Thursday... There may be another side.

We usually only see one side to a situation and of course we are right. It is the only way to see it. But my dad had a saying that really makes sense. He would say, "No paper is so thin that it doesn't have two sides to it." I have used that over and over in my life.

Proverbs 18:17 (NLT) says, "The first to speak in court sounds right - until the cross-examination." So many arguments could be resolved if we would just listen, listen, listen and then strive to understand. Verse 19 says, "An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars." Arguments stop by one side starting to listen to the other side.

Verse 21 says, "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." And we so much love to talk, and talk and talk.

Have you ever stopped and listened to what your husband, your wife, your son,, your daughter, your parents, your friend, your neighbor thinks?

Most arguments are stopped when one side stops telling over and over their side and stops talking and starts listening to the other side. It doesn't mean they are right and you are wrong or the opposite is true, it just means that we have shown the other person the courtesy of listening to their side, there perspective.

Now here is another good one. Verse 24 says, "There are 'friends' who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."

The Psalms in the Old Testament are full of people that God allows to tell their side and then God tells his side. But many times he doesn't do it with condemnation. He does it with understanding and compassion.

Over in Matthew 20, there were two blind men who were yelling, trying to get Jesus' attention. Now there was a big crowd following Jesus and verse 31 said, "'Be quiet!' the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" And then verses 32-34 said, "When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord' they said, 'we want to see!' Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him." It made all the difference when he stopped and asked them a question and listened to the answer.

He wants to hear our side and he wants us to listen to his. It really, really makes a difference. Listen, there may be another side and it makes all the difference to stop talking and listen. And asking a question is a great way to start. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Tuesday... Each one of us see and describe what we are going through differently but...

Tuesday... Each one of us see and describe what we are going through differently but... We each one have our own way of explaining what we are going through, don't we? Some of us are maximisers, other are minimizers and neither one is better. We each one are different and we see what we are facing differently but no matter what it is and how you see it and describe it, God can handle it! Now the writer of Psalm 46 shows the extremes. In verse 1 he states the basic reality and then he moves on into our fears and he maximizes them to make sure we really understand. Here is what Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT) says, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" So what do you fear? The Amplified Bible says verse 1 this way, "God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], a very presen...

Wednesday... It didn't just happen.

Psalm 16;10 (NLT), "For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave." Wednesday... It didn't just happen. We are headed into a weekend of deep emotion. One that we really really love was killed and it didn't just happen. David in Psalm 16:10 (NLT) writes of this happening. He says about God, "For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave." We read over in the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament in the Bible of the life of God's Son who came to earth to be our sacrifice so that our soul would not be left among the dead. Jesus came so that we wouldn't have to be buried at death and just left there. But he also shares that Jesus who was going to be killed as a sacrifice for our sins would not have to rot in a grave. David many generations before foretold this and that is what happened. Now that had to be a God thing. We can guess a lot about our future and we d...

Todays Beginning

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