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“Scan!”

Scan!

This word can mean a lot of different things.  And as each one of you read the title a different picture came to your mind as to what you thought it may mean in the context of my blog.  If getting out in nature and hiking to the top of a mountain is your delight you might think of scanning the hills and valleys as you look around.  Others, who reading is your greatest joy, may think of scanning a page or verse.  And still others who may be medically inclined may think of getting an X-ray or other such scan.  We all have different things that come to mind.

Printing

I work at a print shop and at times we have people send us things and we scan them into the computer so that we can print them off for them.  They don’t have a digital copy they just have a piece of paper that they want to make more copies from.  There are some that are not even the original.  They want us to scan in a copy that is not very good.  One particular school sends us copies of copies and the page that they have copied is not even straight on the page.  Now they do know that the quality is not going to be there but they still want copies.  The machine is not magical.  Whatever you scan in is what you get out.  Coming in digitally gets a better copy.  You might say garbage in garbage out.

I scanned in a 101 page created scrapbook for a schoolteacher who teaches kindergarten.  There are pictures of the kids throughout the year doing different activities.  Cute kids.  The teacher is putting together these little books so that each child can have a memory book of their year in kindergarten.  Such a great idea.  It isn’t easy to get a decent scan when some pictures are dark and some are light, some are blurry and some sharp.

So how do you make a decent scan?  You have to make sure your settings are correct for the scan or some of the kids will look like little demons.  It is my choice how I set the settings but it is up to the machine to do the work.   Once scanned it is amazing what a little touch here and there can improve the quality of the picture.

Christians

It reminds me how the Christian walk is.  We have choices to make on the “settings” that we choose.  The “machine” (Jesus) can only work with the “settings” that we give Him.  He will not force His “settings” on us.  But when we cooperate and set the “settings” for Christ-like quality it is amazing what He can do.  And our scan will come out the other side perfected for heaven.  We will not recognize our perfections because as we draw closer to Christ we can see more and more “settings” that we need to change.  But those around us will benefit from the beauty of Christ work in us toward perfection. The blessing is that as we cooperate with God the “garbage” that may go in will come out beautiful because God is miracle preforming, unlike my digital machine.  We can say garbage in beauty out.

Settings

So the question is what are some “settings” that we need to set?  Because doesn’t God do all the work?  The “Machine” (Jesus) can’t do the work unless He has something to work with.  I believe there are many aspects to the “settings” but I am going to just name three and you can take it from there.

 1.  Spend time in Prayer

The first thing in the morning, spend time in communication with your Creator.  He cannot force us to communicate or to listen.  This is a “setting” that we have to set.  We have to choose to spend time in prayer.  When we come to God then He can communicate with us and can guide us through the day.  But if we have not asked Him to join us He will not intrude.  And the quality of our “picture” (day) will be distorted.  There will not be clearness to our day.

2.  Spend time in God’s Word

We need the “setting” of reading and memorizing God’s Word so that we are fortified for the day’s trials.  Can God give us a good quality day if we don’t implant His Word in our hearts?  What are we going to turn to when we are tempted or a trial comes our way if we haven’t fortified ourselves?  God cannot bring the Scriptures to our mind if we have not included Him in our “settings”.  We have to choose to spend that time because God doesn’t force.  As we choose to spend time with Him our “picture” will not be blurry, there will be more clarity to the “picture” that is being scanned for the day.

3.  Choose whom you will serve.

Throughout the day we will be given opportunity to make choices.  The Holy Spirit will speak to our hearts but if we don’t listen there is no forcing.  We are faced with choices all the time.  Every time we make a choice in cooperation with God’s will He will give us the strength to follow through and what a beautiful picture will be “scanned”.  But when we are faced with a choice and we choose against God’s will He steps back.  He doesn’t interfere with our choices.  But the “scan” of the day doesn’t turn out so good.  Every day each one of us fail in some way but praise the Lord for an advocate and we can come to Him and He freely forgives and gives us a new start.

Dear Father,

Thank You for always being there for us even though we think we don’t need You.  You don’t interfere with our choices but when we fail You are right there to pick up the pieces as soon as we realize our need and we reach out to You.  Thank You for Your unfailing love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Set your “settings” to include God in your life today.  It makes such a difference.

Love you all.

Do you have a testimony how, as you cooperated with God and set your day with Him, He blessed you?

 

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“I’m What?!!”

Have you ever had someone give you a compliment about yourself?  It really doesn’t matter what the compliment may be.  But do you have the tendency to think to yourself,  “If the person only really knew me and how much of a struggle it is to do that.  I am really a failure.”

There are really two types of people, those who are narcissistic and when complimented they just gloat over it and they are constantly saying how great they are.  Or there are those that are constantly putting themselves down for their mistakes and can’t see beyond who they are, they are negative about almost everything.

Neither one of these types of people are in a good place.  A narcissist is so selfish he can’t see beyond the end of his nose.  God is not pleased with this kind of behavior.  The good news is that He is willing to forgive and help us be an unselfish person.

On the other hand the person who is always being negative about everything is also in a bad place.  God has given you talents that He wants you to increase and to use in blessing others.  He created you.  He made you with what is necessary to become what He wants you to be.  And when we put down ourselves we are saying to God that we don’t like the way He made us.

When we talk negative we become what we talk and think.  And we can cause others to become what we say.  I think of those we are closest to, like our spouse and children, if we talk worthless words that is what they will become.

My daughter has to do some school through the summer because she was not as diligent as she should have been.  I was getting her started the other day and before I even started to explain stuff she started saying,  “I can’t do it.”  Negative!  I told her that she needed to change her mindset.  She needed to be saying what she wanted the outcome of her thoughts to be, “I am able to do this work.”

Here are some things that I would encourage you to think about and put into practice.

  1. Rephrase your negative words to positive words. Every time negative thoughts or words come to your mind rephrase them into a positive sentence.  And then think or say them.  For example when your child seems to always try to take charge of everything instead of saying negatively, “Quit, you are always trying to take charge of everything, now just go.”  Say, “You have the qualities of a becoming a great leader.”  And then of course with a Christ like spirit you can direct your child.
  2. Be grateful. When we start our day with a negative attitude everything goes wrong.  Start the day with writing down things to be grateful for.  It might be hard to find things within your family but I would work on this.  When we see everything through negativity it is hard to break.
  3. It is okay to have good things about yourself. Some of us can tend to think it is wrong to have good things about ourselves.  And definitely this can become a pride issue.  That is why we always need to recognize Who has given us these abilities.  When we talk negative about ourselves we are putting down our creator.
  4. Say what you want to become not what you think you are. A lot of us as Christians stumble in our walk with the Lord and we then make negative comments like, “I will never make it.”  What I would encourage you to do in any situation is say what you want to become.  “I am forgiven.”  “I am an overcomer.”  “I am Christ like.”  And this can be in every area of your life.  What ever you want to become speak it as if you are what you’re wanting to become, as you work toward becoming what ever it is.  For me I have started to write.  I am not considered a writing but as I work toward becoming better at it I can still say, “I am a writer.”  Or “I am a blogger.”

Believe me this is an area that I struggle in.  So you are not alone.

Dear Father,

You have made each of us unique.  You have given every one of us abilities way beyond what we develop.  Help us to be more positive with our thoughts and words.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Start today to speak and think positive thoughts.  And remember, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

Love you all.

What do you do to help keep your thoughts and words in a more positive line?