Mirror

When you look at yourself, what lens do you use?
Do you look for strength, grace, success, faults, or frailty?
Do you look within or without of yourself to find the clues?
When you look at yourself, what lens do you use?
Do you join with those who support or with those who abuse?
Do your eyes seek simplicity or crave complexity?
When you look at yourself, what lens do you use?
Do you look for strength, grace, success, faults, or frailty?

© Sally Wyatt

Who Teaches Birds to Fly?

Who teaches birds to fly?
Why do they spread their wings and catch the air,
To swoop and sail through the sky?
Who teaches birds to fly?
To be unafraid when up so high,
To dive toward Earth without a care,
Who teaches birds to fly?
Why do they spread their wings and catch the air?

 © Sally Wyatt

What Matters

Haunted face of tortured woe
Is hanging low, no one can see
Pale misery and hands that shake
Starvation stalks, no frightened plea
Provides escape, for you or me
We are people, yes, people
It matters. Oh, it matters
What we do.

© Sally Wyatt

He Hears Us in the Midst of Battle.

Recently, I went through trouble – who can’t say that? We are always going through trouble, just out of trouble or headed into trouble. It is the way of life. What is important about trouble is that as we pass through more and more of it, we learn to remember what the Lord has already done. 

In this last bout of trouble, the Holy Spirit pressed on me that the Lord hears His children in the midst of battle. What a wonderful thought. According to First Chronicles, 5:20-22, when we cry out to God, he hears us. When we put our trust in Him, He comes to the battle, because the war is His. What a beautiful, comforting thought. I am not alone. The things that are happening to me are a part of a battle that God is fighting. Perhaps even a battle I can’t see. Surely, Satan does not really want my job; nor does he want my small savings. He wants me to turn from the battlefield and doubt God is in control; that God hears me when I cry in the midst of battle. To me, this is the best reason to fight. I do not want Satan to gain any ground, especially not in me or through my actions or thoughts.

Yet, as Christians, our methods of fighting look different from the world’s methods. We do not grab weapons of war, but weapons of peace. When I am injured, I must give something I want to the person who has injured me. I don’t understand it; I just know this is the way the battle is won. 

Still, if you are anything like me, this necessary giving is the true battlefield, the battle with the flesh. I do not want to give anyone who hurt me something precious to me, be it time, effort, money, kindness, or “water,” as Jesus said. The war rages inside until I submit and become obedient, find what I am to give and follow God’s plan. At this point, the battle always ends; but the longer it takes me to give, the longer the battle rages. 

The Plea

Jesus and Angels of Heaven!
Like a bell ringing through the firmament;
Jesus and Angels of Heaven!
Like a rippling wave of rejoicing;

How beautiful the words,
Try them out for yourself.

Jesus and Angels of Heaven!
Like a call for battle reinforcements;
Like a plea for God’s help;
Like an alert when demons are near;

Yes, call on the blood of Jesus!
For the blood of Jesus has defeated
Whatever we are passing through,
The blood of Jesus has prepared
The way God has for you

Jesus and Angels of Heaven!
What a glorious sound to make 
In the face of sure defeat
With our voices raised in praise
Calling Jesus and the Angels of Heaven!

My ear longs for the sound
Of Angels singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, 
Is the Lord God, Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth; 

And His son, the Lamb of God,
Slain from the foundations of the world
That we might live!

Oh, how beautiful is Jesus, 
Leader of the Angels of Heaven!
How sweet! How precious
Is the blood of the Lamb! 

Day 1 - Applying The Habits

Today, as I go about my daily routine, I am going to remember whose child I am. I am going to treat all others with the love God has given to me. I am going to cast all of my cares on God and praise Him. 

One of the skills I am practicing today is that of organization. I am going to throw out the old and plan for the new. I am going to set goals and move toward those, being open and sensitive to the spirit and its movements. I will pursue those areas of my life in which I feel the Lord has given me direction, even though I am weary and see no solutions to the problems I face; I am going to step out, because the Lord has given me this to do and both the results of it, and the results from it, are His. 

While I am waiting upon the Lord to show me the direction He has planned, I will praise Him that I am safe and secure for this moment. I will trust that in the “next moment” He will take care of me the same as He has taken care of me in “this moment”. While I have many things I want to do, I trust God’s plan for me. I trust that He will close doors that He does not want me to go through and He will open those that He wants me to enter. I will try very hard not to look through the doors that close to regret what I think I might have had, trusting that what He is going to give me will be better for me, more fitting to my needs, and will eventually make me happier, once I can see it clearly for what it is.

Our Attitude is Our Choice

When you look at a glass that is half full of water, do you see it as half full or half empty? Whether you see it as half full or half empty, isn’t it the same glass of water either way? Doesn’t it have the same amount of water? 

Therefore, if you see the glass as half full and you are thirsty, will you have a drink with what water there is? But if you see it as half empty, will you now miss what may never have been there? And will you enjoy it less, benefit from it less, because you miss having a full glass? 

Your perceptions of your problems can be the same. Everyone has the opportunity to be a half full or half empty kind of person, since we all have problems, and we always will have a problem of one sort or another. Just like breathing, problems are a part of living. 

Thus, we will all have the opportunity to get a drink from the water in the glass that we have been given, or an opportunity to fuss and regret because there is not enough, even though there may have never been any more in the first place. 

Which kind of person would you like to be? Luckily, this is a decision we all get to make. We can choose to see the glass as half full and be grateful there was any water there to begin with, or we can choose to see the glass as half empty and mourn or regret what may have never been there. It’s up to you!

Philosophy of Life

All people are valuable and worthy of love, honor and respect. Though mistakes are inevitable, people should be allowed to grow and learn at their own rates; accepting that in the process there is extraordinary beauty. To this end, people are entitled to security, peace, time, hope, acceptance, forgiveness and the right to change.

Practicing Principles

Listing to Learn

When learning to walk In God's Way, we practice by applying the principles we have been taught. One way to apply God's principles is to compare what we have read or learned. 

This is a comparison list loosely based on one of my favorite books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, 1997. This book is a must read, so either get the CD or read it soon, it will change your life.

In this list, I attempt to match the principles of the 7 Habits book and the principles of God, as I understand them. Not all of these match perfectly and I think some principles (past number 7) should be added, since God wrote the original Highly Effective Habits book!

I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did in trying to apply the 7 Habits book to help me understand my walk In His Way. 

Some Traits of a Successful Walk

1. Choose God’s Way - 
Let your actions reflect your values and your relationship with God
Decide how you will live before you are faced with a question
Models - Jesus is the model for our lives as children of God

2. See Yourself as God’s Child – 
Know whose child you are
Goal-setting with God

3. Organize Your Walk – 
Cast your cares on God
Make time to pray
Planning through prayer
Avoid unnecessary urgency 
Remember God in all you do

4. Love One Another –
Let God’s love shine through your words and attitudes
Learn to be assertive in God

5. Practice Patience –
Listen for understanding from the Spirit
Don’t judge
Seek to forgive easily 
Do not be easily offended
Love others first

6. Two-by-Two – 
Join with other believers
Three cords are not easily broken
God and you
Living His plan for you


7. Rest in the Lord – 

Remember the Sabbath

Today's Thoughts - A New Thing

“Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.” 
Isaiah 43:18-19 (New King James version)

How wonderful it is that with this New Year we can remember the promise of God to make us new again, too. No matter what has happened this last year, no matter what trials have beset us, this is our hope. The Lord tells us not to remember the old and to look forward because he will do a new thing. He gives us assurances that He cares for us, that He will provide the path for us, make a road in the wilderness and give us not only drink in the desert – but a river, an everlasting flow of water to quench our thirst and to nourish our spirits. What a promise! I hope as I move through this New Year I will watch for the new things God does in my life. I hope that I will watch for the road He will make for me and that I will see what He has prepared for me. May He always be praised.

Hot Dipping Oil with Crispy Garlic

The secret to making this dish is using a small cast iron skillet (6 in diameter)

2T Large-cut chopped garlic* 
Italian herbs** 
Salt and pepper to taste
Light olive oil (1/4 to ½ cup)

Put the garlic into the small cast iron skillet; add dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Cover both with the light oil. The oil should just cover the top of the garlic. Bake at 350 degrees (about 10 to 20 minutes). Watch it carefully so it will not burn. When the garlic turns light golden brown, the skillet can be removed; it will continue to cook without added heat until the garlic is deep golden brown. 

Serve with hot, dipping bread.

(*Prepared raw garlic (both minced and cut) is available in jars.) 
(**Rosa Maria by Van Rex Gourmet Foods, Inc. in Vernon, Ca is particularly good; but Oregano, Basil, and/or Rosemary are also good.) 

Recipe created by Kirksa, but similar to a restaurant dish.