Connie’s Thoughts

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A Toddler’s Property Laws

Saw this on the door of a law professor and had to share.  Too cute!  

1.  If I like it, it’s mine.

2.  If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.

3.  If I can take it from you, it’s mine.

4.  If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

5.  If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.

6.  If I am doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.

7.  If it looks like mine, it is mine.

8.  If I saw it first, it’s mine.

9.  If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.

10.  If it’s broken, it’s yours.

#toddlers #children

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“Fathers”

The unspoken and often, unsung, heroes that anchor us.

They are providers of tough love, encouragement, and the challenges that shape us and strengthen us.

Fathers are our coaches.

Fathers provide examples of what a princess should expect and what a man should be.

Fathers teach us when it’s OK to cry and when we must suck it up and press onward, when to accept defeat and when to fight for victory.

Fathers love us unconditionally.

Fathers are strength personified and love on legs.

To good fathers everywhere, thank you for giving us our first glimpse of God.

©2016 by Dr. Connie R. Shipman

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Jehovah Loves Us

I read this statement and thought it was freeing and therefore worth sharing:

“Remember, nothing you ever do will make God love you less. Nothing you ever do will make God love you more. He loves you completely right now.”

Isn’t it a release of worry, a cessation of anxiety, to know that God loves us the same, whether we are seemingly perfect or atrocious? He may not appreciate our actions or behaviors that hurt others or are contrary to His will, but He loves us. He loved me first.  I love Him in return. 

#Jesus

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PRE-ORDER MY NEW BOOK! VERSATILITY

Hello Everyone,

Some of you may recall that I published a book of poetry via Kindle a couple of years ago. People asked if there will ever be a print version.  Well, this is it, with additional poems included. With that said, I am very excited to invite you to pre-order my new book, Versatility. This collection of poetry holds my most personal considerations and everyday thoughts. I hope it will inspire you to live differently.

I want to thank you for all of your support! I’m proud of this light I am offering to the world. Mid-summer 2017!

Pre-order link: https://www.drconnieshipman.com/

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Your Personality Reveals Purpose

A way to determine how you can serve others is to ask yourself such questions as: What do I really enjoy doing most? When do I feel the most fully alive? What am I doing when I lose track of time? Do I like routine or variety? Do I prefer serving with a team or by myself? Am I more introverted or extroverted? Am I more a thinker or a feeler? Which do I enjoy more – competing or cooperating?

Examine your experiences and extract the lessons you’ve learned. Review your life and think about how it has shaped you.

Forgotten experiences are worthless; that’s a good reason to keep a spiritual journal. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul worried that the believers in Galatia would waste the pain they had been through. He said, “Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not!” (Galatians 3:4 NCV)

We rarely see God’s good purpose in pain or failure or embarrassment while it is happening. Only in hindsight do we understand how God intended a problem for good.

Extracting the lessons from your experiences takes time, but it can be for your benefit and the benefit of others. I recommend that you take an entire weekend for a life review retreat, where you pause to see how God has worked in the various defining moments of your life and consider how He wants to use those lessons to help others.  This may provide clear direction on the way you can minister to, volunteer, or work with others.

Taken from Pastor Rick Warren’s Daily Devotion

#serving #purpose

 

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In Everyday Life, Serve With What You Have

A portion of this encouragement is taken from Pastor Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional

Are  you a servant?  Not in a paid since but do you feel that you have a servant’s heart, one that cherishes in sincerity coming to the aid of another in some small or significant manner?  If so, never EVER assume that you are not making a difference, for Pastor Rick Warren shares that servants do their best with what they have.  Per him, “Servants don’t make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. Servants never say, “One of these days ” or “When the time is right .” They just do what needs to be done.”

Beloved, as far as God is concerned, He expects you to do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.  Some people do not serve or give unto others because they fear they are not good enough to serve or they cannot give enough of themselves to make a difference.  I’d like to challenge you on that.  From a pleasant greeter in a store or church to a postman that smiles as s/he delivers the mail to a team leader or CEO who has lunch delivered for their team members, all are examples of service, of acts of kindness, and they stretch from the seemingly insignificant to the obviously appreciated.  You don’t have to have celebrity status to serve in your church, your community, or have a title to noticeably deliver a servant’s attitude at work; you simply need to have the mindset and the heart.  Here’s a cheerful salute to a sincere and genuine heart in all that you do.  Tootles!

#serving #living #fromtheheart

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God Will Wait on You 

From Pastor Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional 
Jesus waited until the disciples got concerned before He did anything in the situation. 

Maybe you’re having a problem in your marriage or your finances. God sees the problem and He recognizes it. But He waits on you to get concerned and accept responsibility for it before He does anything about it.  

 Like the disciples, there are three common reactions that people have toward problems:

We procrastinate — “By this time it was late in the day.” (verse 35) The disciples put off the problem until the end of the day. They did nothing and Jesus waited on them.  

We pass the buck — “Send the people away.” (verse 36) Basically the disciples were saying, “It’s not our problem. If they’re hungry, let them go find their own food.” 

We worry about it — “Lord, if we did that it’d cost eight months of a man’s wages. Are we going to go spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” (verse 38) The disciples’ anxiety went into overdrive and they started worrying. 

Worrying is the opposite of faith. It never solves anything. It only makes problems worse. 

I know this to be true but still, I was a worrier…definitely fell into that category.  Thank God for continual growth and the opportunity to change.  Sometimes challenges are allowed so we can grow and it’s only after the fact that we find an appreciation for what we’ve gone through.  Just as in the situation with the two loaves and five fishes to feed a whole bunch of folk, God ensures the need is met once we expose the need to Him.  The resolution is not always in our preferred timing but it is timely.  Go God!
Relevant scripture:

“And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, The place is desert, and the day is now far spent; send them away, that they may go into the country and villages round about, and buy themselves somewhat to eat.  But he answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred shillings’ worth of bread, and give them to eat? And he saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them that all should sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they all ate, and were filled. And they took up broken pieces, twelve basketfuls, and also of the fishes. And they that ate the loaves were five thousand men.”

Mark 6:35-36 ASV

http://bible.com/12/mrk.6.35-36.asv
Mark 6:37-44 ASV
http://bible.com/12/mrk.6.37-44.asv

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A Perspective on “Giving It All”

From Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional – originally entitled, “Will You Give It All?”

God will sometimes wait to see what we’re going to do with what we have before He steps in and turns a little into a lot. The Apostle John, in his account of the feeding of the 5,000, tells us that the hero of the story is a little boy. (John 6:9) 

There are three things to note about this little boy.  

He gave what he had – The boy didn’t have much, but he gave what he had. Never underestimate what God can do through ordinary people and limited resources given to him in faith. If you want to be used by God, just become available…with your time, your focus, your energies, and/or your money. Choose an area and progressively give it all to Him. As you grow, give more areas to Him until the whole of your life is focused on being instrumental for the pursuit of Christ; knowing Him and making Him known.  

The little boy gave God all he had, all five loaves and both fish. He didn’t hold anything back from God. If you want a miracle in your life, you cannot hold anything back from God.  

The little boy gave it immediately when it was asked for, he didn’t hesitate. As soon as he saw the opportunity to meet a need, as soon as he saw that Jesus needed it, the boy gave it to Him. 

Why don’t we give like that when we need a miracle? Either we don’t believe that God will take care of our needs if we give sacrificially to Him or we think, “What’s the use? How could my little bit help?”  Just remember, EVERY little bit helps.

The important thing is to be willing to give as much as we can, as often as we can. That is what God accepts.

#giving  #sacrifice

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Suggestion Versus Requirement?

In life, we constantly have decisions to make:  What are we going to wear?  What are we going to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?  How will I prioritize my busy schedule?  Will I go to church this Sunday?  Will I go to that party on Saturday night?  I have an X amount of “blow” money.  Do I want to spend it on this or that or put it in my rainy day fund?  Hmmm…decisions, decisions, decisions.

At what point do we decide, of those things that could be suggestions, to turn them into requirements?  Is it working out, doing community service, being a better employee or a more committed business owner or both, paying tithes, giving back in some manner, going to school or going back to school?  What in your life is currently on your suggestion list that needs to move to your requirement list?  Ponder…and then progress towards your next S.M.A.R.T. goal.

#Choices  #Life  #Change