Tag Archives: neighbor

A Neighbor on the Fence

Leave a reply

 

Hope you will have a beautiful Sunday morning. Thank you for all your encouraging comments. Please continue to work with us to inspire people around the world.

Sincerely,

Simposious

The following is from: Our Daily Bread

 

A Neighbor On The Fence

 — by Anne Cetas
All who believed were together. —Acts 2:44

The fence around the side yard of our home was showing some wear and tear, and my husband, Carl, and I decided we needed to take it down before it fell down. It was pretty easy to disassemble, so we removed it quickly one afternoon. A few weeks later when Carl was raking the yard, a woman who was walking her dog stopped to give her opinion: “Your yard looks so much better without the fence. Besides, I don’t believe in fences.” She explained that she liked “community” and no barriers between people.

While there are some good reasons to have physical fences, isolating us from our neighbors is not one of them. So I understood our neighbor’s desire for the feeling of community. The church I attend has community groups that meet once a week to build relationships and to encourage one another in our journey with God. The early church gathered together daily in the temple (Acts 2:44,46). They became one in purpose and heart as they fellowshiped and prayed. If they struggled, they would have companions to lift them up (see Eccl. 4:10).

Connection to a community of believers is vital in our Christian walk. One way that God chooses to show His love to us is through relationships.

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love!
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above. —Fawcett
We all need Christian fellowship to build us up and hold us up.

Rejoicing

Leave a reply

 

Rejoicing

 

imagesimages (62)

images (19)images (26)

 

Retreat! Time to Reflect, Rejuvenate and Rejoice!
(c)1999 – Julie Jordan Scott

“Every year, I pack up a duffel bag and head to the mountains near Yosemite. A weekend each year spent in the company of 90 or so women. Journeying from places mostly from throughout California. As we step from our vehicles upon arrival, we breathe in the pine smell of the crisp clean air and breathe out the stresses and concerns of our lives in the Valley below.

I have been making this pilgrimage for the past six years. Each time I return home refreshed and ready for whatever real life may have in store for me.

Embracing fully the concept of retreat, I have decided to schedule a monthly, day long personal retreat. I have set aside on my calendar throughout the year the last Friday of the month for this purpose. On my retreat day, I will intentionally create an experience that is unlike any of my other days throughout the month. Set apart. Special. Solitary.

Come along with me, lets try this together! I have uncovered a retreat formula that may work for you as well.

Reflect
The day begins with a day of reflection. Raise a figurative mirror to yourself, take your personal pulse. There are several ways to approach this. A few suggestions are as follows:

* Make a list of victories from the current month. Reflect: How did you achieve these victories? What action steps did it require? How did it feel to complete these victories? Would you describe your achievement fun? work? performing? striving? playing?

*Make a list of unfinished goals. Reflect: Why did you miss the mark this month? Is this goal truly according to my life purpose? Is this a task I can delegate or barter out? Should I re-add this to my list, or should I take it off?

*Make a list of goals/tasks for the new month. Reflect: Which projects should “bridge up”, fitting into my 30-60-90 day, 6 month, yearly plan? Are there any other areas that need to be thought out or planned? Which tasks are the highest priority and how can you ensure you will get there.

Then, set aside your carefully crafted plan! Its time to move!

REJUVENATE
Now it is time to put aside your “thinking hat” and work with your subconscious or intuitive mind.

Time to get busy! Do you like to exercise? Create Art? Look at Art? Listen to music? How about a long drive? Believe it or not, I have been known the cruise the Mall during my rejuvenation time.

Take along a pad and pencil or pen and relish whichever activity you choose. The pad and pencil is to take notes about whatever comes up, whatever floats in your mind in regards to the earlier Reflection exercise.

Don’t force anything to come! Just play! Enjoy! Be! You have this agenda, yes, but in actuality, you are not wedded to DOING anything! The point is to be intentionally free with yourself.

After you feel you have had enough time creating, driving, walking, exercising, mall cruising take time and sit down. Take out your list from your Reflection time and revise as necessary. This may be the time to have something to eat. Some refreshment. You may choose to completely envelope yourself in the process of eating.

Next, I find it helpful and invigorating at this point to do some reading. Not the newspaper, not a magazine, but something inspiring. Something that addresses the areas I am currently addressing on my Monthly plan.

After a half an hour or so, go back to your list. Has your quiet mind told you now to make any changes? Make note of them, add to the list, subtract from the list, brainstorm if necessary for your barter list.

REJOICE
Depending upon how long each component has lasted for you, you may have time to reflect some more. Spend more time in creation. Make sure to leave the time frame as loose as possible while still somewhat structured. The three main themes are very important. As you move to the end of your Retreat day, spend some time rejoicing. Applaud yourself for your efforts. Note all that you have accomplished this day.

Re enter the world slowly. Be gentle with yourself as you continue to refine YOUR Retreat process. I hope you will take time to really thoughtfully consider making this a regular part of your Purposeful life.”

By: Julie Jordan Scott

 

Face Difficulties Positively

Leave a reply

 

images (99)images (100)images (81)images (47)

 

Face difficulties positively

by STEPHEN

“This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule praying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, HE WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up!” He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him . . . all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT’S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity.”(Moral Stories, by: Stephen, Face Difficulties Positively).

Author Unknown