Inspiring!!

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS:

Taken from the following website I included in the previous post to click on is an incredible analogy....just so heart warming!

The all important ingredient is focus and an attitude of trust in the Lord.

The following is one of the best illustrations I know of the importance of keeping a focused and right attitude:

The colorful, nineteenth-century showman and gifted violinist Nicolo Paganini was standing before a packed house, playing through a difficult piece of music. A full orchestra surrounded him with magnificent support. Suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung gloriously down from his instrument. Beads of perspiration popped out on his forehead. He frowned but continued to play, improvising beautifully.

To the conductor’s surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Now there were three limp strings dangling from Paganini’s violin as the master performer completed the difficult composition on the one remaining string. The audience jumped to its feet and in good Italian fashion, filled the hall with shouts and screams, “Bravo! Bravo!” As the applause died down, the violinist asked the people to sit back down. Even though they knew there was no way they could expect an encore, they quietly sank back into their seats.

He held the violin high for everyone to see. He nodded at the conductor to begin the encore and then he turned back to the crowd, and with a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and shouted, “Paganini . . . and one string!” After that he placed the single-stringed Stradivarius beneath his chin and played the final piece on one string as the audience (and the conductor) shook their heads in silent amazement. “Paganini . . . and one string!”²⁷ (And, I might add, an attitude of fortitude.)

Swindoll goes on to say:

This may shock you, but I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-do-day basis is my choice of attitude . . . Attitude is that “single string” that keeps me going or cripples my progress . . . When my attitudes are right, there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

Yet, we must admit that we spend more of our time concentrating and fretting over the strings that snap, dangle, and pop--the things that can’t be changed--than we do giving attention to the one that remains, our choice of attitude.²⁸

For the Christian, however, we are not talking about just a positive attitude. We are talking about an attitude that comes from a heart focused on God and that trusts in Him.

think about this, probe, look at your life and evaluate your attitude to everything! In evyerhting we do, we can make a difference.

What difference are YOU going to make.

Listening to:

Jon foreman cure for pain
Phil Wickham I have decided to folow Jesus

Much Love,

Liv

blabber

As I sit here in a coffee shop and wonder about life. I watch around me the people and interactions they have. I have to question the guy that works here, he is so happy and full of life and to every person he serves a drink to they smile and laugh. He brings such happiness to strangers faces with his spunk and style of serving coffees. I wonder if he knows our great God? People like him make me smile, to know that throughout the day that a random stranger behind a counter can make you smile from his random personality of smiles and love he has as he serves coffee. A true servants heart. I know of another lady at a café at school. I delight in her personality. Each time I buy something from the café. She smiles and is happy every time, I can’t think of any time I didn’t go in that she was rude or unhappy. She is such a joy to talk to and you can tell she really cares and loves life. I wonder what is under the surface for her. If underneath her smiles if there is hurt? What is her life like? I couldn’t imagine it being bad but people these days are so good at hiding behind their smiles. I am one of those people that with my personality I can easily suppress things and choose to fill the void in life with laughter and happiness that can sometimes be a show so people can’t see my hurt. Why is it that we are so scared to be vulnerable sometimes?

I think because when we are truly vulnerable we feel naked. We feel that we are exposed and it is scary. We wonder if people really knew our deepest things that we would not be accepted or that we would be treated or looked at differently. I also think that if at those moments of vulnerability the person or people you are vulnerable with, if they shut you down or you open up and they leave you with your words; you develop this unconsciousness to not reveal what your really thinking because of that one time you were shut down when you were open and raw with people.

My heart goes out to you.

I know the pain of opening up and feeling left to dry out. I know the feeling of not wanting to open up again because of fear of hurt or not being loved. I encourage you to open up and be able to love and say what you want to say without having to be loved back. To bring the meaning of vulnerable to a whole different level. To break free from it to find freedom. For God to be that comfort in time of feeling alone and not heard.

I won’t lie, I still struggle with being vulnerable.I am learning things about that myself that I am noticing to be careful of. Not because they are horrible but because I focus so much on others that I sometimes forget me. I'm too afraid of hurting others. I like to carry their burdens for them and be that shoulder to lean on. To be honest I could go for a while without thinking about me because I love people and I love loving on them. I’m a people pleaser. I love pleasing people and not letting people down. I love making people happy when they are sad and reaching out to the broken hearted. Often times I find it easier to reach out to those that are strangers and show them love than my own family. I’m not sure if that is because there is hurt around family. Also the whole issue of vulnerability scares me. I’m not sure but I know that I’m continually working on breaking free from vulnerability.

My definition of Vulnerable:

To be able to love and not be loved back

this is truely an awesome read if you have the time CLICK :)

some words that are inspiring I have come across:

*glory in God rather than in people.

* A believer’s greatest strength is focus, dependence and faith in the Lord, but this is also his greatest place of vulnerability.

*Defeat will always follow Victory!

*1 Corinthians 10:12 So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.

Much Love,
Liv