God's Favor

Still sitting in my pj's and drinking coffee~ I get a phone call from a good friend, "Hey... do you want to meet me for breakfast? I am on your side of town." 

"Sure~ I'll be right there!"

So I drive a very short distance~ in south Florida traffic, this alone is in my favor. I order my breakfast complete with coffee, of course.. and proceed to enjoy the meal with my friend and her kids.  Then the bill comes, and the waitress takes off to serve other customers.  My meal is absent from the bill.  The waitress was so busy.... As it turns out~ I ate on God's favor this morning.  :-)

Owning God's Favor

    So today started out rocky~ I just had THAT feeling.  You know THAT FEELING, right?! The feeling can change with my circumstances, but it always comes back to fear.  Today it was fear of losing what I have, a.k.a. financial instability.  It is very likely (given my current circumstances) that I will be visiting a credit counselor to try and get into the solution.  But I am not ready~ at least not right at this moment.  So I remembered what the book suggested, simply have faith that God has more in store for me than I can imagine... my only responsibility for today is to believe that.  So I attempted to believe all day~ I thought about when my next paycheck was due... and wondered how I was going to juggle the money to cover all basis.  I did my best to believe.  Then early this evening I checked my email.  I actually get one more paycheck this calendar year~ I had my days mixed up.  I am so grateful that I will be able to make my bills this month!  Is this the belief that Joel Osteen writes about? 
   Later I took to the bubble bath and began to read the next chapter titled, "Living Favor Minded". Osteen wrote about the power of changing my thinking by believing that because I am child of God, I am granted favor.  It kinda sounded strange, but I kept reading.  He says that people will suddenly want to help you when you proclaim that you have the favor of God.  As I read, I realized that there have been times when "coincidentally" good things happen out of the blue. One of Vince's favorite sayings is, "There are no coincidences".  His philosophy is congruent to this chapter. I think it was this favor that brought me to check my school email when I did.  I chose to have a whole day of mental suffering~ then God put it in my mind to check my email ( I had NO plans of even thinking about school for another week.) As soon as I saw the email regarding my last check of 2009~ relief came over me.  And now I know that the whole situation was an example of God favoring me.... but first letting me suffer out of my will.
   You know, the thing that gets me... is that I know- that I know -that I know it always works out in the end.  After all, I'm here now, right?  So I really want to change my thinking.  I need to understand that good things can happen just as easily as bad things.  On my own, it's an equal possibility for both~ but with God's favor~ what do you think? Kinda sounds like a silly question, huh?

Old Patterns Vs. Change For The Better

    It's amazing~ literally right after proclaiming that I will try a new way of living and thinking... the negative mind took over!  I had a rough day yesterday~  And trust when I tell you that the MIND is NOT interested in changing a thing!  I heard Earnie Larson once speak on this subject. He discussed the subconscious mind's main desire is to maintain a sense of "normal".  He further explained that "normal" is not necessarily "healthy".  What you observe~ you practice~ what you practice you become~ and what you become has consequences.  It's going to take time and determination to change my "normal" way of thinking.  It's a habit and habits will fight to the death!

   I read further in Osteen's book.  He discussed reprogramming my mind to expect more from My Higher Power.  He talked about how much My Higher Power wants to give me~ but I sabotage this by having incredibly low expectations.  This concept was illustrated by an American golfer who visited the king of Saudi Arabia.  Upon leaving his country, the king expressed to the golfer that he wanted to give him a gift as a remembrance of their time together. The golfer argued for a few minutes telling the king it wasn't necessary.  Finally, seeing how important it was to him, the golfer told the king he could send him another golf club for his private collection. A few weeks later~ the golfer got a registered letter from the king~ there was a deed to a golf course in America. Osteen explained that the golfer was limiting his thinking~ expressing that a KING thinks differently than an average person~ if an ordinary king thinks and gives gifts on THAT level..... imagine what my Higher Power can do if I open my mind to what can be.... instead of limiting my expectations to what is.

Today I Plant The Seed

I've spent the last few years chasing serenity. I've found it a couple of times~ and this is where my hope begins.

I've learned that I am most content when helping others find relief from their own personal hell. We all have it~ some are more willing to ask for help than others. I do not judge, for I was once in that place called Denial.

Last week I once again picked up Joel Osteen's book, Your Best Life Now, and began to read. My finances are at a lifetime low and my job as a teacher looks bleak as far as an immediate raise, or having my status as a National Board Teacher further rewarded by the Broward County Powers That Be....

Well today I refuse to remain a victim of circumstance. Today, I choose change to cultivate a plant of enlarged vision.

I've learned through my experience in 12 step recovery, that as long as I choose to be a victim, I will not experience the life that my Higher Power has available for me.

By nature, I am the "someday" person that is described in the introduction.

Someday I will be happy.
Someday I will have financial freedom.
Someday I will worry less.
Someday...

I am sure you get the idea. Well, today I choose to enlarge my vision. I will begin to expect better, not because I deserve it, but because my Higher Power desires it for me.

This blog will help me. I will be accountable to record my thoughts and attitude here. Today I begin with a prayer from the book...

"Thank you, Father God for YOU are fighting my battles for me. I thank you that YOU are going to show me some of YOUR immeasurable, far and beyond favor."