People…

There are 7.7 billion people in the world as of Oct 2019.  How many different types of people are there in the 7.7 billion? I don’t know but no matter your nationalities and culture people are still people.  People are humans we all have different characteristics and mannerisms but, in the end, we’re still humans.

While working in my masters I had several classes on personalities.  In March 2019, I became a SYMBIS Facilitator.  This program has been developed by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. To start the individual must answer 300 questions to determine their different personality aspects.  Knowing your kind of personality and your mates or your friends contributes to better understanding of mutual strengths or weaknesses.

Why is that so important?  It’s important because the more we recognize personalities the more our understanding and compassion will be toward others.  Such as, type A or Chloric personalities are forward-thinking, they see the outcome, they take charge, but they have weaknesses too they might sound frank, bossy or sometimes brash.

There are various tests to determine your personality.  These tests must be answered in all honesty in order to identify the true personality.  Sometimes we imagine ourselves in a different way than we operate.  A healthy viewpoint is to answer as best as possible.

Through our life we are changing and growing.  Our personality does as well.  Most of us are a combination of two types.  Knowing people’s personalities helps not just in relationships, but on the job, school, church, and sports etc.

Individuals from all walks of life no matter where you live all around the world have personalities.  Culture can contribute to the way you live but your real personality is part of your inner being.

A wounded person will not be fully plugged in to understanding their real personality.  Survival mode makes the person put on a mask so that they can get through a violent or unhealthy situation whether in childhood or as an adult.

Parents that aren’t understanding or accept the child’s personality might squash the child’s soul and hence they put on the personality traits acceptable to the unhealthy parent. 

As they grow, they may develop unhealthy defense mechanism due to living with another person’s interpretation of their life.  Once these individuals are healed from the unacceptance they start to flourish an uncover their identity and personality.

Some of what children need growing up is positive affirmations, acceptance and affection.  Such as if the child is very talkative give them a healthy outlet to express their words.  Times have changed there is so much information out there to help empower your children and allow them positive ways to express their personality as it develops.

Why is it important because I believe to have empathy and compassion, we need to understand others where they are, so that we don’t try to make them like our personality.

I’m more of a do it now take-charge personality my husband is more stop, look at it and think about it then do it.  We blend by these opposites because we accept our differences in our personalities and appreciate how it balances us.

Begin looking at people with eyes of understanding their personality and not judgement of it this produces compassion.

1920-2020

I wrote in my journal this morning.  2019 is almost over and 2020 is clear vision.  Praise God it’s the end of a decade.  I wonder how people felt going into 1920.  It’s been 100 years of change, lives lived and lost.  Numerous good and bad things happened in that time span.  Today there is an end as well as a beginning.  Welcome the future, release your past and embark on new adventures.

In 2020 I pray clarity in the United States.  Also, clarity for each one of us to see clearly the truth and lies and to see clearly the Love of God for each one of us.

Happy New Year

Taste and See…

Merry Christmas

At Christmas time what we eat tastes wonderful and sights we see are beautiful.  Colored or white lights, yards sparkling with decorations.  Cookies and breads which are made that taste great and smell wonderful.  All our senses are experiencing the wonder of the season.

One of my favorites scriptures is found in Psalm 34: 8 “Oh Taste and See that the LORD is good, Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

Taste and see is tangible for our senses experiencing the Lords goodness.  Christmas is a “See” moment where we experience the Lord’s goodness.  He sent His Son to come as a child and experience all that we experience ultimately sacrificing his life for ours.

Seeing a child born is a wonderful experience of life.  One that we can all look back on regarding the birth of Jesus.  The angels sang on His arrival and declared glory to God.  The shepherds witnessed the glorious sight.  No one could steal this ‘see’ moment from them.  They went to find the baby Jesus.

We also celebrated his arrival at Christmas morning.  Every day can be a ‘see’ moment as you trust God.  His goodness is expressed all around you if we like the shepherds stop and look.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”  Taste means figuratively in the Hebrew Dictionary “perceive” in this passage.  Perceive means “become aware or conscious of (something) come to realize or understand.”

Oh, with exclamation ‘taste’ perceive and ‘see’ behold, experience, look that the LORD is good.  Christmas represents new life for each one of us as we look and become aware of Jesus.

“Blessed is the man(person)who trusts in the Lord.”  This is the perfect time to trust the Lord with all your life.

Caring, concerns, and comings are all in the Lords hands which you can rest today with his love for you.

Strengthen your relationships…

There are some things that strengthen relationships.  Misunderstanding is if it is a good relationship you don’t need to do anything to help it.  Status quo doesn’t apply in relationships.  That mistaken belief has ruined many relationships.  Be it marital, friend or family relationship input should go in to get a healthy return.

The Bible says, ‘what you sow you reap.’  If your wish is to grow healthy relationships, then sow time and energy on them.

How do you strengthen your relationships?

First by contact with meaningful occasions of common experiences of friendship and communication.

Meaningful shared occasions could be anything from dinner to adventures.  Going to the movies, lunch, shopping, playing games, sporting events etc.  These are bonding moments which are relationship builders.  Time spent with someone is equal to caring.

Communication is an essential part of all relationships. There are five levels of communication according to Dr. Gary Smalley.

First is, “clichés which are phrases or opinions that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.”  Wikipedia states, “A cliché is an expression, idea or element of an artistic work  which has become over used to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being trite or irritation, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel.” 

So, it’s superficial conversation because it lacks originality.  Sort of like a safe conversation that only speaks about surface stuff personal information is not given.  One can understand why this is first level of communication.

The second level of communication is ‘Facts.’  Facts are “a thing that is known or proved to be true.” Facts also are “A piece of information used as evidence or as part of a report or news article.  Facts are used in discussing the significance of something that is the case.”  This level of communication is still safe because it is proven information facts.  Their opinions aren’t involved.

The third level of communications is ‘Opinions.’ “Opinions are a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.”  Also, “opinion is an estimation of the quality or worth of someone or something.”  This is the place where we are giving our opinions.  This level of communication is also where conflicts arise.  If you experience conflict during opinion giving, we must realize our opinions are just opinions not always facts. 

If a person has any roots of shame their opinion is connected to their identity and this causes problems in conflict.  Why, because they’re going to think you don’t love them if you don’t accept their opinion.

The fourth level of communication is ‘feelings.’  “Feelings are an emotional state or reaction.”  Emotions are an essential component of the communication on the intimate level.  That it is safe to say I feel is a deeper level of communication.  It’s healthy to voice how you’re feeling and knowing the individual who your telling your own feelings too also is listening.  Even though they may or may not understand your feelings but that their listening is an intimate conversation.  This leads to sharing what you need.

The fifth level of communication is ‘needs.’  “Needs are a necessity. A need is something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life.”  Knowing how you feel and what you need is essential to a healthy relationship.  It could be as simple as needing a hug.

Begin today enhancing your relationships.

Disappointment do’s and don’ts

What are they and how do we walk through them?  It’s safe to say everyone experiences disappointments sometime in their lives.  Some disappointments are slight and therefore easier to let it go.   

The word disappointment means: “a feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations or hopes to manifest.” Another meaning for disappointment is, “the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the defeat of ones hopes and expectations.”  These are the same just worded a little differently.

Bigger disappointments can cause us to draw back in and that is when you’ve not dealt with your own expectations and feelings.

When we don’t deal with the disappointments they will worsen into discouragement and then despondency.  Disappointments deal with our expectations and hopes.  Therefore, we can change our thinking about them.  The choice is ours. Some things are easier to let go of than others.  It’s the other things that need to be worked through. 

For example, I have plans to go to lunch with a friend and they must cancel.  That’s a little disappointment but I move on and do something different because we all get unplanned interrupting events we must deal with.

But when the expectation of the event is high and it doesn’t happen then disappointment in forms of sadness, frustration and even hurt can and should be dealt with.

So how do you deal with and walk through disappointments? 

First, recognize your disappointed, write it down or talk it out.  Repressing it or stuffing it only makes it worsen.

Secondly, step back and detach from the feelings of the disappointment and take a good look at every side of it.  Ask your self a few questions such as ‘were my expectations to high’ or ‘was this out of my control’?  What ever question that helps you to get the right perspective is the question for you.

Thirdly, pray about it. God knows how your feeling and thinking.  Therefore, be honest about it in your prayers.

Fourthly, allow God to heal your heart concerning the hurting disappointments.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yum!

Psalm 106:1 “Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever.”

This scripture has been on my heart this morning. Today is a great day to thank God for all his blessings.

Have a wonderful day enjoying family & friends with good food, laughter and love.

Holiday Stress Relievers…

This is the time of year where our obligations grow, and our expectations are high.  The Holidays official start is this week.  With Thanksgiving Day on Thursday and of course the food preparations all week plus getting the house ready for guests.

Then shopping for gifts for those we love and care for.  December brings Christmas and more family gatherings along with special events and decorations. 

This all sounds lovely unless it’s stressful for you.  Sometimes the stresses become overwhelming for some and instead of a fun season it becomes forced work.

This season is about being thankful and joyful for the Savior who was born for us.  But in the hustle and bustle of the extra workload, stress can steal your joy in this season if you let it. 

You have a choice you can let the stress beat you or fuel you the choice is yours.  Here are a few helpful truths to think about that can relieve holiday stress.

*Your family loves you not for what you do for them or what you give them but because you are a part of them.

*Money doesn’t buy happiness.  Happiness is a by product of what we do.

*Not overspending for Christmas will relieve stress.  Stick with an amount (budget) and shop within your amount.

*People love the thought put into a gift.  There’s lots of creative ideas that don’t cost a lot but lets someone know you are thinking of them.

*Do things you want to do, not what you feel pressured to do.  The pressures and how you think about them are what cause the stress.

*Don’t compare yourself to others.  God never compares you to another.  Be you! Don’t be something you’re not. 

The holidays are times to be thankful and spend time with family and friends.  If you don’t have family, it can be painful.  I understand this when my mom died it took me a few years to go to other people’s gatherings.

But think about allowing yourself to be a part of someone else’s gathering.  Give yourself permission to engage in the holidays once again.

Human beings need fellowship, love and connection so go for it either go or ask someone to eat with you at your home.

Put a pin in the air of stress: lower expectations, take breaks, breathe and enjoy each day through this Holiday Season.

Enjoy the Season!

Pursuers of Peace

Peace makers vs peacekeepers?  What is peace?  How do we become peace makers and what is a peacekeeper? 

The bible says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”  What does that mean?  It means pursers of peace are blessed with a calmness.  It also means follow the peace of God. God willingly leads us, but we must know how to recognize it.  Peace is one of the ways he leads us. A peace maker is one who is at peace within themselves only then can you negotiate others into peace.  Being a peacemaker like Jesus means you also can confront issues and problems.     

A peacekeeper won’t speak up.  Peacekeepers try to keep peace at all cost. This steals their peace.  Peace at all cost just puts you in a co-dependent mindset.  We are not responsible to fix others.  They are responsible for their choices and consequences.

God directs us through his Word and peace.  The Bible says, “let peace be the umpire of your soul.”  When the warning flags go off in your spirit(gut) or intuition/instinct it means something is wrong.  When we go against those flags it robs our peace.  Be a peace maker in your heart, allow God the Holy Spirit to led you by peace.

Peace is a calm on the inside, it’s also a state of rest even in turmoil.

Remember that we always have a choice.  Choose to follow the leading of His Spirit.  Trying to keep peace at any cost doesn’t give you true calm.  That is just another form of rescuing or being responsible for another’s responsibility.

You are responsible for your own actions you’re not responsible for how someone interpreted it or fixing their wrong decisions, behaviors etc.

Through the years I’ve noticed the thread of co-dependency in a lot of us.  We think we can solve or change another human being so they can love us like we need.  But the truth is you cannot change anyone.  The minute you start to help someone be or do you are entering the rescuer position.  It only backfires it produces a temporary fix.

Rescuer’s don’t change the other person.  They also do not have influence on them either.  A rescuer only turns into an enabler and peace is then evading you.

This all steals your peace/quiet and rest.  Be you and choose to let God take care of the problems in others.  Follow peace by letting peace be the umpire of your soul.

Pursue peace within yourself and defend your peace from the peace robbers.  Peace robbers are all kinds of things.    

Start to notice what robs your calm.  As you become aware of them, you will be able to guard your heart from them.  Telling the truth to yourself you are not responsible for another adult.  That one truth helps reduce peacekeeping missions and switches you to peace making.

Choose to be a peace maker and then follow the peace in your spirit. 

Sneaker Day

This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice in it and be glad.  I went to my follow up Dr. appointment today.  It went well.  Dr. is very happy with the implant being healed and settled in placement.  My color is good, and the incision looks great.

He said I can wear my sneaker at home but in public wear the boot for three more weeks.  Plus, no more crutches or walker.  Now I can start learning to walk with my regular shoe and being more conscious of my walking, so I don’t limp so much.

This healing journey has taught me so much.  We can’t compare ourselves to others.  How one heals doesn’t mean it’s how I will heal.  What one person faces isn’t what another faces.  As individuals we can face similar situations, but each situation is unique to you.

Therefore, don’t judge someone’s healing process according to yours because each one of us have different situations.

I know acceptance comes from God not people.  My doing doesn’t make me accepted.  I used to volunteer for everything and wear myself out.  I learned after my fourth hip replacement you can’t over do its not blessed because it’s of the flesh it’s works not faith.

It is well with my soul because God’s plan is best for me.  I’m thankful that in this recovery time God opened the door for this blog and it’s reaching people.  I’m thankful for the support I’ve received from family and friends.  Good news is I’m healing and learning through this recovery season.

Have a good day.

Fruit Inspectors

People can say all kinds of nice things but their actions through time proves their real heart.  Bad trees don’t produce good healthy fruit.  Good trees also cannot produce bad fruit.

In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus said, “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44) For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, no do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  45) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” 

We live in a world where people are deceiving.  But how do you recognize fruit in a person.  By listening to their words are they consistent in producing good fruit such as peace and life in you?  Or does it produce in you hurt and anxiety that means their fruit is bad.

Also look at their character.  Are they responsible, faithful, hardworking, honest, trustworthy in their actions?  Do their words match their actions? If not then their fruit is bad, toxic and harmful.

Jesus warned us about bad fruit.  Stop for a moment and see what habitual fruit do they have?

A mistake is a sincere accident it doesn’t get justified and you purpose not to do it again.  But habitual actions and words aren’t a mistake it’s bad character flaws. That is bad fruit.

People say we are not supposed to judge.  But looking for true good fruit is essential to a healthy life.  It’s not judging it’s inspecting for quality fruit.

Businesses have quality control inspectors.  The control isn’t like a controlling person it is inspecting to make sure there is quality because bad quality causes the company failure.

Unfortunately, with people their bad, negative, and harmful character is what they really are.  Inspect and look at it with eyes open to truth.

Truth can withstand inspection.  Good fruit can be looked at without hesitation but bad fruit hates to be uncovered and that’s a red flag.

Red flags are warnings listen to those warnings. 

Ask God for help to make a step-in wholeness.  We believe in the best for people but being naive will only stop you from seeing truth when dealing with bad fruit people.  Unhealthy people with bad fruit take advantage of naive people. 

We need to be fruit inspectors so that we stay on the road of wholeness.