpretation claims that selah comes from the primary Hebrew root word salah (סָלָה) which means "to hang," and by implication to measure (weigh)".^{[2] - Wiki}

The Comfort Embrace

This picture makes me smile because the angle
makes her hair seem super long! But it's the horse's tail. ha

Over the past year it has happened several times, but there are two times I remember being surprised by it. Once when my daughter returned from the most recent church teen camp and then today. Being that my girl will be 17 years old in a few months, I am shocked each time it happens. It's what I call "the comfort embrace."

When Rene' got off the bus after being gone for a week at camp, I guess I expected her to be a bit stand-offish with me while around her peers but instead, she bounced off the bus and straight into my arms in full view of, well everyone. And it wasn't a quick hug...it was a full on, let me stand here and be held embrace. I felt so loved!

Today, she spent time with new friends and had a day full of horseback riding and swimming. [More pics below] I picked her up from a local ranch and when she saw me, she walked up to me, "fell" into my arms and again just stood there in my embrace. 

So as I was driving us home today, the story of the Prodigal Son came to mind. I tend to picture that returning son falling into the arms of a comfort embrace with his Dad [Luke 15]. The embrace is one of those, "I'm so tired and glad to be with you that I just want to be held" type of hugs. And I REALLY want this type of relationship with God! But I found myself wondering when the last time was that I just "fell" into His loving embrace or cuddled snugly into the hope of my salvation or even let myself rest in the comfort of all that Christ's love is in my life? I think it's been too long! Do I even view God as the God of Comfort? Am I forgetting how much he loves to have me in a Comfort Embrace? Yes. I've forgotten that lately. And I don't think I reflect on Him as the Lord who loves to comfort us - but He totally does! 

So, as I'm looking up "comfort" in the bible, I'm seeing how MUCH our God really loves to comfort us and how He continually wants us in His Comfort Embrace! Want proof? Here are some verses I've been reflecting on - may they bring you comfort too. 

• Isaiah 40:1-3Comfort for God's People -  “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned."

• Isaiah 57: 18-19, "I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them."

• Isaiah 61:1 [ Good News for the Oppressed ] The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me [Jesus - ref. Luke 4], for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

• 2 Corinthians 1:3 [ God Offers Comfort to All ] "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort." ...and verses 4-5

• Also read - Zechariah 1:12-14

• Psalm 94: 19, "When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." 

• Psalm 119: 50, "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles."

• Psalm 86: 17b, "...for you, O Lord, help and comfort me. 

• Psalm 23:4 HCSB, "Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff - they comfort me."

Being Still - by guest blogger, Lori

Earlier in the year, myself and a few girl friends went away for a weekend. We called it our "Strength Weekend" and it was designed so we could relax,  strengthen our relationship with God, and get closer to each other. We talked, prayed, watched an inspiring movie, played croquet and had a communion pancake breakfast. Also, each of us shared a lesson of something on our heart. Below is one lesson that was shared. I hope you'll find encouragement in her thoughts. :)

Being Still 

by Lori

The main scripture I want us to focus on: “Be STILL and know that I am God” –Psalm 46:10a

Since last year I realized my body has been telling me things are not going well.

-Depression (no joy, a week long, sad and wanted to be alone)

-Sick (Jan-Feb) 

I started thinking maybe I don’t know how to relax, how to take in the moments, or even how to listen to my own body when it needs rest.

As women do we know how to be still? Can I sit in one spot and take in God's Glory without thinking about my to-do list, my job, my pet, my worries, and my replay of previous events. Can I just sit here and take in the sound of the wind blowing the leaves, the wind chimes playing music, or do I hear the world and all its to-do’s?

#1 Live in the now, don't wait for tomorrow

-Don’t overload your schedule

“Look, I am Coming Soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done." ~Revelations 22:12

-Your schedule may not be packed to the max like some others and you may feel you are not doing your best because you’re not running around like a headless chicken. It's important to focus on what I do today and if it would make Jesus proud? (The little things)

-Think about the moment, about today, what you are doing

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  ~Matthew 6:34

-Don’t get caught up in worrying about things that could happen in the future. Example: Cleaning, planning my future, my projects/crafts, etc.

*Be still and LIVE in the moment

#2 Take the time to Love and Encourage yourself 

-Take care of yourself by treating yourself as one of God's treasures

“For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” ~Romans 14:7-8

-The world makes us believe that we own ourselves; God says we belong to him.

-Honor God with your body

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”  ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20

-The World believes that your body is an image and that we can do whatever we want to our bodies. We should ask ourselves, would Jesus do this to his body?

- Feel good about ourselves and where we are at physically and mentally. Sleepy, then get rest. Weak, then work out.

*Be still and Love, Encourage, and Honor your body.

 #3 A day of rest is crucial

-Do you know what happens to a battery when it keeps running? It dies quicker. We are no different.

“Six days of work shall be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest.”  ~Exodus 31:15a

-What is solemn rest? True Rest?

-Definition of solemn is characterized by deep sincerity; serious (syn.-somber, grave, honest, genuine, wholehearted, firm)

-God is the only one to give us the solemn rest we need

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  ~Matthew 11:28

-A true reset is to give it all to God so you may receive rest.

-You and the body/temple God gave will let you know how much rest is enough. That could be once a week to once every four months.

-It can be tough to keep this day sacred but if you do not get what you need you could end up sick and miss more than 1 day.

*Be still and REST.

Now, take a moment & practice being still (deep breathing and focus on breath)

 

craft with one of the lessons

communion breakfast

Beginning Family Devotionals

We had our first family devo tonight. Over the next few weeks my daughter and I will be discussing the different things written on our "Family Values" board. I am letting her pick the order of what we discuss and she picked Psalm 121 first. Tonight we had a great time of getting in God's word, along with high-fives, laughter, and extreme hoop shots of our own while "casting our cares."  :] My girl beat me by 1 shot...but I did have a classic trick shot which bounced off of the Sunny cat's head and into the basket.  ha! 
---------
PSALM 121  – God leads our home and we can turn to the bible for wisdom, encouragement, strength...

*NLT 2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

*Psalm 121 – one of the scriptures I pray over you.
According to this scripture, who helps us? What part of this is most encouraging?

*1 Peter 5:7 – “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you.”

*Activity! -Take 5 large pieces of paper and on each one write down something you feel anxious [worried, concerned] about lately (examples, school, work…)

• Next watch extreme trick shots video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yZsa6wFEw
• Our turn! Now we are going to practice ‘casting our cares’ by wading up our worries and shooting them like a basketball into the trash basket.  

Digging into Scripture: Do You Choose a Fork or a Bottle?

May I share a pet peeve of mine? 

It drives me crazy when I'm watching a biblical sermon and the person sharing says, "I am going to read scripture XYZ but don't worry about turning there in your bibles..." 

REALLY? Oh, I do know some of the rationalizations. We project the verses on-screen for the ease and convenience of those who forgot their bibles, for guests, or to save time. Some say it's for the elder who can no longer read a bible due to their failing eye sight. Well, maybe...but overall, should we really be encouraging others not to read along in their bible? Yeah, that makes this 'Berean' cringe! [Acts 17:11]

Most of us have heard lessons where the believers are encouraged to spiritually eat solid food and not just milk. [1 Cor. 3:2, Hebrews 5: 12 & 14] But then instead of handing them a "fork" to dig in for themselves, believers are handed a "bottle of milk," fed on-screen scripture and a canned sermon created by some other guy. (no need to pretend like we can't tell when a message has no new, original thoughts on the scriptures... anyway, I digress.)

This opinion is simply drawn from my personal observations that those who are the most spiritually happy and continually growing over the long haul are people who activity engage during their relationship with God. [Whether at home or at church during service] 

If statistically, around 65% of the population are visual learners, 30% auditory, and 5% learn kinesthetically, should we really streamline one of the engaging parts, like reading in your own bible? And no matter what, let's not just sit back and let someone plop a bottle in our mouths! Maybe we should be patient and encourage people to turn to the scriptures themselves? I mean, it is important we know where to find them, right? And if a guest or fellow Christian does not have a bible with them, can't we offer to lean over and share ours? Do we really consider this courtesy too old school? And even if someone says, "you don't have to turn there in your bibles..." maybe you should really TURN THERE IN YOUR BIBLE or your electronic device! :)    

Anyway, by definition, this pet peeve is technically a minor annoyance but it is something I was reflecting on during my drive to work so, who knows, it may be a topic others want to reflect on as well.
_____________

In case you are curious, here's an interesting table on Dominant Learning Styles:

	Characteristic	Learn by		Instructors should use for emphasis	Instructor should use for reinforcement	Action words
Visual (about 65% of the population)	Visual learners need to see what they are learning	Watching, Reading		Charts, bold colors/patterns, outlines	Writing notes, concept maps, graphics	See, look, draw
Auditory (about 30% of the population)	Auditory learners need to hear when they are learning	Listening, Discussing		Key ideas through voice inflections, tones	Speaking aloud	Hear, say, speak
Kinesthetic (about 5% of the population)	Kinesthetic learners need to move around while learning	Doing, Being physically involved		Analogies, anecdotes,  examples	Writing on flip charts and simulating tasks	Feel, do, demonstrate

Wrestling in Prayer for You

Love this! - from the New York Times

"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." - Colossians 4:12

I decided to use my appreciation bowl idea this week during my "Coffee and Cozy time" with God to spice things up. The first idea I put into practice was: 

Sometime today, spend 5 minutes in silence with God.
~ Habakkuk 2:20 

As I sat there in silence, I felt attacked. My mind wouldn't be silent, it was hard to focus only on God, the cats kept trying to distract me and terrible images kept popping into my mind. After the 5 minutes was over, I started writing and praying through my journal. The last thing I wrote was, "Be with my friends...so many are just having such a hard time" then I looked up and noticed this, "Write 'Satan, the Lord rebuke you!' on the bottom of your shoes. Stomp your feet down and walk all over him today. ~ Jude 9"

So that's what I decided to do! This helps me to remember the truths of Rev. 12:12 & 1 John 4:4. As I drove to work and prayed, the Spirit brought the scripture above to mind about Epaphras. I want to be a woman who wrestles in prayer for others. This is really a weakness of mine. I need to grow so much! 

So today I'm picturing myself as a collegiate wrestler who is ready to engage and wrestle in prayer. And if you've read this post, I have begun to wrestle for you. May you stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured!

The Thief & The Beast

While driving to work on Wednesday morning, God put some things on my heart. As I was praying through them this blog post was written. I hope you find the examples helpful. :)

THE THIEF- Comparison

 

"Comparison is the thief of joy.”~ Theodore Roosevelt

What a poignant quote! Seriously, who is not guilty of this? We compare ourselves to others all the time...I'm certain more times than we want to admit! Especially in our spiritual walk, we can look at others to compare if we "measure up." When we compare our walk with another person's, often our joy is stolen. We can become critical of ourselves and our walk with God. Or we can go the opposite way and instead puff up in pride and arrogance acting as though people should imitate us. This thief is sneaky and his main goal is to break & enter to steal your joy! In recent talks with younger sisters, a tone of "Why am I not where you are yet?" has popped up. I completely understand this temptation! And yet to my sisters I must share this picture quote below.

Yes, my time, failures, victories and experience have been a great benefit to my walk with God. And yet, I must go beyond this quote to say, not only, don't compare yourself to others of more experience but don't even compare your chapter one to another person's chapter one! 

In John 21 when Jesus was reinstating Peter, he says to him in verse 19, "Follow me!" Verse 20 says that, "Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them...When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him? Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 

I like these verses because in Peter's comparison question of "what about him?" Jesus reminds Peter, and us, that the real focus should be on Christ and following Him...not on what He is doing in the lives of others. The bible is your standard. Jesus is your hero. Everyone else, is simply dust in the ground. [Psalm 103:13-16] As my  years have passed and those I compared my life to have failed or fumbled, God has been helping me to shift from comparing to letting the best parts of others simply inspire me to be a better me for God! Make your goal to keep your eyes on the Lord. [Hebrews 12:2, Psalm 141:8]
 
 
THE BEAST  - Our sinful nature

The sinful nature is a beast! Paul discusses it some in Romans 7:14-24. A beast is my best description and here's why. The sinful nature is like an animal that continually needs to be tamed. Christ gives us the tools to help keep the beast in check [2 Peter 1:3] but no matter how long you've been a follower of Christ, sometimes the animal escapes or reaches it's claws through the cage to do its damage. This is why people still get hurt and hurt others even as Christians.

So in our walk with God, no matter how old someone may be as a Christian, we ALL have to continually strive to cage it up again and again. As a disciple following Jesus matures, the beast may tend to lash out less but it's never completely gone!! 

Looking at the sinful nature this way really helps me when I sin or am sinned against because it brings me to a place of compassion towards myself and others when we fail. Thank God that a blessing of heaven will be that "this animal" will meet it's end with Christ's return!

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. - Galatians 6:14

Jesus, You Are "I Am"

I'm reading through the book of Mark. Recently a section of chapter 14 made me stop in my tracks and sent me into awe. Consider with me the weight of these statements and imagine... 

Mark 14:60-64, "Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!”

John 8:56-58, Jesus answered the people, " 'Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.' The people said, 'You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!' At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple."

John 18:4-9 states that, "Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,”they replied. “I Am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, “Who are you looking for?”And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.”

So I imagined these particular scenes where Jesus stated, "I Am." In the Mark 14:62 & John 18:5 a subtext is written that the optional translation would be, "The 'I Am' is here" or "I am the Lord"; Greek reads, "I am"; also in 18:6, 8. See Exodus 3:14. John 8:58 subtext states,"or before Abraham was even born, I have always been alive; Greek reads before Abraham was, I am." See Exodus 3:14.

The Exodus 3:14 reference is when God says to Moses, "I Am That I Am." 

Now, I've studied out the debate on the Greek and Hebrew used since some don't believe Jesus was referring to himself as I Am. I'll let you study it out and decide for yourself. 

For me, the responses of others after Jesus speaks those words moves my heart and tells me a lot! People wanted to stone him and kill him while others drew back and fell to the ground when he spoke them. That's powerful! 

I'm reminded of John 1 -

Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
² He existed in the beginning with God.
³ God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

⁶ God sent a man, John the Baptist, ⁷ to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. ⁸ John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. ⁹ The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

¹⁰ He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ¹¹ He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. ¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ¹³ They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

¹⁵ John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

¹⁶ From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us."

On that note, I have a song to share! :) It gives me chills every time I hear it in the car and I always have to crank up the volume. Enjoy! 

You're the one who conquers giants; You're the one who calls out kings; You shut the mouths of lions; You tell the dead to breathe; You're the one who walks through fire;You take the orphan's hand; You are the one Messiah; You are I Am.