As we journey together “let us think of ways to motivate one another in acts of love and good works”(Hebrews 10:24 NLT)

Rudeness- It’s a plague to us as humans and even more within the church. And it boils right down to a cycle and it starts with yesterday’s Negative Influence, Impatience, and in the end it is all a result of an unloving spirit.

Rudeness is defined as being offensively impolite, or ill-mannered and as having a startling abruptness.

Have you ever met anyone who fits this definition.? I have and it can be downright embarrassing. I have watched people be harmed and I have been harmed by rude people.

1 Corinthians 133 says

(Love)…is not rude, it does not insist on it’s own way…..

In every occurrence that I have witnessed someone being rude it has been because “their way” has been inconvenienced or negatively impacted. It starts with their impatience with someone who is creating an inconvenience of some sort…..and from there skip ahead a few traits and we land at harshness.

Now as a parent I know that I can fall into the trap of impatience and if I don’t weed that out quickly I can become rude and harsh. AND as a parent I can confirm that THIS is a huge problem amongst siblings.

It is something as parents we have to teach and train our children to be – to become patient with each other and to look out for each other’s interests. You know what, I am almost certain that most Christians would tell you that they had someone in their lives as young children who taught them to be kind. I know that these people can quote all the verses in the Bible about how you should love others and how you should treat other people.

But there is a disconnect-

That disconnect is that they are embracing what the world keeps telling us. To watch out for numero uno. We are told all the time- that we need to protect our time, our energy and our money….and on and on and on, all while we quote bible passages that state the exact opposite.

So where is the disconnect? The disconnect is that we have taken the worlds advice to heart because it’s easier, It’s easy to protect ourselves. It’s hard to be self -sacrificing l, love- centered person. We “know” what is right to say in church and in our “Christian ” circles but when the rubber meets the road what is hidden in our hearts will come bubbling out.

Sadly I have seen the true hearts come bubbling out onto some poor unsuspecting soul. NowI know that a bad day and stress can have a negative influence on a moment. However, when the same person/people hurt others repeatedly it becomes glaringly obvious that there is a heart issue.

The Problem is….

When we embrace the way the world tells us how to live and how to protect ourselves and we ignore what we know to be true- how God instructs us to love and care for others, we have committed sin. We can see this in James 4:17 NLT

¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Nad despite all of this we have hurt people. and 9 times out of 10 either we don’t realize it or we just plain don’t care!

Rudeness is a negative influence in multiple ways.

• It hurts( usually) a completely innocent person who is blindsided by the rudeness
• Usually a person who is rude chooses to be rude in front of a group of people. So not only is the person being hurt, but the group witnessing the rude behavior is being impacted. Some are stunned and saddened by the poor behavior and others are finding it funny. Either way the person being rude s having a negative influence and is being a horrible example.
• The person being rude is ruining any testimony they might have with people who are witnessing the poor behavior. It’s very hard to take someone seriously who says to little kids “be kind” and then watch that person be rude to their mother or father. Their credibility is lost and they become known as a hypocrite.
• The aren’t being a Christ emulator. Jesus was never rude and never sought his own way. Instead he was insanely patient.
• They are defaming Jesus.

A persoanl experience and a lasting impression

One day I stood with a group of woman chatting about something. (Don’t really remember what). All of a sudden another woman rudely butted into the conversation and asked me if I wanted something. I politely replied “no thank you I just downsized my own” to which she rudely snapped back “I didn’t want story time I just wanted a yes or no”. I was stunned ,embarrassed, hurt, and heartbroken. This woman was in leadership, she knew better than to treat anyone like that. I wish I could say it was an anomaly however this woman had treated me and others this way more times that I could count. It was heart breaking because yes it hurt but I saw the disgusted look on the other women faces and I knew that her testimony and credibility was severely damaged.

What does God think?

The world tells us not to care what others think. But what about God? What did God think about her behavior? Did others see Jesus’ gracious and loving-kindness through her ? Sadly no.

Sadly she just laughed that stuff off and really has no concept of what her rudeness has done . She has no idea just how damaging her negative influence has been And perhaps that is the most heartbreaking of all. I know she could have had an incredible impact based on her life experiences.

And yet she chose to seek her own way over patience and kindness that God commands of us.

Now it’s your turn

Have you ever been told that you are rude? Do you make snide comments and treat people poorly? Especially when it is an inconvenience for you? Are you impatient and unkind? Do you have thoughts and feelings of such? Ask God to reveal to you the condition of your heart. Ask Him to make you aware of what needs to change and ask him to show you who you have hurt

AND THEN (here’s the hard part)

APOLOGIZE.. But don’t just say empty words work through those thoughts and emotions with God and ask him to change them and then you need to make the hard choice to set our “rights” aside and put others first. Yes that is counter cultural but it is biblical.

Thank You so much for joining me on this journey! I pray that you have found growth and encouragement along the way.

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Impatience…we all have it. And it hits when we are usually wrapped up in our own circumstances. I know that’s when I struggle with impatience the most.

And our impatience almost always results in us being unkind….and unkindness is unloving….and those my friends are HUGE Negative Influences.

Impatience impacts so many people. It wasn’t long ago I was watching a TV show where someone was impatient with a person in a restaurant. and before long the impatience snowballed and one person’s impatience ended up impacting EVERYONE in the restaurant. That’s not a far stretch either.

You have to look no farther than your own home.

I mean seriously one little act of impatience by a parent and it trickles right down the ranks and in the end the poor dog gets the raw end of the stick! I joke- but its’strue.

That’s the ripple effect we have and before long our whole family is teetering on edge…and it doesn’t just stay in our home. Hubby can take his impatience to work and Junior can take his impatience to school and mama can be impatient with the mailman, Repairman or some poor defenseless wrong number caller. (or telemarketer- hehehe- guilty as charged).

Our impatience hurts our testimony and it hurts those we love. We can make a choice to be patient and kind.

We need to remember Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT

 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Do you see that? We are CALLED by God to be Humble,, gentle, patient with each other. BUT HOW? By making allowance for each others faults- because of your love.

We need to make EVERY effort to remain unified in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

All of these attributes are linked….You cannot be prideful and have peace……you cannot be impatient and have peace……You cannot be unloving and have peace and you you cannot have unity and be lacking in any of these.

Choosing patience is rooted in seeking to understand where other people are coming from. We need to stop expecting others to be patient with all while being impatient with whomever we choose.

We need to choose to be the living breathing example of patience- because it starts with me…and it starts with you.

Now it’s your turn

Ask God to show your the impatience places in your heart. Ask him to help you make moment by moment choices that are rooted in understanding of what other people might be going through and to make allowances when they fall short. Ask God to help you have and extend the same grace He has given to you. And this isn’t just about praying these words but actually choosing to follow God when the rubber meets the road.

Thank you so much for doing mean this journey. Feel free to check out the links below of you are just joining us on this journey.

Write 31 Days 2018 Influence Posts

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Well Hello there. Welcome to the week 8 update (which is very late) for my Choosing Courage 100 day blogging project. IT. HAS. BEEN. A WEEK.

Goodness so much has happened this week. For starters we are on day 62 of this journey. I cannot even wrap by brain around this!

On Monday I had my first IVIG (intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy). It went really well. Basically I don’t produce enough antibodies in my blood. And so I catch every little cold, flu, pneumonia and the like. I when I catch it it takes FOREVER to get rid of- We have heard a lot about immune suppressed people over the last 18 months well I would fit into that group! It’s a hereditary thing!

I really didn’t have any side effects to speak of…Until Tuesday. AND THEN I GOT SICK! A call to the doctor and a says worth of Zofran and I am as good as new…actually I am better! For the first time in months I am not stuffed up. But in the process of that…..

I had to let a few blog posts go

Sometimes you just have to know your limits and getting two blog posts done on Tuesday and Thursday also didn’t’thappen. My schedule had to change too because I was tired. So I ended up finishing blog posts in the evening. As in proofreading. and today I am back to normal. Already checked off one post and now writing this one.

I know it was a brief update and I pray that you all have had a wonderful week. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.

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Good morning friends! Today’s Negative Influence Trait is Anxiety but before you all rush to beat me up with your words let me clarify. I am not talking about medical anxiety- there are all sorts of medical and physiological reasons for anxiety. If you have to take meds to help with anxiety there is no shame here! Take them. It is what your body needs.

I have been rather forefront with my journey with anxiety due to severe iron deficiency over the last 10 1/2 months. I know there are a lot of people out there who declare it all a spiritual battle but I can honestly tell you they are wrong. Have I seen anxiety related to spiritual battles? ABSOLUTELY. BUT to say it’s all related is a massive misunderstanding of what causes anxiety.

I’m referring to more a spirit thing.

What I am talking about is more of having an anxious spirit. now you can have medical/ physiological anxiety and NOT have an anxious spirit and You can have anxiety AND have an anxious spirit AND you don’t have to have anxiety to have an anxious spirit. ( Hint : we all have something that can trigger an anxious spirit, no one is exempt.)

AKA a worrywart. (hehe something funny just popped into my head).

A worrywart is a person who is inclined to worry unduly. (Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

But I would say it’s even more than that. Have you ever seen someone who frets. Every little thing is a concern.

A recent Example

We have a son with autism . He is an amazing kiddo and we love him so much. But he has a problem. He is a worrier and last night was a great case in point. We were at our older two kids soccer games. and our two younger kiddos were off playing with their friends.

All of a sudden child #3 (autism) comes to ask about a berry he had just eaten (insert facepalm emoji here). As a young child we dealt with PICA with him but he has long since moved passed that- but everyone in a while….So We had a conversation and asked why he didn’t come ask me first BEFORE he ate it. He only ate one and I made the statement “well you might end up with a stomach ache.” Well that was it. Long story short a younger kid told him they were safe and that led to a whole other conversation.

He came back 3 more times Once with a “berry” in his hands. I showed him a bunch of pictures of possibilities -none looked quite right right. He even brought me leaf (which looked familiar but I couldn’t place it). He went from I don’t want to have a stomach ache to I don’t want to die in 3.2 seconds. So to set his mind at ease I went and checked out the plant.

I chuckled as I entered the little space because I COULD SMELL the aroma and it was VERY familiar. He kept saying they were blueberries BUT blueberry season is long gone. I walked over to the vines leaned in took a big whiff and smiled – Concord grapes!!!!

He said “what’s wrong mom?” expecting the worst and I smiled at him and said you will be just fine. They are grapes! A look of relief passed over his face and we moved on with our evening.

The reality

Now I know that anxiety and obsessiveness is part of an autistic person’s life. It is something that we have to work on and give him strategies to help him cope with these issues, however if we don’t practice them with him he becomes a ball of worry and it takes over his life.

Living in peace takes a lot of the same practices. Maybe not to the same extent but very seriously we can practice the same principles.

What the Bible says

2 Timothy 1;7 says “for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self -control.” (ESV)

So often we create our own spirit of fear and anxiety by living in the “what ifs”

So what happens when the fear and worry creeps in?

Ask yourself these questions!

• Is it true?
• Is it Honorable?
• Is it just?
• Is it pure?
• Is it lovely?
• Is it commendable?
• Is there any excellence?
• Anything worthy of Praise?

Sound familiar? It should those are the things Paul says us to center our minds on in Philippians 4:8-9. BUT then we need to follow the command at the end of verse 9. “THEN THINK ON THESE THINGS”

These concepts are talked about in Elizabeth George’s book Loving God with all Your Mind. I read this book nearly 20 years ago and it is still impacting my life today. I still practice it’s principles on a daily basis. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Another practice

Quite a number of years ago I adopted the Phrase “Not my circus, not my moneys”. During this time I had a bunch of people who were coming to be with petty “concerns” about other people. Nothing that was my business really though it is amazing how much some people think it’s your business because you are the pastor’s wife. I was beginning to feel fretful about the pressure of “taking care of” these concerns. I’m not really sure how I stumbled upon the phrase, but God used it immediately. I began quoting it. and I even had people who who start to bring something inconsequential up and they would look at me and say—-“oh yeah Not your circus not your monkeys” and that would be the end of it.

A guardrail I set in place

Basically if it is inconsequential I don’t get involved. It’s not my place. But I do have to ask myself Is this my circus? Something I am involved in? And then I have to ask Is it my monkey? Something I am responsible for? And then if the answer is YES then I have to ask a separate set of questions- Will this defame God? (Does it go against God’s laws?) Does this matter? Will this hurt someone? (We once had to deal with a complaint that someone wore too much jewelry to church. We had to ask ourselves what would this profit? Who would this hurt? It was our circus BUT it wasn’t our monkey.)

Dealing with overactive brain

As I was dealing with anxiety over the last 10 months one of the things I struggled with most was overactive brain. As I lay in bed at night my heart would be racing (a physiological problem that just doesn’t “go away”) I would become very fearful of what heart racing could mean. My brain would go nuts with the possibilities. I spent many sleepless nights tossing and turning and being fretful. That is until one night I remembered what I did as a kid when I woke up from a bad dream.

Lessons from My Childhood

In Scouts I had learned an alphabet game. You sat in a circle and you kept rhythm snapping and patting your legs. A topic was picked and you started around the circle to the rhythm and if you broke the rhythm by forgetting what letter you were on or drawing a blank you were out. Well you can’t really play the rhythm part by yourself but you could go in alphabetical order.

As a kid I did all sorts of subjects but as I grew older I gan using names from the Bible. I would switch from people, to cities and countries, I would limit to male names or female names or EVERY name I could think of with that letter. More often than not the concentration would tire me out and I would be asleep before the end of the alphabet. HOWEVER this didn’t always happen. On the really bad nights I could make it through the entire alphabet three or four times.

Why it worked

It wasn’t that this game took away the heart racing and the overactive brain. It was that it focused my mind on God- It replaced the anxious thought pattern. I was focusing on what was good rather than the terrifying. So the symptoms of anxiety were still there I was still dealing with them I was just actively choosing to not give into the anxious spirit. In recent months I have added to the game. If the game isn’t working I use Christian songs- mostly songs I learned in Sunday school or verses that I have learned in the last 10 months which I talked about in the “What I Know” blog post.

What Happens when we live with a constantly anxious spirit?

It negative impacts our family and friends and maybe even a ministry. We become so engrossed in what is going on that we lose sight of the people that are close to us. and we begin to seek to have complete control (and so helicopter parents are born) Having anxiety in the medical sense is terrible because there is nothing you can do about it. There is no controlling it. So we seek to control other aspects of our lives. But we can make decisions to focus on things that will refocus our minds. It will be difficult. As the quote goes “anything worth having is worth fighting for.”

We need to remind ourselves that…

God is in complete control…even if my emotions and feelings are telling me otherwise.

When we choose to set aside our fretting and focus on God it replaces the inward focus that anxiousness is rooted in and it helps us to focus on God. It brings peace.

I in no way have every in and out of this figured out. I know what has worked for our family and the varying levels of anxiety we have dealt with over time. I know that focusing on truth most of all has been the biggest turn around.

Now it’s your tun

What makes you have an anxious spirit? What makes you fret? Is it your circumstances? Your family? Your friends? Or is it not your circus or your monkeys? Ask God to make it clear to you what causes your anxious spirit? And make it a priority to work with him on it. It sometimes takes moment by moment prayer. Because let’s be honest ALL of us have something that triggers that fretfulness to kick in…..It’s just a matter of what!

Have you learned any tricks on dealing with this anxious fretful spirit? I would love to hear about them in the comments below! And if you are dealing with anxiety don’t be afraid to seek medical help. Sometimes our bodies need help in all sorts of ways. Mine happened to be getting iron infusions, yours might be something else. We wouldn’t have shame seeking help for a broken leg so don’t have shame in seeking help for anxiety!

Check out these links

Write 31 Days 2018 Influence Posts

Choosing Courage 100 Day Writing Project

Write 31 Days 2021 Link up List. (Scroll to the bottom)

Let me ask you a question…Are you a Negative Nancy? (I’m NOT saying all Nancys are negative. I have some wonderful “Nancys ” who have impacted my life so positively!)

You know the type of person I am talking about- the person who can always find a reason to be negative or down on something. Now there are two types of Negative Nancys. The first type is down on everyone else and the second type has lost all hope- the have just given up.- they are down on themselves or their circumstances.

Negative Nancy #1

I sat in a room full of women and we were brainstorming community outreach ideas. I sat and looked around the room at these hopeful happy women who chatted noisily over lunch- and then the meeting started.

I watched women enthusiastically share ideas that they had come prepared with to show love to our community and I also sat there and watched one woman shoot each idea down. I watched the air get sucked out of the room. It was like a gutt punch to each woman and before long I had silence. The faces on all the women had changed and the general attitude was how much longer til we can leave.

As I sat there watching all this take place the woman finally took a deep breath and then shared what she “wanted”. She wanted a big impactful ministry. She wanted recognition. (Her words not mine). I am all about big and impactful but there was a whole lot of I and me in what I was hearing.

What got in the way? Pride. And in the process she negatively influenced every person in that room. You could see the hurt in the eyes of every person she shot down and you could see the fear of the others who would no longer be willing to share because they didn’t want to be shot down.

What Should have happened?

For the most part as we chatted all the women in that room encouraged one another their respective ideas. Being an encouragement and building each other up is a sign that joy is in the hearts of believers. Encouragement is what we are called to do. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 14:19, Ephesians 4:2)

Choosing to shoot down every idea before we could tease it out was not beneficial and harmed other people …You know what, t as much as I have thought about this situation I cannot remember for the life of me what we decided to do that day. All I remember was the sick feeling that I left with.

What should have happened was true team building- encouragement, iron sharpening iron. We should have remembered our common purpose. We should have kept that at the forefront as we sought to reach out into our community.

A song that captures the attitude

A number of years ago I heard this song as I was preparing for a big event. And it changed my outlook and it set my focus on a very specific purpose. TobyMac’s song “Steal My Show” became my anthem. It’s not about me- it’s about making God famous. Sometimes I fail though. Sometimes I lose sight of that and do you know what song comes rushing back to reset my perspective- You got it! This one.

Another cold night
Another late flight
It’s almost show time and Diverse city’s waiting on me
We’ve got a packed house
The crowd is calling out
They want the beat to drop but what we really need is youIf you wanna steal my show
I’ll sit back and watch you go
If you got something to say
Go on and take it away
Need you to steal my show
Can’t wait to watch you go oh oh oh
So take it awaySo now the crowd is hyped
That you showed up tonight
Anticipating, craving something more than smoke and lights
So I’ll step out the way
I’ll give you set a stage
Alright, spotlight, give ’em what they came forIf you wanna steal my show
I’ll sit back and watch you go
If you got something to say
Go on and take it away
Need you to steal my show
Can’t wait to watch you go oh oh oh
So take it awayWhen you arrive
We come to life
Our hearts collide, they’re beating in the same time
You’re coming through
All eyes on you
Our hearts collide, they’re beating in the same time
Beating in the same timeNo matter who we are
No matter what we do
Every day we can choose
To say..If you wanna steal my show
I’ll sit back and watch you go
If you got something to say
Go on and take it away
Need you to steal my show
Can’t wait to watch you go oh oh oh
So take it awayMy life!
My pride!
My heart!
It’s all yours now
Take it awayMy fame!
My feet!
My family, my career
Take it away
Take it away
It’s all yours now
So take it away
Take it away
It’s you I wanna live for

Now This video is going to show up again next month. I have a completely different post based on these lyrics and video talking about ministry in general. But when we adopt this attitude NO MATTER WHAT we are doing – the impact is HUGE! In a very positive way!

Negative Nancy #2

This type of Negative Nancy could also be called Eeeyore. It is the “woe is me life is terrible I might as well go eat worms” Group. Life is hard and I will stand here and confirm that some people’s lives are just harder than others for whatever reason. That’s not for me to judge. I’m not God and I don’t know or understand what goes into all of this. I can tell you though that there are GOBS of examples of people throughout scripture that faced horrible life circumstances.

I could list them all out but that would take another 100 days and a completely different series…maybe another year! Maybe Next years #31day2022!!! (I know that is not a thing yet!)

But there is a huge difference between the examples in the Bible and these types of Negative Nancys. These negative Nancys wallow in the pain of their circumstances letting it become the definition of who they are.

The examples in the Bible chose the Even if…..I still will mentality. They choose joy over the horribleness of what they are going through. They choose to take their eyes off of themselves and place them on Jesus. He’s their ONLY reason for Hope.

A Few Examples

ALL of the prophets and judges in the Old Testament. They had to deliver news of consequences that the Israelites would be facing. They were not a cared for group. Sometimes they were threatened and sometimes hunted down and killed. (Elijah at the hands of Ahab and Jezebel 1 Kings 19:14)

The Woman with the Issue of blood- who suffered for 12 years. According to Levitical law she was unclean and couldn’t have any social interaction with anyone..TWELVE YEARS- (how’s that for perspective according to the last 18 months?).

Then There’s Paul and perhaps my favorites- talk about a radically changed man. Once a persecutor of Christ followers now living and serving Jesus with all he has!

Here’s a run down of Pauls life after conversion to Christianity.

 ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. ²⁴ Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. ²⁶ I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.^[a] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

²⁸ Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? (2 Corinthians 11:23-29 NLT)

I don’t know about you but despite all the struggles I have faced in my life mime doesn’t compare to all that Paul had faced in roughly 32 years of serving Jesus. The above account doesn’t mention his blindness at conversion which many scholars believe could be his “thorn in the flesh” he struggled with which is mentioned a few times throughout scripture and a snake bite. And yet DESPITE all of that Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Be thankful in ALL circumstances for this is God’s will for youth belong to Christ Jesus.” (NLT)

And this sentiment is reiterated over and over again throughout Paul’s writings. If ever there was a man who could be negative and lose hope in his circumstances it was Paul. He would eventually be persecuted to the point of death- and still he counted it all joy.

AND THEN THERE IS JESUS. The Messiah. The one hoped for and prayed for. He came to earth and was rejected…..rejected so much that he was crucified. He knew how he was going to die. Rejected by his closest friends. In his final moments his father in heaven turned his back on him and yet he prayed for us- not condemned those who stood and yelled crucify him…he prayed “Father forgive them – because they don’t know what they are doing.”

A Song that Captures the attitude

A song that really challenges us to really see that this negative way of thinking isn’t helpful. Instead we have the greatest thing to be thankful for…GRACE.

And the perfect song to illustrate this is GRACE GOT YOU by MercyMe

Have you ever met those who
Keep hummin’ when the song’s through?
It’s like they’re living life to a whole different tune
And have you ever met those that
Keep hoping when it’s hopeless?
It’s like they figured out what the rest haven’t yetThe second you realize what you have inside
It’s only just a matter of time…’Til you sing, so the back row hears you
Glide ’cause walkin’ just won’t do
Dance, you don’t have to know how to
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Laugh, ’til your whole side’s hurtin’
Smile like you just got away with somethin’, why?
‘Cause you just got away with somethin’
Ever since, ever since Grace got youSo when you’re standin’ in the rain again
You might as well be dancin’, why? ‘Cause there ain’t no storm that can change how this ends
So next time when you feel blue
Don’t let that smile leave you, why?
‘Cause you have every reason just toSing, so the back row hears you
Glide, ’cause walkin’ just won’t do
Dance, you don’t have to know how to
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Laugh, ’til your whole side’s hurtin’
Smile like you just got away with somethin’, why?
‘Cause you just got away with somethin’
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Grace got youGot away with somethin’, bubblin’ inside of you
Spillin’ over ’cause your life is full, how incredible
Undeniable, monumental like the Eiffel
Uncontrollable, let the joy flow through – haha
Giddy, over pretty, pretty please
Let me see your hands in the air with you out your seats
Warm it up, let go, shout it out, celebrate
When you can’t articulate just say, “Amazing grace”The second you realize what you have inside
It’s only just a matter of (only just a matter of)
It’s only just a matter of time (just a matter of time)’Til you sing, so the back row hears you
Glide ’cause walkin’ just won’t do
Dance, you don’t have to know how to
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Laugh, ’til your whole side’s hurtin’
Smile like you just got away with somethin’, why?
‘Cause you just got away with somethin’
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah
Grace got you
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah
Ever since, ever since Grace got you
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah
Grace got you
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah
Grace got you

When we choose negativity over Joy…..

We are thwarting God’s plan for our lives. He wants us to be grateful to him in all circumstances. And as much as that is difficult there are still things to be grateful for. Even though people aren’t doing things they way we would like them to be done (preferences) we can still be encouraging. We can choose to build up and not tear down. We can choose to cheer on others. And if we don’t make those choices that we have a powerfully negative influence.

Now it’s your turn

Our lack of Joy and focus of the negative can be one of the very first negative influences we can have on people. We need to ask and rely on God to change this in our lives. And the very first Step we can make is choosing a life of gratitude and encouragement. Choosing to thank God for the smallest of blessings in our lives radically changes us because it takes our minds ff f ourselves and puts our attention where it rightly belongs.

We all struggle with this and please know that you aren’t alone. Choosing to see that helps us to be grateful. Knowing that God has provided examples of people who have gone before us who have struggled in great ways and still chosen hope and joy in the middle of it all should serve as a great encouragement to us. (Have you ever read Corrie ten Boom’s Story?). It’s doesn’t mean that life get’s easier or that all the sorrows of this life will disappear. It’s how we handle those sorrows and who we give the glory in the middle.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.

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