Today there are so many opportunities to think along negative lines. I want to challenge you to think on things that will bless you and reduce your stress. Most of what we imagine never happens. For years I allowed this train to take me for a ride. There was no joy riding in the caboose of that train!
I am now the conductor of my train and I invite you to be the conductor of your train.
So.... put on your conductors hat and take charge of your thought process today. Negative thinking causes stress in your body and your emotional well being. A doctor recently called such thinking "distortional thinking." The mere word distort means not a clear picture of the truth. And when you choose to think on the negative you are distorting the beautiful, positive thing that God wants to accomplish for you, through you and in you.
Phillipians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Debbie
Word Parables and Art Parables - Writing Encouragement, Poetry, and Art from the study of God’s Word ~DebbieTurner Chavers
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Flowers for you!
Yesterday, was our 29Th wedding anniversary. I received two bouquets of flowers. Roses from my husband and a virtual bouquet from a friend.Thank you, Kim.
This is the bouquet. Isn't it beautiful
and it is for YOU!
Smile.....
Because you are loved
and you received flowers today!
Debbie
Thursday, January 22, 2009
When?
If not now. Then when? What are you waiting for? The time is now. If you are similar to me, there is something you have dreamed of doing ....but put off for another time.
The root is FEAR. Cast it aside. What are you afraid of? Success?
For years I was fearful of sharing my art. What if no one liked it. What if no one bought it.
Well, I have faced my fear and saw my own criticism. I heard someone say one time ,"That the strongest voice you hear in your mind is YOURS." So look in the mirror and repeat after me.
No one may like it, no one may buy it....BUT....I refuse to allow my God given talent to lay fallow any longer. You have many gifts that are uniquely yours.
How do you know....in the garden of life....you might be a mustard seed! I might be a mustard seed!
A mustard seed is quite tiny, yet it grows into a large tree that others may take shelter in.
Jesus said...
Matthew 13:31
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Matthew 13:32
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Wow! O.K. so seek and you shall find. Ask him. What is my mustard seed?
Is it an creative outlet? Service to others, encouragement, faithfulness, writing?
You get the point. Do not despise small beginnings. Just start. And then step by step...take another step.
We are waiting to watch the Lord shine
thru YOU.. Yes... YOU!
Debbie
The root is FEAR. Cast it aside. What are you afraid of? Success?
For years I was fearful of sharing my art. What if no one liked it. What if no one bought it.
Well, I have faced my fear and saw my own criticism. I heard someone say one time ,"That the strongest voice you hear in your mind is YOURS." So look in the mirror and repeat after me.
No one may like it, no one may buy it....BUT....I refuse to allow my God given talent to lay fallow any longer. You have many gifts that are uniquely yours.
How do you know....in the garden of life....you might be a mustard seed! I might be a mustard seed!
A mustard seed is quite tiny, yet it grows into a large tree that others may take shelter in.
Jesus said...
Matthew 13:31
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Matthew 13:32
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Wow! O.K. so seek and you shall find. Ask him. What is my mustard seed?
Is it an creative outlet? Service to others, encouragement, faithfulness, writing?
You get the point. Do not despise small beginnings. Just start. And then step by step...take another step.
We are waiting to watch the Lord shine
thru YOU.. Yes... YOU!
Debbie
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
You are Loved
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.Proverbs 13:12
Take heart. There is a word in due season. Think on the things that encourage you to keep on keeping on. Negative thoughts have never helped anything. Almost always the desire is accomplished, but not always the way we expected.
Take heart. God loves us immensely and has us printed on the palms of His hands.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16
He sees. He knows. But it will always be in His good time and as a little child we need to place our hand in His and walk it out. He will never leave or forsake us. So our need is to keep up...not lag behind or run ahead. But as an obedient child, matching our steps with His steps.
YOU ARE LOVED, I AM LOVED. HE LOVES US.
Debbie
Take heart. There is a word in due season. Think on the things that encourage you to keep on keeping on. Negative thoughts have never helped anything. Almost always the desire is accomplished, but not always the way we expected.
Take heart. God loves us immensely and has us printed on the palms of His hands.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16
He sees. He knows. But it will always be in His good time and as a little child we need to place our hand in His and walk it out. He will never leave or forsake us. So our need is to keep up...not lag behind or run ahead. But as an obedient child, matching our steps with His steps.
YOU ARE LOVED, I AM LOVED. HE LOVES US.
Debbie
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Be Still
In reference to Psalm 46:10 which says "Be still and know that I am God".
I have been meditating on new beginnings in our lives and as I thought on this I wrote the following:
Oh! the beauty of a clean slate.......it awaits.
The blank canvas, the newborn, the earth
All things in life await.......
The Spring eternal, the new page, the life that is reborn.
Oh! The beauty of a clean slate.......it awaits
The breath and the touch of the Master.
-Debbie Chavers
I have been meditating on new beginnings in our lives and as I thought on this I wrote the following:
Oh! the beauty of a clean slate.......it awaits.
The blank canvas, the newborn, the earth
All things in life await.......
The Spring eternal, the new page, the life that is reborn.
Oh! The beauty of a clean slate.......it awaits
The breath and the touch of the Master.
-Debbie Chavers
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A Blessing
I just reread a book yesterday. Its title is "The Creative Call" by Janice Elsheimer. It is a great book to refresh your artistic vision. We are all artists. You may not know your artistic bent yet....but it is in there. This book helps you discover your hidden and not so hidden creative side. In Psalm 139 the Lord tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. So YOU are a work of art made by our creator.
Read the King James version below and consider His great love for YOU.
Psalm 139
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
You can read the rest of this Psalm and God's other wonderful thoughts of you in the Bible.
Yes, we came with an instruction manual!
I am praying that you realize how much He loves you and desires your friendship. The blessing below is in the book I told you of earlier, " The Creative Call"
May the God of gentleness be with you,
caressing you with sunlight and rain,
caressing you with rain and wind.
May His tenderness shine through you,
to warm all those who are hurt and alone.
May the God of strength be with you,
holding you in strong-fingered hands.
May you be a sacrement of His strength
to those whose hands you hold.
May the God of gentleness be with you,
caressing you with sunlight and rain,
caressing you with rain and wind.
Amen
Debbie
Read the King James version below and consider His great love for YOU.
Psalm 139
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
You can read the rest of this Psalm and God's other wonderful thoughts of you in the Bible.
Yes, we came with an instruction manual!
I am praying that you realize how much He loves you and desires your friendship. The blessing below is in the book I told you of earlier, " The Creative Call"
May the God of gentleness be with you,
caressing you with sunlight and rain,
caressing you with rain and wind.
May His tenderness shine through you,
to warm all those who are hurt and alone.
May the God of strength be with you,
holding you in strong-fingered hands.
May you be a sacrement of His strength
to those whose hands you hold.
May the God of gentleness be with you,
caressing you with sunlight and rain,
caressing you with rain and wind.
Amen
Debbie
Friday, January 9, 2009
Rock Your Box!
Has someone or something put you in a box? Well, rock your box. Let me explain with a short story.
A woman in India in a destitute situation had a baby, she was told the child would never walk and would not be able to care for himself. She made up her mind to give him the best life that she could and would take care of him and not send him away. Due to her poverty she carried the child around with her until he was too large to carry any longer. So being the caring mother that she was, she found an orange crate and pulled him after her. As the boy grew, he eventually hung on to the sides of the crate and would rock back and forth, back and forth. This of course, became a nuisance to his mother who was pulling him and she would say "Quit rocking the box!"
This happened many times. And then one day as she sat in her little home, the boy started rocking and rocking and rocking. Plop! Over he went into the floor and started using his now strong arms to crawl to his mother. Imagine her joy as he pulled himself to a standing position. Of course, it took a lot of work but eventually he walked.
Do you need to rock your box?
Or are you the the one pulling someone else's box?
Either way be encouraged, most of the time there is a happy ending.
~Debbie
A woman in India in a destitute situation had a baby, she was told the child would never walk and would not be able to care for himself. She made up her mind to give him the best life that she could and would take care of him and not send him away. Due to her poverty she carried the child around with her until he was too large to carry any longer. So being the caring mother that she was, she found an orange crate and pulled him after her. As the boy grew, he eventually hung on to the sides of the crate and would rock back and forth, back and forth. This of course, became a nuisance to his mother who was pulling him and she would say "Quit rocking the box!"
This happened many times. And then one day as she sat in her little home, the boy started rocking and rocking and rocking. Plop! Over he went into the floor and started using his now strong arms to crawl to his mother. Imagine her joy as he pulled himself to a standing position. Of course, it took a lot of work but eventually he walked.
Do you need to rock your box?
Or are you the the one pulling someone else's box?
Either way be encouraged, most of the time there is a happy ending.
~Debbie
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Are You Dressed?
Did you check the weather today? Most mornings I check the weather for my clothing choice for that day. But yesterday, during a chat with my sister I realized that studying God's word daily prepared me for that days weather also. It is my habit to read Proverbs daily, it is an easy read since there is one for every day. During my study I have observed that something in particular will speak to me that day. Upon contemplation, I understood that God's word for me that day always clothed me in the necessary armour to overcome and triumph in any given situation if I applied or stay dressed for the occasion with the clothing provided.
So....whatever the weather.
God has YOU covered.
Debbie
So....whatever the weather.
God has YOU covered.
Debbie
Monday, January 5, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Gleaning
 |
| Summer's End © Debbie Turner Chavers |
As most people do, I start thinking of things undone and things that I would like to accomplish for the new year at this time of year. This time of year is especially precious to me, because I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior on a New Years eve morning many years ago.
So this time is always a time of reflection for me.
Personally, I have been gleaning from past encouragements in Gods word to move forward and not look back.
I have gathered fear and uncertainty and cast them behind me.
I have finally loaded some of my art to my other blog at
http://debbiechavers.blogspot.com/
The name of the painting is Summer's End.
My children are grown now and I am stepping out in a new direction with much excitement.
I want to encourage you to step out in your God given talents.
Listen, to your heart and the positive feedback from others to find your gift or gifts.
I have always enjoyed encouraging others and for the past 10 years I have loved to paint.
Therefore, I shall work on this things.
If you pick up anything that you left behind, let it only be Love for God, yourself and others.
Debbie
My children are grown now and I am stepping out in a new direction with much excitement.
I want to encourage you to step out in your God given talents.
Listen, to your heart and the positive feedback from others to find your gift or gifts.
I have always enjoyed encouraging others and for the past 10 years I have loved to paint.
Therefore, I shall work on this things.
If you pick up anything that you left behind, let it only be Love for God, yourself and others.
Debbie
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