What Would You Do Differently?

Adapted from the insecure writers support group by Ann V. Friend

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
~ Thomas Edison ~

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8:28 ~

Hello friends. (smile) As you look back on 2017, with all its successes and failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?

Great question. I wouldn’t do anything differently. If I could backtrack, I would develop the habit to encourage myself, to move on, not to get stuck on the why.

Some failures turn out to blessings. Some failures build courage, confidence and the ability to stretch our limits.

I love the Edison quote and Romans 8:28. (wink) I believe both illustrate changing our perception and expectation when failures happen.

I believe God has a way of working things better than we could hope or dream.

Praise The Lord for hope.

Encouraging one another is a powerful and beautiful thing. Thank you, friends for your encouragement in 2017. It’s been a rough year.

Abundant blessings, my friends because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord.

Happy Holidays, see you in the New Year!

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Mar 2013 to present.

Celebrate Peace Of Mind

The ability to listen and disregard certain voice tones, without reacting, demonstrates spiritual fruit and maturity. This helps to maintain a good attitude and peace of mind.
~ Ann V. Friend ~

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
~ John 16:33 ~

Hello friends. (smile) Welcome Lexa and co-hosts, L.G. Keltner @Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @Kidbits Blog, to another week to celebrate the small things.

Hope all is well. (smile) I’m content and doing well. (wink)

This week, I celebrate peace of mind. Peace of mind though trials and tribulations or the Y moments is a blessing. Praise The Lord.

Peace of mind stops tormenting thoughts. Peace of mind brings rest to a weary spirit. Peace of mind can comfort.

To speak and pray God’s Word in difficult or hurting times is powerful. To forgive and forget, is peace of mind. To let yesterday’s stuff go, is peace of mind.

Attitude is everything.

Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ
Effectual in enduring 
Alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord 
Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving 
Enter into joy of thy Lord

Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new
Full of faith

Merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance 
Increasing in knowledge of God
Nourished up in words of faith
Dwell in safety

Abundant blessings, my friends because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord. Enjoy your weekend. 

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Mar 2013 to present.

Celebrate Bygones

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
~ Unknown Author ~

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
~ Isaiah 43:18-19 ~

Hello friends. (smile) Welcome Lexa and co-hosts, L.G. Keltner @Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @Kidbits Blog, to another week to celebrate the small things.

Hope all is well and you’re keeping the faith. (smile)  Praise The Lord, all is well in my world. Last week, not so much.  Bygones.

This week, I celebrate bygones. (wink) I just love the power of words and the various and unique ways to express them.

Bygones is like a mantra, for self-encouragement, to illustrate the ability to let go.   Remember casting our cares? Bygones.

Whether it’s yesterday, a year, a month, a day, a hour, it’s the past.  Bygones.

Things happen.   Bygones.   People leave.  Bygones.   Faith tested.  Bygones.

Bygones is that wilderness environment that changes a person.  Bygones teach.

Bygones is the ability to transition between seasons and the process of experience.  Bygones discover.

Disagreements. Challenges. Conflicts.  Bygones learn.

Perception. Contrast. Difference.  Bygones reflect.

Sometimes, speaking bygones out loud controls the tongue in a heated moment.  Bygones.

Bygones  releases yesterday as moved on with hope and faith for today.

Abundant blessings, my friends because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord. Enjoy your weekend!

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Celebrate Walk Through Experience Poem

Hello friends. (smile) Welcome Lexa and co-hosts, L.G. Keltner @Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @Kidbits Blog, to another week to celebrate the small things.

Hope all is well and you’re keeping the faith. (wink)

Wahoo, this week, I celebrate finishing my third poem. It took me a year and a half to get the words and timing right.

I love poetry. It’s my hope and faith to write spiritual poetry soon.

Wahoo, something to do. (wink)

Walk Through Experience

As we live and get older
Its much easier to see
Faith and trust in Jesus Christ

Is the safest place to be

Most won’t understand this
That makes it very sad
To know Him is to say out loud

He loves and protects me well

The many things in life
Bring forth ebbs and flows
Faith to go the distance

A quitter will never know

Life can change in an instant
Regret is what we’ll have
All because a little doubt

Is all we ever had

Belief becomes important
Validated by what we speak
This is faith in action

That will always trump defeat

To know him is love
To trust him is wisdom
Anything else is a substitute

Left empty and wishing

I share this with a passion
Because I believe it’s true
Jesus Christ died on the cross

Because God loved me and you

Ann V. Friend Poem
©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Abundant blessings, my friends, because the just does everything by faith. Have a blessed weekend.

Praise The Lord.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

Celebrate Hope and Strength

At the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength. Hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does.
~ Unknown Author ~

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1 ~

Hello friends. (smile) Welcome Lexa and co-hosts, L.G. Keltner @Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @Kidbits Blog, to another week to celebrate the small things.

Hope all is well while keeping the faith. (wink)

This week, I celebrate hope and strength through any season. Praise The Lord.

Praying specific prayers, for hope and strength, regarding things that challenge us most.

Abundant blessings, my friends because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord. Enjoy your weekend!

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Celebrate So What….It’s Liberating!

Some will, some don’t, so what!
~ American Proverb ~

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
~ Romans 8:31 ~

Hello friends. (smile) Welcome Lexa and co-hosts, L.G. Keltner @Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @Kidbits Blog, to another blessed Friday to celebrate the small things.

Hope all is well. This week, I celebrate “so what” because it’s liberating.   “So what” helped my sense of humor remember that laughter is good for the heart.  (wink)   Praise The Lord.

The power of words and how we’re creative in using them is liberating.

“So what” is my updated metaphor of hashtag # careless, casting burdens, frustrations, everything to The Lord. (smile)

Things become too heavy for us to carry. 

“So what” is a attitude of faith that regardless of the many challenges, changes beyond our comfort level, if God be for us, who can be against us?

Whatever it is, we’re in good hands, equipped to walk through it, baby step through it, or my personal favorite–crawl through it.

“So what” when we stumble, thank God for his grace.

“So what”  we require glasses when we’re not sleeping, thank God,  we can see.

“So what” when the little darlings start strife, thank God, we can smile and walk away.

“So what” is quite liberating when we rise above anything.   Thank God, we’re more than conquerors. 

With all the things life situations can throw at us, “so what” we’re still standing, sitting or squatting strong.  (wink)

Abundant blessings, my friends to enjoy your day and weekend, because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Celebrate and Appreciate The Small Things

We have to learn to appreciate and enjoy life! Try to enjoy the small things; like peace, silence, sleep, people, ability to walk, breathe and laugh easy.

Stop stressing over things you have no control over. Accept your life as it is and stop comparing it to others. You will learn to enjoy your surroundings and embrace your life in a better way!
~ Charles P ~

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8:28~

Hello friends. (smile) Welcome Lexa and co-hosts, L.G. Keltner @Writing Off The Edge and Tonja Drecker @Kidbits Blog, to another blessed Friday to celebrate the small things.

Hope all is well in your world. Praise The Lord, all is well in my world.

This week, my thoughts centered around the quote and scripture above.

Celebrate and appreciate the small things like the ability to see clearly (wahoo, new glasses); the ability to take a nap, the ability to enjoy peace and quiet anywhere, and the ability to pray about unhealthy situations, and comfort and healing friends.

Celebrate and appreciate courage to share thoughts and struggles. Joys and pain. Y moments.

Celebrate and appreciate encouraging one another. Virtual {{{hugs}}} and a (smile). (wink)

Celebrate and appreciate how God can work all things out.

Celebrate and appreciate faith and hope and the power of specific prayers.

God knows we need prayers.

Abundant blessings, my friends because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Celebrate Faith Through It

When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is!
~ Author Unknown ~

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
~ 1 Peter 5:10-11 ~

Hope all is well in your world. (wink) Nothing gets attention more than health challenges, plus accepting the fact that reading cheaters no longer work.

Celebrate faith through it.

Reality forces change. A realization that stress is cumulative.

To everything, there is a season. Faith through it.

The valleys and the mountains.

It’s been hectic and drama filled days at the circus. Challenging conversations. My little maladies stabilizing while adjusting to changes beyond my control. Sticking to a routine, of proper rest, helped to balance energy level.

The blessings.

The power of praying comforts and releases everything to God, who can change seasons. I’ve been praying and releasing everything to God. Thank you Lord.

By the grace of God, today, I can smile because all is well in my world again. Praise The Lord. (wink)

There is something powerful about seeing good after a bad season.

There is something powerful about letting go.

There is something powerful about knowing who we are in Christ.

Too many times, energy is wasted on the why of it. It is, what it is.

Faith through it, whatever it is. I love the quote above because without the valleys, we wouldn’t recognize the blessings of the mountains. Praise The Lord.

Abundant blessings, my friends, because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Faith Through Any Season

Life works in seasons; which means you won’t be stuck where you are forever.
~ Unknown Author ~

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~

Hello friends. (smile) Hope all is well as we start the new year.  Thank God, we’re blessed to see another day.

Today’s encouraging thought is faith through any season.  Timing is everything.

Change is inevitable. Change is experienced based on choices and having faith through the experience.

To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose is life experiences as illustrated in the scripture above.

Experience develops spiritual maturity.

Experience gives wholeness.

Experience shows and teaches.

Experience is showing Jesus to a hurting world.

Experience becomes a testimony to help others.

Faith through any season keeps moving forward and refuses to remain stuck.

Faith through any season trumps negativity every single time. (wink)

Abundant blessings, my friends, because the just does everything by faith. Praise The Lord.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013

Celebrate Letting Go Takes Love

The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.”
~ Oscar Wilde ~

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. ~ Mark 12:29-31 ~

This week, celebrate letting go takes love.  It’s liberating to love enough to let go.

Loving ourself flaws and all is easier when we know God loves us unconditionally.

Loving our neighbor is shown when we let go of ___________________ (fill in the blank)

Praise The Lord.

There are times, letting go is the most loving gesture we can do.

Abundant blessings, my friends, to keep the faith, by letting go, and enjoy your weekend.

Your comments or thoughts are welcome. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013