Mia Speaks

I start my day off, everyday, reading an email I receive from a "Life Coach." His name is Jim Spivey. Some days his messages speak to me, others they don't. Then, along comes a day like today when his message is so loud and clear, I have to share it. I've taken license with the message and the quotes and made them personal because I going to print this, fame it and keep it close as a constant reminder of what it's all really about. I hope it speaks to you too! Here it is!

A Simple Reminder!

"I must begin to understand that a revolution entails not only the willingness to lay my life on the firing line where I might possibly die. In some ways, this is an easy commitment to make. To die for the revolution is a one-shot deal; to live for the revolution means taking on the more difficult commitment of changing my day-to-day patterns, choosing differently than I have before in each and every moment." -- Frances BealHmmm... choosing differently. Choosing how and how often I listen to God for guidance, and then act on it in the moment, especially the most difficult moments. Choosing how I listen to my body - how I care for it, how I slow down to listen to its pains, how I act on that information. Choosing how I listen to and love my family, my friends and the children of the World- how I care for them, guide them, protect them, without them needing to beat me over the head with a club or throw a tantrum to communicate their needs. How to respond to them if and when they do beat me up when I clearly don't deserve it, and it's not really about me. Choosing how I honor and revere my parents, lifting them up to their rightly place in my life, regardless of how they treated me as a child, and how repressed I am about that, knowing that they did their best, and that I can now do even better and share it with them, thanks to their best efforts and the contrast with God's perfect teaching. Choosing how I act as a sister and friend, especially in times of great need. Choosing how I serve my community, reaching out to help others in genuine compassion, love, and support. Choosing how I allow money to flow in naturally to sustain (and no more) my abundant, healthy life, and then allow it to flow out to help others do the same, so that we all have "enough." Choosing my attitude in every moment. Choosing forgiveness when I forget that is the only attitude that works. Choosing my one true Master in each and every circumstance, especially when I’m struggling to be right. Choosing venues to show Him what I’ve learned from His Grace.
In my revolutionary life, what am I showing God I've learned from Him by my daily choices? And this doesn't mean what am I "learning from others."
Remember:"Many so-called Christians out there have what we might call a 'cultural holiness.' They adapt to the character and behavior patterns of other so-called Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. If others are pretending, then we better pretend. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be more like Himself, and true holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God, regardless of how people close to you are acting, behaving, speaking, thinking, ... or pretending." -- Jerry Bridges"There is no peace in the border lands. The halfway-Christian is a torment to himself and of absolutely no benefit to others." -- Earnest WorkerAnd one last thing; this is a stand that wears me out to think about. I struggle so hard with it. It is so beyond me, and yet it's right there. When I feel hurt, I so want to be justified in it, so want to be right about it, so want to get my way, and that accomplishes absolutely nothing. What do You believe? Where are You willing to stand in the midst of your pain - your right to it or your surrender of it? Choose now. -- Jim Spivey