Authors

Shining Verses

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If you like inspirational quotes, you will likely enjoy scripture verses. Whether you consider yourself a saint or a sinner, well-formed words make us feel empowered and wise. We want to memorize them and share them with friends. And this is the case today.

Over the past year,  I’ve been puzzled by the number of references in the Word and world about terms such as shining and light and brightness, so I figured, I’d take my time to collect some. Many will be in scripture form from the Bible but others may not.

So how many are there? I’m not sure. But I’m excited to try to find out. Okay. Here goes…

  1. The road the righteous travel is like the sunrise, getting brighter and brighter until daylight has come. Proverbs 4:18
  2. Don’t be envious of sinful people; let reverence for the Lord be the concern of your life. If it is, you have a bright future. Proverbs 23:17-18
  3. IMG_1058
  4.  Screen Shot 2018-11-05 at 7.31.03 AM                                 Well, said, Stephanie! And thus concludes the end of this Shining Verses post for now.

    Have a Brilliant Monday, November 5, 2018!

  5. “Their (Wise Parents) instructions are a shining light; their correction can teach you how to live.” Proverbs 6:23.

(These two verses came from Cherlono via a comment on another post. I’m grateful for these gifts wrapped in other Believers)

6. “For You, O Lord, are my lamp; The Lord illumines and dispels my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29, and

7.  The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. JOHN 1:5. Both from the Amplified Version.

8. You will succeed in all you do,
    and light will shine on your path.
God brings down the proud
    and saves the humble. Job 22: 28-29.  Be humble, y’all! 

9.  “The righteous are like a light shining brightly; the wicked are like a lamp flickering out.” Proverbs 13:9 GNB

Authors, Givers

Could your new BFF be a Journal?

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My new BFF is a Journal

For some, the act of writing in a journal is “like having a best friend that didn’t talk back. I didn’t get interrupted mid-sentence.” B. Lynn Goodwin, the former caregiver, and author admitted in an online article I recently read. And, while it is important to cultivate social relationships, like in the Shining Lights Community Small Group setting for Caregivers of Special Needs Loved Ones, sometimes your best relationship may be a “non-judgmental piece of paper.”1

Why? Well, for many reasons, such as:

  • Emotions are fickle.
  • There are good days and not-so-good days
  • Family and friends are not always available to talk to
  • You can keep it real. You can’t take back words said to people but you can ball up a letter and throw it in the trash if you like.

But before you toss this notion of “getting it all out on paper,” know that there are many benefits to expressive writing. Some of which are changes for the better in your:

  • Outlook
  • Concentration
  • Sleeping
  • Relationships
  • Immune function2

Sounds appealing, right?

So what should you journal? The short answer is … anything you like.

My personal suggestion is, to begin with, a gratitude journal. Since we as humans are much too quick to forget all the blessings we have. You could try to count them one-by-one, and collect your memories in a singular notebook, store-bought journal, or in a word processing document.

Other options could be to capture the main events of the day, a reaction to a bible scripture or a quote, or quite simply jot down the thought that is on your mind at the moment. It’s entirely up to you. Remember this is expressive writing and it’s for your eyes only.

Do you have time? Probably not, so you have to make the time and do your best to be consistent. Around 7 to 10 minutes a day in a private setting is a good start. Whether it’s morning, evening or at home on the throne, it doesn’t matter. The best time is always, whenever it works best for you. And if you miss a day, write about “why” the next day, or scrap it and focus on the present.

Whatever, you do, start today! You may find journaling to be the best friend and listener you’ve ever encountered.

The above is a transcript written for the Shining Lights Community Small Group for Caregivers of Special Needs Adults.

  1. https://www.agingcare.com/articles/journal on 10/30/18@ 2:08 PM, article, “Dear Diary: Journaling for Caregivers,” December 8, 2011.
  2. Article by Robert Busha, Ph.D., LifeWise Living Ministries, Copyright 2014
Authors, Lovers

Shining in Perilous Times

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Shining in Perilous Times

It’s a cruel dark world out there. Ephesians 6:12 tell us so. And, unfortunately, darkness is not relegated to a specific day of the year when demons and goblins are invited to roam freely, trying to scare the life out of unsuspecting people. No, it lurks about constantly.

We see it rear it’s ugly head while watching the real (or fake news), we hear it in the constant barrage of negative political advertisements, we think it when we relive our past failures, we feel it each time a hate crime is committed, and it can be…frightening.

But with all the darkness around us, Psalm 34:5 assures us that “Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.” This was the conclusion after the fretful psalmist made his prayerful petition and was able to take his eyes off of the circumstances and lift his countenance toward the Lord. Basically, he changed his focus, and thus radiated life-giving joy with confidence.

We should all make this a practice. Imagine the people you would draw when they see you joyful in stressful times. It is also the sincerest invitation to tell someone about our source of Light with hopes that they would look to the Lord and shine radiantly, as well.

Dear Father God, in the name of Jesus, I want to shine for you today and draw others into your loving presence. Therefore, I am not going to react and whine about the darkness in this world. Instead, I ask that you would help me by your Spirit to act in faith, power, and your authority according to Ephesians 6:11-13.

 

Builders

All the Ways to Shine Bright In 28 days

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“Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 MSG

Shine in this text denotes the transliteration of the Greek word, lampó. It is a primary verb, meaning “to beam, i.e., Radiate brilliancy (literally or figuratively) — give light, shine.”

And, if God says we are to do it, that means we can do it! Right?

We have absolutely no excuses.

It only takes 28 days!!! Can you believe it?

You better, because it’s the truth. Believing is your first step, and it is the start of a brighter life.

So, how does it work?

One word: Consistency. Within 21 consecutive days, any habit can be created, but with an additional 7 days, that habit becomes a long-term memory pattern. That’s the clincher and the most magnificent part of the process. By day 28, that old habit, of being dull (uninteresting, lacking luster, stupid, sluggish, listless) will be an attribute of your past.

Let’s Take the Challenge to SHINE BRIGHTER, Together, in 4 Simple Steps:

  1. Choose a different word that means to shine from the Wordlist each day for the next 28 days. I’ll add definitions as I go through the 28-day process.
  2. Meditate on that word with the five senses (see it, touch it, feel it, taste it, and smell what the Lord is cooking up in you)!!! It should take you about 5 – 7 minutes to do this.
  3. Throughout the day, find ways to use this word in your verbal or written communication. Maybe you will use the word in your journaling or in an affirmation or how about a compliment to someone else. *** If you need to remain accountable, as I do, come back to this post and share the action you took for the day.
  4. Repeat the above steps for the next 28 days.

The results!

Brilliance. Radiance, and the like. You will have developed the new habit and long-term memory of shining all the time, well beyond the 28 days it took to change your dull ways. Shining will have seeped from your mind and become a part of your heart.

The effects!

You and l will want to do better, be better and help others just as Matthew 5:15-15 tells us.

Isn’t this exciting?

Time really does work for us when we set our minds to stay the course. It changes our hearts and helps us to become all God created us to be. I pray you will accept this offer and never be dull again!

If this blog has inspired you, please take the time to post a comment.  Thank you. Until the next time, SHINE BRIGHTLY and give God the glory,

Reallyleah.com

 

 

 

Authors, Builders, Givers, Lovers, Miracles

Welcome

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Dear Reader,

Welcome. It is great to make your virtual acquaintance. I am not quite sure how you got here. But, I am really, really glad you did.

And now that you are here, allow me to share some high points on what Reallyleah.com is all about. In short, this website is about:

  1. Miracles, builders, authors, lovers, and givers.
  2. Expressing needs through thoughtful transparency, and
  3. Finding seeds of support.
  4. Reuniting and staying connected with my old buds. Psst. Perhaps after we leave here, we can set up a time to meet-up, sit down, unwind, and exchange some common oxygen.
  5. My lifestyle (a little), which I hope initiates a meaningful conversation.
  6. Change, growth and togetherness.
  7. Laughing and not getting overwhelmed by what will happen next.

So, thanks for visiting. I hope you’ll save this site in your Favorites and come back often. And, please feel free to react to any of the aforementioned or anything you see on the site. You’re always welcome to do so.

Really yours,

L.A.

 

 

Givers

To Shine…in other words…

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To Shine…in other words…

On this post, I’ve given you 28 starter words, but feel free to chose your own and provide definitions. This is not to be laborious. So, whatever you do, have fun knowing you possess the ability to make this world a brighter place. 

  1. Scintillate – to emit sparks (v).
  2. Coruscate – to be brilliant or showy in technique or style (v).
  3. Sheen – to be bright (v), a bright or shining condition (n). Beautiful (adj).
  4. Polish – refers to a smooth, shining or bright surface that reflects light produced by rubbing or friction (v).
  5. Luster – a glow of reflected light, an inner beauty (radiance), a glow of light within (n).
  6. Gloss –  surface luster or brightness (n).
  7. Luminescence – the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated, as in fluorescence and phosphorescence (n).
  8. Patina – a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use (n).
  9. Sparkle –  to give off or reflect bright moving points of light (int. v).
  10. Twinkle – to shine with a flickering or sparkling light (int. v).
  11. Excel –  to be superior to: surpass in accomplishment or achievement (trans. v).
  12. Burnish – to make shiny or lustrous especially by rubbing (trans. v).
  13. Fluoresce – shine or glow brightly due to fluorescence (v).
  14. Flame – the glowing gaseous part of a fire (n).
  15. Flash – to shine in a bright but brief, sudden, or intermittent way (v).
  16. Glimmer – shine faintly with a wavering light (v).
  17. Glint – to give off reflection in brilliant flashes (int. v). 
  18. Radiate –  to send out rays: shine brightly (int. v).
  19. Glisten – to give off a sparkling or lustrous reflection of or as if of a moist or polished surface (v).
  20. Shimmer – to shine with a soft tremulous or fitful light (int. v).
  21. Beam – to send out rays of light (int. v).
  22. Flare – a sudden brief burst of bright flame or light (n).
  23. Spangle – a small glittering object or particle (n).
  24. Glow – a steady radiance of light or heat (n).
  25. Brilliance – Intense brightness of light (n).
  26. Splendor – Magnificent and splendid appearance; grandeur (n).
  27. Illuminate – Light up (int v).
  28. Dazzle – To overpower with light; to hinder distinct vision by intense light (trans v).
Authors

Break the Power of Negative Words

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It is a thrill to support my friend and mentor, Mary Abraham Busha, and her new book, “Breaking the Power of Negative Words.” You can get a pre-sale copy via Amazon or Barnes & Noble, now! And might I add, that Mary led a small group on this topic last year, and it really helped me overcome many hurts produced by negative words spoken over and to me. So, I am excited to know that I’ll have the finished product in my hands soon. Congratulations, Mary!

 

Authors

Manny the Lamb

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cropped-Manny-cover-2-4One of my writer friends, Delores Kight, has just published an adorable children’s book, entitled, “Manny the Lamb.” Complete with full-color illustrations, this is one of the cutest stories ever told!  You’ll want to add it to your Christmas gift list for the little ones in your life.  You can purchase the book on Amazon, now.

For more on “Manny the Lamb” visit the website.

 

Miracles, Builders, Authors, Lovers & Givers

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