How to Prevent Twisting Scripture and Distorting God's Voice

I bet you think this blog is about you, don't you, don't you. You're so .....

OK - Now that I have your attention I would like to have a discussion.
I've had something on my heart that I've tried to express in our women's meeting the other night and did not verbally communicate my point very effectively.  So I thought I would give it another attempt by writing out what I was trying to convey. In our bible study called 'Secrets' by Beth Moore I brought up the fact that all too often people twist scripture and the 'voice' of God to fit their own offenses, motives and secret desires.  I even posted on Facebook last week about how people hear from God and twist scripture to justify their offenses.  I received some interesting responses. Sadly enough, a scripture used in a response was twisted and the 'twistee' did not even recognize it. This is most always the case. We probably have all made the 'twistee' mistake in some form or another. 
There are two points I want to discuss. 1. Twisting Scripture and 2. Distorting God's voice.  Both of which I have done and have seen many others do as well.
First I will start with point 1. Twisting scripture.  
How many times have we or someone that we know, "who has been offended", posted scriptures that justifies the offense or enables us/them to play the role of victim?  For instance, when we have perceived that someone has hurt us; we find scripture that justifies our feelings and we post scriptures about 'God judging those who oppress us', or how the 'enemy is out to get me' etc. etc.  We so easily take on the victim role.  It suits us well when we need petting or coddling from others.  We find others to help justify our own behavior and worse case scenario we try to get others to join us in our offense and create division. This, my friends is dangerous; very, very dangerous. We all know that God hates division.  But oh how we can so easily justify our actions by pointing out more scripture to back us up - hence becoming a 'twistee' of scripture. So in order to prevent these sometimes innocent, yet grave mistakes, I have come up with a few check list points to help with discerning whether or not we are operating from your own egotistic motives from our offense. Please note, these are not all knowing check lists by any means.  Add to or take away what does not sit well with you. Here they are: 

1. If you are offended what part did you play in it? Did you behave in a 'human' way that caused others to react in a 'human' way back towards you.  Are you offended because they acted not like you thought a 'Christian' should and you took offense at their 'human' reaction towards you? So how can we take offense if our behavior was human and their response back was human? 
2. Do you believe the enemy is after you? In what way is the enemy after you? For instance, if it's our finances, did you go out and rack up your credit card and now think the enemy is after you because you are in debt and can't pay your bills? Once again, do a check on what part you played in this. For those who glorify Satan and themselves by claiming his attention to them; there is only one devil, and he is not omnipresent.  So, for us to consider that the devil is after us is quite egotistical. 
3. Are we taking on a victim role? If so, what attention is the 'victim' role getting us? A heart felt check of 'playing a victim' is very much needed here. This can be a very difficult thing to do.  I have been guilty of and have seen so many people who easily take on a victim identity not realizing that they were getting attention from this and therefore subconsciously feeding their own ego. What are we truly getting out of playing a victim?
4. What are our true motives? Do we need to own our behavior and apologize? Are you secretly wanting to 'divide and conquer'? Search your heart and ask God for conviction on what your true heart motives are in the situation. You might be surprised at how you can deceive yourself.
5. Is our response to the situation life giving or death? Uplifting or deflating?
6. And most importantly here, are we convincing others of our perspective and creating division? No if's, ands or buts about this one. This is gossip, back biting and backstabbing. If so, once again pray that God exposes our heart; then either repent and/or apologize for our behavior or move on.

We have to take responsibility and be accountable for our own human behavior and reactions, our own ego and most importantly our own issues of the heart. For if it is not what God says about us, then it is simply not true.  God allows us to go through trials to build character. Character builds when we are forced to take a good, long, hard look at ourselves. This can be very, very humbling. But on the flip side, this humbling of the human heart is a precious gift. So receive it fully and gratefully.

Point #2 Hearing God's voice

How do we know if what we are hearing in our prayer time is truly God's voice or our own ego, motives, or desires? We have an amazing way of distorting God's voice not only for ourselves but for other's as well.  I can't tell you how many times someone has come up to me in a church situation and say "I really hear the Lord telling me (fill in the blank)" and they were way off base. 
So how do we discern that the voice we are hearing is truly God's voice.  By 'voice' I don't mean audible voices. Don't get me wrong, some may hear an audible voice, but God does not speak to me audibly. If you are hearing audible voices and those voices are telling you to harm yourself or others, as a nurse, I must advise you to seek professional help immediately!  All joking aside (kind of), for me - I hear God as a 'knowing' or 'intuitive' feeling. This knowing can be strong and at other times very tender. We must go to our 'closet' as Beth Moore states in 'Secret's and don't tell anyone until we have total conviction that it is from God. Be patient, for He will reveal in due time. 

So here is my check list to help with discernment of knowing God's voice :

1. If the word of direction given to us comes from someone else ask this question; ''what will the word giver gain"?  Is there a platform for the 'word giver'? For instance is the word giver getting to be 'on stage performing' or getting glory from this in any way? Take caution if this is the case for they may be operating out of ego.
2. This is the most important point if you are receiving a word of direction from someone else.  Does this word resonate true to your heart? Have you been seeking God for something and it has not been coming to you and now someone is speaking the answer to you? On the flip side of this, when someone thinks that they can hear God better than you can, then let this be a point of caution. We all have that same direct line to God, so don't let anyone lead you into thinking they have 'superior faith' than you. This is a sign of an inferiority complex on the part of the other person. Don't let them push their issues on you. I suggest you listen; decide if this feels true to you; cautiously pray. I firmly believe that God will speak to you through other people, but again, discernment is key. Use caution and just listen.
3. If you are hearing from God yourself, do a constant heart check. Will this harm others? If so, it is not from God. Will this create division? If so this is not from God.  Check you heart motives strongly here for this is important. We can so easily distort God's voice to justify our actions. History can tell us all sorts of horror stories regarding abuse of people who thought they heard God's voice. If you have a total peace about the 'word' in your spirit, then this is probably God. If you still need confirmation then continuing praying and seek wise counsel.

 I have made a point here to not use scripture to back up my writing. I could pull out many scriptures to justify this writing, but just as easily, I could pull up scripture to justify the opposite. It is so easy to misinterpret what the bible is saying and twist it to meet our needs. That is why it is important to be in a good church that helps to rightly divide the word of God and help in understanding scripture in its context. 

Hopefully these check lists, along with deep prayer and heart discernment will help you prevent being a 'twistee' of scripture.  Most importantly, if you have made any of these mistakes then forgive yourself! I know I have to forgive myself many times over. We are, after all, just human.

So back to the very beginning...I bet you think this blog is about you, don't you, don't you, your so.....Nope!  I wanna talk about me, Wanna talk about I, Wanna talk about number one, oh my me my, What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see, I like talking about you you you you, usually, but occasionally, I wanna talk about meeeeee! I wrote this to myself and decided to blog it publicly in hopes to help others who have asked these same questions. I certainly hope that I do not come across as 'all knowing'.  For if it's one thing I do know for sure is that I do not know a thing and that I will never just arrive. Life is a journey.  A journey that entails endless lessons.

Blessings my dear friends. I certainly hope that I did not offend anyone with this posting. I was just preaching to myself here and if this helps anyone else, then great!! Would love to hear what you think so please leave me a comment.

Namaste'

Annette 

Beautiful Things!

This was such a beautiful video that I just had to share on my blog.  Please watch.  I hope this video blesses you as much at it has blessed me. ♥ ✝

How to make a lamp from a clay pot

I found this beautiful clay pot in the back room on the clearance table.  This sparked an idea for a lamp. We have just purchased a small home near the beach and will be moving in about a month. In the meantime I am trying to get decorating ideas that will carry the beach theme into our little home.  I am looking for unique items that will make our home... 'our home'.  This is the first piece that I have been inspired by.  Hope this inspires you to create something new and unique.
Here are the supplies you will need :
Lamp kit from Lowes or Home Depot - cost - $10.00
Clay pot - I found mine regularly priced at $100 marked down to $25 - you can use any unusual container such as glass bottles etc.
Plug for hole opening.  This was the hardest part to find. I wondered around Hobby Lobby looking forever on what would cover the hole. I chose a 31/2 inch wooden disc for 85 cents that worked perfectly and I painted it a neutral gray to match the pot. You can use cork, sculpy clay in which you mold it to fit and bake it to harden.
Epoxy glue 
Drill and Masonary bit to drill hole in pot and piece you chose for plugging hole.
Masking tape
Lamp shade - I did not get this on sale. I thought it was overly priced at $25 at Lowe's. But I was excited to do my project so I bought it. In the future I plan on making my own lamp shade.
So there is the list of supplies.  Watch the video on how to complete and enjoy!!
Namaste'ૐ

The Blessings in The Hole

This beautiful, foggy Sunday morning I spent, as I often do every week, watching Oprah's Super Soul Sunday. Her guests usually fill me with hope, insight and inspiration. This morning she had Sarah Ban Breathnach as her guest. Sarah wrote the book 'Simple Abundance'.  I have read many inspirational self help books but have to admit that 'Simple Abundance' was not one of them.  'Simple Abundance' is one of the best selling books of all time. 
On the show, Sarah reveals that after her phenomenal success of 'Simple Abundance',  in her belief that the money would never end, chose yet another bad spouse, divorced for the 3rd time, spent her money recklessly and lost her massive fortune and was humbly forced to move in with her sister while she wrote her next book. In a nutshell, Sarah found herself in  what I call 'the hole'.
I am fascinated by the rags to riches to rags stories. Although to a much, much smaller degree, I understand this story for I too have lost everything.  Over ten years ago I found myself with my identity totally wrapped up in materialism and in turn lost who I was supposed to become in striving for financial attainment. I say that I lost who I was supposed to become because I never knew who I was in the first place. Like Sarah, I too lost all material things that I had acquired through the choices I had made (bad financial decisions,  spousal choice and the belief that the money would never end).  It forced me to a place that shook me to my bones.  This place was a horrible, deep dark hole.  This dark hole forced me to take a hard look at myself, my belief system and most importantly at the choices that I had made that so perfectly paved the path for me to arrive smack dab in  the middle of darkness.  It was then that I realized the shallow, materialistic person I had become.  It also forced me to take a look at myself and why I attracted abusive people into my life. For people treat you the way that you allow them to. Unfortunately some of those people were my family (namely my mother and step father) and to this day they will not speak or acknowledge my existence because of the shame and embarrassment that I brought to them in their community (their words).  My youngest son Noah humorously tells me that I got a burn notice from my mom.  He is so funny.  My children will never know this kind of pain. Please note that there is more to this story than I am writing, I just don't have the time or space allowed to bore you with the years of details that led up to my being blacklisted from my family.  They are not fully to blame here. I take total responsibility and own up to the behaviors and choices that I made for my part in this occurrence. 
So back to the Sarah Ban Breathnach interview; I found it interesting that a person who wrote that peace and fulfillment is found in simple abundance could so easily get wrapped up in materialism and finding her self worth in bad relationships.  Yet I found this eerily ringing true.  How many of us seek the truth, know the truth, then allow ourselves to be led astray and before we know it find ourselves back in the dark hole? How many times do we have to end up in the dark hole before we say 'enough is enough'.  For many months, years and sometimes a lifetime, people find themselves in the hole, deflect their bad behaviors and terrible situation onto the blame of others and never take full responsibility for ending up in the hole, or even staying in the hole.  Some people spend their lifetime in the hole and keep themselves there numbed by self medicating, therefore never allowing themselves to acknowledge, recognize or own up to how they truly ended up there in the first place. For others, it is a blessing, an awakening, a call to action. A time for drastic and radical change to get back to authenticity and their true nature. 
Throughout my entire life I have made job decisions based on money.  All the while, I was miserable in my jobs, never feeling authentic and always feeling trapped. I can't tell you how many years I have spent driving to work feeling like just another rat in a wheel. Invisible. Unfulfilled. Guilt for leaving my children when they needed a mommy.  But I did it because I had to support my family. This is what I told myself.  Yet all the while, not saving money and making bad choices and ending right back up in the hole.  I could pull myself out for a while only to end back up in that all too familiar dark place.  There are different degrees in the depth of the hole. The biggest degree is rock bottom, the deepest part of the hole.   Surprisingly rock bottom is the one that can be the biggest blessing if allowed.  The one that awakens you, makes you change everything. It is the constant cycling through the upper layers of the hole that is the most dangerous.  For if you are like me, you can pull yourself up for awhile but before you know it you have made the same familiar choices and find yourself back in the same place and lots of wasted years.  If not recognized it becomes a never ending lifetime cycle.
For several years now I have had a stirring.  Interestingly enough, so has my husband.  I think it is important for one to pay close attention to this stirring, which also feels like a discomfort or edginess.  If you pay close heed to this stirring it can be an anti-hole prevention insurance policy. I believe God placed this feeling of discomfort within us to get us to look inward.  A time for introspection and reflection.  This gives you another chance to move forward, to break old habits, to rise above mundane and a pause for deep search for your true calling. A time to give permission to just be. If recognized, then your hole becomes a gift.  It enables you to ponder on how it is that you truly want to live your life day in and day out.
For years now I have been drawn towards getting back to nature, simplifying, meditating, praying, slowing down, allowing my creativity to flow in whatever form it wants to take,  becoming increasingly self sufficient by living more off the grid and spending more time with family and most importantly with God. I am never more at peace than when I am doing those things. 
Ah....now to just remember this on a daily basis and not to slowly slide back into the all to familiar hole.
My prayer for you, the reader :  When you find yourself in the hole may you fully receive the blessings and gifts that your hole offers you.  After all, one cannot know peace and happiness if one has not experienced its opposite.
Namaste'ૐ

Crazy Good Detox Drink Recipe

Namaste'
This is a vlog I put together to show you how to make a 'crazy good' detox drink.  I have used this drink for several months now and I love it. I drink it every morning and when I do a full juice detox I incorporate this into my detox program three times a day. I can see a vast difference in how I feel when I drink this recipe.
I am in the process of putting up a website for sharing what I believe is the best detox system ever!  Because we are a tripart being (body, mind and Spirit) I believe in addressing our entire being for a total cleansing that will change you into 'crazy good' health! 
I will be sharing recipes for detox using this apple cider vinegar drink as well as incorporating juicing and healthy 'real' food (no crazy fad diets).  I will also be sharing herbal tea remedy's, yoga postures, skin care and meditation for a complete and total detox of mind, body and spirit. 
So stay tuned. I will share my vlog recipes as I complete the total 'Crazy Good Life Now Detox System'. 
Please feel free to visit my website http://www.crazygoodlifenow.com- it is still a work in progress. In the meantime, try my apple cider vinegar detox drink and let me know what you think. 
Do the Crazy Thing!
Namaste'
Annette