GET THE RELEASE!

So many people today cannot seem to find inner peace or contentment. Many are caught in the trap of unfulfilled or unrealistic desires. Not always realizing that the desires are unrealistic, however, definitely recognizing that they are unfulfilled. Often, becoming sad and depressed or distressed and despairing thinking that something is wrong…either with themselves or some other whom they are looking to for fulfillment.

Craving things that are way beyond their ability to reach, yet receiving the lie that says, “what I want, I should have.” Or thinking that the way we think our life should be, is exactly how is should be. Often, not realizing that we tend to have an upside down mindset. That we are in a world that cannot provide the peace and contentment promised or expected from things it proclaims are necessary in order to have it, i.e., to be satisfied or to have success.

So how do we find inner peace and contentment? How do we actually “get the release”? It is a matter of Romans 12: 2, the Bible verse that talks about renewing the mind. We have to be willing to take an honest look at what we think and believe to see if it lines up with what is true, The Truth. The Truth comes from The Word of God (Jesus Christ, is The Truth).

Often, we have accepted lies that seem to make sense, so we give them the place of truth. Like the way a certain sex treated you proves that they are dogs or are gold diggers, so you believe that to be a truth. However, if you investigate, you’ll learn that every member of that sex does not behave that way. What you have received is a lie because of an experience that you have had.

Or perhaps, a thought that all the people of a certain nationality or ethnicity are a certain way. You hold on to this perspective when engaging with them often getting the same result. However, once developing a decent relationship with a person from that nationality or ethnicity, you understand that your truth was actually a lie.

The Truth exposes the lie for what it really is. Once exposed, it is up to the individual to choose the truth or keep the lie.

To choose the Truth requires that one let go of the lie.

Letting go can be painful. To actually accept that something that you have believed or held on to is actually a lie can produce remorse. However, letting it go will eventually produce a peace and contentment that you are unable to experience until you choose to let it go.

The lies that we hold on to, actually keep us in bondage!

We are in bondage, that is, oppressed by the lies we hold on to. Often, unknowingly. The fear of not having what we have had or believing what we have believed to be true can cause one to choose to go into a state of denial (deceiving oneself) in order to maintain it. Therefore, not letting go.

Get the release by letting go of the lie!

Be brutally honest with yourself and face the truth about your situation, relationship, beliefs, or your expectations of yourself and others. Think it through. Take some time to meditate on the Truth. Be willing to let go of the lie (s). Acknowledge it, forgive…repent, let it go! Take hold of the Truth. Get godly counsel if you need to.

Do what you need to do so you can have God’s peace. Peace and contentment come when we accept the truth about our lives and believe that God does work things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Purpose to love God and to live according to His plans. Take courage in the Lord, who is your Advocate and Comforter, and let go of the lies! This brings inner peace and contentment because in so doing, you have allowed The Truth to become a part of you… the Truth you know does set you free!

© 2008 Rosalind M. Stanley

JOYS OF LIFE

I decided to post an old poem that I wrote hoping that it might help someone else to look for the joys of life:

The hurts and the pains were deep, so much pain that I refused to see. So, I blocked out the feelings those hurts brought about and continued to live life with much doubt. I did not believe that the pain would ever be relieved or that the hurts would ever go away from me. So I lived a partial lie, pretending to be fine, when in reality my heart was not fully alive.

All I could remember were the bad things that happened, so I covered them up and pushed them down, so the memories would not consume me. However, in the process the good things I knew, the joys of life that I had experienced were locked away, too.

But God began to heal me and took away the pain. The hurt went away causing me to see things His way. Then little by little, they came like a flash, memories of the fun things, the joys of life, began to come back. So now I know what to do when hurt comes my way – I give it to my Loving Father who cares for me.

He allows me then to feel what I feel, living a life that is real. I no longer fear or worry about pain, I realize that I am on the road to gain. The One who loves me the One who cares has given me such strength through my weakness that now enables me to enjoy the joys of life without fear.

BECAUSE OF GRACE™

© 1998 by Rosalind M. Caldwell

Joys of Life in Perspective: my family

TRUE LOVE

Our Wedding Day was blessed by the presence of our former Pastor, Bishop TD Jakes,

and him performing the ceremony...what a wedding gift!

As I drove down the road earlier this week, I began to have thoughts about love and romance. A running video came reminding me of when my husband and I met, our long and detailed conversations, and how intrigued we were with one another. Going on a few dates confirmed our interest in one another that, of course, eventually led to engagement than marriage. We married nine months after we met.

This year we celebrate our ninth year as husband and wife. We’ve had our good times and not so good times. Sometimes circumstances of life put stresses on our marriage that only the crazy glue of our God kept us. Other times our personality differences or idiosyncrasies caused us to see one another as the enemy. The fact that both of us separately had chosen the Lord God as our source for life before our marriage, our marriage is grounded on our individual desires to please Him.

This foundation has empowered us to choose to overlook faults and forgive and to choose to treat one another with His love (many times the choice came after choosing the negative responses!) The fact that I just hit a half a century and, my husband, that plus almost ten brings us both to a deeper searching out of God and a greater attempt to live this life to its fullest.

But, back to the love and romance video. The ability to communicate while dating connected Arthur and me. We became friends. Then one day, at about the same moment, the chemistry connection hit us. Then we wanted to kiss, hold hands and touch each other all the time which caused us to have to put limits on our dating time, alone time, etc. We had agreed to sexual abstinence until marriage and were determined to obey God’s Word regarding sex (even though we both had children from previous relationships and this was the 2nd marriage for both of us). We actually had to move our wedding date up to maintain this promise to ourselves and to God!

Since then we have had some stale marriage moments, but have learned to work hard at keeping our marriage fresh. Attending marriage trainer seminars, conferences to enrich our marriage, date nights, at times talking to someone to help us work through some conflict, and ministering to other couples, allows us to maintain our love and romance. Marriage tends to go through ebbs and flows. The ebbs can cause a break up if we do not recognize our Lord in the midst and remember the covenant that we made before Him.

As we approach Valentine’s Day 2008, I wanted to use this blog to take a moment to honor my husband and to speak well of him. He is a good godly man! Not a perfect man, even though he has a perfect wife (just kidding). He is a peaceful and caring person. He is a lover of God and His Word; a great preacher/teacher and loves to sing the songs of praise spontaneously throughout the day. He is silly and comical (making me laugh and helping me not to be so serious). He works hard at providing for his family and goes out of his way to help others as he is able. We are becoming more and more comfortable with one another. He is my best friend. Our friendship is deepening these days. The hard things and hard times that we have experienced over the years have actually taught us true love for one another which helps us not to take one another for granted, but has helped our marriage to grow in God’s grace! I love you Arthur, now more than ever. You are the man of my dreams!

EndNote: During this same drive, I thought about the Lord and my love relationship with Him, I began to praise Him, telling Him how much I loved Him. Then I began to say how grateful I was that he loved me first. Then I heard these words come from my mouth, “Lord you loved me before I even knew who You were! And you have continued to love me no matter what!” The thought brought tears. Jesus, lover of my soul! His Love makes our human love relationships more enhanced, more secure, more loving. And, more so when we receive those revelations of His love for us individually; He loves us just the way we are. It gives us such an inner security that we can love like He does. What a Mighty God we have! Let’s not just love Him in word but also in how we love our loved ones.