Oh My Goodness... and some words from Margie

Sorry for the lack of goodness last week. It got away from me. I'll circle back around to it soon. In the meantime, check out these words from Margie. You can find more of her thoughts at her twitter account @margiedoh

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fruit.weeks5&6.

kindness and goodness 

(and computer problems)

so... this is very late, but i felt compelled to share a few thoughts! 

God himself is Kindness. 

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (5Romans 2:4 NASB)

Kindness 

- noun

1.the state or quality of being kind: kindness to animals.

2.a kind act; favor: his many kindnesses to me.

3.kind behavior: I will never forget your kindness.

4.friendly feeling; liking.

kindness is a choice, like all the other fruit, it's a gift from God. a deposit when you received the Holy Spirit. you've already got everything you need to walk on kindness! 

God is Goodness

goodness is purposely choosing right over wrong! 

goodness in a man is not a mere passive quality, but deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good. (Easton's bible dictionary)

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:11 NKJV)

Goodness 

- noun

1.the state or quality of being good.

2.moral excellence; virtue.

3.kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.

4.excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.

5.the best part of anything; essence; strength.

6.a euphemism for God: Thank goodness!

- interjection

7.(used in expressions of surprise, alarm, etc.): Goodness, you gave me a start! Goodness gracious! 

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7 NASB)

you simply cannot be kind or good if you're...holding unforgiveness, negative, angry, frustrated, grumpy, impatient...

if you notice someone's having a bad day...choose to brighten it.  decide to smile,  love, be joyful, walk in peace, be patient, show kindness and goodness... each fruit builds off the previous.

my encouragement to you: just smile at everyone on your path and see what happens!!!  you could share your experience here if you like. i find it quite interesting the responses from just smiling at someone and being kind. try it! 

see what these amazing bloggers had to say about the fruit of the spirit...

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there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

I had no idea how difficult it would be to write about kindness, and I'm not really sure why.  There are a lot of scriptures, quotes and poems about kindness out there, but nothing has been inspiring me. So here I am, on the last day of Kindness week, with nothing to say.

One definition of kindness is the desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness. Do you know people who live like that? I sure do. A lot of them. I think most people, from every place, culture, religion, and nation, have the desire to be kind, to do good, to share, to be generous.  The problem is, we also have free will and a fallen nature.

Kindness seems to be wrapped up in a lot of different things. I don't think one can love without also being kind. Kindness is a choice, each and every moment - the choice to love rather than to lash out, to give rather than keep, to do good rather than bad (however that is defined), to be kind instead of cruel. And, as with all of the other fruits, we do have it in us to be kind to even those who are the most unkind. And this isn't just about doing kindness. It's about asking God to show us how to be kind, how to treat others, how to think kind thoughts. It's not about doing kind things, it's about having an attitude and thoughts that are kind, toward others and about others.  The world may think you are the kindest person ever, but if your heart and mind are not in agreement with your actions, you and God need to have a little talk.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ~ Colossians 3:12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. ~ Matthew 7:12

Special Guest Post: Patience revisited

God has been so graciously patient with us, why then are we impatient with Him, ourselves & others?

“Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.” ~ Mother Teresa

...walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB) [wow love, peace, patience, & gentleness]

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NIV84)

Have you been practicing patience? It's a gift! Receive it, put it into practice today!

doh.margie@gmail.com twitter:margiedoh  facebook:margie doherty

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Don't forget to check out the other bloggers in the series:

there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Special Guest Post: Patience (From Margie)

weekfour.fruitofthespirit.patience

practicing patience

it seems each piece of fruit, so far, can't survive without the previous. without the first 3 (love.joy.peace) the 4th isn't possible.

• i can't be patient if i don't love the cashier in the slowest line at walmart. (eph4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 1cor13:4 love is patient...) 
• it isn't possible to be patient when i allow 3 red lights in a row on owen road to suck the joy out of me. (heb.12:2) 
• without His peace, when worries are the focus, patience is nowhere in sight. (phil.4:6) 

life deals us plenty of hands that are full of opportunities to practice this gift called patience. it's on the list of delicious fruit, given as a deposit when we receive Holy Spirit. the Word says we can have it. don’t be afraid to start asking for it. you'll get it! the more practice you get, the more natural patience becomes. besides, what would we need patience for if everything went perfectly the way we want it?

how are you doing in the patience department?

doh.margie@gmail.com twitter:margiedoh  facebook:margie doherty

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Don't forget to check out the other bloggers in the series:

there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Oh, I've been waiting, somewhat impatiently, for this week's fruit. How's that for a paradox (not to mention that it's Thursday already)? In fact, this whole post may be a paradox to some of you, but stick with me.

It truly was hard to not write this one sooner and just wait for it to post. But I chose to be patient. Hopefully, I'll be able to remember where I wanted to go with it.

I'm sure you've heard this.  "Don't pray for patience. If you do, you've be given opportunities to be patient."  Well meaning people have said this for years. The idea behind it: If you pray for patience, you will get in the slowest line, hit every red light, hear from every long-winded friend when you have somewhere else to go, run into the most annoying situations... you get the idea. You will run into every imaginable test of patience.

To that, I say phooey. (Sorry for the harsh language, but some things just have to be said.) 

Several years ago, when I was still pretty new to this Christian/loving Jesus thing, I went on a shopping trip with a couple of friends. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I vehemently dislike to shop, especially for myself.  We were on a specific mission to find something, but we didn't know exactly what yet.  So we stopped for lunch to talk about it and I prayed before we ate.  During the prayer, I asked for patience to get through the day, among other things. At the end of the prayer, they both said, "Did you really just pray for patience? You know what that means!"  Of course, I had heard the saying before that, but didn't really think about that so I felt kind of bad about it. Thinking the shopping trip was about to be ruined, I put on my best face and we went about our day.

You know what? That was one of the best shopping excursions I had ever had.  So I say phooey to not praying  for patience.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" ~ Matthew 7:7-11 (also found in Luke 11)

Why would God, who loves me and has placed His Spirit within me, deny me something that He has already promised me? Remember Galatians 5:21-22?

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Again, I say phooey. We've already got it anyway, so ask away! A loving God, who cares for the sparrows, is not going to let you down! Will there be times when our patience is tested? Of course! But if we sincerely ask God for it, and choose to be patient in inconvenient and testing times, we will receive it!

Now, patience in waiting on God... well, that's another subject.

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Don't forget to check out the other bloggers in the series:

there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Sorry for the lateness in my post on peace for this week. Inspiration was at the tip of my fingertips, so to speak, but just wouldn't make it's way out. Hope you've had a peaceful week. 


I don't know about you, but when I take a glance at the world around me, peace is not the first word that comes to my mind.

Chaos
Turmoil
Injustice
Hate
Anger
Bitterness
Unforgiveness
Worry
Anxiety
Rage
Oh, how I could go on and on.

Peace doesn't seem to come easily for most folks, even for many who consider themselves Christians.  Focusing on what's directly in front of them is easier than looking deeper to find the peace they long for. Philippians 4 reminds us not to worry - but to pray, asking God, thankfully for what we need, and He will give us peace.  Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, we already have it. We just need to grab hold of it.

Jesus left us His peace. That "I'm-going-to-be-okay-because-I-know-the-Father-is-with-me" kind of peace that is beyond our comprehension. When the world is saying "WHY AREN'T YOU FREAKING OUT?!?!?", we can confidently say it's because God loves us enough to give us what we need to get through what we need to get through, even if it doesn't look how we think it should.

"I'm leaving you peace. I’m giving you my peace. I don’t give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don’t be troubled or cowardly." ~ John 14:27

But wait... where does this peace come from? Jesus said these words, so we know they are true. But he's leaving (did you catch that in the first part?). He's not going to be around to calm the seas in the midst of the storm. If we look back a verse...

"The helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you." ~John 14:26

So, this peace that Jesus is leaving for us, it comes with Holy Spirit. Because He is in us, we have access to the peace that Jesus offers.

Embrace peace - don't let it get away! ~ Psalm 34:14

Once you grab on to peace, hold on to it! Don't let it slip away in a sea of anxiety and worry. Don't lose it in the midst of an argument. Don't misplace it when the storm winds come. When you have a hold of something loosely, it can easily slip away. When you embrace something, you hold on for dear life, as if letting go would let it fall out of reach forever. Embrace peace - don't let it get away!

‎"at the core of worry, we actually make ourselves our own god."

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Don't forget to check out the other bloggers in the series:

there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Special Guest Blog: Peace

fruit.of.the.spirit.week.three.PEACE.

want peace?  take it, it's yours! more ramblings...

philippians4:4-7 rejoice in the Lord always.i will say it again: Rejoice! let your gentleness be evident to all. the Lord is near. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  v.8-9 finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. and the God of PEACE will be with you.

confession1: phil4:4-9 is my 'go to' scripture for peace. surely i sound like a broken record to people in my life, sharing it with every one. walking through this journey called life, i've not met anyone (yet) who always keeps their peace, but my heart and mind are convinced that it is possible. it takes practice! pray...read it...do it...read&pray some more...it works. i promise!  the key is doing it! (don't just listen to God's word. you must do what it says. otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. james 1:22 nlt)

my encouragement to you is dig in. really tear it apart, bit by bit, then walk it out. this is biblical principle with two promises of God's peace. (christy covered v.6-7 beautifully, so back up a bit) start right off with with the rejoicing part, you get to do that twice right off the bat! (phil4:4) then carry it out until the end (v.9). the more i do this, the easier and more natural it becomes. peace is a gift, it's always available to you. it came with Holy Spirit the day you accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour! (if you haven't, it would be my pleasure to share this truth with you)

confession2: i didn't keep my peace a few times today, however, as i become more sensitive to Holy Spirit, seeking peace (ps34:14), changing my thinking (phil4:8-9), capturing negative thoughts (we demolish arguments&every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to christ.2cor10:5) is becoming a much easier process these days. i have many daily opportunities to practice!

so seek peace and pursue it! (the one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deciet. he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.1peter3:10-11 &ps34:13-14niv) its right there anytime you need need it. besides, worrying can't add a day to your life. as a matter of fact, it takes days off. worry makes you sick! (can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorow will worry about itself. each day has enough trouble of its own. matt6:27-34niv. you should read the whole thing)

i believe two opposites of peace are worry&fear. (perfect love drives out fear 1jn4:18 but i'll save that for another time)

if you desire peace, if you regularly think, "if i could just have some peace," go get it! it's yours for the taking! like joy from last week, its not about your circumstances. you can have peace in the storm! Jesus said it, so i know it's true!

grace & PEACE,

margie                       

doh.margie@gmail.com  twitter:margiedoh  facebook:margie doherty

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there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis