Category Archives: being thankful

Through God’s Eyes

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Happy Tuesday

How are you all doing on the amazing Tuesday evening? Everything is going good here with me. Still trying to get my time management under control, but, I’m a work in progress.

I’ve been listening to so many devotional books lately. I’ve been immersing myself in more Christian music and while on my nature walks, I’ve been talking to God more. Something about being out in nature really draws me close to him. I can’t help but be so grateful to Him and express that gratitude as I am always in awe of his marvelous creations.

Have you ever stood at the base of a tree and just looked up? I did that yesterday and though I know the tree has it’s height and doesn’t really touch the sky, as I stood at the base of this huge tree and looked up, I couldn’t see the top. The branches were as big as tress themselves and the leaves made the tree so full. The wind was wisping through and you could hear the rustling of the leaves. It was almost like God was talking to me, reminding me of his magnificence.

I needed that reminder yesterday. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I forget how awe inspiring He is along with his many creations, it’s just sometimes, I believe I fall short of expressing my gratitude. I get caught up in other things and neglect to express being thankful for all He’s done for me.

While on my walk yesterday, I was listening to my Audible book, “A confident heart,” by Renee Swope. As I looked up at this tree and it’s enormous trunk, Renee was talking about how God doesn’t have to forgive us, we aren’t worthy of his forgiveness, we are worth it.

God created us to be his children and though we are imperfect due to the sins of Adam and Eve, that is, if you believe the Adam and Eve account, we were created by God. He sees in us our full potential, even when we don’t see it ourselves. He has unconditional love for us.

I think the closest we ever come to seeing what God sees is when we hold our newborn babies. When a mother gives birth and the doctor places that new life on her belly, she sees everything perfect in that baby. As time goes on, the mother, while in most cases still loves that baby or child unconditionally, we do begin to see their faults.

God on the other hand, he may see our faults, but he still looks at us through the eyes of perfection. Sure, he knows we mess up and all, but he sees beyond that. He sees us to the depths of our soul.

When a baby is born, they’re beautiful. They’re innocent and they are the most precious gift. We are forever, that precious gift in His eyes, even when we sin. God forgave King David who not only committed adultery and impregnated Bathsheba, but he had her husband killed to cover up his sin.

There’s nothing we can do that God won’t forgive. What a lesson in forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love. How quick we are at times to not forgive someone over even the slightest of transgressions, but God forgave an adulterer and murderer.

I suppose it would do us well if we took on the quality of forgiveness and perhaps tried to see things through a broader lens much like our creator.

If we take a moment to try and see things through the eyes of God, maybe it would soften our hearts a little. Maybe we would be more patient. Maybe we would show more kindness and maybe, more peace would avail in our world that seems to be so unkind right now.

I know there are good people despite the things we see and hear on the news. I know there’s love and peace amongst family, friends and neighbors, but we all live in a world full of uncertainty. I wonder what it would be like if we stopped from time to time, took a deep breath and just let things go. Let go, Let God.

Standing beneath that tree yesterday helped me feel His presence. It reminded me of His power and love and it reminded me of just how small I am in comparison to His other creations, yet, he still sees me. He sees my worth.

My dear readers, I hope we can all experience and enjoy God’s magnificent creations. I hope we can all take a moment to see through His eyes. All we have to do is look around. Creation is everywhere.

Just my thought. What do you think? I would love to hear from you. Drop me a comment or give me a like if you enjoyed the blog. It always makes my day hearing from my readers.

Well guys, I need to take another walk now. The pups are a bit anxious. Until next time, don’t forget, open your hearts, listen and evolve today++

Who would I be….

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Happy Thursday,

How is everyone doing on this amazing Thursday afternoon? I do hope today is finding you well, safe and happy. I wanted to thank you for taking time to read today’s blog and I wanted to encourage you to follow this blog so you don’t miss new content, which will be coming on a more regular basis moving forward. Please feel free to drop me a comment and if there’s a certain topic you’d like to have me talk about, leave that in the comments.

Today I wanted to talk about something that is close to my heart. You see, not long ago, I was involved heavily in a cult and in that cult, I feared God. I feared doing anything wrong, not because I have ever been afraid to die, but I feared being destroyed.

I was taught that the God I worshiped at that time was one that expected me to be perfect, or as perfect as I could be. I was taught, or made to feel like everything I did in His name wasn’t good enough. I remember one minister giving a sermon saying, “are you sure your giving your all to Jehovah?” Is your all, good enough?”

With statements like that, from an early age, I felt I had to be perfect. I lived my entire life with the mindset, everything had to be just so. I think I developed OCD from being raised feeling like everything I did, wasn’t good enough. To top that off, I was born a girl. Women in the cult were taught to be in complete submission to men and with that came the underlying belief system, we were to be quiet and not voice our opinions, and if we did voice them, then our fathers, brothers, husbands, they were the final decision maker.

When I finally left the cult at the age of 45 years young, I left believing 100% that I was going to be destroyed by God. I believed that no matter how good of a person I was or tried to be, it didn’t matter, because I wasn’t living the life of a cult member, a member of the religion in which I learned to be terrified of our God and creator.

I’ve made some stupid mistakes along the way to finding grace in God. It took my mess ups to realize, God still was there for me and he had been all along.

With this blog, I want to help people realize that we have a loving creator and if you aren’t a believer, that’s okay too, I’m not here to change your belief system. I’m only hear to share my experiences and by doing so, I hope you find comfort in your own core belief.

On my journey to finding comfort in God, I have found that I can freely talk about Him and to Him. I can thank Him and not feel like I’m being fanatical. I enjoy waking up each morning and thanking God for a new day. I thank Him for all the provisions in my life and I thank Him for showing me the way. I always ask Him to keep guiding me. I thank Him for His forgiveness when I know I’ve fallen short.

I am beyond grateful for my new found relationship with God.

This brings to mind a beautiful song sung by Lauren Daigle. “Thank God I do.”

When I was at my lowest point, the point in my life where I didn’t feel loved by anyone, I had given up on life, my life. I simply didn’t care anymore. Then, John came along and he helped me find the relationship I so desperately needed and wanted from God and from a man. John became the man who showed me love and on that path, I began to see that I was capable of being loved, not only by a man, but by God.

“I’ve seen love come and I’ve seen love walk away. So many questions, will anybody stay? It’s been a hard year, so many nights in tears. All of the darkness, trying to fight my fears, alone, so long alone.”

What I didn’t realize, when John came into my life, was, he was sent by God to love me and in that love, I learned God loved me first and h=He made sure to give me a man that could help me past my fears. God gave me someone who was patient, kind, loving and compassionate, but most of all, He gave me someone to hold me tight, so tight that I could feel his heart beat and His love.

“I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You. I’d probably fall off the edge. I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go, so keep me held in Your hands.” I think God holds me in His hands. He knows me better than anyone, so He sent me John. When John sees me spinning, he reminds me of his love, but more importantly of my creators love.

“I’ve started breathing. The weight is lifted here. With You, it’s easy. My head is finally clear. There’s nothing missing. when you are by my side. I took the long road, but now I realize I’m home with You. I’m home. I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You.”

Though I doubt my worth from time to time, God is right there reminding me He’s there for me and when I can’t even begin to wrap my head around God actually loving me, He gives me the reminders that I so lovingly and desperately need. Who would I be if I didn’t know Him? Thank God, I do.

It is because God sent someone into my life, that I have learned not to fear Him. I’ve learned an entirely new way to talk to God. I’ve learned how to really build upon my belief in Him and though I fall short, He still loves me.

“You’re my safe place. My hideaway. You’re my anchor. My saving grace. You’re my constant. You’re my steadiness. You’re my shelter. My oxygen.”

I pray every day that I can continue to build on my relationship with Him and I pray He will open doors for me to share His word with others, but more importantly, I pray He uses me to share my experiences of overcoming religious trauma, so that others will come to see what a loving god He truly is. If it be His will.

As I conclude here today, I hope you found something positive to take away in reading this blog.

Until next time, I pray God will keep me and you held in His hands .

I do hope you are having the greatest of days and until next time, open your hearts, listen and evolve today++

Prayer:

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Happy Thursday,

How are you all doing today? What a beautiful day we are having. I love the sun shining and the breeze of the wind. I loved waking up to the cool air this morning. I took Molly for a walk t and we were loving just being outside. We met a couple of nice people along our way and Molly enjoyed getting to meet some other fur babies.

As I was getting ready this morning, I looked up and read this nice little poem that I have hanging on my wall. Funny, it’s been a while since I’ve really paid attention to what it says, but I’m glad it caught my attention today. You see, I’ve been so busy with busy work that I sometimes forget the more important things, and I will admit, I forget to say thank you to God. I needed this little reminder this morning, because I realize when I am thankful and express my thanks to God, my overall well-being is so much calmer.

“The Difference…I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day, I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t have time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task. ‘Why doesn’t God help me?’ I wondered. He answered. ‘You didn’t ask.’ I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak; I wondered why God didn’t show me, He said, ‘but you didn’t seek.’ I tried to come into God’s presence, I used all my keys at the lock. God gently and lovingly chided, ‘My child, you didn’t knock.’ I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day: I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.”-unknown.

Have you ever noticed, when you walk on the path the Universe has laid out for you, life seems to go more smoothly? I know for me, if I ask God for his guidance and I look for the signs, things tend to be so much better in my life. When I feel anger, I pray for understanding. I pray to understand what is causing me to react and feel anger. More times than not, feeling angry is usually because things didn’t go the way I wanted them to go. It’s my reaction to a situation.

Martin is always telling me, pray that his will be done. When you pray for God’s will to be done instead of praying for what you want, sometimes you end up surprised at the outcome of certain situations. Sometimes, things are so much better than what you even asked for.

When I take the time to pray, give thanks and express my desire to do God’s will, I feel calm and at peace. Have you noticed, when you pray, your mind is usually in a state of calm and reception. Prayer is a state of being. It’s a connection to our greater power, the power of God or the Universe or whomever you believe in. Prayer should be without effort. It’s talking to our father, our friend, our creator. “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”-Soren Keiakegaard.

For me, praying draws me closer to God and in turn, I am more aware of how I treat others. When I pray and when apologize for falling short in certain situations, I feel less of a burden on my shoulders. Like the poem says, “I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day: I had so much to accomplish, that I had to take time to pray.”

When it comes to prayer, for me anyway, I find that it’s not that I don’t want to talk to God, it’s just sometimes I fall into getting too busy, so if I make it a point, before I get up in the morning and start my day, to pray, I feel better. My day is better. Things tend to be clearer. I believe I can hear God better when I open my heart and mind and listen to the direction God lays out for me. I hear God’s direction sometimes in the form of a YouTube video and someone says something that gives me a lightbulb moment. Sometimes I hear God’s direction in something I read, even things I see while walking, guides me. Sometimes when I take my morning walk and open my mind, the thoughts that come to me are the answers to prayers I’ve prayed.

I hope as I continue writing this blog on Have You Evolved Today, you and I both can continue to lay a more spiritual foundation for our lives and draw closer to our higher beings and to God, the Universe or whatever higher entity you believe in. I want to learn all I can in life. I want to be open to other people’s thoughts on God and spirituality and I want to help people who are struggling to find their way and their purpose. I believe there is power in numbers, so with my blog, I hope to have more and more people feeling comfortable enough to engage in conversations that give us peace and answers to questions we may be struggling with.

I pray that this blog benefits someone who is reading it. I hope to evolve and listen along with everyone who is searching, and I want to open my heart towards everyone. I feel prayer is my best advice to anyone who needs a friend and needs a place to start on their spiritual journey.

Please leave me a comment, a like if you enjoyed reading and I would love to have you subscribe to my blog, it encourages me more than words can express to keep going.

Well guys, I have to head now, but I do hope you enjoyed reading and until next time, open your hearts, minds and evolve today. Have a great rest of your day and until next time, take care. Hugs++

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