Afraid of being victimized again, I armed myself by keeping my bedside lamp on all night. I reasoned that, if the bad guy broke in, the light would allow me to see his face and identify him later in a police lineup. One bedtime, in desperation, I cried to God for help, and He brought Psalm 127:1 to mind: “Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.”
Sometimes when I pray, the Lord shows me these lovely pictures. I used to think these were mere daydreams interrupting my prayer focus. I’d try to refocus, but the images continued to break my concentration. One day, in a small prayer circle, the woman who prayed before me shared the pictures she saw as she prayed. I’d never heard anyone share in this way before, but her courage inspired me to share the pictures I saw.
Each year as my family decorates the tree, we sing “The First Noel” and add on those yarn wreaths. We remember it is a “choice to rejoice.” It also seems as we reflect on that first Christmas and our decision to “choose joy,” we can see why God placed this vital truth in our lives as a strong foundation for our future.
By Amber Weigand-Buckley —During a moment of reflection in my backyard, God spoke one word to my heart: FOCUS. It was a simple yet profound message that made me question how I could achieve it.
by Saundra Dalton-Smith @DrDaltonSmith in Leading Hearts Magazine
Around this time every year, I start reflecting on how my life is progressing. I wish I could say I’m always pleased with my self-evaluation.
Too often, I find myself utterly amazed at my ability to doubt, fear and regret. Instead of seeing the fruit I desire, I notice too much precious time spent striving and not enough time spent thriving. Too many moments focused on fighting back negative thoughts and too little spent on cultivating the truth.
The truth is timeless, but the time we spend outside of it has a profound effect on how deep our roots grow and how high we can reach. It doesn’t change. The truth remains stable throughout our ups and downs.