Monthly Archives: August 2015

Aug31

August 31, 2015 nice

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“And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Good morning, DearHeart,

A friend of mine, Miss Ginny, retired recently. She has boundless energy and an exceptional knack for finding the good in every situation and every person. One day, we were talking about choices people make about how they treat others, she said, “I like nice.”

I like nice.

If I had a dime for every time that simple phrase ran through my mind now! Simple. Profound. Lasting effects. 

God’s Word pleads “be kind”. Be a relationship that helps, not hurts. Christ in the center of your circle of friends surrounds you and me with One who is admired, One you are proud to reflect. He makes all relationships brighter simply by being there. Life is too short to spend your hours with those who suck the nice-ness and kindness out of you. When you choose to free or at least limit yourself from negative and bitter types, you free yourself up to shine brighter for your Creator. 

When His kindness saturates you, you magnetically draw others to Him. The measure of His presence is like a beacon that attracts reality. . . love attracts love. . . generosity creates a generous response. Likewise, if you choose a bitter edge – your bitterness will gain momentum, and you will drown there. 

What we focus on expands, every single time. As you focus on life-affirming Christ, you will reap what you sow. I like nice.

Wake up.

Be choosey.

Go. 

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug28

August 28, 2015 renewed

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“But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language….Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”  Colossians‬ ‭3:8, 10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Good morning to you, RenewedOne,

   Do you ever feel like, as a child of the Most High, you are a renegade? Here you are, breaking new ground . . . no longer commonplace – because there is nothing common about the great gulley through which you have been called to gallivant? And, every time you roll your eyes to the heavens and say “Really, God?” you either want to kick yourself or curl up into fetal position and hope you melt into a puddle?  

   Sweets, the wild and wooly west can’t hold a candle to this patriot life . . . no google maps, no sign posts, no Starbucks. You’re so off the map GPS can’t even find you. And, then, if that’s not enough, in walks the angry antagonist who’s rush and thrill in life is to create a near-bedlam three ring circus of chaos every time you turn around. DearOne, Jesus dealt with nutcase, manic slanderers who held no regard for the brashness of their unfounded lies and guilty conscience, too. They murdered Him, yet through the process, He was renewed.

   There are times when all you can see is a midnight black sky. You feel alone and naked and empty here. But, deep down, you know this – you have never been less alone. Without the world’s dirty games and nasty noise trying to serve up psychotic direction, there is a place where you know you can finally hear the genius of your Creator.  

   Stay the course. Open to every nuance of your Father’s guiding heart, and you will find every curve of the road is leading you. Every blade of grass knows your step. He has directed every bit of sky to whisper His name to you, to clue you in. This renewal of the Almighty God in you is as mysterious as it is brilliant. Brilliant Love is drawing you closer into Him, moving you forward, rooting for you, He has invested His life into you to bring about His glory through your every move. Mmm. Take that thought in a moment. You have been chosen for this. Critical conversations are designed for your good under God’s divine guidance. There is a scent to follow. Every bird is singing something necessary to you. The wind blows to push you in the right direction, while the rain soaks you in Holy water. You are in His favor, Love. The moments you get to realize this are worth an entire lifetime, because the Holy Spirit speaks through you to be heard by ears that need Him. Everything is in your favor as long as your heart is set to learn Him, learn His ways. Really, it’s one thing to be alive. It is a whole other thing to rise from your puddle, renewed in your new nature.

Wake up. 

Choose to renew. 

Go. 

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug27

August 27, 2015 authenticity

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 “God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:13-14‬ ‭MSG‬‬ 

 Hello, RescuedOne,

My3sunz give their mom a real hard time about how much I use my favorite word… “authentic”. It makes me grin just to say the word. Here’s the deal: my walk is one-of-a-kind, just like yours. Having been rescued from the darkness, Christ has taught me that when I stay the course of His truth, and support others in doing the same with their one-of-a-kind Christ walk, I prosper in every way that peace can be delivered. 

You may be way overdue to to get your fire lit. Make a list of 5 traits about a yourself you like (if you can’t think of 5, then fill in with traits you’d hope to gain … I guarantee they are already there). 

Now, read back over your list. Pause on each long enough to feel it radiate through your body. There you go. There’s the base of where Christ is expanding in you and raising you out of a dark dungeon. Thank Him for that. Feel His power course through your veins.  

You’re ready to go. 

Wake up. 

Enjoy authenticity. 

Go. 

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug26

August 26, 2015 grooves

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“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.”  ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Hello, EmpoweredOne!

Cattle trails fascinate me. (It doesn’t take much! Haha!) 

So does the human brain. 

Here’s why: they show habits that have purpose. See, even cows create pathways that lead them to water and then, travel over time creates a groove in the earth. God created our brains very similar to a cow-trail: we do something over and over and it creates a neuropathway in our brain like a groove. These habits that groove in can be good or bad, and just as you had the power to create them, your Maker gives you the power to change them! Sometimes, He calls us to lay down new grooves. 

Bad habits have their own kind of rush and thrill. That’s why we hang on to them. But, in the end, that just locks us into victim mode. And, when you’re there victimhood is like a security blanket…except it is threadbare and has holes. It no longer has purpose and won’t keep you warm. 

What’s yours? A vice? A relationship? What’s toxic? Ask yourself … ‘Do I really need it?’ Let’s say you see others at fault for your situation, and get stuck there in blame-mode or victim mode, the reality is that we have NO control over what others choose to do in our lives … even the people we love. But, God Most High stands ready to unleash in you the power to choose how to respond. That’s the place where you reject auto-pilot mode, stop repeating the old, the negative, and take bold steps to groove new trails to new potentials. This is a good day to leap into your Light. 

Wake up.

Start a new groove.

Go.

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz 

Aug25

August 25, 2015 affliction

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“And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭30:20-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Good mornin’ QuietHeart,

I was reading about Nelson Mandela’s mindset of choosing to experience inner peace while in prison. He chose his attitude in the face of chaos, remaining still when it must’ve seemed a war was against him. Think about people you know who choose to remain loving while in the throws of adversity, or giving when they are down to nothing, or dead quiet in the face of oppression.

The rule of God Most High reining through your soul makes it possible to experience difficulty, yet hold a positive state in the process. That is what it is to rise above the things of this earth. It takes grace, a ton of determination, and well, accepting your choice to make choices. 

You can’t help what might happen to you, but it is your choice to decide how you will feel about it. 

Being able to live in peace, even a state of gratitude, when you’re in a tough place is a result of allowing your Creator to hold your Soul. It is a choice. Free will. The feeling of peace is the witness of The Teacher, to Whom you belong. 

On the flip-side, feeling like a sack of irritated worry worms is a marker that you surely need to re-adjust your trust in the God of the Universe, who created you.

Calm or anxious. Gratitude or anger. It’s your choice.

Wake up.

Quiet your soul.

Go.

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug24

August 24, 2015 practice

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“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” ‭Psalms‬ ‭37:23-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Good morning, HeldOne,

Walking through the love-grass, on cattle trails yesterday afternoon placed me right back in the center of the loving heart of God Most High. 
Walking this beat of life is not always a trail of birthday cake and balloons. This is why we practice, DearOne. For times like these … you don’t need to be able to release, until you need to release. You don’t need to be unshakable, until you need to be unshakable. You don’t need to call in your cache of kindness, or resilience, or trust, until you’ve used up everything else. 

This is why even when we are rockin’ smooth across life’s waters we make sure we are in the Word, seeking the face of God, sharing our hearts with like-hearted souls. We keep eating healthy, call our loved ones, pray for healing in the tiniest torn places. We keep close to The Almighty. 

Because, that day comes – whether your spiritual bank is empty or full, that life will strike you to your knees. You will take a hit. 

It might be a once in a lifetime tragedy, or a nagging slow leak. 

You will need to go deeper into the stores of your heart, call upon your spiritual army-the unseen fighters right in front of you – to help you rise. 

Your smooth sailing will be disturbed. And, you will need to expand by your reserves. 

This is why you and I practice – so when life says, “who are you and what are you made of?” You have your infallible answer:

“I am God’s child. Held by the Creator of the Universe. He directs my steps.”

Wake up. Practice again. Go. 

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug21

August 21, 2015 shift

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“and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town.” ‭Matthew‬ ‭10:13-14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

‘Mornin’ ShiftedOne

Have you ever been shifted? Are you being shifted this morning? A few weeks ago, I was teaching a lesson on lives that got tweaked by choices, and suddenly they found the entire projection of their lives had been “shifted”. There are many tormented souls you will bump every day, joyless and aggressively searching. Not everyone has received the help, happiness, or answers they need. Some will choose searching over receiving forever. The Creator places us together with lives that blend to draw out our gifts. You are being drawn upon, DearOne. And, the most phenomenal part is that the gifts being pulled are not for you! There is sacredness in your deep bank of originality that is meant to awaken the deep bank in others. When God Most High places His mark on you to do His work, He also places “your assigned people” in your path who are waiting for your giftedness to arrive. Being motivated by love means you are the conduit. Whether you notice or not, you are not the head of the selection committee of how others respond and react, you are simply the YOU that the Master Author writes into the story. Shake the dust off your feet and move into today’s assignment. And, someone’s life will be shifted by your call. 

Wake up. Prepare to be shifted. Go.

http://www.lewis3sunz.com

Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug20

August 20, 2015 Galactic stuff

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“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hello, Faith-filledOne,

I’m thankful to live in the country. It would shut me down to step out every morning and not be able to see the stars each day when I put my weenie dog, Ellie, out. Even with cloud cover, well- even in daylight, just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Some nights we can see thousands, even then we know there are billions more that we cannot see. I suppose then, that we are always looking at billions. We have physical limitations, so we simply can’t perceive all of the stars that are out there. A telescope would help bring into focus what has been there in the sky all along – what you are already looking at. But, distance and galactic stuff get in the way. 

Spirituality is the much same way. The Holy Spirit is at work and the naked eye deceives you. There is so much going on in your struggle that you cannot see (and in others -expansion that is meant for them, you’re just a cast member that will grow in the process, too). Hidden growth, yet-to-be revealed insights, spiritual things, eternal things. Faith. Setting your heart in the place of faith is like using binoculars on a clear night. Faith gives sight into the hidden places, tapping in to extra strength to do the impossible. 

Wake up.

Set your faith. 

Go. 

http://www.lewis3sunz.com
Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz

Aug19

August 19, 2015 gusto 

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“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels— everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him…So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.” Colossians‬ ‭1:18&20‬ ‭MSG‬‬

‘Mornin’ DearOne,

Simple 3-step-gimmicks-and-you’ll-be-a-success crack me up. They are so. . . well, prepackaged. Now, this is going to fly all in the face of my “proper” educator comrades, but I’ve worked with a lot of business owners and CEO’s and the thing I find most intriguing is that the most successful are the ones that quit questioning, and quit checking the next-step boxes off the list, and quit wondering whether they had what it takes to get it, and just laid their guts on the line and went after it. They just started believing in it, and they started creating the thing.

Their charge is bigger than the doubt. And, they unload and go. Suddenly, the next-step was chasing them down and they found their way. 

Let’s be real. There are no –pre-packaged steps to operating in your “place” in this life. You’ve never been here before. NEITHER HAS ANYONE ELSE. Let that sink in a sec. This place belongs only to you. These are the people God has placed here to get you moving. This is the place where you have been planted for His purpose to grow in you. This is your soul-territory. Only yours. 

What if Dr. Martin Luther King had given his “I have a Dream” speech, then sheepishly said, “but, I don’t know guys . . . do you think anyone will go for it?” What if he had kicked off his loafers and stretched out in his easy chair every evening, listing to the cynics on the evening news, instead of responding to the pounding drumbeat of His Master’s call on his life? Then, he would not have changed the course of mankind by trusting God Most High. If he was shuffling, all cautious-like with his hours, through old newspapers instead of feeling the desires of his Spirit, then light-rays of brilliance that the Holy Spirit delivered wouldn’t have fallen off of his lips.

What is holding you back from trusting your Creator completely? You don’t really need the “steps” when your heart is moved. You just move. The Most High makes harmony out of the broken pieces and steps. You’ve already got the gusto of your so-called “strategy” in place. So, you’ve never been here before. Neither has anyone else. 

Wake up. Trust Him. Get moving. Go. 

http://www.lewis3sunz.com
Follow me on Twitter@lewis3sunz

Aug18

August 18, 2015 possibility

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“put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:10‬ ‭ESV‬

Are you open to possibility, DearHeart? 
The astonishing work of my faith is about leaving the door cracked open for hope. It takes boldness to hold to your Savior’s promises more than your emotions. It takes wisdom to know that possibilities exist beyond the limits of your own thinking, and that God Most High has summoned an entire orchestra of His angelic beings to work to bring about His best for you. You may think you’re being “realistic,” by denying yourself possibilities. But really, you’re just human-deluded. And, when you shut down possibilities with your jaded earthling thinking- well, yeah, life will punish you with enemy-planted limitations. 

In my times of angst and feeling hemmed in, here’s why believe that The Almighty has everything happening in its own right time, and its own right way: I believe it because I have witnessed it. I’ve been awed, humbled, gratified, and shaken to my core. But before there was awe, there was simply a self-absorbed pursuit. Here’s what I mean … I’ve got 40 plus years of walking this life as God’s child. We’ve been through it all together and I’ve had long stents of failure by trying to take the lead on my own. So, I’m prone to believe in the bizarre and brilliant workings of Spirit, that Mad Creator of destiny. But here’s the stickier truth…I want logic (the human kind that connects logical dots), and answers. From learning to trust Him and trust His ways – I’ve learned I really don’t care about black and white scientific reasoning; I’ve just learned that believing God, even when I can’t see or feel His movement has paid huge gains. Even when you’re negative or detached, you’re always taking some kind of stance. I choose to take the stance that sets me free. I know that cynics think that Christ is a crutch. And they’re right. He is a crutch. His power and His strength is something to lean on when you’re flopping and stymied and too feeble for your legs to keep holding you up. Yes, of course, I could choose to assert my independence from a belief in ease, love, and benevolence. Call me morally lazy, but I’d rather walk forward in my life with God Most High and accomplish things. I take actions because I know Him and I trust. I don’t take actions when I don’t trust. There you have it.
Wake up. Crack your door to possibility. Go. 
http://www.lewis3sunz.com Follow me on Twitter @lewis3sunz