May 28, 2016-RTM, Day 20

Today’s Verse:

I am an overcomer by His blood and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).

In Context:

Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last-salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth-the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” (Revelation 12:7-12)

The book of Revelations has always been a bit of an enigma to me. When I was a young girl, the study of it frightened me because it is, in part, about the end days, and the idea of all the chaos and terrible things predicted that will happen in this future time for the world was too much for me. Even the idea of my own death scared me more when I was a teenager than it does now. Most likely because I am closer to it now, and even though I know I should look forward to the afterlife, I am still busy enjoying the time and place I’m in now.  The world is far from perfect. It is, in my opinion, getting farther and farther away from the world I knew, loved, and thought I understood as a child, but it’s never been perfect or ideal, all good or all bad.  It just is what it is, full of fallible human beings and incredible miracles, all at the same time.  Even in the midst of evil and many, many things, ideas, and people I do not understand, I still hold love for this unique world created for you and for me, and I still believe that love is the answer to all its troubles. Love, not judgment (as it’s not my place to judge, especially with the large log stuck in my own eye) and love, not anger or bitterness or fire and brimstone, but the practice of love is the only way in this new and sometimes confusing world we live in to make peace with it all, to find contentment, to let go of what we cannot control and bring the message of something higher and greater than all of us to the earth.  This world has become so arrogant, independent, and unafraid to say or do whatever we want that threats, judgment, and fear can no longer bring about change, so what’s left…love. 

Even in heaven, in the passage above, how did they defeat the great dragon and his angels? They defeated him by the blood of the lamb (the death of God’s son for the sin of everyone in the world-the most selfless and loving act any of us could give, our lives for the forgiveness of other people’s bad and selfish choices in life) and the word of our testimony…the sharing of how that kind of love has changed our lives.   In the verses above, they defeated Satan, the great deceiver of the entire world, with love.  So, how is my mind renewed today, by recognizing that love is the most effective weapon to fight the most trying situations or people in this world. Love overcomes all.  Fight your problems, your worries, your fears today with love.  Give love, even when everyone else is fighting you and trying to push your buttons, show them love and be a part of the incredible miracles living in this day and age still has to offer.   

May 19, 2016-RTM, Day 19

Today’s Verse:

I am rejoicing always and praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 NKJV).

In Context:

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18, NLT)

Gosh, Paul sure is good at summing up all the best advice in a few short, effective sentences.  This is the perfect verse to write upon your heart, memorize in your mind, and post close to your eyes, so that you can renew your mind with it when you are frustrated with a co-worker, challenged by a passive-aggressive friend, or simply in a hurry and impatient waiting in a line or trying to get something done in a timely manner.  Encourage the timid, take care of the weak, be patient with EVERYONE, try to do good to each other and all people.  What better advice could any of us give to one another in times of trial or even every day life. The hardest one for most people is probably always be joyful. We are so ruled by our moods at times, allowing them to affect not only how we feel that day (sad, angry, or simply melancholy), but also how we treat others, which in turn, affects their day and mood. So, how do we go about being joyful all the time?

Never stop praying…this is one of the ways we change that negative mood. Pray about it, encourage someone else, take care of a friend or family member who needs it more than you at the moment and watch your mood turn around, watch that joy take over.  Finally, be thankful in all circumstances. It’s been maybe over emphasized in the media, books, etc…the last few years, but there is something to be said for a “gratitude journal.” When all seems bleak and too much for us, write down what you DO have to be thankful for, and you will quickly realize that things could be much worse, and there really is a silver lining. 

How can we renew the mind today? Remind yourself of those things you have to rejoice over and pray without stopping in order to maintain that glass half full mindset. 

May 7, 2016-RTM, Day 18

Today’s Verse:

I am shedding the old me and putting on the new me (Ephesians 4:22-24).

In Context:

Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. (Ephesians 4:22-27)

This shedding of the old and putting on of the new takes time, I think. As the snake and moose naturally shed their old skin and the velvet on their antlers, respectively, we too shed the old and put on the new naturally as we grow into wiser, more experienced spiritual beings. Of course, not all of us do. Some of us allow the more bitter, angry, and resentful side of our nature to take over, and we never really grow or change, becoming crabby, lonely, old men and women.  But, hopefully, for the rest of us, we continue to learn from our mistakes, experiences, and relationships with others, and we become like new, even though our bodies start to look old. 

For me, I have become new in many ways over the years, but most recently, I have thrown off (or started to) my old nature of arguing every point automatically without really thinking about what or why I am arguing or more importantly how it affects and makes others feel. I mostly put on this argumentative nature with those I am closest too, and it has been a habit since I was very young.  Unfortunately, I have passed a bit of it onto my youngest son, so hopefully because I recognize it, and I am now attempting to put it off, my son will follow suit and change that part of his nature sooner rather than later, saving himself some growing pains along the way.

In the early years after my divorce, God helped me put away the old nature of anxiety associated with maintaining control over raising my sons the way I expected them to be raised.  This “letting go of control” was huge for me and for my boys, providing them with a much more stable and happy daily living situation, even in the midst of going back and forth between two different homes and two different lifestyles.  It’s also the only way I was able to accept with grace and love my older son’s choice to move and live with his dad later on.  Bottom line, I don’t ever want either of them to feel they mean any less to me or that my love is conditional on them making choices based on my happiness alone. I love my children no matter what, and I believe wholeheartedly they know that because God enabled me to put off my old, human nature of control for what was in the best interest of my children and me and trust Him to provide the best situation and life experiences for their growth. 

In small ways, I am also shedding my old self and my perceptions that I could never do certain things, such as run a ½ marathon or be a manager of people in the workplace.  Those things that I said, “I could never do that or I’m not cut out for that” I’m slowly rubbing away (like the moose and his velvet) to reveal a stronger, more motivated 41 year old woman than the young lady who started running short distances in track when she was 14 years old and said even though she was majoring in English in college, she would never want to or be able to be a teacher. 

I am very different today than the shy girl who never even felt comfortable enough around children to become a babysitter herself. (I only tagged along with my best friend on her babysitting job to be with her.)  I now work with children and their caregivers for a living and teach adults in my field. I even volunteer to read to children in low-income preschool programs simply because I miss actually being in the classroom on a daily basis, and I love story time with little ones! I also serve in a managerial role now, something else I never thought I’d be able to do, and today I completed my first ½ marathon, not as fast as I’d like to, but the fact that I could push my body to do that, run farther than I ever have in my life, proves my point. 

Renewing the mind today means believing that you can continue to grow, change, and become new, no matter who you were in the past.  It means believing that you can put off the old and become new. It may not happen as quickly as you would like, but as my ½ marathon training plan revealed, it’s adding just those few extra steps each day and each week that make all the difference!