Silence about suicide is toxic

Why?
That’s what we ask.
The truth is, we may never be able to know for sure why.
But we do know that there is no single “should have done” or “could have done” or “did” or “didn’t do” that would have changed that why.
All that love could do was done.

Our thoughts are with those that lost a son, brother, friend... along with the police, EMT, bystanders... the list goes on, so many affected!

I and many others are praying hard today and will continue to. Suicide will not go away with silence. Hug your loved ones extra tight and have a conversation. We need to use our voices, watch our tongues and speak with truth.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/famsci/fs637w.htm
PLEASE READ THE LINK AND START TALKING WITH YOUR KIDS TODAY!

Our Prayer for this week: God of power and mercy, you have made death itself the gateway to eternal life. Look with love on our dying brother, and make him one with Your Son in His suffering and death, that, sealed with the blood of Christ, he may come before you free from sin. God, lover of souls, You hold dear what You have made and spare all things, for they are Yours. Look gently upon Your servant, and by the Blood of the corss forgive his sins and failings. Remember the faith of those who mourn and satisfy their longing for that day when all will be made new again in Christ, our risen Lord, who lives and reigns with You forever and ever.~Amen.

~Sara

If At First You Dont Succeed...

Fail[fayl]: to be unsuccessful in trying to do something.

Impressive, are they not? Famous actresses. Exceptional athletes. Unprecedented presidents. Life-changing inventions. These people are amazing. Extraordinary, even.

But that is not what this video is really about. While these people really were phenomenal, it was not about their accomplishments.

This video is not about failure, either.

This video is about trying, no matter how big or small your goals. It is about effort. It is about guts. And grit. About having the courage to give something a try. To give it your all. Over and over and over again. It is about taking a risk and doing something you are passionate about.

Maybe you will fail. Or perhaps you will succeed.

But how will you know if you never try?

And that is the thing. That is the keyword in the definition above. It is not about being unsuccessful. It is about trying, no matter what the outcome. Just try. You cannot possibly fail if you do not try. Yet, if you never try, you will never excel either, will you?

And if you never try, if you never take that risk, you will never really live.

Tonight, my birds, just try. Do not focus on the outcome. Rather, focus on your efforts. On your courage. Your guts, your grit, your passion. Focus on yourself, and what you know to be true. Do not worry yourself with what other people say. Do not allow yourself to be dismissed. Do not be bothered by doubt. Have faith in yourself and know that if you try, if you take that risk, you will live. And as you live, you shall fly. 

-El

what? i have a CHOICE?

.... a universal paradox. 

indeed.

consequence of choice.

thinking about that one....

free to choose, but not FREE from the consequence of your choice.

really, would you want to be free of the consequences? 

i wouldn't.  

BRING ON THE RESULTS of my CHOICE. 

pretty please.

years and years of CHOICES make us! 

choices SHAPE the individuals that we are.

we CHOSE {past}, we CHOOSE {present}, and we WILL always be MAKING CHOICES {future}

...and then we experience.

the EXPERIENCE is the "CONSEQUENCE" 

....consequence seems like a harsh word.

it's not.

it is SIMPLY the experience we have to the decisions we make.

good & bad.

i think if i could re-write the above....if i were going to pass something down to my boys - it would read the following.

YOU are FREE to choose.

YOU are FREE to your own perspective on the results of your choice.

YOUR CHOICES and the PERSPECTIVE of the results of your choices 

THAT is what MAKES YOU.... you.

...always has, always will.

Make YOUR CHOICE worth it.

then own it.

100%.

life is ONE great big BEAUTIFUL MAZE of choices.

i have watched  people in MY LIFE make choices, so selfless it brings me to my knees with pride.

i have watched choices come full circle and connect with immeasurable love.

from our choices come OUR STORIES.

chapters of our lives.

we  make choices that put our souls in a holding place, 

 ...cause hearts to shatter into a million pieces.

we make choices that are tucked deep down, under lock and key that only we will draw and grow from.

but through it all.....

we should always OWN them, treasure them, grow from them.

and continue to do so all our lives.

don't let your choices BREAK YOU let them MAKE you.

no matter what.

when you OWN something it is yours.

yours to understand, yours to learn from, yours to be proud of. 

Choice.

LOVE em'.

ENDURE em'

&

choose. with. passion. and persistence.

xoxo, ang.

The Heart of it All

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope this finds you well and open to the words of Pastor Paul. I just love receiving his emails and I'm truly blessed to have him in my life. My husband Chris has this way of explaining the special people in our lives as "living angels" and after Adam left I have been blessed with many. Pastor Paul would say that I've been receiving angels all my life, it just wasn't until I hit rock bottom and ask for help that I could feel them. So I want to thank all my angels, past and present! Thank you for helping me, guiding me, caring for me and excepting me. Love to you all. ~Sara

A Few Minutes in the Word of God with Pastor Paul
“Biblical prescriptions for a better life”

Today’s Focus:
We live in a world that’s fascinated with the heart. – We hear often about “Heart Smart Days” or “How to Stay Young At Heart, with Heart Healthy Recipes.”
- Nutritionists tell us about the right kind of foods which promote a healthy heart.
- It doesn’t make any difference whether our favorite exercise is walking, running, cycling or swimming, consistent exercise is crucial for a healthy heart.

When God talks about the heart, He’s not usually referring to the blood-pumping vessel that keeps our bodies alive.
- When God talks about the heart, He’s referring to the very core of who we are.
- The Bible uses the word “heart” to describe the bundle of desires and hopes and dreams we have deep inside us.

Today, we want to talk about three insights that will help us live in such a way so we experience the desires of our heart.

Message: “The Heart of it All”

Scripture: Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Our Main Points:
The significance of our hearts.
- The Bible uses the word “heart” to describe our deepest longings and dreams and ambitions... the things we care about most and love to do.
... Proverbs 27:19 says: “Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart” (The Message).
... In other words, our heart is what makes us!
- The Bible says our hearts determine three things.
... Why we say the things we do – Jesus said it like this: “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
... Why we feel the way we do – Hebrews 4:12 says: “God’s word judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.”
... Why we act the way we do – Proverbs 4:27 says: “Above all else, guard your heart for it’s the wellspring of life.”

- Our hearts are what motivates us to do the things we do and God wants us to do what we do with all of our heart. – Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord.”
Signs that we’re experiencing life with all our heart:
- God wants us to do what we do out of the motivations He puts within us.
... How do we know if we’re doing that?
... How do we know if we’re living with all our heart?
- There are three evidences of that above is happening.
... Enthusiasm – Ecclesiastes 2:10 says, “My heart took delight in all my work.”
... Effectiveness – That’s what the Apostle Paul talked about in Romans 15:20, when he said, “It has always been my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ was not known¼”
... Excellence – The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Run in such a way as to get the prize” (I Corinthians 9:27a).
- One of the great tragedies of life is that so few people live life with all their heart.

Steps to living with all our heart?
- The Scriptures warn us about the deceitfulness of our hearts?”
... Jeremiah 17:9 says, ““The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
... On the one hand, God wants to give us the desires of our hearts; but on the other hand, our heart is deceitful and beyond cure.
- What are we supposed to do about this mentioned above and how can we protect the integrity of those most basic desires of our hearts? – Here’s what we need to do:
... Surrender our lives to Christ. – “Seek your happiness in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desire. Give yourself to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will help you” (Psalm 37:4,5).
... Search out our interests. – Paul said it like this: “Everyone should examine his own conduct, then he will be able to take the measure of his own worth, no need to compare himself to others” (Galatians 6:4).
... Seek out our options. – Proverbs 23:23 says, “... get wisdom, discipline and understanding.”
... Step out in faith.
+ “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
+ “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight” (Philippians 2:13, Amplified Version).

Our Final Thoughts:
The secret of a fulfilled life? – “Find out what we love to do, and God made us to do, and do it for His glory!”
- Don’t drift along in life.
- Find out how we can best use who He’s made us to be (at any age) and use our gifts and our passion for His glory.
If not already, are we willing to ask God to enrich our lives more so in this way?

Our Prayer for the week: “So often, O Lord, we try to analyze and figure things out from an earthly perspective here and now in the middle of our situations. We ask, “Why did You let that happen to us?” But the answer only comes in knowing and understanding Your love; and You reveal it to us through Your Son Jesus, the language of life. What a privilege it is for us to approach You this evening. We are coming to receive Your love and reassurance so that we can stand strong and walk in faith and know Your Word, that Your will might be done, that Your kingdom might come right here to our part of the earth, as you in love have planned it there in heaven ~Amen.”

Do It Anyway

Have you ever forgiven someone despite being hurt by them?  Has there ever been a time where something you did was misjudged, misunderstood, or misconstrued by others?  Have you ever felt that someone has taken advantage of your honesty or loving-kindness?  Or perhaps you have felt that you were an unfair target of criticism, jealousy, or cattiness.  Or maybe, good deeds you have done were punished, you were short-changed in some way, or you have felt that you just couldn’t measure up for some reason or another. 

If you have felt something similar to what I just described, you might also relate to the following quote by Mother Teresa:

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.”

I love this quote because it reminds us that even while we may not always get the response we are expecting or hoping for, we should still do what we love.  That we should still act in accordance with our values and beliefs, no matter what the reaction we may elicit from others.  I love this quote because it serves as a reminder that there is nothing in this world that will ever get one-hundred percent approval and we should be true to ourselves despite that fact.  I love the permission and the encouragement she gives us as she reminds us to “do it anyway”.

Imagine, for just a moment, what our world would look like today had people in history not followed Mother Teresa’s advice.  What would have happened had they not “done it anyway”?  Where would we be today if people did not promote their ideas, act on their values and their convictions, no matter how radical? What if our ancestors had not found their voice and had the courage to speak out?  Had they not done it “anyway”, there would have been no evolution, no betterment, or change. 

So in light of this quote, I too encourage you to “do it anyway”, whatever your “it” may be.  Put your best foot forward and take a stand for what you believe in.  Raise your voice to speak up and be a catalyst for change.  Offer loving-kindness to those you encounter, forgive those who have hurt you, and live an honest and happy life.  Do good, have an impact, and show the world the absolute best that you have to offer.  Promote progress.  Ignite the fire in others that leads to positive change. Have the courage to do these things, whether or not they are met with approval from everyone.  And remember that when you meet resistance from people, it was never between you and them anyway.

-El

just a thought.

"We find greatest joy, not in getting, but in expressing what we are... Men do not really live for honors or for pay; their gladness is not the taking and holding, but in doing, the striving, the building, the living. It is a higher joy to teach than to be taught. It is good to get justice, but better to do it; fun to have things but more to make them. The happy man is he who lives the life of love, not for the honors it may bring, but for the life itself."

R.J. Baughan

Where's Joy?

“If you don’t find JOY in doing something, don’t do it” or how about “I quit because I didn’t find JOY in it anymore.”

I think it’s safe to say everyone has, in at least one situation or another, been told this or heard someone say this about themselves. I know I have. But I’m not sure if I neither understand nor agree with this way of thinking. If something is meant for us there will be JOY in it…sure, at times there will be JOY but can we expect it? Can we feel at ease in quitting by simple saying the JOY ran out?

The word JOY, feelings of JOY means many things. Pleasure, satisfaction, enjoyment, delight…. The definition that pulls on my heart strings the most is feelings of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind. I like that, I want that. But am I to expect that the things that I am doing or have committed myself to are to GIVE me that?

There are many things in life that we must do that this ‘find joy’ does not apply too, I’m pretty sure that most of us would agree to this. For some that would be work or visiting our in-laws or mowing our lawns or doing laundry. Not everyone finds JOY in those things but these things still need to be done.

I don’t think it’s ok to stop or quit anything until it’s finished or until I have worked in an exit plan. Do we think well of an athlete that quit during a game or before the season has ended? Is it ok for a parent to advise their child to quit or simply stop involving themselves in something they signed up for? Wouldn’t a group of friends be bothered if one of them said “yes, I'll do it” and then just let it slip by? With all three of these cases I’m still not seeing where the “if you don’t find joy, don’t do it” approach applies. When things get tough the tough get going, is what comes to my mind. And finish what you started. And when you make a commitment follow through and ask for help when it's need. Be fair to the rest of the “team."

I do understand that there are always changes in life. Situations change, believe me, I know the word CHANGE all too well these past months. As things change, there are always some things that must come to an end and if something is causing grief or sorrow a change could be needed and maybe over due. But don’t just quit or leave things unfinished. I hope whatever I would decide it is done so with everyone who is affected in mind. If that isn't accomplished, in those situations I can’t be surprised if someone affected has hurt feelings or is disappointed because it was my actions that affected that person anyways.

Most people would answer that the opposite of joy is grief or sorrow. But is that correct? If we look up 1 Peter 1:6 in the Bible, we read, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” Here we see that grief and joy can be present in a person simultaneously, without problem. The sorrow in itself doesn’t need to spoil the joy. This is where I would like to say, “Nothing worth doing is easily done.” Joy comes from within one’s self, a satisfaction of doing and accomplishing something good.

If you are being weighed down by trials then please do yourself a favor and make a change. Whether that be a change in the things that you’re doing or the way you’re looking at these things. It is alright to make a change. It could be as simple as a change in perspective.

Welcome to a brand new week never lived in before w/ Pastor Paul

May we be found today gathering from our weekday routines and responsibilities, entering into a “restful few moments” where we prayerfully synchronize our walk with our Heavenly Father's heartbeat by studying His Word. May we enter into His presence, sharing in His love, learning His Word, doing His service, and resting in His fellowship. Blessings on you —Pastor Paul

Our Word for this week is: “good stewards”

Scripture Text: I Corinthians 4:7 (NAS)
“What do you have that you did not receive?”

Our Focus:
Our text today asks a good question: “What do we have that we did not receive?” Take honest inventory for a moment. What is original with us? Everything we have done and everything that we have came in some measure from someone’s grace and kindness. “What is good and perfect comes to us from God above” (James 1:17 NLT). If what we have was received from another’s kindness or generosity, then we have some obligation as well as accountability for what we do with it, and should evidence a genuine humility and gratitude about it.

It is easy to be confused about stewardship and ownership. It is easy and tempting to begin to think that what we have is ours, rightly earned and belonging only to us. We are owners of little, if anything at all. But we are stewards always of all that has been entrusted to us.

Jesus told several stories about stewardship, both good and bad examples. He told of a man who committed part of his wealth to his servants, and upon his return asked for an honest accounting of their stewardship on his behalf. They were rewarded according to their faithfulness and fruitfulness as stewards of what belonged to another. “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away” (Matthew 25:14-29).

Biblically speaking and by our experience as well, we learn that our lives are really just the product of the unmerited grace of God, and the graciousness of people. Anything that we have ever done was accomplished because of an opportunity that was given to us, or with the advantage of those who shared their knowledge and experience with us, or with the enabling assistance of those who gave a helping hand. We do not own even the success that we have enjoyed.

Job of the Bible seemed to understand this when he confessed, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had . . . praise the Name of the Lord” (Job 1:23).

The Bible teaches that every man is a steward of the grace and goodness of God, and will ultimately account to God for how they have used their gifts for the Lord’s purpose and glory. “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is required of a steward that one be found faithful” (I Corinthians 4:1-2). Stewardship is not an option; it is required and unavoidable both now and in eternity. Ownership is not a possibility; “The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1.

Live every day in full knowledge of the day when we will “give an account to God . . . with reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for [our] benefit” (Hebrews 13:17).

For those interested in receiving Pastor Paul's messages, please e-mail Pastor Paul (pastorpaul@willmarag.org) and mention you would like to be included.

Our prayer this week is that we use our gifts well and wisely, always serving. In Jesus name we pray. ~Amen

Sara