JoAnna Lynn Oblander's Blog, page 61

Love Your Life….

Are you waiting until your next paycheck to by happy? Your next raise? The day when your kids don’t drive you crazy? Are you waiting for retirement…is that when you have decided that you are going to love your life? Every day, despite the trials and challenges, there are blessings to be grateful for, simple pleasures to be enjoyed and love to be shared. No matter who you are and what your life is like – it will never be perfect. Yet, every day it can be an exercise in joy and gratitude. If you truly don’t love your life or think there is nothing about your life worth “writing home about” then change it. You are in the driver’s seat and only your choices and your actions are going to maneuver you and your circumstances. Life is precious and it is yours to celebrate!

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A Real Friend…

I haven’t had lots of “real friends”. I believe that real friends are an incredible blessing and not easy to come by. Those who have been my real friends – are still my real friends. I may not talk to them daily – in fact, I sometimes lose touch with them for several years because our lives have taken such different paths. The wonderful thing about real friends is that your hearts remain connected forever. If I picked up the phone right now and called them to let them know I was thinking about them – we would just simply pick up from where we left off. Spending time with or talking to a real friend is like sitting down with a warm mug of hot cocoa in your oversized flannel shirt and floppy slippers – the experience always leaves you feeling cozy and content. Why not reach out to one of your real friends today?!!

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Finding an Oasis…

Sometimes, a few words sum it all up…today the meme says it all!

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Keep Working Towards Your Miracles!

I have been having one of those days…the kind where I just want to wiggle my nose and instantly be on the beach in Hawaii with a warm gentle breeze blowing through my face and not have a care in the world. Don’t get me wrong…my life is truly wonderful, I just sometimes have days when I really feel the load of having so many irons in the fire. In the depths of my heart I know that, prior to this life, I chose each and every one of those “irons”. I am truly grateful for every morsel of my life. What a blessing it is to be able to know the vision that God has embedded in my heart and to be able to work towards its realization! When I found today’s quote, I knew I needed to create today’s meme around it. I know that it’s true. Not only do miracles occur after great opposition but the greatest blessings often come then as well. May we all overcome the opposition in our lives and be the recipients and many blessings and miracles!

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Guardian Angels…

I’m not sure I believed in guardian angels before my near death experience. What I still don’t believe is that we have only one. I have been incredibly blessed by my guardian angels! In fact, it was one of those guardian angels that took me back to heaven during my near death experience. I believe that most often it is our deceased family members who watch over us. Who better to watch over us than those who know and love us best? I remember reading a book (can’t remember the name of the book or the author) of a man who had a near death experience while in a coma. His deceased uncle and cousin showed him some of the work they did with/for other family members. They did even seemingly minor things like remind family members of appointments and other specific tasks that needed their attention. One of the most important things I have learned in recent months is the importance of asking God for assistance from my guardian angels. I believe that my guardian angels have always been a part of my life. I suspect that various guardians assist me and others depending on our needs. I pray for the help of my angels daily. They are unseen, but I have felt their presence and seen their assistance demonstrated too many times to doubt them or their existence! Since praying for their assistance, I have been able to find strength easier, find answers quicker, and feel greater reassurance towards the path in life that I am walking.

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Listening…

Take just a moment or two… Take time after you have shared your needs and wants with your Creator and let Him reply. Or better yet, ask Him what He would have you know – then listen. For me, this is when prayer becomes most profound. I never walk away from “listening” without feeling like I have been immensely enriched and blessed.

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Never Say Never…

I prefer to think that I’m not that old…but if I told you all of the things that weren’t a part of my childhood you would probably say that I am. Suffice it to say that my generation did not grow up with cell phones or computers.  We still cannot be beamed up like the crew of Star Trek but technology has definitely come a long way. However, during my near death experience, I was taken through so many galaxies so quickly that I did not even try to count them. Not once, did I experience anything similar to g-forces or feel nauseous. Just look at the utter simplicity and beauty of a rose (or any plant for that matter) and it is clear that no matter what man’s accomplishments, we have a long way to go to even begin to approach God’s level of intelligence. The world has seen amazing feats of technological advancement. We all know that there will be more. The important thing is to use all of those inventions to promote the well-being and whole health of mankind.  Be a part of the movement in this world that strives to make this world a better place to be. Commit to be a little better every day! We all make a difference! And, don’t listen if someone tries to tell you that you can’t change or it can’t be done!

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Look Up….

God is the source of all light, truth and intelligence. With God, all things are possible!

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Prayer….

I could go on and on about prayer. It has become such a vital force in my life. There was once a time when my prayers were like a Christmas want list – all about me. I can’t say exactly when my prayers changed but I know that they are substantially different now. My prayers are now a conversation with my very very best friend. My husband is also my best friend but I have learned an important secret. Once I placed God ahead of my friendship/relationship with my husband, my already amazing marriage improved exponentially! I think that I would have to admit that my prayers became a different animal after my near death experience. As I pray now, I understand that I am praying to my amazing, incredible, perfect Eternal Father. His is the face that I was allowed to look into and see His complete intelligence and utterly perfect Being. In this world where perfect is relative, it is hard to communicate what complete and total perfection is. Yet, I witnessed exactly that – complete and total perfection. That includes His ability to love, to understand and to comprehend. There is no positive, loving characteristic that is not His in perfection. There is absolutely no gap in His intelligence. In my meeting with the Father of us all – I learned that aligning my will with His will is never an act that is meant to make me less or change who I truly am. Instead, His desire for me and for all of His children is to assist us in those efforts and growth that will enable us to be our most amazing and glorious self. Because of that knowledge, I now have a much easier time placing my confidence in Him and his timing. I’m far from perfect but I am incredibly grateful to have a “Father/Daughter” relationship that has brought such amazing joy, beauty and happiness into my life. Prayer is a gift and an opportunity to check in with the One who loves and knows us best.

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Forgiveness…

Forgiving those who have betrayed or wronged us is sooo difficult. I believe that, for most of us, our desire for justice to be served easily outweighs our desire for mercy. Therein lies the challenge. It takes strength and courage to forgive. It takes a prayerful heart and a willingness to lay judgement in God’s hands. I do not believe in situational ethics (when it’s me that is wronged there must be punishment & when it’s someone else, there must be forgiveness). I believe in standards and principles that are in alignment with eternal truth. For me, that means that I have to be willing to hold another accountable for their choices. At the same time, I have to be willing to release hurt, anguish, and possibly hatred from my soul that have resulted from their actions. Peace will not manifest itself in a  world in which we pretend that evil or poor choices do not exist. Peace comes as a result of mankind’s willingness to bury their egos and self-interest in favor of God’s will and love for their fellowman. Peace cannot be legislated – it will come as each of us decide to align our hearts with God and truth. Handing ourselves over to God is not easy; doing the right thing never has been. Forgiving others is rarely easy – forgiving ourselves is often even harder. However, carrying the sludge of hatred, bitterness and resentment within us is toxic to our souls and to our health. The world does not need more sludge carriers – it needs more strong, forgiving and loving souls!

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