Tag: Norman Vincent Peale

52 Bible Verses, Faith, Joy, Uncategorized

52 Bible Verses for a Joy Filled Year – Week 30

Michele Kearns

(Author’s Note: It is Monday 7/17 as I write finalize this post. The day this post goes live, an event will have already happened. I am attempting to keep a positive mind set about what the future holds, but given all the false reassurance from people over the past few years,  I am nervous. So here’s to a good event happening this week – whatever it is.)

 

For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
    and what I dread befalls me.

Job 3:25

When I saw this verse included in Norman Vincent Peale’s 52 Weeks To A Positive Life, I thought

“Now this is not very positive.”

However, the verse is intended to be a warning. Guard your thoughts. You are what you think you are, you become what you think you will become, you think evil will happen and it will because you reap what you sow. It’s not just the result of your actions that come back to you but the result of your thoughts as well.

It’s like the secret to a good yard – feed the grass. The grass will choke the weeds.

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Feed your mind good thoughts and read positive material and you will choke the weeds out of your mind and good things will happen.

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Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to encourage widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives by seizing new opportunities. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s used those skills while working as a call center team leader, facilitating a grief support group and helping small businesses with various writing and administrative assignments. Michele is a bookworm, lover of golden retrievers and an amateur photographer. You can view her photographs at OgleOhio.com because one blog is not enough.

52 Bible Verses, Faith

52 Bible Verses for a Joy Filled Year – Week 12

Michele Kearns

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Time for a new verse to focus on this week and see how God uses it in your life.

For those of you new here, this series is based on a set of scripture cards written by Norman Vincent Peale. I take the verses from the cards and add my own thoughts. Once I did some research, I started wishing I could find the card for this week. Not sure what I did with those cards when I cleaned.

This week’s verse:

 

If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Romans 8:31 

My initial response to this week’s verse is – it does not matter if God is for us, there can and will be people against us.

However, because God is for us that their evil, nasty plans will not succeed.

Now that might not be the official interpretation from those who have gone to seminary but it is how I interpret it. Remember, I do not always see things the way you normal people do.

It’s why photography and I get along – I see things from different angles.

Personal Application

I should be reciting this verse over and over as life has gotten tough since unemployment ended a couple weeks ago. There  is no income but a lot of bills to pay, so I have a lot of enemies against me. The verse should provide me with comfort and encouragement.

But wait! There’s more…

Official Version 

I did an internet search on this verse and it follows a verse about predestination. Upon reading this, I started banging my head on my desk. God has a sense of humor as predestination (some people being created for heaven) and double predestination (some people being created for hell) is a hot topic in Bible study, hotter than President Trump’s immigration executive order – I’m not kidding.

What I always believe about salvation has been turned upside down and left me with a lot of questions.

Not sure I find this verse comforting and encouraging anymore.

May God show us how this verse applies to our lives this week.

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(There may be a post about predestination and double predestination once I sort things out.)

 

 

 

40 Days of Joy, grief, Unemployment

“40 Days Of Joy” Black Friday Book Shopping List

Michele Kearns

Here is your Black Friday Book Shopping List. There is something on it for everyone.

All links (blue) are non-affiliate links, which means I do not receive any compensation. They will take you directly to the author’s website.  The others can be found on Amazon.com

Widows

“Postcards from the Widows’ Path”  (Ferree Hardy) (widowschrisitanplace.com) –  I bought this book earlier this year and found myself having a hard time putting it down.  Each chapter begins with a postcard written by Naomi, Ruth, or Orpah. Then Ferree tells the tale of the three women, while weaving in her own experiences as a widow.  For example, in Chapter 5 she explains the 2 needs of widows – “kindness and rest.”  This chapter resonated with me the most. As a widow, these quickly became short in supply – especially “kindness.”

The book of Ruth affirms that God is with widows and cares for us even though at times it does not feel like it.

Thank you Ferree for this wonderful book.

“Healing After Loss, Daily Meditations on Working Through Grief”   (Martha Whitmore Hickman)

This is the book Joe’s Aunt, who is a nun, gave me at the funeral home.  April 17th, is the day I started reading it and the devotion for that day really spoke to me.  I began to have hope of surviving my grief journey.

“Through A Season of Grief, devotions for your journey from mourning to joy”   (Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard)

A devotional based on GriefShare, a Biblically based world-wide grief support group.  I was a participant for a year and then co-facilitated the group for 4 years.  I have lots of sticky and handwritten notes in the margins.

“Finding Hope In Times of Grief”   (Preston and Glenda Parrish)

A moving story of how hope in Christ got Preston and Glenda through their son’s unexpected passing, and how they discovered Jesus is enough.  It is not just for parents whose child has moved to heaven as there are lessons for everyone in this book.

Thank you Preston and Glenda for sharing your story.

Job Seekers

“The Character of Leadership, An Ancient Model for a Quantum Age”  (Philip H. Eastman II) LeadershipAdvisors.com

The only book on leadership you will ever need.  Mr. Eastman’s model for leadership is based on 7 character elements. Read and put into practice this model and you will distinguish yourself from other employees once you land a job.  Use this model while volunteering during your career transition and you will stand out from other job seekers.  Don’t let the title fool you, it is a brief and easy read.  One of my all-time favorite quotes is from Mr. Eastman and can be found at the bottom of the link to his website.

“The challenges we face today are not economic, environmental, social, or legal; they are challenges of character and leadership.”

 “Careerealism, the smart approach to a satisfying career”  (J. T. O’Donnell )

Want a satisfying career? Start here.  J.T.’s methodology will help you figure out if you are on the right path or if you need to switch careers.  The book is great alone but better if used with Careerealism.com and/or CareerHMO.com

Everyone

“Positive Living Day by Day” (Norman Vincent Peale) – Short one page devotions designed to lift your spirits. There is no year to the dates, so you can use this book every year.

“Positive Thinking Every Day” (Norman Vincent Peale)  – Inspirational one or two liners for every day.

November 17th – “Be bold, and mighty powers will come to your aid.”

How will you be bold today?  (Standing in line at Walmart for Black Friday deals does not count.)

“Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn’t Enough”  (Kay Warren)

This is a book I have marked up a lot with hi-liter, pen and sticky-notes.  It is very uplifting and heart-warming.  It affirms the thought I had of joy being a deeper emotion than happiness.

“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.” 

(pg 31)

Here is scripture from the beginning of Chapter 6 “Believing Even In Darkness.” May it speak to you today and every day.  

“Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace. 

Luke 1:78-79 (“The Message” version)

There you have it, my list of books to buy for those on your shopping list. And remember to add one or more for yourself as well.