Choose To Be Cheerful

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,”

Proverbs 17:22

“To be cheerful is to be ready to greet others with a welcome, a word of  encouragement, an enthusiasm for the task at hand, and a positive outlook on the future.  Such people are as welcome as pain reliever medicine.

~ Life Application Study Bible

Listening to God - How can I Hear Him

Listening to God - How Can I Hear Him?
Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to shut out the chaos around you and focus your thoughts. Is God someone you can hear? The Bible says He is, and the Bible is one of the main tools through which He speaks. 

We live in a world of noise. Almost everywhere we go, we find sounds competing with our minds, keeping us from letting our thoughts get below the surface level. Hearing God's voice means not listening to the noise of the world around us. It's not easy, but it can be done. 

King David, author of most of the book of Psalms, gave us a model for meeting with God, "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul" (Psalm 143:8). 

He sought God's direction in the morning, at the beginning of the day. Like a general in God's army, he wanted to hear from his Commanding Officer before he entered into battle. Beginning each day fresh with God is a great reminder that, as the Scripture says, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22, 23). You must find the time of day that works for you, but morning is the best time if that is possible. 

Do you want to hear God speak to you? Listening to God requires regular Bible reading, since the Bible is the Word of God. 

~ allaboutGod.com

Hummingbirds

The hummingbird generally symbolizes joy and playfulness, as well as adaptability. Additional symbolic meanings are:

• Lightness of being, enjoyment of life
• Being more present
• Independence
• Bringing playfulness and joy in your life
• Lifting up negativity
• Swiftness, ability to respond quickly
• Resiliency, being able to travel great distances tirelessly

~ Anonymous 

Ask, Seek, Knock

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be open to you.”

Matthew 7:7

“People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and conclude that God cannot be found.Don’t give up your efforts to seek God.  Continue to ask him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love, and understanding.  He will give them to you.”

We can always trust Him to answer our prayers wisely.

~ Life Application Study Bible

Just Pray

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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 Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 4:6-7

“Imagine never being “anxious about anything”!  It seems like an impossibility - we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school.  But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers.  Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray!