Day 25 of the Truth Dare

Thanks...Living begins with Thanks... Thinking

To be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
( Romans 8:6)

"Attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious free life." ( Romans 8:6 from The Message)

Do you have an alarm on your cell phone or watch? Try setting it at specified intervals for the next few days. Each time the alarm goes off it will remind you to stop and be thankful for a moment. It is amazing how this brief pause many times in the day can change your focus and attitude.

"The battle you wage against your human nature is an invisible one that will be won or lost in the mind. Minute by minute, hour by hour, in the hidden workshop of your mind you are constructing thoughts of good or evil, depression or joy, success or failure. You are writing your own life story as a human being with each subtle and soundless thought you think." taken from The 4:8 Principle, Tommy Newberry.


As my phone alarm went off at the appointed times throughout the day Monday, I was reminded to stop and be thankful. But in between those times I was thinking according to my routine "normal" of auto-pilot random thoughts. Some of my random thoughts can begin to spiral me to a negative place. I plan today to set my timer again. And, today I am hoping to be more aware of God's presence all around me. In the busy holiday week I want to make time and space to think frequently on things above. Will you join me?

Praise Prayer/Psalm 3: 3-6, 8
But you are a shield around me, O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

From the Lord comes deliverance
May your blessing be on your people.

• Thank Him that He is a Deliverer
• Thank Him that He Gives Us a New Shot at Life Each Day
• Thank Him that He Sustains Us
• Thank Him for His Blessing, Even if you don't feel like your are blessed right now!

Add your reasons to Thank God to the list!

Truth Dare Galatians 6:7-10
A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction, the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will rap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

This is powerful when applied to our thoughts! You can not think negatively and live positively any more than you can plant an apple seed and expect to harvest an orange.

Challenge Steps

• Expect the Best...Because God is Good.
  
• Trust God with the Outcome
• Stand Firm, your battle is the Lords
• Sow thoughts that are Good and Positive
• Resist the Urge to go to the Negative Place
• Decide to Do Good, Think Right, and Speak Love to people in your life.
• Confess all things that are critical to God
• Hold on the the Good and Dwell There
• Thank Jesus that you are a New Creation in Christ!

Daily Prayer
Lord, Take my mind and let it be shaped and formed by you. Teach me to be intentional in my thoughts and the ways of my mind. Give me the strength to break the cycle of negativity or criticism. I need you Lord. You are my joy and to you I commit my mind and the outcome of my life.

Day 24 of the Truth Dare

THANKS....LIVING
It's Monday and the Thanksgiving countdown has begun. In just a few days we will be stuffing our little faces and spending time with family or friends. It's a nice tradition.

I have another tradition for you to begin...TODAY.
What if over the next few days you only focused on being thankful?
Give yourself something to remind you...a cell phone alarm, a computer reminder message...something that will remind you to STOP for that moment and reflect on something you are thankful for. Then take your reflection a step further and actually Thank God because all blessings, all gifts, all of life...comes from the Father.

Praise/Prayer Isaiah 46:9-10
Remember this, fix it in mind,
take it to heart
I am God, and there is not other
I am God and there is none like me
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.

Thank God that He is a Mighty God with power over your life.
Praise Him that He is God and that His purpose Stands!
Find Peace in the truth that if God wills something in your life, nothing can stop it.
God does what He pleases, because He has a plan, and His plan will be accomplished.
Praise Him today for WHO He says He is!

I am setting my cell phone alarm, as soon as I publish this post!
Will you join me, every hour thanking God for something?

Truth Dare
Philippians 3:1
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safegaurd for you.

Challenge Steps

• Take note of something that is continually repeated in Scripture, because it must be important
• Learn to rejoice in the Lord, which means thanking God that He is God, even when things are not that great. Thank God for who He is. This is a spiritual discipline that is life changing.
• Praising and Thanking God is a Safegaurd...or a safety latch for our emotions, our soul, our very life. Sometimes, if we are honest, we will admit that our emotions need to be reigned in and definitely need a safety latch...or else they will be lost in self.

Here's what my friend Lorri posted thankfulness for on her blog today:
Today, I am thankful for......

The heater that warms my house on this chilly morning.
Gas that costs $1.78!
No getting up and going this morning.
The ladies that will come today to plan the Christmas Tea for our church.
Clear blue skies and snow capped Rockies.
and coffee, lots of coffee!

You can follow her week of Thanks at... lorriscancerupdates.blogspot.com

Now...Let me know what YOU are Thankful for. Log in and Praise God with Me!
Every practical moment is turned into a spiritual moment when we turn our thoughts to God and are thankful.

Daily Prayer
Lord, You are big and mighty. You are all powerful over everything. You are God and there is none like you. You are My God, and I worship you and desire to serve you all of my days.
I thank you that your purpose stands firm in our lives. My life has been such a wreck at times, but in your mercy, you have restored, redeemed and brought my life out of many times of calamity because you are faithful to accomplish your purposes in us. Thank you Lord. Oh...this is why we sing...Not to us, but to YOUR NAME be the glory! Be glorified Lord. Be glorified!

Day 23 of the Truth Dare

Appreciation
We all want it and we can learn to give it!

In every person from cradle to grave there is a deep craving to be appreciated. If people don't receive appreciation at home, there's a good chance they won't get it because, in general, the world does not fill that desire. One of the most positive things you can do for your spouse, children, and people in your life is to get to know them and love them simply because they are God's children. Loving them because of who they are, not because of their performance. adapted from Make Today Count by John Maxwell

Praise Prayer/ Psalm 139:13-14,16-18
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were i to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake. I am still with you.

Note: God Created everyone He is asking you to encourage.
He loves them because they are His. He is asking you to be an extension of His love on earth by encouraging others, appreciating them, believing the best in them, and focusing on anything good that is in them. This requires turning away from negativity and bad attitudes about people in general. This also means obeying God and being an extension of His grace even to people who have actually hurt you.

Truth Dare ( verse references below)
"Encourage each other daily, as long as it is called Today" Heb 3:13
"We urge you brothers, encourage the timid" 1 Thes 5:14
"we must encourage and strengthen the brothers" Acts 15:32
"my purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love." Col 2:2

When we encourage another person, we are imparting COURAGE to them. Courage to live, to love, to express themselves, and to trust the God who made them who they are. Encouragement is a gift. Give the gift of encouragement today.

Challenge Steps

• Ask yourself what keeps you from encouraging others? Is it pride? Is it because you forget? Is it because you are too self-focused? Is it because you don't think they deserve it?
• Look at what God's word says about encouragement. Ask God to make you an encourager, and to remind you to remember to notice other people.
• Encouragement often happens in just asking someone how they are, and listening.
• Encouragement can be noticing something they have done and being thankful
• Encouragement can be catching them in something good and mentioning it
• Encouragement can be praying for them, and letting them know you care enough to pray
• Encouragement can be simply a "hello" and a hug.
• Encouragement is appreciation in every form.

Daily Prayer
Lord, Forgive me for the times I refuse to encourage. Maybe it's my pride...take care of that Lord. Maybe it's my memory...refresh my mind Lord. Maybe it's that I just don't know how without feeling it's flimsy flattery...teach me Lord. I desire to line up with your truth in this area. You are the God of all comfort. You comfort and yes, encourage your people. I want to be an extension of your love, so that means I must learn to be an encourager.