Joy, Peace and Contentment Are Mine!

20 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Contentment, Faith, God, Gratitude, Joy, Peace

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When I give my attention to the still, silent world around me in the early pre-dawn hours, I hear the most beautiful and unique bird songs! When I open my window coverings in time to see the sun rising, sometimes I get the most vibrant show of color even for only a few fleeting moments. When I smile at a stranger, often I’m rewarded with one in return. When I await the few geese that fly over my house each morning, I feel a familiarity with their routines. When I water my plants, I take on a sense of caring which enables me to nurture and to tend to them. When I look out upon the landscape throughout the day, I am rewarded with the sights of animals and nature going about their business. When I go to church on Sunday, I find a communion with other joyful believers which feels like a community of which I am a part. When I seek, often I find! And when I spend my first few minutes of consciousness both morning and night in prayer, with His Word and in my purposeful gratitude, I can realize the world and my life not as one driven solely by despair, discomfort or disquietude. Instead, I am rewarded with the most amazing peace of mind, heart and body! What a joy it is to know that no matter what comes my way, God has given me enough within to overcome what I must and to be grateful for what I have! Just by focusing my mind, my heart and spirit upon that which brings me joy, peace and contentment, I change my whole life’s perspective. Life is happening all around and often times, it is chaotically prescribed and dosed. But that doesn’t mean I have to dwell in the chaos or fill my soul with it! The choice as to what and to whom and as to how I give my attention, place my focus and expend my energy is always up to me! The world may deliver screaming, shrill distractions, it may bring moments of trauma, heartbreak or even the unimaginable; but the state of my mind and my heart is within my control. What matter fills my thoughts and my emotions is mine to decide.

The Recipes of Life . .

21 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Confidence, Faith, Lessons, Patience, Peace, Quitting

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Fortitude, Perseverance, tenacity

I am trying a new recipe this morning, and I was starting to get a bit concerned about whether or not it would work. It’s one of those with yeast, which requires a period of activation and rising to do its part. And I hope it will turn out well, but I see a parallel with life in this simple task of hoping in the yeast to do its part. Life for the most part is a series of actions, purposeful and not, which add up to some outcomes and consequences which either seem positive or negative by our appraisal. So life is just a sequence of things we hope for and changes we make when our hopes are dashed. No big deal!

Why then do we put so much emotional weight on everything we haven’t got a full grasp of control upon anyway?? Do we suppose that we’re better-fated, better-intentioned or just better than others – so that everything should go our way? Even if we’ve prayed and asked God for His favor in something, it doesn’t mean that He will agree that we’re making the right steps, moving in the right direction or are ready for whatever it is we’re looking to find, do or be! Relax; life is about starting some recipes, attempting new things, trying to make something from nothing by mixing intentions, aims and hopes all together. And if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Don’t get so discouraged because it wasn’t easy, perfect or natural for you. If you happen to get fortunate with whatever it is you are attempting, then great! But if it doesn’t work after a while and a few go-arounds, perhaps look for a new “recipe” or way to do what it is you wish to!

Don’t let the emotional weight of doing, being, making and hoping overwhelm the entire process. Life is all about the trial and error, the endeavoring and the accomplishing, learning and growing in ways you might not yet have even imagined. But don’t give up hope that you’ll either make this recipe or some other way ultimately work. Discouragement doesn’t taste as good as finding the right recipe!

Rough Seas . .

14 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Courage, Faith, Peace, Strength

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Faith, Perseverance, Strength

Life is pushing and pulling a lot of people . . rough seas ahead or already all around!
But rough seas are something in which we’ve all had to surrender, to live, to bide our time and to make our way before. They’re not new, perhaps just the reason for them is new now. It’s a new storm, a new condition, a new time of uncertainty and tenuousness. But we’ve gotten through them before, we must believe in our ability to ride these waves out too!

When life is pushing hard at us, our fears are rising, our troubles seem to be unending and our hopes are at risk of fading, what can we do? I suppose it’s easy to say this, because it’s not always easy to do this – but we can remain in faith, we can rest in God’s assurances and keep our peace regardless. But that’s impossible, you say!! “This is the storm of the century, these waves are too great . . I don’t deserve this . . this cannot be . . I’m already worn out”, and so on . . . etc., etc., etc. That’s not to diminish how heartbreaking, heart-wrenching or how frightening this storm is! It’s not to impugn our fears, worries and doubts in this event versus others or those of others. It’s not about our expectation of what should be, or about comparing what is happening now to what happened prior, or even about what might yet be. It’s not even the case that we can measure our fear, pain or trauma against anyone else’s!

We have to find a way to roll with the big waves as they come, to survive as best as we’re able; and to expect that on another random, new, seemingly sunny day, another of life’s storms will develop. And when that next storm comes, will we be fearless, peaceful, prepared and know exactly what to do?? Probably not. But with the arrival of every one of life’s storms, because of what we’ve already been through, what we’ve already overcome and what we’ve learned about ourselves, we can confidently build our strength, perseverance and survivor muscles for this storm too! Confident that we’ve ridden other storms out and survived those . . our faithfulness in God will bring us assurance that we will see better days ahead with calmer seas, so our peace is much easier to maintain whilst in those storms!

Expect life, like the sea, to change on any given day in any uncertain way. That is the nature of the beast! But give yourself some peace and give God the burden of faithfully guiding you through these rough seas ahead!

Broken Barriers . .

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Discipline, Dreams, Faith, Fear, Happiness, Inspiration, Passion, Patience, Peace

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Dreams, enthusiasm, tenacity

Every time I consider the obstacles to my imagination, my beliefs and my dreams, I remember those who truly broke through barriers of seeming common sense and plausibility with theirs! Imagine the Wright brothers lifting off the ground for the first time?! Imagine Columbus and others who dared not sail off the face of what they were told was the flat earth?! Imagine those who first took their faith to the outer reaches of space?! Imagine those who believed they could do and b…e when all the world screamed, “You’re nuts!”; when all they did was just imagine that something was possible?! Imagine all that exists now because someone believed in bigger, greater, unexpected and implausible dreams?!

So when I choose to believe in that which I cannot prove or see yet in this world . . in God, in my yet-realized dreams, in possibilities I’ve yet to conquer but imagine one day I might . . I don’t see myself as alone in all of that; but rather, I’m surrounded by those who didn’t restrict their belief or their imaginations to what is already known or already possible. I’m in great and full company when I dare to believe in much more! History is rife with examples of those overcoming to dare what seemed impossible or unlikely.

Don’t let naysayers take from you the seeds of imagination! Don’t let naysayers plant within you seeds of doubt, fear or implausibility! Don’t let anyone tell you the limits of your life, the limits of your beliefs, or the limits of your dreams! Perhaps those people trying to weigh you, your beliefs and your dreams down with their parameters of possibility aren’t as imaginative, willing, courageous or faithful as you! All those who’ve ever dared did it in spite of their own doubts, fears and self-limitations. All those who’ve ever dared, changed and/or accomplished did it in spite of the concerns, fears and limits others tried to place upon their vision!

How to Pursue With Purpose . .

20 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in aging, Change, Character, Choices, Commitment, Discipline, Faith, Inspiration, Lessons, Life, Patience, Self-Control, Wisdom

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Some things come easily, we get what we want when we want it! Other things we desire and set as goals in our lives take some time and more effort to pursue. Often in that time, we find the pressing of effort, the impediment of challenges faced and the patience required to be taxing, so we want to give up. But if we want what we say we want, wouldn’t it be worth our hunkering down to find the extra go-for-it-muscles we have within us?

If we let go of our dreams because they’re proving hard to achieve, aren’t we also letting go of our chance to discover something great within and about ourselves? Don’t we then run the risk of not having something we value and esteem as worthwhile in our lives?? It’s rare to find great things and great results easily. Usually in life, the value and worth we assign to things is higher and given more to those things which require more effort, time, endurance and even cost in obtaining. But the reason we give them value higher than any other thing is exactly because we have realized for ourselves their measure to attain and to earn exceeds all others! Were everything easy to have and to get, we would assess nothing as having any value or worth. It would all be rendered as cheap to us.

So it is with the pursuit of our goals. Were all our goals so easy to achieve and without any “cost” or effort to us, we would soon find nothing inspiring or excellent in their pursuit. It is only because we find something worthwhile, that we hunker down and pursue it with all of our ability, effort and patience! Next time you’re growing tired, while in pursuit of your goals and dreams, prior to giving up on the pursuit . . ask yourself this question: what did I find so valuable for my life in the first place upon achieving this goal? What was the perceived reward to me? If you still believe achieving a goal to be rewarding and having something to be valuable, then don’t quit on it regardless the effort, cost or time involved! Remember that it is only in those things which don’t come too easily or cheaply that value comes into your life! Worth is measured not by things which are first worthless to you – easy to have and readily available – but rather by those things which make you realize their worth in pursuit, effort and attainment! Don’t quit forever because quitting seems easier in a moment!

Having FAITH!

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Confidence, Faith, God, Inspiration, Life, Patience, Positivity

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Having faith is one thing. But having FAITH is something altogether different. Real faith is standing in absolute belief regardless what is known or unknown at any particular time. In fact, most of what is unknown shouldn’t displace faith, in the way of fear, doubt, worry, anxiety or trying to do what isn’t within our ability to do. We’re faithful when we sit in our unknown, silent, uncertain, unsure, unimaginable, dark, mysterious and unresolved present. We mustn’t rely upon our prior experiences or what has happened in the past as certain evidence of that which remains hoped for and waited upon.

Faith is like a tsunami of belief, which overcomes anything lingering and anything pending; it eliminates references to patterns from the past and ignores omens for the future. Faith isn’t what we call upon when we have a high probability that things will go as we expect, want, know or await. Faith is what we hold onto when everything seems glaringly in opposition to our very notion of belief. Faith is supported by God’s promises to us, which we find assured repeatedly in His Word. When we have knowledge of His Word, we have proof of His desires, His heart and His will for our lives.

Having FAITH is believing in God and His will. And it is in referencing the Word where we learn how to discern our will from His. He plants seeds of dreams within us, often then asking us to faithfully await the outcome of those dreams through His working in us and around us in our lives. Faith is what we require when one of many of our dreams has yet come to fruition, or when life seems difficult. And we’re always growing, changing, developing and imparting on some leg of our life’s journey towards new dreams; often times, we’re turning corners as a means of making corrections for poor choices or enhanced wisdom in our lives.

With faith, we persevere. With faith, we stand strong regardless how hard or long things take; or how little patience we might seem to have at any one moment. Faith pushes us through our impatience, beyond our perceived inability and long past our sense of what is possible! Faith opens the infinite doors of this world to us individually, so that our lives become limitless and unscripted surprises filled with potential and promise! Faith is the key. With just a little faith, we can sort of imagine plenty; but with a lot of faith, we can realize the unimaginable and endless potential as well as all the promise that life holds!

Master faith, regardless how easy it becomes to let the past talk you down the mountains you want to climb. Practice faith, in spite of how hard life becomes while you’re waiting for your dreams to come to fruition! Don’t quit on that which God plants in your life. If He plants the seeds of dreams within you, trust Him to give you the ways and means to make those things come to reality! Have faith, oodles of it! Faith is affirming your belief in God, His will and His ability, not yours!

The Muscles of Courage

04 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Character, Choices, Confidence, Conquering Fear, Courage, Faith, Fear, Integrity, Lessons

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Our world takes great courage to live! I suspect it always has. These times are not meant for the shrinking violets, who only utilize their courage muscles when the grass is green, the rains fall gently and everything is going their way! These times are meant for those who look into the vast, darkened expanses of the unknown and the uncertain – fearful – yet conditioned by their own courage to face them. We are truly nothing if we succumb to every emotion which we might feel, such as fear; or if we walk away from every challenge and believe ourselves unworthy of every effort. We are tougher than we know, as we haven’t faced all of our challenges yet! Fear, and all the other emotions which prompt us to retreat in life, is just like the monster which hid under our bed as children. We had to learn to make our peace with that monster by facing our fears, or we wouldn’t have had much sleep!

It is no different as we age; we must face our fears or let them rule the vast unseen spaces of our life with monster force! Courage is the most necessary tool we have in our inner arsenals to face life, at all times. Without it, we become enslaved to the uncertainty and unknowns of life at almost every turn; because we are slaves first to our own fearful thoughts and emotions when we encounter those types of situations. With courage, we not only learn how to feel fear, but we develop muscles which allow us to press through those feelings! Courage is the belief that what lies under the bed is not nearly as scary to us, as the sense of lying in our beds safely and comfortably is great for us! Courage is going out into the world, uncertain and seemingly fearful of whatever danger and unknown awaits us; but believing that going out is worth doing so nonetheless!

What lies on the other side of our fears, because we have courage and faith, is the reward for standing strong in the face of our fears. Like any muscle, courage developed within us, gives us the strength, the ability and the assurance to look even our worst fear in the eye and defeat it with faith and confidence! But that comes only when we continually exercise those muscles of courage we have within us! Truly courage, like all of our muscles, must be used or lost!

Walking By Faith . .

13 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Attitude, Choices, Commitment, Faith, Wisdom

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I don’t think we can endeavor to be walking by faith too much these days! The world itself is our constant and daily reminder. This world is of sin, this is the fallen world. This world itself cannot offer us of peace of mind, contentment in our soul or rest for our spirit. This world has its true beauty and its genuine sources of joy, even moments of peaceful surrender; but this world cannot offer us a

ny lasting measure of inner bliss unless we create it there within for ourselves. We have to learn the art of walking by faith towards the unknown, in a state of purposeful peace regardless what happens around us or even to us, for the sake of our own contentment; so that we might dwell in bliss whenever possible.

Our bliss, our happiness and our peace are not to be made contingent upon the world’s condition or the state of things, or the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Our state of bliss cannot be found in the actions of others, what they’ll do or say, or in the way we’re treated. Our state of bliss, like a necessary tether of faith to more than this world, ensures that we don’t allow ourselves – our very souls and spirits – to suffer too much in this world. When we have faith in our purpose for being, when we put faith in our knowledge of who we are as spirits in bodies with souls, living in a fallen world of sin, we then know to put faith in more than our emotions and our feelings regarding all that we are and all that we must endure!

Faith is a lifeline; it’s a tether by which we walk through the perilous and the pleasurable, in the storms and in the midst of the calm, whether we’re in battening-down mode or able to jump freely for joy. Faith is what will keep us at peace, mindful of our contentedness, ever resting in some measure of gratitude-based joy from within! Nothing of this world can be the fomenter of our true peace, contentment and joy; therefore we must be the purposeful and practiced creators of our own peace, contentment and joy

all from within! And faith is the key.

Tethering with faith to a Greater source of life’s affirming worth by accepting our role in it and by assuring our infinite value for our journeys is the key! This world is fallen, but faith reminds us that there is much more than this! Walk in faith, in each and every step.

Its A Chance For Discovery…

29 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Character, Choices, Ethics, Faith, Fullness, Gentleness, Happiness, Inspiration, Integrity, Joy, Kindness, Life, Love, Wisdom

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ATear-25

Remember today as you go out into the world of discovery, that some souls might be fragile, heartbroken, saddened in grief, feeling fear or suffering in some other way. Inside, they may be impacted by events in which we haven’t any knowledge or awareness, nor for which we see any obvious signs externally. We might not know exactly what others are enduring, but we can be compassionate in our journey, kind in our steps thus giving others respect, patience, our love & our best first so that if they’re suffering in some way, we seem to them to be safe waters in their already stormy lives.

I remember the days right after my father died unexpectedly so many years ago . . I was feeling so vulnerable and broken that I felt I was operating at a different speed than the rest of the world, into which I had to venture out routinely, especially since it was fairly close to Christmas. But when I encountered – amidst the busy-ness and frenetic pace – kind people with loving hearts and gentle smiles, I felt somehow safer and less fragile.Being kind, compassionate, gentle, patient and loving isn’t always easy and sometimes seems in opposition to the events of our day and perhaps even our moods as a result, but we truly never know what others are enduring! We should endeavor to give the world our best for one day it might be us who needs theirs in return.

We should endeavor to give the world our best for one day it might be us who needs theirs in return. And we should try to see and to believe the best of others because we don’t know their full story. What might seem standoffish to us, may be someone trying to hold themselves together for the sake of not breaking down!s fragile. Being kind, compassionate, gentle, patient and loving isn’t always easy and sometimes seems in opposition to the events of our day and perhaps even our moods as a result, but we truly never know what others are enduring!

These are the fruits of our spirit from Galatians 5:22-23, nine things in which we already are amply endowed, may we practice them today and everyday when we meet one another as strangers or even as friends: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Positivity – Miss Goody Two Shoes!!!

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Cheryl Ries in Change, Character, Faith, Fullness, Gentleness, Happiness, Life, Love, Peace, Romance

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Positivity!! Maybe I try too hard, maybe I want to see things through rose-colored lenses too much or too often, perhaps I am too hopeful a romantic – stopping to smell almost every rose and listen to every bird’s song. I am all those things, wanting not to change to fit for negativity’s sake nor for the hope of fitting in with those who snipe, constantly complain or bitterly engage with others.

I’m the product of a lifelong struggle to not be beaten down by life, so why should I let it do that now? Life is a once-around kind of thing, there’s no do-overs once it’s done. There are infinite do-overs during life, but in this one lifetime I don’t want to choose to live in a pessimism of spirit and soul.

How is it that we have so much in us and near us all of our lives, and yet we grow to faithfully believe in so little, especially ourselves or our own dreams? Perhaps someone would argue that being a realist precludes dreaming, that dreaming is the act of a person deluded and out of touch with reality. I guess that could be said, especially by those who’ve given up their dreams or on life itself.

It’s not enough, however, to change my heart or my mind. I’m going to stay focused on trying hard with faith; viewing life with a grateful heart because I see, feel and know blessings for which I haven’t any explanation! I’m not going to stand in anyone else’s footprints of pessimism because for me, there is simply too much abundance all around me and too many miracles evident to give up on dreaming.

Call me a fool, I don’t care. I’m here every day hoping with faith, believing in earnest, loving without end & endeavoring to make things even more as I see them – positive, hopeful, worthy of all my efforts. If this makes me a goody-two-shoed, rose-colored-glasses-wearing, beacon of faith & hope, then so be it! That’s what I want to be!

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Category Archives: Faith

Joy, Peace and Contentment Are Mine!

The Recipes of Life . .

Rough Seas . .

Broken Barriers . .

How to Pursue With Purpose . .

Having FAITH!

The Muscles of Courage

Walking By Faith . .

Its A Chance For Discovery…

Positivity – Miss Goody Two Shoes!!!