Our "Precious"

This weekend I had a cold and settled down to watch a marathon of Lord of the Ring. This bad cold germ in my life was attacking the good in my life, just like the ring.  As I watched the movies unfold, I began to see the power, temptation, and danger all the rings in our lives hold.

I love this story of a group of unusual beings from earth who unite to help two small Hobbits take a ring of evil power to the lake of fire and destroy it so the powers of evil will not destroy man.

Frodo and Sam are the main hobbit characters.  They start off on their adventure unsure but strong and determined as they survive attacks from within their group and from other evil forces of the earth and universe. However, their biggest battle came from within Frodo as his destiny was to carry the ring on a chain around his neck. Even though he knew the ring was evil and he must destroy it, he is very attracted to it and tempted to keep it, as its dark side of anger and deceit were disguised as power and protection. Several times in the story he listens to the ring, places it on his finger and disappears to escape from his situation. The more he uses the ring to disappear, the harder it is for him to stay on the good side.  Evil takes a stronger hold and wears him down with each decision to use or caress it.

Frodo and Sam soon find out there is another creature, Smeagal, who is attracted to the ring.  Smeagal was a Hobbit-like creature who had killed his friend to take the ring. He carried the ring so long it transformed him into a wild creature with a split personality whose main purpose and desire in life was to get his “Precious” ring back at all cost.

In one of the last climactic scenes, Frodo takes off the ring to destroy it.  Instead, he chooses to keep it and he puts it on and disappears.  Sam is heartbroken to see his friend choose to be consumed by evil instead of staying with him.  Smeagal tracks Frodo from footprints, suddenly jumps on the invisible Frodo, and bites off Frodo’s finger as Smeagal falls off the cliff into lava.  On the way down, Smeagal is caressing his precious ring with a large smile on his face even with his last breath before the lava covers him.  Unlike Smeagal, Frodo is freed from the evil of the ring.  Frodo was so close to losing himself in the ring. Had it not been cut off, he would have ended up like Smeagal consumed by the dark side of evil.

In reality I also bore the ring of evil and have chosen to destroy it.  Unfortunately, I witness many people who choose to be consumed by their precious evil rings of anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, and other dark evil emotions.  They use these vices to disappear into drugs, alcohol, abuse, sex, food, gossip, fantasy or any means of escape to avoid dealing with consequences and responsibilities of their thoughts, choices and actions. They just want to be free of the pain and not face or fix their hurts. They spend their time blaming others and being paranoid and protective of their escape, hoping to protect the precious ring they mistake for themselves. Their choice to be consumed by the ring makes them unaware of or callous to the pain, scars, destructive role modeling, and devastation their choice brings to their children and those who love them.

No matter who we are, at some point in our lives we have all had a precious ring. For me my freedom only came when God took it away from my spirit.  Only God can cut our evil rings away from us on this earth. Unlike Smeagal, God will not jump on us.  We must ask Christ to help us destroy our rings and choose to walk with him or they will destroy our thoughts, minds, and lives one secret choice and action at a time.  … Just this once … I can handle it … Only one … I deserve...

Keeping Balanced

My new year brings new challenges and goals. One of the biggest challenges in my life has been to keep balanced in regards to loving and caring for myself with the same intent as I care for others. I often let my heart and emotions get consumed by my desire to help others and leave my health, spirit, and personal goals and dreams for my left over time and energy.

My goal this year is to love myself as I love others equally. In the past few years I have absorbed and accepted God’s pure unconditional love for me. I realize my self-value is no longer based on my service to others. It has taken me 46 years to realize God loves me for me and not for what I do. He is very interested and has given me guidelines on how I need to treat others and myself. However, his love for me is solely because he made me and his son Jesus died for me. In other words, I am to die for, just ask Jesus. The wonderful thing is, so are you!

New Year, New Choice

I have never struggled with starting over. I have struggled with working through.

Some things in life need to be stopped. Some need to be reconditioned and some just linger no matter what you do because they are out of your control. It is the lingering challenges which have caused me the most pain, strife, and stress. However, these challenges have given me opportunity to learn how to love and forgive even when it makes no sense or it hurts. They have molded me into the person I am today, person I am proud to know, love, and vouch for. These lessons have helped me learn:

·        To lean on God first instead of trying my way first and then asking him to get me out of the mess I made.

·        To trust that he knows best in every aspect of my life.

·        To ask and wait on him to show me the way.

·        To be confident in my relationship with him.

·        To know beyond a shadow of doubt that he made me for his reason, he loves me, and he will provide for me.

·        To know that he will complete the good work he started in me when I abide in his love and strive to uphold his laws and commands in his word.

As you start this New Year look to Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV)

 

 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit (ask and trust) to him,
   and he will make your paths straight (not necessarily easy but you will be able to see him).

 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear (be in awe, respectful of his authority and power) the LORD and shun (run from) evil.”

I tried for years to create enough self awareness, focus, and power to have true joy in my life to no avail. I am an imperfect human and therefore I cannot attain or create the perfect self power. I am not God but I know who he is. I know I cannot have a life filled with love, joy, peace, mercy, grace and self-control without a personal relationship with Jesus.

I am starting out my new year with his eternal promises, mercies, grace, and love. I have resolved to live Romans 4:20-22

^“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ^“

 Have a blessed New Year!

The Emotions of Christmas

I have been alone, sad, hurt, and afraid because of the circumstances, situations, and emotions of my life for many Christmas Holidays. I was tempted to stay in the pit of darkness where all the depression, self pity, self loathing, anger, and resentment live and multiply. But what good is this pit to my heart, mind, and spirit? Will I find happiness there? Will my life be better? No!

The only ray of light in my heart comes from God. His light is my star, my compass, when I can’t see. It shows me the way to find the good, hope, salvation, and promise in my life. This star light can and will always penetrate the darkness when I allow it to.

I have discovered it is my choice to be imprisoned by my past and present negative perceptions and emotions or my choice to allow God’s light to heal and transform them with love, peace, and joy. I choose not to be the condition of my emotions or my situation but the promise I am through Christ. Only through God can I overcome the negative forces seeking to destroy me. Jesus is my rock, my shield, my strength, and my salvation. He is the heart of God coming down in human form to show me what perfect love, grace, and mercy look like on this earth.

Baby Jesus is my proof I have hope and salvation. He is our Messiah! He is Christmas.

If you don’t have someone to share Christmas with, open your heart. You are never truly alone when you reach out to Jesus and receive his gift of hope and love. He is there waiting just for you. Loving you, every breath you breathe.

The Heart is a Funny Thing

It is made of tissue yet it is driven by an inner center of emotion, need, and desire expanding or expelling its physical and spiritual life. How my mind digests the experiences and circumstances in life directly affects the condition of my heart.

Once I had a very shattered heart I thought could not be soldered back together. I was wrong. I realized in my spirit that once I gave ALL the pieces to God he could mend my broken heart. He cannot mend what he doesn’t have.

Through the healing revelation of God in my heart I can see his love, grace and mercy in my life’s lessons. He has helped me to see I am not who I was and has given me a vision of what I can be, more like him. This process is my path, my plan, my purpose, my heart.