Category: Change

Change starts with you and me...

1/11/2017

~Lori

Think it.
Dream it.
Do it.
And encourage each other on the way.

Until next time:
Peace to you and yours,
#BibleComesAlive

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com
http://www.SinclairInkSpot.com/Jesus-is-my-life-coach

Jesus is my Life Coach!

Betrayed: Joseph, Part 2...

10/27/2014

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So, to pick up the story:
Joseph is sold, hurt and a slave. He is angry.
Brothers are mad.
Jacob is a wreck.
Family is torn apart. Why? Jealousy.
It's a dangerous emotion, and for the most part, not at all based in fact. It is pure human emotion which can be misconstrued.

So why? Why did this have to happen? And why write about it?
Because some things never change, primarily the nature of human beings. We still go through these same feelings and emotions.

We still hear it today. Why did this happen to me? I'm a good person. I don't deserve this. What did I do?

Joseph didn't do anything either. In fact, after all of this, he was sent to work in the house of a very prominent man. When that man's wife made a pass at him and he refused her, she screamed rape. This selfish act threw Joseph in prison for seven years.
Now he could have sat down and had a little pity party. He could have felt sorry for himself and given up, but he didn't. He chose to make the best of a bad situation.
Joseph started helping his fellow prisoners. When they had bad dreams, he interpreted those dreams. His interpretations were so accurate that he was sent for by the leader of the country.

Long story short, Joseph was removed from prison and put in charge of a lot of stuff. When his brothers came back, begging for food some years later, Joseph had a chance to let God's light shine through. He was a living, breathing lesson in forgiveness.

So when people do nasty things to you, do you give up?
Are you filled with hatred and anger? do you sit down and cry 'why me'?

Or, do you recognize the opportunity to create change. Do you accept the challenge to be a leader, and show others how God wants us to behave and believe? Be the change you want to see in the world.

Don't just want it. Don't just complain about it. Step up. Do it. Be it. Live it.

Joseph did.

Until then...

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

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Betrayal: What did Joseph feel?

10/26/2014

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The Bible tells us of the story of Joseph. Many of us remember it as the story of the Coat of Many Colors. It is a story of betrayal, jealousy, lies, hatred, false imprisonment, and finally a story of restoration. It is a story of God's glory.

Joseph was the youngest son of a large family. Being the youngest, he was the most spoiled by all of his mothers (yes, that was legal back then) and his father's favorite. Jacob was likely older when Joseph was born, so it is possible that he was a little bouncing bundle of surprise. How many of us haven't felt that feeling?

His brothers were all jealous. The lesson here - not from the brother's point of view, or from Joseph's, but looking toward the parents - is that siblings can feel this. Jealousy is a natural reaction when they feel they are being slighted (or worse) by the people who are supposed to love them the most. We look to our parents for equality in actions, and for an equal amount of love. And when that is not given, the children can feel it. Kids are not stupid. They see and feel everything. Be careful what you say and what you do. It will leave a lasting impression.

His brothers reacted in anger. A natural reaction, although still not acceptable. They beat their baby brother, threw him into a hole, sold him into slavery (30 pieces of silver, no doubt), and the lied about it. Not ok, brothers! Control your anger and learn to deal with your feelings. Life isn't fair. Get over it.

But none of this goes into what Joseph was feeling. I can imagine, hurt, lost, betrayal, anger, confusion, fear. He was taken to a foreign country, made a slave, falsely accused of a crime, thrown into prison, and wasted there for seven years...

Until...

God was ready to use him.

The lessons from all of this - see Part 2. Coming soon.

Until then...

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

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Stress. How do you handle it?

9/23/2014

We live in a high-octane society. Americans never seem to stop. From early mornings at the gym, work all day, taking the kids to sporting events, church events and needed shopping. We even take our tech with us on our vacations so we can keep connected to the office.

As a schoolteacher, some years are better than others. And every so often there are years you hope to survive with your sanity. I suffered the later this last year. It was filled with impulsive boys who reacted with their fists, lying girls, and parents who were masters of venomous emails.

How do you handle your stress? Some people eat, some work out more, some turn to other things to dull the anxiety. Me, I like to sleep. Being on my guard to control every possible hint of conflict between students, suffering under the lies, and trying to console irate parents took its toll on my mental strength. I came home many days, flopped on the couch and took a nap before going to bed. In the oblivion of sleep, no one fought or yelled at me. There I was safe.

As a Christian I knew Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Phil. 4:6). I admit, I struggled to find much to be thankful for in the events of this past year. But I prayed more than any other year. Many others were praying for me too. Prayer saw me through.

School’s out. Summer is a time to refresh and rejuvenate and gear up for the coming year. A year that will see new challenges, a new set of students, and parents; A new mix of stressers. So I how will I manage? Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes. 5:17.

How will you manage the stress in your life?

By Michelle Janene

@MichelleJaneneM

TurretWriting.com

~Until next time,

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

I am nothing but a doll...

9/12/2014

I am a doll.

I have no name. If I had a name I would be a real person. As a doll, a thing, nobody has to think about me, meet my needs, or include me in anything. “This is my - - - friend, sister, brother, son, employee, daughter, etc., etc. etc.”

I sit on a shelf until others want to play with me. They take me down when I meet their needs, or when they want something. I am recognized when I am convenient, and put back on the shelf when I am not.

Nobody has to think about me, or meet my needs because I am not real.

People complain. They stab me in the heart. I get blamed for everything. I am good, but I am also bad, or so they say. I am needy for wanting to be a part of them. They say I am selfish. Me! How could they?

No one has any time for me. I am loved when they want to, acknowledged when they choose to, used when they need to, then stuck back in the closet, left in the dark again.

All I do is love them. That’s my only crime. Why can’t they see this?

What’s my name? Do you even know? I am the one person who has loved you more than anyone else ever will. Who am I?

Lori? Bill? Mary? Joe?

……… Jesus of Nazareth

“If you acknowledge me before men, I will acknowledge you before my Father in Heaven.”

Take me off the shelf please. I have been waiting for you.

~Until next time,

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

Shadow People...

9/7/2014

Growing up in someone else’s shadow can be either a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on the one who is casting that shadow. Typically these people are larger than life, famous, or sometimes infamous. Loved, or hated, they are unforgettable.

What happens to the one growing up? They are never seen for who and what they really are. They can be punished for the sins of the elder person, judged for what the other person has done, and even hated for the other person’s wrongs. Or, held up to a standard that can never be achieved. Was that Shadow bearer loved, or hated? Is that view of you constraining you from being who you really are?

The fact is that we are all individuals. Christ said “even the very hairs on your head are numbered.” We are all “knit together in our mother’s womb” individual and created for a purpose. When we are held up against another person like a measuring stick, there is no way we will ever measure up. God is the one who decides if we have accomplished our purpose here.

What I’ve discovered, after a lifetime of this treatment, is when people see me through the filter of someone else, it doesn’t really have a lot to do with me, but more of how that person made them feel.

Are people trying to control me to control the hatred they feel for them?

Forgiveness is the key. Yes, people do wrong - we are not perfect. Yes, there is control and manipulation in the world, but projecting that hurt and pain onto another innocent person is just as wrong. Each person should be seen for the individual that God made them, living up to their own unique purpose and fulfilling their own destiny.

There’s only one shadow I want to grow up in… the shadow and protection of the One and Only, Living God.

~Until next time,

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
Sinclair Publishing
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

The Un-Perfectionist

8/21/2014

The Un-Perfectionist. This type of person knows that they are not perfect, and praise God that they don't have to be. They relish in their own forgiveness and the love of God...

however...

They expect complete and total perfection from those around them. There is no excuse for others not to live up to their standards. They set the bar so high that there is no way on earth that anyone can live up to it. They forever let you know that you are not measuring up.

This is not a new problem. Jesus said:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Why do we hold others to a higher level of responsibility than we hold ourselves?

Judgementalism. A dangerous place to be my friends.

"Judgement is MINE says the Lord."

If you can learn to let go of our own expectations of others, and focus on God, life will be a lot more calm and peaceful for everyone.

~Until next time,

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Tweet me @LorettaLea
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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

Overcoming Insecurity...

8/20/2014

I'm not good enough.
I can't do it.
Everybody hates me.

It's not enough that the world beats us down at every turn, but we have to keep up the fight, and continue to beat ourselves up when everyone else is done.

I'm a failure.
I can't do anything right.

Or, the expectations that we put on ourselves when we compare ourselves to others.

I can't make it on my own.
I'm afraid to be alone.
I don't make as much money as she does.
I have to show the world that I am better.

Better = more, bigger, better, nicer, more expensive, MORE.

So how do you let go of those feelings that cripple you. I've heard people say "Just get over it." That seems a bit cruel. These feelings go down deep and shake the very core of who you are. If it was that simple, there would be no problems.

The answer is a little deeper. Christ shows us in his life. You see, His purpose for coming here to earth was not about Him. "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others." He wasn't put first. It was about us. He wasn't thinking of His own accomplishments, He put others before Himself. We have to learn to take ourselves out of the mix. I will repeat the opening line in one of my favorite books, The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. "It's not about you."

If we can stop dwelling on all of our failures and downfalls, then we can start to get past them. Don't think about how you see yourself, or how others see you. Think about how Christ sees you. Life will take on a whole new meaning.

If we can stop seeing ourselves through the judgmental eyes of others, then we can truly begin to see what our real value is. Because, truthfully, all insecurity really is, is the judgment of others imposed on us. Judgment is God's and God's alone. People have NO RIGHT to do that to each other.

Christ came to live (and die) for us. If you can turn things around and live for Him, then you will find true value and purpose in your life.

Pick up a copy of this book. It will change your life. (No, I get no kick-backs - but I wish I did!)

The Purpose Driven Life. by Rick Warren

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!

Withdraw to Serenity...

8/20/2014

There is something truly blessed about the Sierra Nevada Mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe. Its beauty and magesty are astounding. It leaves me speechless just to look upon the beauty of the glistening Topaz color of the water on a clear day.

I am here for a week now staying atop the gorgeous Heavenly Valley. I don't think the name is any accident. I have come to relax, rejuvenate, and to spend some time alone with God - something I get way to little of at home.

Christ is our example in this. When he was stressed, he withdrew from the crowds to pray. He chose to spend time alone with God.

Changing Relationships...

8/14/2014

How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?

Change?!?!?!?!?! (scared face)

Change is scary, for a lot of people and for a lot of reasons - especially in relationships. The truth is that some people just refuse to change, and would rather sacrifice a relationship rather than face the change that is required to make it work.

And here's the clencher. Some people are simply not capable of change. It's not that they won't, they just can't.

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Just one. But it takes a long time, costs a lot of money, and the light bulb has to want to change.

Change comes from the inside. If the party involved either won't or can't, there's nothing you can do to make that happen. The best and most important step at that point, is prayer. Ask God to do the impossible. Ask Him to intervene and do the things that you cannot. Ask God for a miracle. Then sit back and see what happens. Understanding that the answer might not be Yes. Sometimes you have to walk away. And that walking away is for a reason. That reason always should be to glorify God. If you are being held back, held down, prevented from being all you can be, then it's time to shake the dust from your feet and move forward.

Christ came to change the world - to shake it up and give us a new perspective. I, for one, will not be stuck in the same old rut that I have been for decades. It's time to spread my wings and fly to heights that I have only dreamed of so far. I will miss those that get left behind, but they have the choice of coming along with me on this journey called life.

Change is not always bad. Just different.

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Re-Inventing the Impossible
~Lori
Loretta Sinclair
www.SinclairInkSpot.com

Jesus is my Life Coach!