Pushin' Thru the Shit!

40 Day Devotional Challenge
SOAP IT UP!

SCRIPTURE:

“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15
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OBSERVATION:

This passage presents us with an ideal we must strive for. It also presents us with the consequences if we do not strive for this ideal. Forgive and be forgiven. Both must be desired and sought after.
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When forgiveness is properly understood, it is much easier to desire, give and receive. When it is not properly understood, forgiveness can be seen as a confusing and heavy burden and, therefore, as something undesirable.
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Perhaps the greatest challenge to the act of forgiving another is the sense of “justice” that can appear to be lost when forgiveness is given. This is especially true when forgiveness is offered to someone who fails to ask forgiveness. On the contrary, when one does ask for forgiveness, and expresses true remorse, it is much easier to forgive and to abandon the feeling that the offender should “pay” for what was done. But when there is a lack of sorrow on the part of the offender, this leaves what can feel like a lack of justice if forgiveness is offered. This can be a difficult feeling to overcome by ourselves.
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APPLICATION:

It’s important to note that forgiving another does not excuse their sin. Forgiveness does not mean that the sin did not happen or that it is OK that it happened. Rather, forgiving another does the opposite. Forgiving actually points to the sin, acknowledges it and makes it a central focus. This is important to understand. By identifying the sin that is to be forgiven, and then forgiving it, justice is done in a supernatural way. Justice is fulfilled by mercy. And the mercy offered has an even greater effect on the one offering mercy than the one it is offered to.
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By offering mercy for the sin of another, we become freed of the effects of their sin. Mercy is a way for God to remove this hurt from our lives and free us to encounter His mercy all the more by the forgiveness of our own sins for which we could never deserve on our own effort.
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It’s also important to note that forgiving another does not necessarily result in reconciliation. Reconciliation between the two can only happen when the offender accepts the forgiveness offered after humbly admitting their sin. This humble and purifying act satisfies justice on a whole new level and enables these sins to be transformed into grace. And once transformed, they can even go so far as to deepen the bond of love between the two.
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Reflect, today, upon the person you most need to forgive. Who is it and what have they done that has offended you? Do not be afraid to offer the mercy of forgiveness and do not hesitate in doing so. The mercy you offer will bring forth the justice of God in a way that you could never accomplish by your own efforts. This act of forgiving also frees you from the burden of that sin, and enables God to forgive you of your sins.
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PRAYER:

Lord, I am a sinner who is in need of Your mercy. Help me to have a heart of true sorrow for my sins and to turn to You for that grace. As I seek Your mercy, help me to also forgive the sins that others have committed against me. I do forgive. Help that forgiveness to enter deep into my whole being as an expression of Your holy and Divine Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
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“Where Healing Begins!”

40 Day (Day 2) Devotional Challenge
SOAP IT UP!
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SCRIPTURE:
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” Luke 5:31-32
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OBSERVATION:
What would a doctor do without patients? What if no one were sick? The poor doctor would be out of business. Therefore, in a sense, it’s fair to say that a doctor needs the sick in order to fulfill his role.
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The same could be said of Jesus. He is the Savior of the World. But what if there were no sinners? Then Jesus’ death would have been in vain and His mercy would not be necessary. Therefore, in a sense, we can conclude that Jesus, as the Savior of the World, needs sinners. He needs those who have turned away from Him, violated the Divine Law, violated their own dignity, violated the dignity of others and acted in a selfish and sinful way. Jesus needs sinners. Why? Because Jesus is the Savior, and a Savior needs to save. A Savior needs those who need to be saved in order to save! Got that?
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APPLICATION:
This is important to understand because, when we do, we will suddenly realize that coming to Jesus, with the filth of our sin, brings great joy to His Heart. It brings joy because He is able to fulfill the mission given Him by the Father, exercising His mercy as the one and only Savior.
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Allow Jesus to fulfill His mission! Let Him offer mercy to you! You do this by admitting your need for mercy. You do this by coming to Him in a vulnerable and sinful state, unworthy of mercy and worthy only of eternal damnation. Coming to Jesus in this way allows Him to fulfill the mission given Him by the Father. It allows Him to manifest, in a concrete way, His Heart of abundant mercy. Jesus “needs” you to fulfill His mission. Give Him this gift and let Him be your merciful Savior.
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Reflect, today, upon the mercy of God from a new perspective. Look at it from the perspective of Jesus as the Divine Physician who desires to fulfill His healing mission. Realize that He needs you in order to fulfill His mission. He needs you to admit your sin and be open to His healing. In so doing, you allow the gates of mercy to pour forth in abundance in our day and age.
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PRAYER:
Dear Savior and Divine Physician, I thank You for coming to save and heal. I thank You for Your burning desire to manifest Your mercy in my life. Please humble me so that I may be open to Your healing touch and, through this gift of salvation, I allow You to manifest Your Divine Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

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“Where Healing Begins!”

40 Day Devotional Challenge
SOAP IT UP!

SCRIPTURE:
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. Psalm 51
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OBSERVATION:
Mercy. That’s what it’s all about. As we begin Lent, a great place to start is with a better understanding of mercy.
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Often when we think about Lent, we think of it with a sort of dread. “I have to give something up,” we often think. But if that is our thought then we are missing the point. Do I “have to” give something up? Well, yes and no. It’s true that God wills this and has spoken this practice of self-denial and self-discipline to us through His Church. That is true. But it’s much more of an invitation to grace than the imposition of a burden.
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Giving something up is really all about entering into God’s abundant mercy on a deeper level. It’s about being freed from all that binds us and it helps us experience the new life we so deeply seek. Giving something up could refer to something as simple as fasting from a food or drink. Or, it can be any intentional act that requires a certain self-denial. But this is good! Why? Because it strengthens us in our spirit and our will. It strengthens us to be more resolved to say yes to God on that complete level.
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APPLICATION:
So often in life we are controlled by our emotions and desires. We have an impulse for this or that or to do this or that and we often let those impulses or desires control us. Entering into a practice of self-denial helps strengthen us to control our disordered tendencies rather than being controlled by them. And this applies to much more than just food and drink. It applies to many things in life including our life of virtue, especially our charity.
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Mercy is all about charity. It’s about love in the way God wants us to love. It’s about being free to let love consume us and take us over so that, in the end, all we want to do is love. This can be a hard practice to establish in our lives but is the source of our joy and fulfillment.
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Mercy, in particular, is an act of love that, in a sense, is not deserved by another. It’s a free gift that is given purely from the motivation of love. And this is exactly the love God gives us. God’s love is all mercy. And if we want to receive that mercy then we also have to give it. And if we want to give it we need to properly dispose ourselves to giving mercy. This is accomplished, in part, by our little acts of self-denial.
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So make this a great Lent, but don’t get stuck thinking that the Lenten sacrifices are burdensome. They are one essential piece of the pathway to the life God wants to bestow upon us.
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PRAYER:
Lord, may this Lent be truly fruitful in my life. May it be a grace and a joy to embrace all that You wish to bestow upon me. Jesus, I do trust in You.
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“Where Healing Begins!”

40 Day LENT CHALLENGE

TODAY’S SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer)

What’s Your Leaven?

SCRIPTURE
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:15

OBSERVATION
What is this “leaven” Jesus is speaking of? After giving this warning to His disciples, Jesus then gives an explanation to them of what He means and what He doesn’t mean. But even the explanation seems to be over their heads. So He concludes by saying, “Do you still not understand?” To this day, Jesus is still asking this question to each one of us.

This was certainly Jesus trying to get them to think, to listen and to look deeper. He was warning them, “Watch out!” Watch out for this leaven. It’s a warning of love to help them see and understand a very real danger.

APPLICATION
Everyone who bakes bread knows the effect of just a little leaven (such as yeast) in the dough. Add just a little bit and it affects the whole loaf. If a child is helping with the baking, this child may return several times, watching the dough rise little by little. It can become a fascinating thing to watch. And it all resulted from just this little yeast.

So what is this leaven of the Pharisees and Herod? It’s the evil words, evil intent and errors that they spread. For the Pharisees, it may be that it’s just a little misconception or misrepresentation of what Jesus said or did. They may twist His words or may simply give non-verbal opinions to others. This is contagious and has potential to affect everyone. Little by little their small seeds of doubt and dissent take a toll on others.

We may tend to be thinking about all of “those” people we know who do this. But we’d miss an important opportunity for growth if we failed to first look at ourselves. Do I do this sometimes? Do I say things that mislead in small or subtle ways? Or do I mislead others by my non-verbal negative attitudes? Am I a “negative person” sometimes?

No need to feel guilty or get down on ourselves if we feel convicted. Rather, we should look at this little lesson of Jesus to realize the great power of our words. The smallest of words can do great harm over time.

But that’s not all we should focus on. It’s just as important to realize that the small loving words we say also have potential to make a huge difference over time. Perhaps it’s just that small smile we give or a kind action that we think goes unnoticed. These little actions and words are the leaven of the Gospel. They do make a difference and they can become contagious, also.

Reflect, today, upon the small things in life. Know that these small sins and small acts of love make a huge difference in the end.

PRAYER
Lord, help me to be honest and see what sort of leaven I sow each and every day. Help me to be purged of the bad and filled with the good. May You inspire me to be that good leaven in all the many daily interactions I have. Jesus, I trust in You.

I don’t know about you, but lately I have been coming across more and more evil. The 12 signs in this article are spot on and I will totally be using this as a guide moving forward. After reading this article, do you think you are dealing with any evil people in your life right now? Let’s Talk About It!
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The term evil is interpreted many different ways. For the most part we dignify it as a tragic that we can blatantly see. However, when we’re talking about true evil, it’s much more intelligent and will often seem like it’s not even there.
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Mankind is essentially good – no matter what they turn out to be, there is always good inside. But at the same time, no matter how much we want to see the good in people, there will always be someone who will use the good inside them to do something sinister. These people are genuinely evil, and they enjoy every second of it.
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The following are 12 warning signs that will tell you if someone is truly evil. If you can spot them, than you can definitely be sure that whatever good is left in them they will use to their advantage, meaning they could use it against you.
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❤️Denying Reality: The truth that you know to be is not something that a truly evil person will agree upon. They know a much different truth and will never agree with the reality that really is.
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This is not something that is up for debate, this is the known truth that you may have undeniable facts to back up your argument versus their twisted ideals and interpretations.
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❤️Twisting Facts: The secret to their craft is being able to twist any facts that they come across. In their situation, it would be any facts that that do not fall under their goals and the manipulative reality they’re trying to accomplish.
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❤️Withholding Information: The second they feel that there is something that may compromise their identity, they will automatically withhold any formation related to it. They will never admit to a lie, claiming that they never said anything that could prove it.
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Whether they lied or not, they keep the information a secret and use their ignorance to their advantage in the situation. If you somehow find out the information they were trying to withhold, they will try and twist the truth, but will also try and make you feel guilty in the process.
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❤️Misleading: If they come across some information that they feel they could use, they will use some of that truth in a misleading way to make you feel afraid, vulnerable, attacked, or incompetent.
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Whether the truth they are trying to spin is true or not, in the end you will start to believe it just by the way they presented it. By using simple words; they can create enemies in your head; they can also make you feel like everything you are doing up to this point is wrong. Words are their secret weapon and they know how to use them wisely.
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❤️Constant Lying: They lie as a way of constructing who they are. They cannot tell a story without adding in something juicy. The reason they constantly lie is because they take pleasure in fooling others around them. The second you catch them in a lie, they will just cover it up with a dozen more lies. Or they may admit to lying and explain to you why they lied, you might even end up feeling sorry for them in the end.
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❤️Feel No Remorse: They have no feelings of remorse for anyone they have destroyed, will destroy or are planning to destroy. People are just pawns in their chess game, and they feed off of good people because they see weaknesses that they can easily expose.
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❤️Avoiding Responsibility: Evil people do not take any responsibility for the people they’ve harmed. The minute they start to sense some sort of blame, they will redirect it before it makes its way to them. Chances are when they redirect the blame; it will be onto someone they sense weakness in. In the end, that person will end up apologizing for the evil person’s mistake.
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❤️Manipulative: They are champions of manipulation. They plan 10 steps ahead and always know the direct purpose of what they’re doing. They know exactly how to make you feel incompetent, and they know how to take all the credit for doing it.
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❤️Steal Your Time: You may not notice this right away, but start keeping track of conversations when you have a time limit. For instance, if you have a family dinner to attend to and they have nothing planned, they will constantly try and distract you so you lose track of time. They sense that you’re better than them because of your obligations, so they try to disrupt them.
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❤️Double Lives: They will never reveal that they are living a double life. Because they’re entire life is covered with lies, they will have a different picture painted of themselves for a variety of people. If they begin to slip or lose control, then they lose their pawns. This is why they are constantly lying and working to create an image that will stick.
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❤️Very Controlling: With all the lies they are telling, they have to always be in control of the situation. The second they sense that someone is trying to earn their trust and be a genuine friend, they will get possessive and controlling.
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If you enjoyed this story, slide to ‘Next Post’ @www.Dr Shannon Robinson.WordPress.com to read more stories like this. And, don’t forget to SHARE this story with your friends on FB, IG, LinkedIn, etc.
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Photo Credit: Magon Barrientos

The next chapter of your life. What’s it going to be like? It isn’t always easy to experience changes, but there’s no better advice than this: just do your best, take things day by day, and have faith that things are going to be all right.
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Over the course of time, answers will come, decisions will prove to be the right ones, and the path will be easier to see. So have hope. Be optimistic! Expect things to turn out for the best!
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Remember that beyond any clouds, the sun is still shining. Meet each challenge and give it all you’ve got. Count your blessings. Climb your ladders and have some nice long talks with your wishing stars.
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Be strong and patient. Be gentle and wise. Do every positive thing you can possibly do. Believe in happy endings because you are the author of the story of your life.
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#successquotes #happy #watercolor #water #ice #snow #waterfall #story #writersofinstagram #write #authorsofinstagram #author #pic #picoftheday #photo #photooftheday #mindset #millionairemindset #millionaire #coach #travelblog #travel #nature #naturephotography #letstalkitover #divine #food #vegan #fashion #wedding #mom #dad #like #tag #share #comment #instagood #instago #Instagram #fitness

Be the Author of Your Life

Imagine you live in another world for a moment, where the only way to make life “happen” is to literally write out “your story” every morning upon waking. You’ve got just one hour to “create your day.” You are the author (quite literally) of your life. You create it all.

But here’s the kicker. In this other world if you forgot to write your script, or if you simply didn’t care enough, you’d get nothing for the next 24 hours. That’s the way it is. That’s life, in this other world.
No sunrise, no chats with friends, no work, no petting your cat, loving up your kids, or romancing your love. If you didn’t write your story, you’re just out of luck… until 24 hours later, you wake and get a fresh chance to create your life.

If your world was like that, would you create every day? Create an awesome story? How would you write it? Would you miss a day, ever? How awesome would you make it?

Now in our world, you are working with an even BETTER set up system. One where the Universe is your bestie and it co-creates your life with you.

In fact, the Universe is always conspiring in your favor, always responding to your vibration, whether you know it or not, filling in the story where you don’t, always providing you with sunsets, magic, opportunities at the right time, lots of joyous surprises, and as much time as you’d like to write your next chapter. No pressure, you choose when and how you’ll tell your story.

You’ve got full creative power to script your life exactly as you want – when you want. No waiting period, no rules. Nothing taken from you if you don’t.

So my question to you is – what STORY would you like to LIVE in your life today? What story will YOU tell? The Universe has your back, and this is your work.

But just, like in our “other” world – I want you to wake up each and every day and script your life – with THAT kind of intention. With that kind of certainty of your creative power. With that kind of motivation and clarity.

Yes. Stand in your most powerful shoes as a creator and literally write the STORY of your life as you’d like to see it, how it would serve you.

Let’s stop🚫 and have a think🤦 on this old Zen parable about living in the present moment…the only time🕰️ that really matters!

One day while walking 🚶through the wilderness a man🕴️ stumbled upon a vicious tiger🐅. He ran🕺, but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice…

As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry🍓. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious, the best strawberry 🍓he ever had!

The strawberry🍓 represents all of the amazing things around us in life. The vine symbolizes the timeline of life (between the cliff = birth; precipice = death). Choose to celebrate the strawberry🍓 (the good things in life), always.Forget the past, don’t worry the future, and live in the present moment. Only by that way can we live happily😁.Reminds me of this Mark Twain quote, “I’ve had many worries in my life, most of which never happened.”😁

Jonah is one of the most beloved Old Testament prophets. Why? Perhaps because of the fascinating story of him being swallowed by a whale. This image lends intrigue to one’s imagination and is somewhat fairytale-like. It’s a good story and a fun story!

But what we may easily forget is why Jonah was swallowed by the whale. It was because he heard God call him to a particular mission in life and he ran as fast as he could the other way. He did all he could to avoid his calling. But God was relentless. In the end, God won and Jonah went to Nineveh to preach. The best part is that the people of Nineveh listened to him and changed their lives! Jonah’s preaching was, in the end, a great success.

Imagine what would have happened if Jonah would have just listened to God from the very beginning. It may have left us with much less of that fairytale-like story but it certainly would have saved Jonah and others a great amount of stress. He would not have had to endure the great storm at sea, the wrath of the crew on that ship, the distress of being thrown over the boat and the experience of being held captive in the belly of the whale for those three days. All this could have been avoided if he would have just listened to God from the very beginning.

With that said, it’s also interesting and insightful to look at the story from another perspective. The truth is that Jonah did endure all of these difficulties. And though we may be tempted to judge him for that and shake our finger at him, we may want to be careful. Why? Because it’s entirely possible that God actually allowed him, by an act of His divine permissive will, to go through these struggles for a reason. It’s entirely possible, and perhaps probable, that it was part of the wisdom of God that Jonah, at first, resisted His will. Why would God do this? Most likely for our sake in that Jonah becomes a great example for us. It seems clear that one of the main lessons from Jonah’s life was that God is relentless in His love for us and is relentless in calling us to embrace His will. So Jonah’s life and actions become prophetic and teach us a great lesson.

God does not give up on us. He does not simply throw us away the moment we turn from Him. Instead, our denial of Him only makes His resolve to pursue us all the greater. He takes our brokenness, our lack of resolve, our failings and weaknesses and uses them for His glory and His perfect plan.

Reflect, today, on whether you are discouraged in life and feel like you have failed in following the will of God for your life. If so, then the message of Jonah is clear. Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. God has not given up on His plan for you and He has not lost hope. In the end, you may discover that those parts of your life that seem to be the greatest burden and obstacle for you will be turned upside down by God’s grace and become the very source of the manifestation of His glory!

Lord, You never give up on me. You never lose hope. Give me the grace to change, to listen and to respond. Use my weakness and brokenness and let Your strength and grace shine through.

Travel Isn’t Always Pretty|| It isn’t always comfortable👠Sometimes it hurts,🔪it even breaks your heart💘That’s ok😓The journey changes you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart💘💖 and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind 👠#shoes #shoesaddict #fashionart #fashionista #fashionblog #fitness #fitnessmotivation #pic #photo #success #successquotes #photooftheday #picoftheday #entrepreneurlifestyle #entrepreneur #entrepreneurlife #counselors #lifecoaches #lifestylebogger #lifestylechange #author #authorsofinstagram #motivationalquotes #inspirationalquotes #blogger #tag #like #share #letstalkitover