FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS...CONNECT...HOLY GROUND...

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY
.

God is a God of connections! Oh, there are a myriad of them - if you stop to think about it. Just think of the connections in the human body or in friendships. My favorite God connections are the spiritual ones.

.

1. Brain - body connections - As many of you know, I am deeply in to brain based education. I have been taught by some of the best. There is much to be said to how a child learns body movements that connect with thinking: crawling, walking, feeding self, clapping, balancing... I learned last year that one of the first signs of Alzheimer's is a brain - body disconnect. That might happen when a person begins looking down at their feet to walk or ascend/descend stairs. I have a grandaughter who is connecting in the first ways. My sweet mother, is disconnecting in the latter as her Alzheimer's progresses.



2. Friend / Family connections - I don't go too many days without talking to someone who knows another person who I know. Since joining Facebook, I have re-connected with former college friends, students, youth group members, and other church family. I am amazed to find connections between people who I had no idea existed. Reminds me of the connections we made with other Women of Faith back in September and the two long lost cousins who found each other because they were placed sitting next to each other. (Kat and Willene - second row and second and third from right)!
   
   
   
   
3. Spiritual connections - It happens daily... hourly... okay... sometimes by the minute... It happened last night in our Wednesday night ladies class!

.

Last night, my dear friend Linda, mistakenly left her class teaching materials at home so we had an impromptu class that was Spirit-led and rich, rich, rich!!! There was sharing about brain-body disconnects and family disconnects that led to spiritual connections. Linda brought up that we often talk about how to keep our focus on Jesus when there is a big battle raging, but what about living in the day to day... the mundane... at home... on the job. She asked us to share. I have taken some things that people said and made them "my own". I am sharing how I plan to use them in transformation.

1. JESUS CONNECTION: When looking in the mirror each morning, I will ask, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, do you see Jesus in me at all?" Then, I will fix my spritual eyes on His characteristics... because I want to be more like my big brother today as He works in, around, and through me. I will thank Him!


2. FAITH CONNECTION: Then, I will thank Him for His perfect faith that was responsible for my salvation. I will commit to trusting Him in the little and the big things today because He and He alone is worthy of my complete trust. I will look into my "faith memory bank" and remind myself of a time when God has been faithful to me. I will thank Him!
   
3. JOY CONNECTION: Before I leave the mirror, I will smile really big for up to a minute as I consider the "JOY set before Him" . It was His focus. I will choose to thank Him for what I see in the mirror and the opportunity that this new day brings, for I know that JOY springs from a thankful heart! I choose to be thankful in all things today!


4. ENDURANCE CONNECTION: As I head into my day, I will commit to focus on Jesus with His Faith and Joy to help me ENDURE the challenges set before me.
   
5. HOLY CONNECTION: Much like my Lord Jesus as He sat down at the right hand of God, much like the "great cloud of witnesses", much like Moses at the burning bush... I will view my day, my home, my responsibilities as sacred... HOLY... I will take off my shoes and remember that I am "standing on HOLY ground".

.

"Therefore,

since we are surrounded

by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and

the sin that so easily entangles, and

let us run with perseverance

the race marked out before us.

Let us fix our eyes on JESUS,

the author and perfecter of our FAITH,

who for the JOY set before Him

ENDURED the cross,

scorning it's shame, and

sat down at the right hand

of the throne of God."

.

Hebrews 12:1-2

.

HOLY GROUND!

.

1. JESUS
2. FAITH
3. JOY
4. ENDURE
5. HOLY

.