Perfect Love Casteth Out All Fear

As I was reading this morning and read the phrase that "pure love casts out all fear," it practically jumped off the page. I have a sticky note on my desk that says, "what would I do today if I had no fear?" Fear is a thief. It steals our personal power, and keeps us bound by our own insecurities. The core of every insecurity is one of four things. Fearing what others might think of us, fear of not being loved, fear of failing, and feeling unworthy of love, and the abundance God has for us. Pure  love, loving ourselves as Christ  does, gives us us  the personal power to live our truth no matter what others think. Being pure love cancels out judgement which allows us to love ourselves and others and us to feel others love for us.  It  allows us to believe in ourselves while allowing us to make mistakes and learn from them as we strive to reach our goals and do hard things. Last the pure love of Christ gives us pure knowledge that there is nothing that we have to do, prove, or be, to be worthy of his love. It allows us to live a life of faith and gratitude which makes life truly abundant!

Life Lessons at 45

Life Lessons at 45

1.     What every human being wants more than anything else is to be loved and accepted just the way they are.  We can always be more than we are, but to know the way we are at the moment is enough to those we love is a priceless gift.

2.     If you think it is your spouses, Gods, or anyone else responsibility to make you happy you will always be disappointed. Happiness comes from within.

3.     Never underestimate the difference that you make in someone’s life.

4.     Living in faith is a lot less stressful than living in fear.

5.     Be in the now. Living in the past only brings regret, and living in the future only brings anxiety and discontentment.

6.     It's a lot easier to get answers from my Heavenly Father when I actually take the time to listen with an open heart.

7.     Living the gospel is like taking piano lessons.  All God expects from us to practice it every day. Some days practice goes better than others, but as long as we don't quit we will always improve over time. Whether we are skilled enough to play in Carnegie Hall isn't important. It's growing in love and admiration for the teacher and the music to the point that we practice because we want to, not because we have to that matters in this life and the next.

8.     It is through our trials that we become more Christ like because it gives us understanding and empathy for others. Empathy creates charity for others and charity is the pure love of Christ.

 9.   The less you criticize and judge, and the more you love, serve, forgive,  let go of the past, and love, others AND YOURSELF the happier you will be.   

Gods Crayon Box

 God’s Crayon Box

by Janette VanLeer

I sat at my desk one day

feeling lonely, sad, and depressed.

My heart was aching, my shoulders heavy,

and my life seemed to be a great big mess.

I cried out, “God, what is the point, why am I here?”

“Is there a purpose I’m on this earth?”

“I feel so small, insignificant, unimportant,

and of very little worth.”

Sitting on my desk was a box of crayons

full of colors of every different hue.

I sat and stared at them,

wondering what I should do.

Is there more to life than what I can see?

Do I really matter?

Is there a part for me to play?

I am sick of feeling so beaten and so battered!

I took out the green and drew some grass,

and blue to shade the sky.

I added a yellow circle for the sun,

and purple became a mountain, majestic and high.

Then, I drew circles with purple, blue, and orange,

nestled within the blades of grass,

and created a beautiful meadow of flowers.

I began to see at last.

 Each and every single crayon in my box

is beautiful and unique.

And, its individual color

plays its own part, making my drawing complete.

But only when they get out of the box,

and are willing to do their part,

can they add their essence to my drawing

and complete my work of art.

God’s plan, I began to see,

is for me to understand and know

that the trials I was experiencing

were there for me to grow.

For each and every one of us

is precious in His sight,

and all He asks of each of us

is to learn and share our light.

He has blessed each one of us

with gifts and talents that are divine.

We fulfill the measure of our creation

when we let them shine.

I know that each and everyone

is a color in God’s grand design.

And if we will trust and let Him guide us

He will create a masterpiece in time.

Happiness Is More Than A Choice

     These last few weeks I have had two experiences with two dear friends that have changed my belief about what it takes to be happy. In the many self help books I have read the underlying message is that you are as  happy as you choose to be.  While I agree that mindset plays a big role it has become very clear that the kind of happiness that is long lasting and is accompainied by peace takes and added ingredient and takes more than just changing your mind set.
      Both of these friends have had, and are currently experiencing great trials in their life. But, as I was listening to a talk given by one friend in church he said that this was the best December he has ever had. As he said it you knew he was happy and at peace. While having a conversation with the other friend she was telling me how unhappy she was and how she feels like life  has treated her unfairly.  As I was pondering my experiences with both of these dear friends I wondered what made the difference. Why was one happy and the other miserable, when they both were experiencing hard things?  Boom! It  hit me like a ton of bricks. My friend that is happy, it is obvious that he has a close relationship with God and Jesus Christ.  Instead of being angry over his circumstances he has chosen to be submissive to Gods will.  This has brought him great peace. My friend that is miserable frequently asks the question, "Why me?".  She has some anger towards God for her circumstances and feels that life hasn't been fair. I don't want to make this person out to be a bad person. She is a sweet, kind person.  But struggles in putting her trust in the Lord and choosing to create a strong relationship with God and the Savior.  

     So what did I learn from this? What is the secret to happiness? What made the difference in one friend being happy despite his trials and the other one being miserable because of them.  The degree that we know God and Jesus and allow their love to work miracles in our lives is the degree that we will be happy and have peace.

Just BE

 JUST “BE”

By Janette VanLeer

Be ye therefore perfect is Gods command to me

It seemed quite overwhelming till I came to understand the “BE”

I realized that everything I desire is found,
when I just "BE" simple blessings abound.

For when I quiet my ego minds incessant chatter,

and live from the essence of my spirit and what really matters,

I "BE” faith, for God is always there to help me out,

and I shift from a state of fear or doubt.

 I “BE” unconditional love and receive all the love that God hast.

Then judgment of others and myself becomes a thing of the past.

I “BE” charity, serve others,  for God always fills my cup.

 I quit feeling sorry for myself and that I will never measure up.

I “BE” hope and I find the strength to continue smiling.

I am no longer discouraged and wonder why I keep trying?

I “Be” obedient, submissive and peace comes to stay.

I let go of stubbornness and doing things my way.

Sometimes I forget and I feel turmoil, pain, and stress

My ego mind takes over and life feels like a big mess.

But when I am humbled and drop to my knees

My answer from God is always to “BE”.

To “BE” and live each day from my essence,

I make wise decisions and can “BE” in Gods presence.

My spirit is radiant for I have the pure love of Christ.

To live and just “BE” really is the spice of life.

I Am A Pumpkin!

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I recently got a cute e-mail from my sister that compared us to a pumpkin with God as the Master carver.  It began with the question, “What is it like to be Christian?”  Then it went on to say that being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the pumpkin patch opens you up and begins to scoop all the yucky stuff out of you. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside you for all the world to see.

 When we really love and trust God enough to turn our will over to Him then  he will help us scoop out all the slimy stuff inside that isn’t serving us like  fear, judgment, bitterness,  guilt, sadness, low self worth,  jealousy, heartache, stubbornness and pride. It is through his love and our willingness to follow him that our fear turns into faith, and judgment turns into unconditional love, and bitterness and guilt turns into forgiveness, and sadness and heartache turns into peace, and low self-worth turns into wholeness, and stubbornness and pride turn into humility.   

Then we through what ever our talents, and spiritual gifts, are will fulfill our ultimate purpose on the earth which is as Matthew 5:16 says to: 

The Mysteries of the Heart

 

Please watch this 2:34 minute video on the Mysteries of the Heart

(If the above video does not show up in your e-mail 

please click on the title of this blog to learn the 

powerful role your heart plays in your life.)

Every day, every moment of the day we are experiencing emotions. As you saw in the video science is discovering that these emotions originate in the heart and then are processed by our brain. Whether these emotions are positive or negative greatly affect our life, health, and those around us.  Positive emotions create peace and harmony in our lives, proven by the even smooth rhythm of our heart beat. Negative emotions create havoc, stress, and unrest in our lives proven by the irregular chaotic heart beat. The emotions that we carry in our heart also greatly affect our energy field and what we are putting out and getting back from the world. This is also called the Law of the Harvest or Karma.

Many times we are not even aware of the negative energy we carry because we have lived with it for so long that it feels comfortable. All we know is that we are unhappy and unfulfilled in life. Many times it was created from events that happened even as long ago as your birth.  I realized that part of the reason I struggled so much with self worth is because my mom became pregnant with me when she was 47 years old and was  not happy about it.  I spent 9 months in the womb knowing that I wasn't wanted.  Then from that point on every time something negative would happen in my life it would validate and subconsciously add a brick to my wall of feeling unimportant, not enough, and less than.  My head would constantly be telling me that no matter how hard I try I will never be good enough, that my husband really couldn't love someone like me, that I was a horrible mother, that I am a failure, that it doesn't make a difference whether I am here or not, that life isn't fair.

  Take a moment and get in touch with the thoughts and mental chatter that plays in your head.  Is it positive or negative? Does it make you feel good about yourself and create peace in your heart, or does create overwhelm, feelings of not being enough, anger, bitterness, or a pity party? Are your thoughts creating positive or negative Karma?


There are many ways  to heal and create more positive emotions. One of the biggest is to live in a state of gratitude, recognizing and focusing on the abundance and blessings in our life instead of the problems. Forgiveness is also a huge tool of healing.  When we hold onto grudges, resentment, and bitterness, it hold us hostage and keeps us in bondage from experiencing peace and joy. Letting go of judgement and being charitable, which is seeing ourselves and others thru the pure love of Christ. This means that we look for and focus on the good in ourselves and others, which when you think about it is a great way to serve mankind.

What negative emotions are you tired of feeling and are ready to release? What positive feelings do you want instead? Take a moment and write down any negative emotions you have experienced today and then beside them write the opposite positive emotion. Ask God to help you learn how to create more of what you do want and less of what you don't want. Be aware of people in your life that emulate those emotions and make them your teachers.  If  you want to speed up the process schedule an energy session, I would love to help you create peace and wholeness in your life. You will be amazed at what one session can release, and how you will feel lighter and more at peace.