Doors

When I was younger, I watched soap operas and game shows with my grandmother. One of my favorites was The Price is Right. My grandmother and I would debate on which door the contestant should choose. It was very rare that a contestant chose the right door. They often gave up the better option for a chance at something behind another door. We have doors in our lives. We have choices. We have options. We make decisions daily. Sometimes, we choose the right door. Sometimes, we are like those contestants that risk what we have for something better. Sometimes, it works out. Sometimes, it doesn’t. We can’t make impulse decisions. We need to evaluate every move and decision. We need to count the cost. We need to be prayerful about which doors we choose to walk through and even which doors we close. Every option isn’t necessarily a better one. Choose wisely.

Dominion

The first time I heard the word, “dominion” was in reference to Adam and Eve. God gave Adam dominion over the garden of Eden. Dominion is synonymous with authority. It is power. People have a misconception of power, and because of this, they abuse it. Dominion is granted, which means its not something you can seize. It has to be given. Many of us do not walk in dominion. We do not exercise our God given right. Partially, out of ignorance and fear. We are called to speak to people and circumstances with authority. We are called to move mountains. We are called to walk on water. We are called to speak life. We are called to exercise our authority. We have dominion. Use it.

Detox

I had a conversation with my cousin about the importance of taking the time to detox. Detoxes have become popular in the last couple of years as a way to achieve weight loss. The detox that I am referring to is more of a spiritual detox than a natural one. We need to detox the negativity in our life. We need to detox the fear and doubt from our life. We need to replenish our faith. We need to feed our spirits positive things. We need to remind ourselves about God’s promises. What does our spiritual diet look like? What areas of our life could benefit from a detox?

Delivery

Its not always what you say, but how you say it. I have gotten in more trouble behind my mouth than a little bit. Tact was something I did not major in, and my words often fell on deaf, misunderstood ears. I think anything can be said when its tempered with love. I always tell the kids, I would prefer a hard truth over an easy lie any day. If you find yourself misunderstood, maybe you should ask yourself, “how was my delivery?” I’m not saying its an easy change, but it might be a necessary one. Perception is reality, and delivery is all about presentation.

Damaged

I remember when I based what I ordered online on the cost of shipping. If shipping was more expensive than what I wanted, I simply would not order it or I would wait on a free shipping option. Amazon changed the way millions shopped online with their Prime membership. I’ve been conditioned to only shop for items that are available for Prime shipping. I need my package in 2 days or less. I can count the times that my package hasn’t arrived or was damaged on one hand. It just doesn’t happen that often.

Truth is things get damaged. Things break. Things fall apart and most times we aren’t conditioned on how to handle damage. We want our money back. We want a replacement in 2 days or less. We are not very accommodating to change or inconvenience. We have become a microwave generation. We want participation trophies and prescriptions. We refuse to acknowledge that in many cases, we are damaged. We fix the obvious damage, but negate to fill the emotional holes. Evaluate your life. There is beauty in your brokenness. The only way to truly fix the damage is to acknowledge it.

Distractions

I’m not a person that gets overwhelmed easily. I can typically take myself out of a situation and try to see it from all sides. I can usually agree to disagree. Sometimes, I must admit that I do get distracted. I lose sight of my goal. I get in my feelings, and it’s usually all bad. It’s amazing how much what we see and our mind processes controls our point of view.

Distractions are meant to keep you focused on temporary problems or obstacles. They are meant to frustrate you in the moment. They are meant to make lose sight of what’s ahead. Distractions are there to deter your vision. Keep that in mind, when your day doesn’t go as planned or when the kids are acting up. Distractions are obstacles designed to obstruct your vision. It all goes back to your vision. What are you looking at? What do you see? Do you see opportunity or distraction?

Delight

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When was the last time you stopped and smelled the flowers? When was the last time you laughed until you cried? When was the last time you danced in the rain? When was the last time you just had fun? Delight by definition means great pleasure. Pleasure comes in many forms. Life is meant to be lived. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Delight yourself in the Lord. Delight yourself in the Lord’s creation. Delight yourself in life’s simple pleasures.