harmonious balance

The only thing I love more than being affected, is affecting others.
It comes down to sharing our stories, our gifts, our blessings and our challenges.
Listening to others, learning and growing.
Doing your best and then simply letting go.

peace & God bless
tom j deters

Contact: tomjdeters@gmail.com

permalink Sunday Morning - “Tested” Happy Sunday! Most Sundays I know what the message will be; a moment that has affected me and one I feel, or hope, will change the perspective of at least one person. There is a definite beginning, middle and end. The moral of the story is clear and determined. But as in life, sometimes things are not as clear as we may want them to be. There is not always a beginning, middle and an end that gives you the light at the end of the tunnel. Two weeks ago, my message was entitled “Tagged and Tested”. This message is the continuation of that. The young man suspected of tagging my jeep was a 17-year-old who lived with his mother and younger brother.  The next day the family was served a 30-day notice and the next week the 17-year-old went to court where he was sentenced 45 days in juvenile detention. It took until the next day for me to find peace, forgiveness and clarity about what had transpired, but I did it. Clarity, a story to share with others and a Sunday Morning message were the rewards of my effort. I then found a product that helped decrease the adverse affects of the paint on my jeep door, which the most difficult to remove. So, I had passed the test, was patient until the rewards came and onward and upward – right? Well, at least that’s what I thought until this past Thursday evening when my wife’s car was spray-painted. I was so mad. I felt ten times the anger and wanted revenge ten times as much as when it happened to my jeep. My wife, two neighbors and myself were cleaning off the spray paint until 1:00 am in the morning. Afterwards my wife and I went to bed. I had a very difficult time calming down. I could not fit anything positive in my head. I could not see a silver lining, a moral to the story or a wonderful way to phrase a Sunday Morning message from this moment. I was up most of the night. The next morning I woke up with the same bad feeling; knowing once again we were the victims of evil, once again no justice would be served and what I was feeling was not healthy for me. An analogy I have used in the past is: Say we have two balloons in our mind. One is filled with good positive thoughts and feelings and the second is filled with bad, negative thoughts and feelings. We cannot always simply eliminate the bad we are feeling or experiencing; we cannot simply deflate the feel bad balloon. But what we can do is our best to fill up the feel good balloon. Thus, simultaneously deflating the feel bad one since there is only so much room in our minds. After my wife awoke, we decided that we would spend the day together, doing our best to fill up the feel good balloons. We spent the day at the movies and then we went to dinner. All day we shared, laughed, thanked God for our blessings and enjoyed each other. What we accomplished was filling up our feel good balloons, while simultaneously, taking air out of the feel bad balloon. We knew we were blessed. We knew that what they had done to our cars was to our cars and not to us. We knew we had to focus on our good, be thankful in all circumstances and stay there; mentally, emotionally and spiritually as long as we needed to, to feel better and we did. There was not an easy choice, a path of clarity to see, there was not a nice neat answer, and there was not a cool little lesson to be learned. What I had to re-learn is that life is sometimes unfair and sometimes things just happen. What is important is how one deals with what happens in life, along one’s path. Sometimes all we can do in a test is to choose our thoughts and actions. peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Tested”

Happy Sunday!

Most Sundays I know what the message will be; a moment that has affected me and one I feel, or hope, will change the perspective of at least one person. There is a definite beginning, middle and end. The moral of the story is clear and determined. But as in life, sometimes things are not as clear as we may want them to be. There is not always a beginning, middle and an end that gives you the light at the end of the tunnel.

Two weeks ago, my message was entitled “Tagged and Tested”. This message is the continuation of that. The young man suspected of tagging my jeep was a 17-year-old who lived with his mother and younger brother.  The next day the family was served a 30-day notice and the next week the 17-year-old went to court where he was sentenced 45 days in juvenile detention.

It took until the next day for me to find peace, forgiveness and clarity about what had transpired, but I did it. Clarity, a story to share with others and a Sunday Morning message were the rewards of my effort. I then found a product that helped decrease the adverse affects of the paint on my jeep door, which the most difficult to remove. So, I had passed the test, was patient until the rewards came and onward and upward – right? Well, at least that’s what I thought until this past Thursday evening when my wife’s car was spray-painted. I was so mad. I felt ten times the anger and wanted revenge ten times as much as when it happened to my jeep. My wife, two neighbors and myself were cleaning off the spray paint until 1:00 am in the morning. Afterwards my wife and I went to bed. I had a very difficult time calming down. I could not fit anything positive in my head. I could not see a silver lining, a moral to the story or a wonderful way to phrase a Sunday Morning message from this moment. I was up most of the night. The next morning I woke up with the same bad feeling; knowing once again we were the victims of evil, once again no justice would be served and what I was feeling was not healthy for me.

An analogy I have used in the past is: Say we have two balloons in our mind. One is filled with good positive thoughts and feelings and the second is filled with bad, negative thoughts and feelings. We cannot always simply eliminate the bad we are feeling or experiencing; we cannot simply deflate the feel bad balloon. But what we can do is our best to fill up the feel good balloon. Thus, simultaneously deflating the feel bad one since there is only so much room in our minds.

After my wife awoke, we decided that we would spend the day together, doing our best to fill up the feel good balloons. We spent the day at the movies and then we went to dinner. All day we shared, laughed, thanked God for our blessings and enjoyed each other. What we accomplished was filling up our feel good balloons, while simultaneously, taking air out of the feel bad balloon. We knew we were blessed. We knew that what they had done to our cars was to our cars and not to us. We knew we had to focus on our good, be thankful in all circumstances and stay there; mentally, emotionally and spiritually as long as we needed to, to feel better and we did.

There was not an easy choice, a path of clarity to see, there was not a nice neat answer, and there was not a cool little lesson to be learned. What I had to re-learn is that life is sometimes unfair and sometimes things just happen. What is important is how one deals with what happens in life, along one’s path. Sometimes all we can do in a test is to choose our thoughts and actions.

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message | 2 notes
permalink Sunday Morning - “The Why?” Good morning… Happy Sunday and I hope all those in your circle of love are healthy or happy! There has been a recurring theme lately with the people I have been speaking to. They have all been in a place asking one of the following, “Why is this happening? Why did this happen?  What is going to happen or where I am headed?” Whether it has been about a relationship ending, a loved one passing or simply being confused on how to start feeling better, everyone is looking for answers… “The why.” I have stated many times before that I have had my share of tests and trials, not more than others, but there isn’t a topic that one could bring up that I could not relate to or have empathy or understanding for. When I am sitting down speaking to someone who is lost and truly searching for clarity, the answers to all the “why’s” they have, I say the same thing, “I am here speaking to, sharing what I am with you because of all the tests I have been through.” I can say with certainty this was a good thing. We all want answers. We all want some sort of control in our lives, to control the desired outcome. The sad part of it, is that is why our energy is depleted and why we become drained, tired, confused and frustrated… left with little hope. We all need to mentally manually change our perspective and we need to deem ourselves worthy of the effort that it takes to accomplish this. We need to truly understand and embrace that this is where our energy and effort must go. The question should not be “Where am I headed?” it should simply be “Where is He leading me?” In the past, when I was going through one of my tests, I did not have the clarity of thinking in the moment “This is great and I know wonderful things will come of it” but as I look back I learned from every one of them. I have the perspective I have today because of where He led me; the challenges He put on my path and the lessons He taught me. What I needed to work on, have been working on and will continue to work on is my faith in that He is leading me somewhere with every trial and test. My job is not to figure out what I will learn; I will know in time. It is not to know where He is leading me, I will know in time. It is not to know when I will get there, I will know in time. How do I handle all of this “time?” With patience, trust and faith and that is where my energy, effort and daily thought must go. To be content today, to have peace today, to have joy on one’s path today, one cannot try to answer the question of why. We must work every moment, day, week, month and year on becoming faithful followers. We can all look back in hindsight and make sense of things that didn’t go as planned in our lives but ended up better for us in the long run. Whether it was a job, relationship or something we just knew we needed to happen and didn’t, we see it with clarity today and we understand. So do your best to trust what He has planned for you and where He is leading you and that it is far better than you could imagine.   peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “The Why?”

Good morning…

Happy Sunday and I hope all those in your circle of love are healthy or happy!

There has been a recurring theme lately with the people I have been speaking to. They have all been in a place asking one of the following, “Why is this happening? Why did this happen?  What is going to happen or where I am headed?” Whether it has been about a relationship ending, a loved one passing or simply being confused on how to start feeling better, everyone is looking for answers… “The why.”

I have stated many times before that I have had my share of tests and trials, not more than others, but there isn’t a topic that one could bring up that I could not relate to or have empathy or understanding for. When I am sitting down speaking to someone who is lost and truly searching for clarity, the answers to all the “why’s” they have, I say the same thing, “I am here speaking to, sharing what I am with you because of all the tests I have been through.” I can say with certainty this was a good thing. We all want answers. We all want some sort of control in our lives, to control the desired outcome. The sad part of it, is that is why our energy is depleted and why we become drained, tired, confused and frustrated… left with little hope. We all need to mentally manually change our perspective and we need to deem ourselves worthy of the effort that it takes to accomplish this. We need to truly understand and embrace that this is where our energy and effort must go. The question should not be “Where am I headed?” it should simply be “Where is He leading me?”

In the past, when I was going through one of my tests, I did not have the clarity of thinking in the moment “This is great and I know wonderful things will come of it” but as I look back I learned from every one of them. I have the perspective I have today because of where He led me; the challenges He put on my path and the lessons He taught me. What I needed to work on, have been working on and will continue to work on is my faith in that He is leading me somewhere with every trial and test. My job is not to figure out what I will learn; I will know in time. It is not to know where He is leading me, I will know in time. It is not to know when I will get there, I will know in time. How do I handle all of this “time?” With patience, trust and faith and that is where my energy, effort and daily thought must go.

To be content today, to have peace today, to have joy on one’s path today, one cannot try to answer the question of why. We must work every moment, day, week, month and year on becoming faithful followers. We can all look back in hindsight and make sense of things that didn’t go as planned in our lives but ended up better for us in the long run. Whether it was a job, relationship or something we just knew we needed to happen and didn’t, we see it with clarity today and we understand. So do your best to trust what He has planned for you and where He is leading you and that it is far better than you could imagine.  

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Tagged & Tested” I had just got back home and was sending a message to a friend that I had not seen in awhile. This was what I wrote: “I can honestly say I am the best I have been in a very long time. It has not been easy, as you know, this thing called life. It doesn’t necessarily get easier as one gets older, but I have less stress, less guilt, more peace and more hope than I have had in a long time.” That was about 5:00 pm this past Wednesday. At 6:30 I went outside to walk to the nearby gas station. When I walked out my back patio, which leads to the parking lot, I was shocked at what I thought I saw and what I inevitably found to be true… my jeep had been spray-painted (tagged). A baby blue spray painted line zigzagged across the side of my jeep and my heart sank. I have owned and truly cared for my jeep for 11 years and in a window of 1-½ hours, before the sun had set, someone (I am pretty sure who did it, just cannot prove it) viciously vandalized it. This isn’t about poor me. My point is that I had reflected on 2011 and stated in an update how at peace I had felt and within an hour of writing that, this act of evil happened. What I noticed next raised my curiosity. I realized I did not get as mad as I thought I would have or as mad as I would have in the past. I had been feeling better, closer to God, more at peace on my path, some life questions and struggles had been answered, lifted from my heart and I saw things with a better perspective. So, I thought maybe this was why I wasn’t so mad. I was hurt and bummed, but not angry.  Then I remembered something I have always said, “When you feel you have reached a new level, you will only be sure the next time you are tested” and that is exactly how I felt. Lately, I have been learning and trying my best to “Be thankful in all circumstances” but how could I be after my jeep had been tagged? The first thought was that I was thankful I did not get angry and went to seek out revenge, which I totally would have done in the past. Then I thought I can still drive it, I still have my health and there was a spare garage that I could keep it in, protecting it from further vandalism. I did a search on the web on how to get spray paint off a car and then I tried my best with the tactic listed, but to no avail. As I was about to give up, two brothers and neighbors happened to be outside, both car guys and one a mechanic. I shared the story of what happened and before I knew it they were at my garage with 3 or 4 different chemicals and solutions and for the next hour we worked on removing the paint. Although not perfect, by the end the baby blue line had disappeared. The remnants of it ruined parts of my jeep especially the door, but I was quickly able to put that into perspective as well. Then I became very thankful for the brothers that happened to be outside at 10:00 at night, with all the knowledge and product to assist when I needed it the most. By the next morning I had come to a place of peace. I was even able to forgive the person whom I believed to be responsible in my heart - another gift I was thankful for. It changed how I felt and prepared me for my day. When it first happened I thought of canceling the next day, so I could sit around bumming out about poor me. Now, I had turned it around into another positive story that I would share with my clients and those I came into contact with. Then I was thankful for that. Soon after, I realized it would be the topic for this Sunday’s message.  We will be tested when we least expect it, in an area we would rather not be tested in and that is why it is called a test. The work I have done on myself lately (and my whole life) prepared me for the next test. Although it is something I would never have wanted, it had happened and how I dealt with it was solely up to me. I went from being bummed considering canceling my day to a feeling of empowerment that I didn’t let this moment or this act of evil take me from my path. I quickly, faster than I ever have before, turned it into a positive story to share with those I came into contact with. The best was the next day. I knew God was in control. I knew I could only worry about me and how I reacted. I had to turn my gaze inward to see how I wanted to handle this. What was going to happen to the one responsible was in God’s hands. The person responsible and his family received a 30-day notice to move out. The problems that family has will continue to be their challenge wherever they live. It just won’t be next to me. My jeep is not perfect, but it never was. I am not perfect and never will be but, I love where my faith has led me and I thank God for the challenges He has put on my path because they have only made me stronger. I believe He has challenged me in ways that I could learn and grow from, thus enabling me to share my stories with others, affecting them, as I have always wanted to do and as I am able to do in this message. I want to embrace what happens, because it is happening. How I choose to react is up to me. “We only suffer when our thoughts argue with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, what “is” is what we want. When I argue with reality, I lose. But only 100% of the time.” - Byron Katie (from her book “Four Questions”) COMING SOON: The Pro You Podcast!!! I will keep you posted and feel free to email me with any questions, tests, challenges you may have at: tom@proyoupodcast.com :-) peace & God blesstjd

Sunday Morning - “Tagged & Tested”

I had just got back home and was sending a message to a friend that I had not seen in awhile. This was what I wrote:

“I can honestly say I am the best I have been in a very long time. It has not been easy, as you know, this thing called life. It doesn’t necessarily get easier as one gets older, but I have less stress, less guilt, more peace and more hope than I have had in a long time.”

That was about 5:00 pm this past Wednesday. At 6:30 I went outside to walk to the nearby gas station. When I walked out my back patio, which leads to the parking lot, I was shocked at what I thought I saw and what I inevitably found to be true… my jeep had been spray-painted (tagged). A baby blue spray painted line zigzagged across the side of my jeep and my heart sank. I have owned and truly cared for my jeep for 11 years and in a window of 1-½ hours, before the sun had set, someone (I am pretty sure who did it, just cannot prove it) viciously vandalized it.

This isn’t about poor me. My point is that I had reflected on 2011 and stated in an update how at peace I had felt and within an hour of writing that, this act of evil happened. What I noticed next raised my curiosity. I realized I did not get as mad as I thought I would have or as mad as I would have in the past. I had been feeling better, closer to God, more at peace on my path, some life questions and struggles had been answered, lifted from my heart and I saw things with a better perspective. So, I thought maybe this was why I wasn’t so mad. I was hurt and bummed, but not angry.  Then I remembered something I have always said, “When you feel you have reached a new level, you will only be sure the next time you are tested” and that is exactly how I felt. Lately, I have been learning and trying my best to “Be thankful in all circumstances” but how could I be after my jeep had been tagged? The first thought was that I was thankful I did not get angry and went to seek out revenge, which I totally would have done in the past. Then I thought I can still drive it, I still have my health and there was a spare garage that I could keep it in, protecting it from further vandalism. I did a search on the web on how to get spray paint off a car and then I tried my best with the tactic listed, but to no avail. As I was about to give up, two brothers and neighbors happened to be outside, both car guys and one a mechanic. I shared the story of what happened and before I knew it they were at my garage with 3 or 4 different chemicals and solutions and for the next hour we worked on removing the paint. Although not perfect, by the end the baby blue line had disappeared. The remnants of it ruined parts of my jeep especially the door, but I was quickly able to put that into perspective as well. Then I became very thankful for the brothers that happened to be outside at 10:00 at night, with all the knowledge and product to assist when I needed it the most.

By the next morning I had come to a place of peace. I was even able to forgive the person whom I believed to be responsible in my heart - another gift I was thankful for. It changed how I felt and prepared me for my day. When it first happened I thought of canceling the next day, so I could sit around bumming out about poor me. Now, I had turned it around into another positive story that I would share with my clients and those I came into contact with. Then I was thankful for that. Soon after, I realized it would be the topic for this Sunday’s message. 

We will be tested when we least expect it, in an area we would rather not be tested in and that is why it is called a test. The work I have done on myself lately (and my whole life) prepared me for the next test. Although it is something I would never have wanted, it had happened and how I dealt with it was solely up to me. I went from being bummed considering canceling my day to a feeling of empowerment that I didn’t let this moment or this act of evil take me from my path. I quickly, faster than I ever have before, turned it into a positive story to share with those I came into contact with. The best was the next day. I knew God was in control. I knew I could only worry about me and how I reacted. I had to turn my gaze inward to see how I wanted to handle this. What was going to happen to the one responsible was in God’s hands. The person responsible and his family received a 30-day notice to move out. The problems that family has will continue to be their challenge wherever they live. It just won’t be next to me. My jeep is not perfect, but it never was. I am not perfect and never will be but, I love where my faith has led me and I thank God for the challenges He has put on my path because they have only made me stronger. I believe He has challenged me in ways that I could learn and grow from, thus enabling me to share my stories with others, affecting them, as I have always wanted to do and as I am able to do in this message. I want to embrace what happens, because it is happening. How I choose to react is up to me.

“We only suffer when our thoughts argue with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, what “is” is what we want. When I argue with reality, I lose. But only 100% of the time.”

- Byron Katie (from her book “Four Questions”)

COMING SOON: The Pro You Podcast!!! I will keep you posted and feel free to email me with any questions, tests, challenges you may have at: tom@proyoupodcast.com :-)

peace & God bless
tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message | 1 note
permalink Sunday Morning - “The Horse Whisperer” Good morning and I hope this finds you and yours healthy and happy. I was wide-awake at 4:30 this morning. So, I decided to see what was on TV. I could not believe how much I was affected by the show I happened to watch. For an hour and a half I had tears in my eyes. The beauty, the passion and pain in this story was so very moving as well some parts being very familiar. Buck Brannaman is the real life inspiration for Robert Redford’s movie “The Horse Whisperer”. The show I watched was a documentary entitled “Buck” which detailed the real life story of Buck and how he became one of the best horse trainers in the world. Buck and his older brother were childhood performers doing rope tricks on TV at a very early age. But it wasn’t something they chose or enjoyed. They were trained and put into this endeavor by their very abusive father. From a very early age they learned to do what they were told as well as live in fear, not knowing when and why the next beating would occur. Shortly after their mother passed, still at an early age, a coach saw Buck’s wounds and got him and his brother placed in a foster home where they were loved and lived with their new parents. Buck shared the fear he had growing up living in his home and how it adversely affected him so much that he yearned for peace and quiet, which he found when he was alone with horses. His frightened, shy, introverted attributes stayed with him as a child and well into adulthood. When he began his horse training clinics, he slowly worked his way through and out of his comfort zone, thus enabling him to truly affect those in attendance. After high school he met his mentor and a man that would become his greatest teacher as well as a father figure. He learned that horses were just like people but seldom treated like them. Buck was on his way, as he put it, “Not to help humans with horse problems, but to help horses with human problems” – he discovered the similarity between raising and loving a child with that of training a horse and how one couldn’t blame a horse for being the way they were if they were mistreated. He also realized that when people came to him to seek help with their horses, they were the ones that ended up needing the most help; he said a horse was just a mirror of one’s self. Many of the people in attendance found this to be true. That is when Buck realized he could share what he had gone through, how he was treated and why he was the way he was growing up; an uncomfortable, deeply shy boy that was terribly afraid, to help people understand their horses and what their horses needed from them. Buck stated that none of his positive attributes were attained from his father. He said he learned a lot, but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. As he became one of the greatest horse trainers he also had become the exact opposite of his father. He learned first hand what didn’t work so he became patient, kind and started sharing his experience with the people that came to him with their horses. He discovered that people would learn about themselves as they learned about their horses and that discovery was what started the loving, trusting relationship that was needed between a person and their horse, just like with people. We all go through things in our lives that are not easy, that test us beyond belief. What we need to discover is that who we become is still our choice. If we learn a lesson the hard way we can do two things; one, never teach it the same way to anyone else and two, embrace what we have learned and continue to move forward in a positive direction hopefully affecting those around us as we would want to be affected. peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “The Horse Whisperer”

Good morning and I hope this finds you and yours healthy and happy.

I was wide-awake at 4:30 this morning. So, I decided to see what was on TV. I could not believe how much I was affected by the show I happened to watch. For an hour and a half I had tears in my eyes. The beauty, the passion and pain in this story was so very moving as well some parts being very familiar. Buck Brannaman is the real life inspiration for Robert Redford’s movie “The Horse Whisperer”. The show I watched was a documentary entitled “Buck” which detailed the real life story of Buck and how he became one of the best horse trainers in the world.

Buck and his older brother were childhood performers doing rope tricks on TV at a very early age. But it wasn’t something they chose or enjoyed. They were trained and put into this endeavor by their very abusive father. From a very early age they learned to do what they were told as well as live in fear, not knowing when and why the next beating would occur. Shortly after their mother passed, still at an early age, a coach saw Buck’s wounds and got him and his brother placed in a foster home where they were loved and lived with their new parents.

Buck shared the fear he had growing up living in his home and how it adversely affected him so much that he yearned for peace and quiet, which he found when he was alone with horses. His frightened, shy, introverted attributes stayed with him as a child and well into adulthood. When he began his horse training clinics, he slowly worked his way through and out of his comfort zone, thus enabling him to truly affect those in attendance. After high school he met his mentor and a man that would become his greatest teacher as well as a father figure. He learned that horses were just like people but seldom treated like them. Buck was on his way, as he put it, “Not to help humans with horse problems, but to help horses with human problems” – he discovered the similarity between raising and loving a child with that of training a horse and how one couldn’t blame a horse for being the way they were if they were mistreated. He also realized that when people came to him to seek help with their horses, they were the ones that ended up needing the most help; he said a horse was just a mirror of one’s self. Many of the people in attendance found this to be true. That is when Buck realized he could share what he had gone through, how he was treated and why he was the way he was growing up; an uncomfortable, deeply shy boy that was terribly afraid, to help people understand their horses and what their horses needed from them.

Buck stated that none of his positive attributes were attained from his father. He said he learned a lot, but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. As he became one of the greatest horse trainers he also had become the exact opposite of his father. He learned first hand what didn’t work so he became patient, kind and started sharing his experience with the people that came to him with their horses. He discovered that people would learn about themselves as they learned about their horses and that discovery was what started the loving, trusting relationship that was needed between a person and their horse, just like with people.

We all go through things in our lives that are not easy, that test us beyond belief. What we need to discover is that who we become is still our choice. If we learn a lesson the hard way we can do two things; one, never teach it the same way to anyone else and two, embrace what we have learned and continue to move forward in a positive direction hopefully affecting those around us as we would want to be affected.

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Happy New Year” Good morning, happy Sunday and Happy New Year! I read this prayer awhile back: “Each morning there is a gift on my pillow, waiting to be unwrapped. As soon as I open my eyes I see it-a bright new day has dawned. The best thing about this gift is that I get to make it whatever I choose.” We can all apply that to the start of this New Year. We all start with the same thing, a chance: a chance to embrace who we are, a chance to look back and see what we did well and what we didn’t do so well in the past and a chance to pick that which we are and be that this coming year. Knowledge is power and the power we all own is the fact that if we are here, we made it through every challenge and test of last year. No matter how frightened, scared, alone, depressed, or frustrated any one challenge or test made us feel we made it through it! Know in your heart we are and will never be perfect. But believe in your heart you did your best and that is all we can ask of anyone or ourselves. This continual knowledge and perspective is what should empower us this coming year, “If I made it through those moments, challenges and tests, why would the upcoming ones be too challenging for me, too difficult to pass, too heavy of a cross for me to bear?” I believe that understanding and acknowledging we will be tested, understanding and acknowledging we will get through it, is based on our faith and trust in ourselves and in God’s plan for us and that is what will give us peace in this coming year. I pray that you all had a safe and blessed New Years and may this year be the best year for us all! peace & God bless  tjd  

Sunday Morning - “Happy New Year”

Good morning, happy Sunday and Happy New Year!

I read this prayer awhile back:

“Each morning there is a gift on my pillow, waiting to be unwrapped. As soon as I open my eyes I see it-a bright new day has dawned. The best thing about this gift is that I get to make it whatever I choose.”

We can all apply that to the start of this New Year. We all start with the same thing, a chance: a chance to embrace who we are, a chance to look back and see what we did well and what we didn’t do so well in the past and a chance to pick that which we are and be that this coming year.

Knowledge is power and the power we all own is the fact that if we are here, we made it through every challenge and test of last year. No matter how frightened, scared, alone, depressed, or frustrated any one challenge or test made us feel we made it through it!

Know in your heart we are and will never be perfect. But believe in your heart you did your best and that is all we can ask of anyone or ourselves. This continual knowledge and perspective is what should empower us this coming year, “If I made it through those moments, challenges and tests, why would the upcoming ones be too challenging for me, too difficult to pass, too heavy of a cross for me to bear?”

I believe that understanding and acknowledging we will be tested, understanding and acknowledging we will get through it, is based on our faith and trust in ourselves and in God’s plan for us and that is what will give us peace in this coming year.

I pray that you all had a safe and blessed New Years and may this year be the best year for us all!

peace & God bless

 tjd

 

Posted in Sunday Morning Message | 1 note
permalink Sunday Morning - “Merry Christmas” Merry Christmas Dear Ones… It’s been an eventful year to remember, I’ve been busy loving all of you January through December… I loved you all year long, every single minute, My world has been a better place because you have been in it… I loved you doing homework, playing games and making friends, Like your mother’s list of things to do, my love never ends… I loved you at your workplace, at your home and at the store, When you were too busy to love me back, I loved you all the more… I loved you when you came to me in quiet thoughtful prayer, And when you shared the gifts God gave you, showing others how you cared… When your faith was strong and steadfast and you glorified my name, Even when you doubted me, my loved stayed the same… When you were anxious and afraid and your faith was challenged by fear, You thought I wasn’t listening, but I was ever near… When you were hurting and wondering if I was ever going to ease your pain, I was right there hurting with you, and there my love remains… I loved you all day long and when you couldn’t sleep at night, In your darkest hour it was my love that gave you light… I gave you peace and patience when you couldn’t find it on your own, I was your companion in times of change, so you wouldn’t feel alone… I loved you every where you went, en every situation, When you sinned and when you resisted that temptation… Sometimes you blessed my heart with songs and praise and joyful laughter, I loved you long before those times and I will love you ever after… As you celebrate my birthday now and a bright new year begins, Please remember I came that night to save you from your sins… My love, it stretches far and wide. There is no place it wouldn’t go, From the manger to the cross and beyond, I’ve always loved you so… It is my deepest desire to be a part of all you say and do, And for you to know how much I treasure my relationship with you… So let’s keep in touch throughout the year and let us not drift apart, I’ll keep you wrapped in my loving arms, please keep Me in your loving heart…  - author unknown Merry Christmas to all & to all… have a great day! :-) peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Merry Christmas”

Merry Christmas Dear Ones…

It’s been an eventful year to remember,

I’ve been busy loving all of you January through December…

I loved you all year long, every single minute,

My world has been a better place because you have been in it…

I loved you doing homework, playing games and making friends,

Like your mother’s list of things to do, my love never ends…

I loved you at your workplace, at your home and at the store,

When you were too busy to love me back, I loved you all the more…

I loved you when you came to me in quiet thoughtful prayer,

And when you shared the gifts God gave you, showing others how you cared…

When your faith was strong and steadfast and you glorified my name,

Even when you doubted me, my loved stayed the same…

When you were anxious and afraid and your faith was challenged by fear,

You thought I wasn’t listening, but I was ever near…

When you were hurting and wondering if I was ever going to ease your pain,

I was right there hurting with you, and there my love remains…

I loved you all day long and when you couldn’t sleep at night,

In your darkest hour it was my love that gave you light…

I gave you peace and patience when you couldn’t find it on your own,

I was your companion in times of change, so you wouldn’t feel alone…

I loved you every where you went, en every situation,

When you sinned and when you resisted that temptation…

Sometimes you blessed my heart with songs and praise and joyful laughter,

I loved you long before those times and I will love you ever after…

As you celebrate my birthday now and a bright new year begins,

Please remember I came that night to save you from your sins…

My love, it stretches far and wide. There is no place it wouldn’t go,

From the manger to the cross and beyond, I’ve always loved you so…

It is my deepest desire to be a part of all you say and do,

And for you to know how much I treasure my relationship with you…

So let’s keep in touch throughout the year and let us not drift apart,

I’ll keep you wrapped in my loving arms, please keep Me in your loving heart…

 - author unknown

Merry Christmas to all & to all… have a great day! :-)

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Two Horses”   Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing…. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.  This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.  As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray. When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.  Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need..  Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way…. Good friends are like that… You may not always see them, but you know they are always there..  Please listen for my bell and I’ll listen for yours, and remember…  Be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. - Author Unknown peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Two Horses”

 

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing….

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. 

This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. 

As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell. 

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.. 

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way….

Good friends are like that… You may not always see them, but you know they are always there.. 

Please listen for my bell and I’ll listen for yours, and remember… 
Be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

- Author Unknown

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message | 1 note
permalink Sunday Morning - “Tebow” Happy Sunday! One of the many things I yell repeatedly whilst teaching my class is “Pick that which you are and be that.” It’s meant to get people thinking about what they truly want, who they are, to be specific and consistent doing it and know that we all have this one true power. Most people, including myself, struggle with this simple request. We are not sure who we are because we, our surroundings, family, friends, etc. keep changing. We get feeling comfortable in a place, then circumstances change, our perspective changes and over time what we want changes. To be comfortable in one’s own skin is a wonderful goal for anyone, yet quite difficult for many. The one person that comes to mind in this discussion is someone who I have been a fan of for a long time and even more today than ever before… Tim Tebow. He has been convicted, consistent and passionate. All of which have made me a fan of his. I went to a San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Bronco’s game with family who are HUGE Charger fans. I was upfront and honest with them. I said, “I will cheer for the Chargers but I am a Tebow fan.” Last week I watched the Broncos beat the Vikings (my team) and tweeted the same, “I am a Tebow fan cheering for the Vikings.” People have bet against him, said he couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to do any of the things he has, nor is currently doing as the Bronco’s quarterback. He wasn’t suppose to play college football, wasn’t suppose to play quarterback, wasn’t suppose to win the Heisman, wasn’t suppose to get drafted, play or EVER start as a quarterback in the NFL let alone win… He has done it all; being convicted to his faith, consistent on his path and passionate about playing and winning the game he loves. I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. What troubles me is the number of people that are against him. Whether it is because he is winning or that he is open about his faith, he is consistently critiqued for simply being himself.   “If they persecuted Me they will persecute you… for they do not know the One who sent Me.”  - John 15:19-21 “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”   - 1 John 3:13 I want to live my life convicted in my faith and comfortable in my skin and my walk with God, and pray that if I am ever disliked, critiqued or challenged as much as Tebow, that I remain strong on my path. I believe people like Tebow are in this world to show us that it will not be easy being us but he gives us all permission to let our lights shine while being ourselves wherever we are in life. peace & God bless tjd   

Sunday Morning - “Tebow”

Happy Sunday!

One of the many things I yell repeatedly whilst teaching my class is “Pick that which you are and be that.” It’s meant to get people thinking about what they truly want, who they are, to be specific and consistent doing it and know that we all have this one true power. Most people, including myself, struggle with this simple request. We are not sure who we are because we, our surroundings, family, friends, etc. keep changing. We get feeling comfortable in a place, then circumstances change, our perspective changes and over time what we want changes.

To be comfortable in one’s own skin is a wonderful goal for anyone, yet quite difficult for many. The one person that comes to mind in this discussion is someone who I have been a fan of for a long time and even more today than ever before… Tim Tebow.

He has been convicted, consistent and passionate. All of which have made me a fan of his. I went to a San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Bronco’s game with family who are HUGE Charger fans. I was upfront and honest with them. I said, “I will cheer for the Chargers but I am a Tebow fan.” Last week I watched the Broncos beat the Vikings (my team) and tweeted the same, “I am a Tebow fan cheering for the Vikings.”

People have bet against him, said he couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to do any of the things he has, nor is currently doing as the Bronco’s quarterback. He wasn’t suppose to play college football, wasn’t suppose to play quarterback, wasn’t suppose to win the Heisman, wasn’t suppose to get drafted, play or EVER start as a quarterback in the NFL let alone win… He has done it all; being convicted to his faith, consistent on his path and passionate about playing and winning the game he loves. I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. What troubles me is the number of people that are against him. Whether it is because he is winning or that he is open about his faith, he is consistently critiqued for simply being himself.

 

“If they persecuted Me they will persecute you… for they do not know the One who sent Me.”  - John 15:19-21

“Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”   - 1 John 3:13

I want to live my life convicted in my faith and comfortable in my skin and my walk with God, and pray that if I am ever disliked, critiqued or challenged as much as Tebow, that I remain strong on my path. I believe people like Tebow are in this world to show us that it will not be easy being us but he gives us all permission to let our lights shine while being ourselves wherever we are in life.

peace & God bless

tjd 

 

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Be you” I often find myself sharing the same advice to many different people, in many different situations; embrace who you are, be aware of how you feel, know it is okay and then you can start examining what you would like to work on. I often hear “I wish I didn’t feel that way” or “I wish I didn’t react that way” but what we have to realize is that we grew up in a family, in a town, at a time, in an environment that all affected who we are and how we feel, react and process things today. We are made imperfect, so we all start from the same place. We all have the time to become aware of who we are and why we feel what we feel. We may be different and on a different path from those we know, but we discover things we wish were different about ourselves. To me, becoming aware of oneself is success. Once we have knowledge of ourselves, we can then focus on changing/overcoming anything we may want to change about ourselves. I recently sent his reply to a dear friend; I care about you and truly want you to know that what you are feeling is ok to feel! At one point it your situation was really bad and that focused you. Now, you are healing and have the ability to wonder, ponder and you, like us all, are made imperfect. You would not be normal to not feel what you are feeling. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel. Then work on praying for clarity. Answers, good feelings, clarity all happen in time. Give yourself that time. Put positive thoughts (or do your best to try) into your head. Over time, you will win - as you ALWAYS have in the past.  I am right; always am when it comes to giving advice to friends (see last message). I have known you along time and have seen YOU accomplish more than most. But you have always been hard on yourself, thinking you should/could do more. Expectations lead to frustation. That is what you are feeling. Lose expectations of how you should feel, what you should or shouldn’t be doing and have/find peace simply doing your best to appreciate whatever you have “right now, in this moment” and in time this too shall pass… We will have good days and we will have bad days, moments we enjoy and moments that test our very being. If we were perfect we would never need to question, reflect, change or pray :-) peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Be you”

I often find myself sharing the same advice to many different people, in many different situations; embrace who you are, be aware of how you feel, know it is okay and then you can start examining what you would like to work on. I often hear “I wish I didn’t feel that way” or “I wish I didn’t react that way” but what we have to realize is that we grew up in a family, in a town, at a time, in an environment that all affected who we are and how we feel, react and process things today. We are made imperfect, so we all start from the same place. We all have the time to become aware of who we are and why we feel what we feel. We may be different and on a different path from those we know, but we discover things we wish were different about ourselves. To me, becoming aware of oneself is success. Once we have knowledge of ourselves, we can then focus on changing/overcoming anything we may want to change about ourselves. I recently sent his reply to a dear friend;

I care about you and truly want you to know that what you are feeling is ok to feel! At one point it your situation was really bad and that focused you. Now, you are healing and have the ability to wonder, ponder and you, like us all, are made imperfect. You would not be normal to not feel what you are feeling. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel. Then work on praying for clarity. Answers, good feelings, clarity all happen in time. Give yourself that time. Put positive thoughts (or do your best to try) into your head. Over time, you will win - as you ALWAYS have in the past. 
I am right; always am when it comes to giving advice to friends (see last message). I have known you along time and have seen YOU accomplish more than most. But you have always been hard on yourself, thinking you should/could do more. Expectations lead to frustation. That is what you are feeling. Lose expectations of how you should feel, what you should or shouldn’t be doing and have/find peace simply doing your best to appreciate whatever you have “right now, in this moment” and in time this too shall pass…
We will have good days and we will have bad days, moments we enjoy and moments that test our very being. If we were perfect we would never need to question, reflect, change or pray :-)
peace & God bless
tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message | 1 note
permalink Sunday Morning - “I love always being right” Good morning, happy Sunday & hope your Thanksgiving gave you many more reasons to be thankful! I love being right. We all do. But in one particular area, I am always right. Yes, I said it – always right. When it comes to the people that have been in my life over time and I have watched their paths, their challenges, their tests, I am never wrong… about them. I have written before about watching patterns in life and in people’s lives. None of us are truly alone and none of us are the only ones going through whatever we are going through. So, if I have been in a friend or client’s life long enough, all I have to do his look back at their past trials and whenever they are tested, I just use their past victories as the factual data to back up what I say. Hence, I am never wrong. If any of us look back on some of the scariest moments of our lives, no matter how we felt, we still made it through them. How do I know this? Because we are still here. We are here, above ground, with the ability to fight the fight everyday. We’ll know when we are done. It is quite simple; my sister Tami is done fighting her fight. We are not. If we/I have made it through all of the challenges and tests that life has laid on our paths, why would this moment, this challenge, or this test be the one that we cannot pass? If we have grown and evolved from the previous tests, we have simply been preparing for the ones in the future. With that knowledge (faith) we too shall pass this test, which will prepare us for the inevitable next one. I feel embracing this perspective will release some of the grip that life seems to have on us at certain moments in time. “He will never give you a cross to heavy to carry” Remember and I know I am right about that! peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “I love always being right”

Good morning, happy Sunday & hope your Thanksgiving gave you many more reasons to be thankful!

I love being right. We all do. But in one particular area, I am always right. Yes, I said it – always right. When it comes to the people that have been in my life over time and I have watched their paths, their challenges, their tests, I am never wrong… about them.

I have written before about watching patterns in life and in people’s lives. None of us are truly alone and none of us are the only ones going through whatever we are going through. So, if I have been in a friend or client’s life long enough, all I have to do his look back at their past trials and whenever they are tested, I just use their past victories as the factual data to back up what I say. Hence, I am never wrong.

If any of us look back on some of the scariest moments of our lives, no matter how we felt, we still made it through them. How do I know this? Because we are still here. We are here, above ground, with the ability to fight the fight everyday. We’ll know when we are done. It is quite simple; my sister Tami is done fighting her fight. We are not. If we/I have made it through all of the challenges and tests that life has laid on our paths, why would this moment, this challenge, or this test be the one that we cannot pass?

If we have grown and evolved from the previous tests, we have simply been preparing for the ones in the future. With that knowledge (faith) we too shall pass this test, which will prepare us for the inevitable next one. I feel embracing this perspective will release some of the grip that life seems to have on us at certain moments in time.

“He will never give you a cross to heavy to carry”

Remember and I know I am right about that!

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message