Building RELATIONSHIPS and Making Changes

Starting July 25th (tomorrow)
with
Pastor Rick Warren
on Daily Hope 

"One of the great tasks of life is building awesome RELATIONSHIPS." ~Rick Warren

The 10 day plan at You Version begins with "Authentic Friendships", whereas the previous Pastor Rick teaching series on Daily Hope (back in 2016) began with "Fighting for an Awesome Marriage" (parts 1, 2, 3, 4) followed by "Fighting for an Awesome Family" (4 parts) and then "Making Friends for Eternity". The next part in the Daily Hope teaching series is "What Destroys Relationships and Builds Them". For me, this is the major message that I need, since having and making healthier RELATIONSHIPS really is what I need to change and work on in my own personal life the most. Dysfunctional RELATIONSHIPS throughout my life have weighed heavily on me and my life journey, when I finally discovered that they were. So, in addition to my 365 days of daily devotions for Christians in difficult RELATIONSHIPS, entitled "Change My Relationship" by Karla Downing, M.A. (her fabulous website and You Tube channel) share invaluable information & help.

The teaching series ends with "Becoming Best Friends with God" (3 parts) which so far has been my main concern, but it's my earthly RELATIONSHIPS, which need more work (and prayer). "Positive Prayer Strengthens Your RELATIONSHIPS" is day 8 in the You Version plan - I couldn't agree more in the necessity of this. All of your RELATIONSHIPS will benefit from positive prayer and strengthen them. Even though I am far from an expert on RELATIONSHIPS, I know and have learned through God's Word (in the Bible) what I should aim toward & change. I really am not the one to explain how to build RELATIONSHIPS but I'm sure Pastor Rick will share key points. The following are the scriptures that he shares in the 10th message of the series in the message outline (pdf)- (of course, this new teaching may change or maybe it won't; we won't know until we see it) but these are the scriptures that "destroy or build RELATIONSHIPS" in his teaching notes:

 

“Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.” Rom. 12:5 (GW) “What causes fights and quarrels? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but you don’t get it.” James 4:1-2 (NIV) “Selfishness only causes trouble.” Pr. 28:25 (TEV) “Look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.” Phil. 2:4 (TEV)  “The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others – and ignoring God – harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, and eternal life.” Gal. 6:8 (Mes)  “Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.” Gal. 5:16 (Mes)   “Pride leads to arguments.” Pr. 13:10 (LB)  “Pride will destroy a person: a proud attitude leads to ruin.” Pr. 16:18 (NCV)  “First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” (Mes)  “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (GW)  “ …Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves…your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not demand and cling to His rights as God.” Phil. 2:3, 5-6 (NCV/NLT) “The fear of human opinion disables.” Pr. 29:25 (Mes) Adam: “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Gen. 3:10 (NIV)   “Love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid… it shows that His love has not been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:18 (NLT) “All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them… We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in Him. God is love … And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid…” 1 John 4:15-17 (NLT) “To worry yourself to death with resentment is a foolish, senseless thing to do.” Job 5:2 (TEV) “Since my heart was embittered and my soul deeply wounded, I was stupid and could not understand.” Ps. 73:21-22 (NAB) “Look after each other… Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” Heb. 12:15 (LB)  “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Col. 3:13 (NLT)  “Once our lives were full of resentment and envy. But then… Christ saved us – not because we were good enough to be saved but because of His kindness and love – by washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit… all because of what Jesus our Savior did so that He could declare us good in God’s eyes.” Titus 3:3-7 (LB) The Lord says, “Forget what happened before and do not think about the past. I am going to do something new… I will make rivers on dry land.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (GW)

God can turn around any RELATIONSHIP, even ones that seem hopeless. Perhaps God is showing you that this RELATIONSHIP is one that needs work; or one that you should consider leaving (due to its dysfunction) but still nothing is impossible for God; so first take the RELATIONSHIP to Him for healing or rebuilding or restoring; and let God determine the transformation needed and how you (& your mindset) may need to change, as you learn & discover healthy RELATIONSHIP standards versus the unhealthy or habitual rut that you have allowed to take root.

God is in the business or REDEEMING, RESTORING & REBUILDING our RELATIONSHIPS, because He can & He wants to establish with the right tools & plan. Your life and RELATIONSHIPS can be different. We all want a better life so key RELATIONSHIPS need boundaries and true truths and guidelines. 

"Making the Hard Changes in Me"

[Rick Warren's message on Mother's Day at Saddleback Church]

Karla Downing shares 10 RELATIONSHIP-changing Principles (which is another book I have but also available to read by following that link to her website) and then each principle for specific details. Right now, I am reading "Dealing with Dysfunctional Relationship Dynamics" and have found her Resources with Challenges & Quizzes to be so helpful as well as her many videos available. Her words of wisdom and clear teachings are just what I need - my personal licensed, Christian therapist (marriage & family) and a daily dose of her 365 devotions offer me great insights into RELATIONSHIP dynamics & possibly changes I need. It does not take long for me to find a devotion that seems to be meant just for me.

God definitely is guiding and directing this 2022 One Word RELATIONSHIPS for me - I hope and pray that your lifetime RELATIONSHIPS also are being blessed by His changing, transformative - aMazing Grace & Principles of His Love - always available, always the best, as He's building us to be better at all our RELATIONSHIPS, deepening the most important One with Him, and then all the earthly ones that He deems are in need of more work and more healing and more Godly principles! I believe both Pastor Rick Warren & Karla Downing have valuable lessons to share with us. Perhaps you'll give them a try. 

Let me know if you plan to join me either with the YV reading plan Awesome Relationships or with Pastor Rick Warren at Daily Hope. Blessings on all of you and your RELATIONSHIPS!

 

"AWESOME RELATIONSHIPS"

"AWESOME RELATIONSHIPS"

[image credit: You Version/Rick Warren]

This is not my title so I'm borrowing it to share an upcoming study in July with Pastor Rick Warren (he has done this one before in May of 2016, but is doing it again) at Daily Hope, however, I also found a 10 day sample version at You Version BUT I mostly like this title because it contains my One Word for 2022 and I hope that ALL my RELATIONSHIPS become better & more AWESOME by the time I complete this year! [This also is a book (DVD small group) by Pastor Rick, who (by the way) is retiring from Saddleback Church & has now shared his new successor.] 

[image credit:Rick Warren]

"The bedrock of every friendship is trust. It takes time and intention to create awesome relationships. In relationship we learn to be unselfish and we learn to love. Life is a laboratory for learning how to love. We crave the safety of a relationship where we are fully known. Everybody wants soul intimacy. We all long for genuine connection." (book description)

According to a daily devotional email I receive from Daily Hope, this "Awesome" study begins July 25, so I will start my You Version plan then. 

relationship (n.) 1640s, "sense or state of being related" by kindred, affinity, or other alliance, from relation + -ship. Specifically of romantic or sexual intimacy in 1944.

Since 2022 began, I have wanted to do an "etymology"of RELATIONSHIP (my One Word) but decided it was just a compound word of relation + ship so I wasn't thinking it was necessary, although I found this short version - interesting, plus the definition: 

relationship (n.) noun relationship; plural noun: relationships the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. the state of being connected by blood or marriage. "they can trace their relationship to a common ancestor" the way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave toward each other. "the landlord–tenant relationship" an emotional and sexual association between two people. "she has a daughter from a previous relationship"

Clearly, RELATIONSHIP is how we RELATE with one another. God created people to be in RELATIONSHIP with Himself and one another in friendship, marriage, family, society and the church. Yet I believe what's important in each RELATIONSHIP is that it is healthy and built on godly principles. I found this article from Christianity Today to sum this up nicely: "What Does RELATIONSHIP mean in the Bible?" and I can agree with almost entirely. From my own personal life journey, I realize that I lack much in having 'healthy RELATIONSHIPS' and I don't think I had any clear model of this except later in my observation of church family RELATIONSHIPS. I found many I respect and wished to emulate yet knew I need(ed) to discover in my own RELATIONSHIPS how God would show me to develop and not compare to others. I'm still working on this and know that it will be a continual lifetime (improvement) project - my best example is Jesus, found in His Word, with God, the Father & then unconditionally with other humans, by His Spirit (because truthfully, some RELATIONSHIPS will take the work of the Holy Spirit to be able to do this). We might get parts of it wrong so that's why we keep on working on it to develop better and healthier aspects by following after those godly principles, given by Jesus, in the Bible - His Word & basic instructions for our time on earth. Here's another good article on "what does the Bible say about RELATIONSHIPS?" I am sure that Pastor Rick's "Awesome Relationships" study starting on July 25th will share good building block material on helping us have and make our RELATIONSHIPS Awesome! Perhaps you might consider joining me in this endeavor either through the Daily Hope program (you can watch or listen online) or by reading the one at You Version (or both). I'm positive it will bless you!

God is always open to having a closer & better RELATIONSHIP with us and showing us how to do that in our earthly RELATIONSHPS with others to draw them closer to Him while making our RELATIONSHIPS more healthy and changing us so that we love more authentically and extending much grace as we do. I hope and pray (one of the best ways to connect with God) that your summer is filled with better days and better RELATIONSHIPS with one another as Jesus fills you with the fruit of the Spirit and power to accept & build godly ones. Our world is desperately in need of Jesus and His LOVE which starts with us & how we RELATE.

Wishing you a Happy 4th of July weekend! Stay safe and enjoy the freedom we have in Christ Jesus! (little by little our country has less freedoms, but that is an entirely different topic and one which brings me great sadness and concern). 

May Almighty God bless America once again, have mercy on us, and bring revival hopefully as  we repent & humble ourselves, with liberty & justice for ALL!

[*image is a snapshot from Jesus Listens, Sarah Young, p.195]

MY PRAYER FOR YOU 

this 4th of July

that everyone in your circle of love is

AWESOME

and that your celebration is

AWESOME

too

because

GOD

is so

AWESOME

*may need to remove due to copyright

{if you follow the link to Amazon, it's marked down & also has used copies, 

great book for the entire year - one of Sarah Young's best (imho)!}

 

"Fully Devoted" RELATIONSHIP

In this mid-June, when the One Good Word for the Day was "DEVOTED", I came upon this 9-part devotional reading plan provided by Life Church at You Version and decided to save it to do based on the 1st question I read in the Introduction: 

"...Are you wanting to grow in your RELATIONSHIP with God, understand the Bible better, and learn how to faithfully follow Jesus in our world today? ..."

And of course, the word 'RELATIONSHIP' just pops out at me so how could I not say :

YES! 

Followed by, on that same day, the reading I had in "The Divine Romance" from the Song of Songs:

"... I’ve made up my mind Until the darkness disappears and the dawn has fully come, in spite of shadows and fears, I will go to the mountaintop with you— the mountain of suffering love 4:6 Literally “the mountain of myrrh”—the emblem of suffering love. To become the bride, she must experience Calvary, as did her Lord. We must be his co-crucified partner who will embrace the fellowship of his sufferings. See Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:10. and the hill of burning incense. Yes, I will be your bride.  .." Song of Songs 4:6 TPT(Solomon)

Clearly, God was speaking to me ... and as my last post long ago shared: 

Enjoying Our Relationship

... although I never really mentioned how or updated about Enjoying Our RELATIONSHIP, I find myself truly trying to avoid 'doing things out of duty ..." by checking this or that off of a list-of To-Do's, and seeking to walk and talk with Him more in 'pure bliss simply' because of our RELATIONSHIP and His love for me & mine for Him, wanting to draw much closer every day this year & every year until we actually meet! So clearly, I need to be and become more FULLY DEVOTED and dive deeply into pursuing God in my RELATIONSHIP as He pursues and has since our beginning, with Him as my First Love. So I will learn & re-learn how I can be FULLY DEVOTED in our RELATIONSHIP (as He always has & is & will be faithful), I too need to be & will be better at this. 

Since I also started an online study of Ann Voskamp's book "WayMaker - Finding the Way to the Life You've Always Dreamed Of ..." at this time, I am seeing a correlation of this with our LOVE RELATIONSHIP and my desire for being DEVOTED! I don't think I can come close to explaining the connection as beautifully as Ann does (so I recommend highly reading her book) however, I sense God clearly saying "Come Let Me Love You" (chapter 3 in Ann's book also), a God-incidence, that allows me to see how intimately God continues to weave my winding life journey and show me the Way - His Way, the Way He Makes for me - He will also Make a Way for you to come closer and closer, no matter how many detours or repairs are needed, He delights when we let Him make our wrong direction right; our expectations His and even bring our thoughts & hearts in line with His. 

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NIV

[which actually comes from Deuteronomy 6:5]

"What Is a Fully Devoted Follower of Christ?  A fully devoted follower of Christ is a student of Jesus. It’s someone who loves God with all that they are—heart, soul, mind, and strength—and loves others the same way that Jesus loves us.  Loving God with all our heart means desiring God over the things of this world.  Loving God with all our soul means trusting God more than we trust ourselves.  Loving God with all our mind means knowing God personally, intimately, and deeply.  Loving God with all our strength means serving God with our very best.  Loving others the same way that Jesus loves us means loving sacrificially, selflessly, and unconditionally. The most perfect picture of Jesus’ love is His voluntary death on a Roman cross for the sake of the world. He sacrificed Himself for the good of others when we didn’t deserve it. And that is a beautiful picture of how we’ve been called to love others.  Becoming fully devoted doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time as we commit ourselves to the ways and words of Jesus every moment of every day. This journey has traditionally been called discipleship." (day 2)

I recall that the first time I decided to commit my life to following Jesus and devote my entire life to Him (and that), my prayer (of salvation, in my own mind) had those exact words from the scriptures of Deuteronomy 6:5 & Mark 12:30-31 perhaps with a small influence of the song "Day by Day": "O dear Lord, 3 things I pray: to see You more clearly, love You more dearly, follow You more nearly ... day by day". At that time and understanding in my spiritual life, I would need to do this by becoming a religious Sister (a nun) and dedicate my life to teaching, like a missionary (Sister). Although I never did take the 3 vows of a religious Sister, in many other ways, I eventually did much of this, as a sister in Christ, and now I want to be more FULLY DEVOTED to this verse to finish my life; my commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word; so after reading this day 2, it seems like the call is discipleship. I think most of my life has been, in part, a journey of discipleship in many facets and outreaches or involvement; yet I'm sure I need to develop and further my discipleship. It's a continual process in our life journey, like much of our spiritual journey is ... the Way is to follow Jesus' Way, Jesus' Truth and Jesus' Life "Day by Day" ... {sort of a "Godspell"} fixed on Jesus/God/and Holy Spirit. I want to start learning to "Be Still" and Know God (which actually is where Ann V. starts in her book, demonstrating a compass with points to show us a 'practical and transformative way of life' that is S.A.C.R.E.D. with the "S" being the Stillness to Know God. Yes, that's where I need to start and learn as I hope to live a better life DEVOTED to our WayMaker, Jesus Christ. 

Perhaps as I complete the "WayMaker" online study (book & study guide), I will know better what I will proceed to do as a FULLY DEVOTED follower of Jesus, which I've been, but at this point, I hope to deepen my RELATIONSHIP and enjoy it more completely, rather than simply checking off stuff on a to-do list. Although having a routine or discipline daily, is really part of discipleship (at least there seems to be the same root in both words of disciple). Much to do ... but remember, I am starting with STILLNESS to know God. My actual first prayer included words to God that "I truly want to know You, God, by loving, learning and living a life that serves You more and more each day from this day forward." And now, more than 50 years later, I still intend to devote myself to this, God willing, I will come closer to Jesus through renewing to my initial first love & commitment. 

{the above was a complete post, but I wanted to add that when I received RELATIONSHIPS for the One Word for 2022, I pretty much thought it had to deal with my earthly RELATIONSHIPS, however, so far I have found that my focus has been with my RELATIONSHIP with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I realize that God plays a major role in my daily life RELATIONSHIPS and has a great influence on me and thus, on them (I hope). So you can't do one without the other - or better said; since God is in control but not physically here, it is how we relate with all our earthly RELATIONSHIPS that indicates how much we love God & respect the heavenly RELATIONSHIP by how we live and love those earthly RELATIONSHIPS, which is backed up by the OT & NT scripture verses (also above) and explained well in the FULLY DEVOTED box of day 2 - Loving Others is how we tangibly show our love for God!} 

So this Father's Day, tell your heavenly Father how much He means to you & you love Him as you remember your earthly father(s) & be blessed. I know I will! Happy Father's Day, to my dad (in heaven) & yours (or the fatherly men in your life)! whether your earthly father was in your life or not, good or bad; your Heavenly Father has been there all the time, waiting for you to have a good RELATIONSHIP with Him & know Him (perhaps to help you heal any other RELATIONSHIP and forgive) - it's a good place to start! God, our Father, loves us perfectly, even if our human fathers might have failed or erred, God will not. The truth is, none of us had a perfect father. Even the best dads in the world mess up. But our Heavenly Father will never make a mistake or fail us, even if it feels that way sometimes. Your relationship with your Heavenly Father will always outshine even the best RELATIONSHIP with an earthly father."