Excerpt taken from “Every Thought Is A Voice With A Message” – Copyright 2011 – No part of this shall be copied or used without permission from the author.

 Have you every been going about your day and thought “There’s something about that….” ?

Maybe there’s something you don’t like about it.  Maybe there’s something you’re uneasy about.  Maybe there’s something that caught your attention or strikes you as odd.  Maybe there’s something about a person, a situation, the timing or some element or detail that you don’t really know, but there’s something about it…  On the other hand, maybe there’s something that you know you just have to do or have, maybe a place you need to go.  You’re not sure why, but there’s something about it….  It might be a good thing, even an excitement. 

That, my friend, can be the answer to your prayer.  That, my friend, can be the direction you are seeking for.  That, my friend, is coming from your spirit – the “knower” in you.  It may not seem reasonable or look logical.  You may not see how there’s anything about the person, situation or element that would need your attention.  You may not get any further details.  BUT, my friend, know that if there is “something” about it, then you need to pay attention.

We are not our thoughts.  Our thoughts can come from many sources.  The can control us and will create our future and reality if we do not pay attention and take authority over our thoughts and mind.  The question is “How can we discern what thoughts are what?

I believe that many people would prevent tragedies, stop wasting time and life, stop making wrong decisions or living in wrong timing if they could discern spirit from soul.  In addition to using God’s Word, the truths, principles and wisdom found in it (which we are told is as a double edge sword dividing between soul and spirit), the Word of God also tells us we have an “unction” and “know” all things.  That unction comes from our spirit and is of the spirit realm.

You see, with the natural mind, ears and eyes, we can be deceived.  Lies and deception are always presented as truth.  Someone lying to you or trying to deceive you, doesn’t come up and tell you that what they are about to say to you is a lie or that they are about to try deceiving you.   No, they will talk as if what they are saying is totally true.  God’s word says Satan, who is the father-of-lies, appears as an angel of light.  Let me ask you – how do you then discern what is truth and what is lies?  How do you discern if something is actually true light or an “appearance” of light?  Both would “look” like light.   Everything being said would “sound” right and seem “logical”. 

The only way you can discern, walk in wisdom, make quality decisions and be in right timing is beyond the human mind and logic.  The human mind is limited.  We can’t see other people’s hearts, minds and motives.  We can’t see our future.  However, we can know by the Spirit – the Holy Spirit who is of truth. Truth knows truth.  Just like water and oil could look exactly the same, but as soon as you mix the two, the oil molecules will separate toward and join the oil.  The water will gravitate and join the other water.  It involves spiritual laws and order.  You don’t have to tell the water and oil – they know.  They are.  The word says that the truth will set us free.  Spirit just knows because it is the part of us that is connected to the realm we are part of but that is also beyond us.  Good will gravitate and join with good.  Evil will gravitate and join to evil.

When you get that sense of “there’s something about….”, be aware that you, the spirit being “knows” something you are not picking up in the natural.   I had been looking for an administrative job for three years in this small town.  There didn’t seem to be one anywhere.  I ended up doing production work.  One day I just “decided” to go on the internet and check for jobs.  I came across a “cleaning” job.  Now, I wasn’t looking for a cleaning job, but there was “something” about it that caught my attention.  It made me pause and take a second look.  It wasn’t perfect, and it was less pay than what I was getting.  The positives would be it was close to home, less gas money and less time commuting to work and back.  I decided to take it because there was “something” about it.  The day I started the job, I discovered it wasn’t quite all I had been told it was.  It was full-time but only for 8 weeks.  They decided to give us a wool hat instead of uniforms and they wouldn’t be doing this and that.  I thought about walking out and seeing if I could get my old job back, but I didn’t have a sense of peace (another way to discern direction for your life and eliminating stress).  And there was still the fact that I had sensed “something” about that job.  To make a long story short, another company was taking over that contract.  When I went on their website, there was an administrative position. Who would have guessed that within seven weeks of starting that cleaning job, I walked right into an administrative position with the new company.  My point is that my spirit knew taking that cleaning job was going to lead to something else.  I was on the right track to where I wanted to go.  However in the natural realm, the cleaning job didn’t seem to have any connection to an administrative position.  There was no other job in sight.  But spirit knew and had got me going in the right direction when I stuck to “there’s something about that”.

Be aware that when you are travelling and you get the sense that “there’s something about that route, that car, that town” that makes you uneasy, you may need to stop and take a different route or car.  When you get the sense that “there’s something about that person”, I suggest you follow what you are getting in your spirit then in how to handle the situation.  Maybe you cancel an appointment, have a witness with you, check things out further or make a different decision.  If you have an uneasy sense about doing something at a certain time, I suggest you wait until you get some clarity.  I remember another time when I was going through cheques from the bank that had been cashed.  I was just flipping through them all, when “there was something” about one of them that seemed strange and caught my eye.  When I took a closer look, I realized that something on that cheque was not my writing – someone had changed the cheque and wrote my intials.  There was a part of me that “knew” something was wrong before my mind ever saw the details, let alone figured it out.  Even doing the right thing at the wrong time can be castatrophic.  If you have an uneasy sense about eating something, going somewhere or doing something, STOP and listen to the thought, idea, concept or insight you get that gives you peace instead.  Peace is the fruit of God’s spirit.  Peace is part of God’s presence.  Peace will not lie or be pushy.  Peace makes a wonderful friend to keep you company and keep you on the track of success.  So my friend, I encourage you to become aware of your thoughts.  Are they true?  Are they light or are they dark and heavy, like a burden in your mind and on your shoulder.  Choose your thoughts and which ones you let live your life.

**NOTE:  There can also be times when we sense “something” about someone or a certain situation that we need to deal with or confront.  It’s not always what we prefer to do, but there’s some truth that needs to be addressed, recognized or acknowledged.  When done in the appropriate way and time necessary, issues get resolved, truth is exposed and there can be great peace as a result. 

Coach Margaret @ www.divineassignmentlifecoaching.com

The graceful eagle soars through the air with it’s powerful wingspan.  It too seems so free.  How many times do we hear “Free as a bird?”

So many times there’s a longing to escape to greater freedom.  Escape where we are and maybe who we are.  Yet it’s only at the point that we realize and accept who and where we are, that “we” as an individual become free. FREE TO MOVE ON.

If the whale struggled with being in a world of water, his time, energy and potential would be wasted.  He needs air to breathe, but if he lived in a world of air, he wouldn’t survive.  It would be his death – not freedom.  As he accepts where he is, there is a freedom to move on.  He can use the water to help him get to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean and to where he needs to be  to find a mate or food and do whatever it is Killer Whales do.

Likewise, if the eagle struggled against the cold winds, his time, energy and potential would also be wasted.  Instead he uses certain wind and air currents as support to soar and glide more easily.  Although he needs provision from the land and sea, if he couldn’t fly and had to live there, he would be very restricted, limited and far more vulnerable.  The land supports the trees and rocky cliffs where the eagle nests and finds shelter.  The land and water supplies food, but it’s in the air that the eagle is most magnificent and able to soar.  His greatest freedom comes from realizing, knowing and accepting where he is and what he has available and where he wants to go…to use and make the most of what is within his present world.

And so it is with us.  Our greatest freedom starts in accepting who and where we are at this moment and starting from here just as we are, where we are.  Then our focus, time and energy can be used to take steps forward, prepare us for the future and help us make the decisions we need to make to get to where we are going.

You might buy a plane ticket going from the United States across the ocean to England.  That ticket will do you no good if you are in an airport somewhere in Canada.  No, you would need to know where you are.  You would have to start where you are with the planes that are in the Canadian airport and a ticket that will get you a seat on a plane going to the right destination to make the right connection.  If you are going to the USA and get on a plane where everyone is saying they can’t wait til the plane arrives in Germany, tune in and get off that plane fast – it’s not where you’re going either.

So where are you now?  Who are you now?  What choices can you make now that will help you get to where you want to be?  What choices are keeping you where you are or keep you going around in circles?  What direction would you like to go now?  Be like the eagle on wind currents – make the most of what you do have this moment, the people who stand by you at this moment, who encourage, guide, teach, support and give to us so our lives will be enhanced.  Who are the people and what are the decisions that will be like the wind under your wings to help you soar?  As you go forward, remember that God will also meet you right where you are and right in the middle of the biggest mess or desperate situation that seems so hopeless, if you ask him.  He would love to be part of your journey and to be the wind beneath your wings to help you soar – to grant you His wisdom, favor, love, knowledge and all the tools you need along that journey!

www.divineassignmentlifecoaching.com

(this is adapted from the original writing dedicated to Youthdale Summer Camp)

Yes, sometimes we need to stop for a time, to change directions, rest, rejuvenate or reflect. On the canvas of our lives, those times are merely strokes of different color. On the map of our journey, those times may be detours, delays or just stopovers. They are part of our journey in which we keep going. When traveling across the world, it would be unreasonable to expect most planes to keep going without stopping to refuel. Likewise when traveling across a country in a car, train or bus. Stopping is part of the journey. Resting is part of the journey. Reflection is part of the journey, as are some detours and adjustments to our routes at time.

Don’t give up! Keep going! Recently being challenged with a lot of new things to learn, I sigh and think “more?” Does it never end? Then I questioned, what’s the alternative? If I don’t keep going forward, I go backward by default. If I don’t go one direction, that leaves the other direction. It’s not really an option. Some of what we learned in the past is obsolete now. So we keep going and take with us the lessons, values and memories that mean the most and make a difference. The speed with which we see and experience change may require us to stop and catch up. Like any highway, not every vehicle goes the same speed. That’s okay, you’ll get there if you just keep moving forward and just keep going. Even a snail covers a lot of ground if you added up all the movement in it’s lifetime.

When driving through Northern Ontario, I remember how many times I’d go around another bend and there before me would be the most beautiful and scenic view. Totally unexpected. A great place to stop, get out, breathe in the fresh air, have a picnic and enjoy the journey. Other places I stopped because it would be dangerous if I didn’t get some sleep. Other places I’d keep going no matter what because I didn’t want to get stuck in that place. Since it was part of my route, the best thing I could do was just keep going and get out of that area or territory as fast as I could. Every minute was another minute closer to where I wanted to go and further from where I didn’t want to be.

So just keep going my friend. Sometimes it’s better when you have a friend traveling with you. Sometimes you may be alone, but it’s not forever. There is a divine plan and purpose for you – ask, trust and expect God to bring it to pass in your life. Keep your eyes, ears, heart and mind open and KEEP GOING!

http://www.divineassignmentlifecoaching.com

Does it matter?

This week a successful business man was sharing how he’s accomplished so much and is living the life of his dreams. Now he wants to encourage and be influential in helping other people get ahead.

Why? He credits a majority of his success to his awesome wife who keeps telling him he can do it, he’s doing a great job and continually stands by to encourage him.

Then I read this:

A young university student in Ottawa who had a future ahead of her with unlimited potential was found in the river, influenced to her death by a stranger in reality. When she packed her dreams and belongings and headed off to university, do you think she ever thought she’d let a wacko stranger influence her to take her own life? To give up on her dreams?

This young lady had family and friends who cared. She had a counselor at the university. She would have had peers. There are endless numbers of people from life coaches to pastors to psychologists out there who could have been there for her.

Out of all the people in her life how did this man get to the place of influence in her life?

She listened to what he was saying. Words. Thoughts. Ideas. Encouragement. Direction.

How was the businessman influenced by his wife?

Words. Thoughts. Ideas. Encouragement. Direction. Faith.

Two very different situations. Two very different influences. Two very different endings.

Who and what influences you without you realizing it? To what degree? Are there things in your life you don’t feel at peace with? Are you doing things you don’t really want to be doing? Are there relationships in your life that are toxic, negative or abusive? Are there things you know you should do that you’re not doing? What’s influencing you to live against the truth within you?

There are endless voices and messages in our day, life, home and work. The weatherman says this, the politicians say this, your employer says this, the news, Hollywood and other media say this, society says this, the pastor says this, your friends say this.

Are you listening to people just doing a job, saying what they’re told to say or saying what they think you want to say? Do you like these people? Do you know these people? Are they people of character that you would let into your home? If you wouldn’t let them into your home, why on earth would you let them into your life and mind? What kind of lives do these people live that would inspire you to be influenced by them? Is God in the picture at all?

That young lady I mentioned seemed to continue her conversations with that stranger on the internet because she felt he understood. She didn’t know his motive was to see her die.

Are you listening to your feelings? Feelings change and change fast because they come from your thoughts which can change just as fast. Feelings don’t always reflect the truth. Your description of the feelings tell you the end result. If you listen to news all the time that you find yourself saying is depressing – guess where that will take you? If you listen to motivational speakers at some point you’re going to find yourself motivated.

How many lives have been taken because someone was driving under the influence of alcohol? Even though it’s a crime with deadly potential, the greater influence in their life is a lie that’s giving them the impression it’s okay. Rather than the law and respect for life influencing them, the lie influences them. Believing a lie is just as much of an influence and as powerful as believing the truth.

The reality is: what we listen to and who we listen to will influence us one way or another.

CHOOSE what influences you. Don’t be a victim allowing your life to be a trash can for whatever others are throwing around

CHOOSE to be the influence that makes a difference in the lives of others by being of value, quality and excellence.

http://divineassignmentlifecoaching.com

Last night I gave my employer my resignation with a two week notice. Fifteen minutes later, the employer gave me notice that the present shift would be my last shift. Wow!

When plans are turned around or upside down and when there’s upheaval, what keeps you going? Hope! When the unexpected happens, what keeps you going? Hope! Looking beyond what you see and realizing there’s more that you can’t see….realizing that an end to something is a beginning of something new – new direction, new season, new opportunity. If you’re not doing what you were doing, it means you’re doing something else. If you’re not where you were, it means you’re somewhere else. What will you do from this new place in which you stand? Now is a chance to choose a new direction, do something you always wanted to do. Hope! Maybe this is the time, maybe this is the way new dreams are being birthed and coming to life! At this moment is freedom, a blank slate, a canvas waiting for creation! Hope!

Do you know God is referred to as a God of Hope? Romans 15:13 Now may the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wow! What a great prayer! Do you know Proverbs 13:12 says hope deferred (or taken away) makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life! Hope! And keep hoping!!!

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