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Your Influence Changes Lives

who are you influencing, influence, setting hearts on fire, the love of God grips us, trishakeehn.comI wonder what the flame looks like when a changed heart passes the torch and sets another on fire, and another and another…
 
All because the love of God gripped your heart and you weren’t willing to let up. I just wonder what it would look like…
 
In the fifth grade, a pastor and his wife offered me a ride to church every Sunday and Thursday. We’d pick up other kids too. There was a lot of love, and joy and usually some kind of adventure along the way. These quickly became my favorite days of the week.
 
Summer camp came, and this couple urged me to come; the church paid for my week there. This is where Jesus became more than a bible story and I felt His spirit stirring. One night I surrendered my life around those campfire flames.
 
Returning home, this couple took that Holy Spirit spark and started to fan the flame by asking me to help out with the children’s programs in town and around more campfires.
 
The love of God gripped their hearts and they weren’t letting up.
 
Larry and Peggy Nilson encouraged me in strengths that I didn’t see there. They filled my heart with flavors of hope I’d never tasted before. This kindness, the joy and crazy love showed me what the grace of God looks like.
 
What if you gave someone a ride to church today? What if you encouraged someone in their strengths?
 
I wonder what these campfire flames look like from Heaven when even just one life is being changed forever?
 
All because the love of God gripped your heart and you weren’t willing to let up. I just wonder what it would look like…
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Take the Limits Off God

take the limits off God, ask for the courage to expect more, courage of expectation, trishakeehn.comIt’s tempting to ask for the strength to endure the demands in front of you, but the next time you come face to face with a fight, I challenge you to ask for the courage to expect more than enough from the hand of God.

You were promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Be careful that your vision doesn’t twist your expectation.

Your circumstances can cause you to come to the throne praying for a ‘barely get by’ solution when you’re asking an ‘abundant’ God.

It’s tempting to ask God to make a broken vase useful while He holds the power to give you five new ones.

Let’s take the limits off of God and pray for His promises; full restoration of your health, fulfillment in your days, beauty for the ashes, joy in the morning, surrounded by favor, blessings that will chase you down, goodness and mercy following you all of your days, that whatever you touch will prosper and succeed, you’ll be paid back double for the unfair situations, and you’ll be given the desires of your heart.

No more ‘just help me’ pleas. Trust Him. And expect His promises to propel you into your purpose beyond your circumstances.

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Failure Is Why You Will Succeed

You said it was the end. Bankruptcy. Foreclosure. Pregnant. An STD. Divorced. Fired. Homeless. Jail. Cancer.

Maybe you’re single and can’t remember the last date. You may be a new small business owner that’s barely scraping by. Or perhaps you quit your job, launched a dream working for yourself and the projects are just not taking off as you imagined they would.

It could be that you moved to a new city with hopes of finding joy and making friends but you come home feeling lonely every night. Or you woke up to 100 pounds overweight and feel overwhelmed by the work it’s going to take to lose it all.

When life doesn’t lay out the way we planned it, it’s easy to surrender to failure with negative thinking. Here are a few folks who walked through failure and have come out with a positive message for you.

“The next day after I got fired, literally the next day, I started a new company. Life is too short to spend your time avoiding failure.” MICHAEL BLOOMBERG

be humble in your success, stay positive in your failures, Jerry Seinfeld quote, Jerry Seinfeld on failure, trishakeehn.com

“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.” OPRAH WINFREY

“I would say the advice I would give myself, or any young person, would be, ‘Keep your head up in failure, and your head down in success.'” JERRY SEINFELD (He forgot all his jokes on his first night of stand-up)

 “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” TRUMAN CAPOTE (writer & actor known for Breakfast at Tiffany’s)

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” STEVE JOBS

 “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure. Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” BILL GATES

Michael Jordan, basketball pro quote, failure is why you will succeed“I have missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the gam winning shot, and I have missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” MICHAEL JORDAN

“You’ve got to get a real job and get a real career, and you’ve got to go to work. And, you’ve got to live. And, you’ve got to succeed and fail, and suffer, a little bit, or see suffering, heartache and heartbreak and all that before you really have anything to write.” JOHN GRISHAM

 “You don’t need anybody to tell you who you are or what you are.” JOHN LENNON

“The higher up you go, the more mistakes you’re allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it’s considered your style.” FRED ASTAIRE

Fred Astaire quote, Fred Astaire on failure, failure is your style, fail often

“It’s the way of all ancient stories. The young man must go ‘down’ in order to find the right path for going ‘up.’” SIDNEY POITIER

“One who fears the future, who fears failure, limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again. There is no disgrace in honest failure; there is disgrace in fearing to fail. What is past is useful only as it suggests ways and means for progress.” HENRY FORD

 “Most of us are acquainted with losing. Very few of us ever win.” CHARLES SCHULTZ

 “I do not live for what the world thinks of me, but for what I think of myself.” JACK LONDON

Tom Landry quote, Tom Landry on failure, constructive comes from every defeat, football coach quote“I’ve learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.” TOM LANDRY

 “To bear up under loss — to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief — to be victor over anger — to smile when tears are close — to resist evil men and base instincts — to hate hate and to love love — to go on when it would seem good to die — to seek ever after the glory and the dream — to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be — that is what any man can do, and so be great.” ZANE GREY (author best known for making the ‘Western’ genre popular)

 One lasting thought…

“At some point, you are bound to stumble. If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the law of averages predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction. Now, when you’re down there in the hole, it looks like failure. When that moment comes, it’s okay to feel bad for a little while. Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then, here’s the key: Learn from every mistake, because every experience, particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are.” Oprah Winfrey

You thought it was the end, but it’s only the beginning.

Save this post so that the next time negative thinking comes knocking at the door of your failure, you can declare all the great successes that are about to come from this ‘defeat’.

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Love A Friend Today

love a friend, valentines day is for loving everyone, let someone know you love themGo next door and say hello.

Write a letter; “Hey friend, I want you to hear this from me… I’m a better person because of your beautiful soul in my life’.

Make a phone call and splurge on the anytime minutes just to share a breath together.

Find a cheap plane ticket, buy one and show up.

Open your heart to the possibilities of what love can do and wrap your arms around someone who means the world to you today.

There is only one thing we live for – to share with others the love of Christ. It’s the only thing that will bear fruit in our lives. And it will always leave the mark of God’s power.

You can only share the love that is in your heart so ask the Lord to draw you in a little closer and thrill your soul a little deeper with His love so that the overflow will spill out and flood the places you land. May the Lord infuse your words and actions with the expression of His grace today, and allow you to soak up the experience of it all.

It’s a great day to get up and step into the adventure of loving a friend lavishly!

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A New Way of Seeing Things

One’s destination is never a place but a new way of seeing things. – Henry Miller

The lacing of snow gracing all that is within sight is just stunning. Snowbound in Nashville, and temps in the teens/20’s, inspiration came knocking at my door, asking if I’d like to come out and play.

Just because something is here one day, it might not be the next. This heart inside is adorned only in the beauty of journeys we take. Friendship with ourselves is recognizing that I deserve to live this adventure. So I said ‘yes’ to the proposition of this mysterious guest and bundled up tightly. There were drifts, stacked by the foot, of snow to climb through; I don’t even own a pair of boots for crying out loud.

The streets were bare of human beings. Only the crunching of snow beneath my feet filled the hollow echoes in the atmosphere. I said, ‘hello’ just to hear the sound of something other than silence. Nothing moved. When the apocalypse happens, is this how it would feel to be on the outside?

Tony Robbins quote, expectation for appreciation, positive living, change your focus, change your thinking, trishakeehn.comThe cold was quite critical to me. The tips of fingers and toes were now numb, yet in this moment, I felt understood. My mind negotiated through the uneven terrain of contradictions I believe and buried wounds decaying inside.

There were times the heart had mistaken me for a distant friend and tried to slide through the conversation too fast, thinking I won’t notice the parts we were skirting.

So I circled the questions one more time. Secrets that had stayed concealed in the valleys between the words now started to surface.

 For fear of feeling like my soul had been dragged out here to suffer in the cold-hearted truth, I listened for the company of its own compassion to warm my thoughts again.

And in the stillness, I heard love. The Spirit gathered kindling within and lit the embers of a cozy fire. The Divine had awakened and came running to welcome me with it’s tender affection.

Peace and joy interrupted what pain I had stirred. The warmth of their embrace sheltered the vulnerabilities between us, as we shuffled through the snow together on the way back home.

Love your soul. When this mysterious guest of adventure shows up, often looking like a giddy child in the cold, I pray you’ll abandon what is comfortable and spring at the delight of awakening the Divine. May it unlock what is hidden deep within you and bloom into a beautiful, transparent life, laced with love.

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The Luckiest

lucky people, grateful life practice, lucky people meet people, be open to chance encounters, be open to meeting new people. be open, be available, embrace the chaos, Bob Miglani

Lucky people are open to meeting anyone, anytime.

They smile and engage —

opening up their minds to

chance meetings with strangers

where one thing can lead to another.

Bob Miglani, ‘Embrace the Chaos’

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Why You Can Be Thankful

Keep your face always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you. – Walt Whitman

When we want what we don’t have, we waste what we do have. To want what is no longer in our life is to waste what still remains in our life.

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything that you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to.

Be thankful when you don’t know something. It gives you the opportunity to learn.

gratitude, positive thoughts, negatives turn into positives, gratefulness, thankfulness, grateful life practiceBe thankful for the difficult times. During those times, you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations. They give you opportunity for improvement.

Be thankful for the challenges. They will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for you mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary. It means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the ‘good’ things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

If you lost someone, be thankful for the life they lived and the lessons you’ve learned, and the spirit that still lives in you.

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Your Guide to God’s Provision

your guide to God's provision, God's provision, Jehovah Jireh, God is our providerMaybe you’re like me when you’re going through a struggle, you know you need to turn to the bible, but a blank stare glazes over when you flip through the pages. Where do you start? You know what you want. You’re pretty sure you know what you need, but where in this giant book of ancient theology do you begin?

Recently I’ve been studying the descriptions of Jesus, from Genesis to Revelation. In my research, I stumbled across a list of Jesus’ names according to His character attributes (there’s a book by Tony Evans that also contains this list as well).

For instance, when Jesus was healing, the word Hebrews used for Him meant “Healer”. When Christ was called upon for victory, they called out to Him as “triumphant one”. His name changed for the circumstance, though He was always Jesus.

This happens in our life. Your mother’s name might be Doris. But at home when her care is needed, she is called upon as ‘Mom’. In the workplace though, they may refer to her as ‘manager’ or ‘director’. Her friends may know her as ‘Doris Day’. Depending on how you know a person, and what you need from them, will determine what you call them.

Back to the Bible now, if you can identify what your need is and then pinpoint in the pages of scripture wherever Jesus is showing up clothed in this character reference, that would be a starting place for your spirit.

The character and purpose attributes of Jesus are God’s provision to you.

When you need love, the Lord shows up as Companion. Father. Friend.

When you’re struggling through loneliness, God shows up in Song of Solomon, in Ruth, and in Amos as Lover, Kinsman, and Husband.

What are you seeking in life or asking God to provide for you? The Lord is always several steps ahead of you. Whatever you’re asking for, He has already prepared it to meet your request.

If you’re not familiar with the stories in scripture, below is a list of where the Lord shows up as the supply to the demand. Allow these parables and adventures remind your weary heart that God will always show up as the One you need. Quiet your anxious thoughts and allow the Holy Spirit direct you with His peace. Pray over these stories as you apply the Living Word to your own life.

In Genesis, He is the Creator God.

In Exodus, He is your Redeemer.

In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.

In Numbers, He is your guide.

In Deuteronomy, he is your teacher.

In Joshua, He is your mighty conqueror.

In Judges, He gives you victory over your enemies.

In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your Redeemer.

In 1 Samuel, He is the root of Jesse.

In 2 Samuel, He is the son of David.

In 1 & 2 Kings, He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

In 1 & 2 Chronicles, He is your intercessor and high priest.

In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship.

In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies.

In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies.

In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles but also has the power to do something about them.

In Psalms, He is your song and your reason to sing.

In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully.

In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.

In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.

In Isaiah, He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sick soul.

In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one on whom you can depend.

In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel-the one who assures that dead, dry bones will come alive again.

In Daniel, He is the Ancient of Days, the everlasting God who never runs out of time.

In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come back-even when you have abandoned Him.

In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble.

In Amos, He is your husband, the one you can depend on to stay by your side.

In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom.

In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back in His will.

In Micah, He is judge of the nation.

In Nahum, He is the jealous God.

In Habakkuk, He is the holy one.

In Zephaniah, He is the witness.

In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies.

In Zechariah, He is the Lord of hosts.

In Malachi, He is the messenger of the covenant.

In Matthew, He is King of the Jews.

In Mark, He is the servant.

In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.

In John, He is the Son of God.

In Acts, He is the Savior of the world.

In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.

In 1 Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel.

In 2 Corinthians, He is the triumphant one, giving victory.

In Galatians, He is the liberty, setting you free.

In Ephesians, He is the head of the church.

In Philippians,He is your joy.

In Colossians, He is your completeness.

In 1 Thessalonians, He is your hope.

In 2 Thessalonians, He is your glory.

In 1 Timothy, He is your faith.

In Titus, He is God our Savior.

In Philemon, He is your benefactor.

In Hebrews, He is your perfection.

In James, He is your power behind your faith.

In 1 Peter, He is your example.

In 2 Peter, He is your purity.

In 1 John, He is your life.

In 2 John, He is your pattern.

In 3 John, He is your motivation.

In Jude, He is your foundation.

In Revelation, He is your coming King.

May the Father take you by the hand and guide your thinking as you read from His manuscript He left for you. May the Author’s hand weave threads of His Truth through the fibers of your bones and may Hosanna in the Highest show Himself to you as you dig deeper into His heart.

In Jesus’ name, I lift up ever heartache and troubling mind to you now, Father God, and ask for the leading of your Spirit. You are the Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, and we call out to you by that name, asking you to untie the knotted up struggles that we’ve wrestled with. We trust the Bread of Life; you will never let us go hungry or thirsty when we believe in the Almighty name of Jesus and the loving, providing hand of God. So it’s in the name of the Most High that we pray, Amen.

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Comfortable Keeps You From God

prayer changes things, prayer heals, prayer is an invitation, prayer is powerful, www.trishakeehn.comMark: You prayed and believed your whole life. Never done anything wrong. And here you are. You’re the nicest person I know. I am the meanest. You have dementia. My life is perfect. Explain that to me!

Mina’s Mother: Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn’t want them turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to leave. The door’s wide open. Till one day, time runs out, and the cell door slams shut, and suddenly it’s too late.

(Movie Quote from “God’s Not Dead”)

More than a quote though, that’s the honest truth. Whatever you’re facing, draw even closer to God. This wasn’t meant for you to brave alone. It’s an invitation to lean on something more powerful than you and watch a story of His glory be told. Sometimes what brings Him the greatest glory won’t be in healing you, but it may come from drawing in just one more witness to the hand of God being leaned on and lifted up.

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What You Need When You Need It

Whatever God tells you to do, He will help you to do.

We don’t have to live concerned about having the courage to do the things He hasn’t called for us to do.

A couple years ago I took a solo backpacking trip for about a month through the country of Italy. I hadn’t done something like that before and had no training, but I also wasn’t scared because it was a journey the Lord called me to and I trusted Him to give me what I needed to make that happen.

Recently my mind has been going back to that adventure as I finish up the writing of a manuscript I started back then. My head shakes with disbelief. The courage that girl had doesn’t sit naturally in me. That was a supernatural, God-ordained courage.courage, God gives you what you need, when you need courage God will give it, no fear, www.trishakeehn.com

Incredible courage isn’t something you can cultivate. God gives you what you need when you need it.

If you’re unsure about the Lord’s direction over a particular idea or plan in your life, pray about it and keep your eyes open.

Look for those swinging doors and don’t discard the one’s He slams shut. Sometimes we get caught up in our own desires and it’s easy to trail-blaze through the frustration and pry open what was meant to stay closed.

Don’t let your courage get caught up in the details. Bravery is trusting in something you cannot see because you believe the prayers and promises in His Word.

It takes audacity to walk away from a dream, knowing God has something better. It takes a Holy Spirit fearlessness to walk on His Word into the unknown. When your focus is on His lead, you can’t go astray.Peter didn't walk on water, Peter walked on the Word, Peter walks on water, Jesus said Come, courage takes stepping out on His Word

There was a prophet who opened my eyes to a familiar story (Matthew 14:22-33) with this bold statement: Peter didn’t walk on water, He walked on the Word. The stormy seas weren’t pulling Peter out of that boat and hoisting him to his feet. But when Jesus said, ‘Come’, Peter stepped out on the Lord’s command.

Courage is stepping out on God’s word, come. Listen for His Spirit to speak it and be ready to step out into some stormy seas on His command.

I pray for you now, that as the Spirit stirs up some supernatural courage in you for the season of adventure just up ahead, that your ears will perk up and your eyes will be peeking around the corners for His hand guiding you in the direction of His will.

I pray that every hindrance holding you back and every burden keeping you down, won’t have any weight on your obedience to step out when the time is ready. Lord, help us to focus on trusting You and letting the plans fall into place as You see best. We love you and we are ever grateful to be called yours, In Jesus’ name, Amen.