Tag Archives: Religion & Spirituality

by | January 18, 2013 · 10:31 pm

Self forgiveness, why is it so important

IMG_1265-001Self forgiveness, why is it so important to forgive yourself? Well if you can not find forgiveness for yourself in your heart how are you to forgive others or to accept the forgiveness God has for you? Besides those facts, you will have to feel the guilt and/or shame of your mistake which will keep you distracted from serving God and living your life fully.  Forgiveness is a part of love, if you are having a hard time forgiving yourself you may also be having problems loving yourself unconditionally. Learn to forgive yourself for you are not any worse or better than any other human when it comes to making mistakes or sin. We all are imperfect so we all have many flaws within our self.

Don’t waste your life living in the past and reliving the mistakes you have made, repent, forgive yourself and be forgiven then go forward and avoid making the same mistake or ding the same sin. Stop being a judge of yourself and of others leave that to God himself. Be blessed, Be thankful and Love one another unconditionally.

Ray Barbier

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by | January 14, 2013 · 5:58 am

We are to serve God, not our own selves

Why is it we have such a hard time trying to be brotherly/sisterly to one another? As children of God we are supposed to be compassionate, caring, loving and not judgmental. We seem to cling on to the fleshly desire of serving ourselves and following our own will than serving God an his will. Out lusts, greed and our drive to be successful in the world seems to come before our spiritual needs. We are to serve God, not our own selves and when we do something we are to do it as if we are doing it for God himself. We are to forgive and bless not only our friends or family but even enemies and those who we call strangers.

This world is set up to keep you trapped in a consumer minded maze of living hand to mouth with little money to save nor time to enjoy with friends and family. We focus too much on what we can buy for our loved ones and even for ourselves and less on the fellowship and companionship we should be enjoying. We lost the sense of what loving each other as spiritual brothers and sisters is all about. We need to focus on God’s will and the love he wants us to share with one another.

Concern yourself not of the sins of others, for their sins are something that is between them and God. Forgive those who need forgiving and bless not only friends and family, but enemies and strangers as well. We are to love and be supportive of one another.

Ray Barbier

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by | December 26, 2012 · 2:10 pm

A few words of kindness

IMG_1077A few kind words can go a long way, it can brighten up someone’s dreary day, boost confidence and even forge new relationships and strengthen old ones. The time it takes to say a few words of kindness or encouragement is just a few seconds and it can change ones day of not their life in some cases. We all want to be noticed, appreciated and occasionally told things are going to be alright or will get better.  Being kind to one another and being either inspiring or encouraging is all part of fellowship and part of being a Christian. Seems a lot of Christians get stuck on the judging and condemning of others and forget its compassion, love, charity and kindness it what we as Christians are supposed to do and encourage in others.  We are here to help one another not to condemn ridicule or judge others. No man or woman who walks this earth is perfect or free of sin or a sinful heart. Without the Grace of God and the Salvation through Christ, none of us would be able to enter the kingdom of God.

So speak words of kindness and encouragement to one another and do good for one another. We are all in this world together so we should do the best we can to make this life full of kindness, love and happiness.

Ray Barbier

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by | October 31, 2012 · 10:14 am

Thank you God for life

p10329 A new day has dawned, the old day has become the past and another chance at life is here at last. Thankful I am for the blessing of life and the things it shall bring. For the morning, for the day and for life my heart shall sing. Thank you God for life, for the things you have given me and even those things you have taken away. Thank you God for my life, thank you God for yet another day.

Life is a grand gift and blessing we all have been given, Be thankful for each moment God has blessed you with

Ray Barbier

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by | September 28, 2012 · 7:47 pm

we can not achieve perfection by any means

2Perfection, something many strive for but none truly ever reach. The illusion that we can achieve some form of perfection is nothing but a vicious trap. The more we work to be perfect the more we seem to find fault in ourselves. There is no man or woman who can achieve perfection and to try is to waste precious time and energy. We can achieve great and miraculous things but we will have many mistakes involved in the process. Mistakes and faults are what makes us who and what we are for through them we learn and grow spiritually. I believe many are perfectionists out of their fear of failure or some kind of desire to be accepted. Many overachievers and perfectionist are driven by the dreams and expectations of their parents, partners and peers. They haven’t realized that the only dreams and expectations they need to worry about is their own. God has given each of us talents and gifts and a purpose for them. We should be concerned about What god wants and set goals by what we know we can achieve. To set too low or too high of goals for our abilities is only setting us up for either failure or wasting of the talents and gifts God has given us.

Through God and Jesus we can achieve anything that is within the will of God. God knows we are not perfect and that we can not achieve perfection by any means on our own. So why should we expect perfection of ourselves or others if God doesn’t expect it of any of his children? God only expects us to do our best and to do it for his glory. So give up on perfection and embrace the idea of doing the best you can and for the Glory of God. In the end God and Jesus are the ones that matter the most in life.

 The hardest part of following God’s Will is the part where we have to surrender our will and give up our own selfish desires. Putting God before everyone and everything else.

Ray Barbier.

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by | · 7:31 am

how much a blessing it is to have life

020Yet another morning is beginning and another night has come to a close,I made it through another day of life and I have blessed with another day of life. Sometimes we forget how much a blessing it is to have life, without it nothing else would matter because you wouldn’t exist. Life is a wonderful and wondrous gift god gave humanity, he gave us the ability to create or destroy, to love or hate and to follow our will or his. He gave us life and the freedom to choose how we live it and for whom we live it as well.

So we should show thanks each morning for another day of life and give thanks in the evening for that day we were blessed to live.

God gave humanity life, freewill and salvation. We have the choice to accept salvation and to follow his will or not. Thankful I am he gave me the life and the freedom to choose how I live it.

Ray Barbier

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by | September 24, 2012 · 4:42 pm

Eventually what God wants for us becomes what we want as well

002 The self, the ego, the id is one of our biggest roadblocks to happiness and to surrendering to God’s will. The ego has little interest in anyone or anything unless they are either beneficial or detrimental to it in someway. We are who we are and we can not do without the ego for it makes us who we are. We can however learn to tame the ego, put it in its place and let God’s will supersede our own and that of the ego. I guess it comes down to prioritizing, what God wants comes first and what we want comes last. Eventually what God wants for us becomes what we want as well so there is no conflict once we surrender to the will of God and accept him and Jesus in faith. This is not to say the ego is gone, it will pop up its ugly little selfish head from time to time, but when it does it has no power over us for we embrace the will of God.

Just a few Random thoughts for today.

Ray Barbier

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by | August 28, 2012 · 4:24 am

Thank you God for this morning

jesus22God has blessed me yet again with another day of life, a job and a few good friends. Thank you God for this morning which I have been blessed with and all the gifts that it contains and for those blessing that remain from the days before. Thank you for another chance to serve you and yet another chance to improve myself and help others. Thank you for the excellent writers you have sent my way to write on the blogs. Thank you for the readers and other blog writers who take time to read, comment and like our posts. Thank you most of all God for the son you gave and sacrificed to save me from my wretched ways and Thank you Jesus for being that sacrifice and being our savior.

Each morning is a blessing and another chance to serve God, Every evening is a blessing and another day of life we had to live for God and his glory.

Ray Barbier

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by | August 24, 2012 · 5:51 am

Counting Our Blessings

National Day of Prayer

So many times,….we do not count our blessings. We forget to thank the Lord, for all He has done for us. I have been very guilty of that, as of late. Every morning when I wake up, i would say, Thank you Lord, for my life, and giving me another day to spend here with my loved ones. Here lately,…it is much later in the day that I have thanked Him. Life get’s so busy, trying to keep up with our spouses, our children, grandchildren, and our jobs. I do not work outside of my home, but i am a tole painter, and i paint to make extra money at times. I have recently begun to watch my baby grandson, for 3 days a week, also, which keeps me very busy. It seems i am moving in reverse, instead of forward, because things become so hectic.

All of these things, are no excuse for not making time for the Lord. He always makes time for me. He never says to me,…I will be with you after i clean the house, or wait until my projects are finished. When I come to Him in prayer, or when i need Him most,…He is always there for me. Never forsaking, or leaving me. I feel ashamed of myself, for not taking the time to give thanks like i should. Or reading His word, like I should. I throw a quick prayer, or praise in there, but NOT, like I should be praying and giving Him thanks, for all the wonderful miracles, and gifts, that He has given me. All of the guidance, and protection that He gives me, from the harms that are unseen from my eyes, or my understanding. Left to deal with by myself, would be terribly overwhelming for me. He is there for me. Like a rock! He is solid, and constant. He gives His all for me.

I am also thankful for each new day He gives me, so that i have another day to try to get it right. I must draw nigh unto God, so that He will draw nigh unto me. I must make time for the Lord, like He makes time for me. He has given me precious life. I want to spend my life, serving God, and trying to be pleasing to Him.

He is deserving of our time, and worthy of all praise!

Cathy Adams

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by | August 15, 2012 · 4:19 am

Trying to please everyone,try to please God.

God, the Father watches us all everywhere.

Trying to please everyone is certainly not an easy task.  We have all tried to do this, at some time or another.  We must try to please God.  If we are pleasing to Him, we usually can get along with most folks.  It still does not mean, that we will always get along with everyone, though.  I try very hard to please people, as much as i can without compromising my beliefs.  We must never agree with wrong doing, or people who practice wrong doing.  God’s standards, do not change.  He has always been the same.  His word cannot be changed to suit our lifestyle, or what we THINK is right, or okay.  What He says,….He means.  Also,…to be friends with this world is to have enmity with God.  I want to try to please God.

Lately,…i have made acquaintances with unbelievers.  As people, i like them very much.  I am always able to find good qualities in people.  It grieves my heart very much though, that they do not believe in the one, true God.  The only God.  The God, who created heaven and earth.  The God that created every living being and plants and animals.  The God who created planets, and stars. The God, who is our creator.  I am able to get along fine with most of them.  We find common ground.  Some have asked for a promise, that i will not discuss my God.  However,….i cannot go one day without giving thanks to God, or praising His name for all His goodness and miracles.  So, i cannot make any such promise to them, about discussing Him.  I will praise Him, at any given time.
My most sincere prayer for the unbeliever,….is to know God.  To have an experience in Christ.  When they do, they will feel an overwhelming love such as they have never known before.  They will feel a lightness in their soul.  They will no longer need to depend upon drugs, to help them get through the day.  They will not have anymore anger in their hearts.  They will have a fresh and new beginning.  The very air that they breathe, will smell differently.  They will truly love, and care for others.
So no,…i will never stop talking about the wonder of God.  I want everyone to know Him, and His wonderful peace, and love!
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