The 7 "Ups" of Life (by Carolyn Marshall)

I know most of us find the tons of junk email we get everyday a little annoying. Many avoid it by having it immediately sent to trash mail "Never Neverland". I am one of the few who love to get it. It’s easy to tell pretty quickly what is real junk; but, occasionally, you find jewels among the garbage. Sometimes, you will find a poem, video, or inspirational message that makes your heart smile, and you just have to pass it on. Here’s one that has been around awhile, but is good advice for anyone to have a great day.

© 2010 Carolyn Marshall, Living Life Photography

 

The 7 "Ups" of Life

1.  Wake Up

Decide to have a good day.

"Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

2.  Dress Up

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man

looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3.  Shut Up

Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one

mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he

who speaks rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise."

Proverbs 19:20

4.  Stand Up

… for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.

"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..."

Galatians 6:9-10

5.  Look Up

… to the Lord.

 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

6.  Reach Up

… for something higher. Always try to better yourself. Have FAITH.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

7.  Lift Up

… your prayers.

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done." Philippians 4:6

(AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

My prayer for all of you today is that you feel the power of change that these 7 "Ups" can make, and that God bless you with a new perspective in your life.

Are We Falling Away? (by Margaret Duran)

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:11-12, 14 (NIV)



© 2010 Carolyn Marshall, Living Life Photography

So often the cares of this life become more important than our relationship with Jesus and we become stagnant. We fail to grow and we are out of God’s will. It takes quality time with Jesus daily to grow and become disciples able to teach others the way to salvation. It is my hope that the following poem will touch your heart and bring you back to your first love for Jesus.

Determined To Hear God’s Voice

Please meet me in the garden, Lord,

That peaceful, quiet place,

And let me linger on Your lap

To gaze upon Your face.

I long to hear Your gentle voice,

Soft whispers in my ear;

With loving tugs upon my heart,

I feel You draw me near.

Too many times, in weakened state,

I let the world close in,

When all I ever need to do

Is trust my one true Friend.

Surrendered heart I give You, Lord,

And wait on bended knees,

Determined now to hear Your voice,

O God, please speak to me.

(© 12/08/09 Carolyn L. Marshall)

Let's Dance! (by Carolyn Marshall)

We all get a lot of email forwards in our mailbox, I know I do. A lot of it isn’t of any use so it gets put in the trash pretty quickly. But, occasionally, a message comes through that really makes you think; one that blesses your heart and makes you smile and say “thank you, Lord!” The following was one of those messages that I received. I would love to give credit to the writer, but there wasn’t a name attached to it. So, if you’re reading this and know who wrote it, please leave a comment for me so that proper credit can be given. In the meantime, I hope this gives you a smile in your heart and causes you to lift your eyes to Jesus with Joy!



© 2010 Carolyn Marshall, Living Life Photography

“Guidance . . . When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE. When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i."  "God, "u" and "i" dance – God, you, and I dance!" This statement is what guidance means to me. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you and your family on this day and everyday. May you abide in Him as He abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting Him to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. Prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive, so let’s continue to pray for one another. I hope you dance!”

Someone's "Angel" (by Carolyn Marshall)



© 2010 Carolyn Marshall, Living Life Photography

Have you ever been in the right place at the right time to do something you would remember for the rest of your life?  I have, many times.  But there is one time that happened more than 20 years ago that still holds its place in my memory.  I believe God gives us opportunities through our lives to be someone else’s “Angel” - to be His hands on this earth. We don’t always meet the task, though, as it was for me that day so many years ago. But, hopefully, each experience helps us to better learn how to listen to the voice of God as He moves through us.

It started out as a normal day.  There were the usual chores on my “To-Do” list.  One of those things was to get groceries for the next week.  I made the trip to my regular store, got my cart, and began filling it.  God had been good to me.  I was able to shop without worrying about how much money was in my purse.

After being in the store only five minutes, I noticed an older couple.  They appeared to be in their 80s, very thin, and dressed in an unkempt manner.  This, in itself, was not what caught my attention.  They were walking very close to one another, whispering as if they had a secret to keep from the rest of the world.  “Mrs.” pushed the cart, and “Mr.” walked beside her with a shopping list in his hands.

Because of their secretiveness, I stayed a little behind them.  Curiosity got the best of me.  And, something was tugging at my heart.  It was not quite clear to me at that time what I was concerned about.

Mr. and Mrs. moved slowly past the refrigerated section, stopping every few feet or so.  They quietly discussed whether or not they would get each item they put in their cart.  They would pick something up, and then put it back down.  My heart strings were being pulled.  I wondered if they had enough money to pay for the groceries and were being selective about the things they would purchase.

Then, Mrs. did something that gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach.  She picked up a bottle of milk, studied it very carefully and placed it in her cart.  Apparently, she had to decide which was more important, butter or milk, because the butter she had picked up earlier was placed back on the shelf.

Deep within, I was beginning to feel that my earlier suspicions about this couple not having enough money for food were true.  It appeared they had to make choices on what they could and could not buy.  Choices as to what food was most important to them.  Because they were so thin, I began wondering whether they had enough to eat.  Thoughts of how I would feel if my own mother were in her 80s and having to ration like that began racing through my mind.

How could I help these people?  These could be people I knew and loved.  Should I go up to them and offer them money?  I didn’t want to offend them, and I didn’t know what to do.  So, I did nothing.  I thought of all kinds of scenarios that would allow me to help them.  But, I did nothing.

Did I fail at an opportunity to be Mr. and Mrs.’ Angel?  Maybe.  They may not have needed my help.  But, I will never know the answer to that question, because I didn’t follow my heart and reach out to them.  Vivid details of how this couple looked, walked, and discussed their choices with each other play in my mind to this day.  I know I will never forget that day.

The moral to this story is “listen to your heart”.  Once you’ve missed the beat of the moment, you can never go back.  God has sent many angels to me throughout my life.  Without Him, I would never have been able to make it.  Take advantage of each opportunity you get to be one of God’s “Angels”.  You never know when someone else will be in the right place at the right time when you need an Angel of your own.

In The Center Of His Will (by Margaret Duran)

“If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth. There is nothing false about him.” John 7:17-18 (NIV)

© 2010 Carolyn Marshall, Living Life Photography

Now, I would say that doing God's will and being in the center of His will is most important if we want to be successful in our walk with Jesus. If we are not in the center of His will, we miss His plan for our lives completely. Many times, our will fights against His will because we are not totally surrendered. This takes time. As we grow in His grace, little by little, and as we place our dependence on Him, we relinquish our will over to Jesus. Then we experience freedom, joy and peace and the knowledge that whatever happens will definitely be for our good.

If you have made a mess of your life, as did I, you would be happy to give your will over to Him. As a matter of fact, I begged Him to take it from me. All authority is His, and I allow Him total control. Many have said, “Well, God gave you a brain to use, so use it.” Yes, thank God, He gave us a brain to know where all wisdom lies, but will we recognize that? I have found that when I am in the center of His will, I am the happiest.