Please join me in praying for relief from natural disasters, for everyone in harm’s way, the people who are reaching out to help them, and an end to the reign of terror by the group that shall not be named.
Why pray? Wouldn’t it be better to pray for the floodwaters to evaporate and the fires to spontaneously turn to glitter? Maybe. I don’t know that God works like that, though. What I do know is that when natural disasters strike, followers of Jesus Christ will rise up, reach out, and do whatever they can to help the people in need–without gender, race, or sexual orientation bias. They just want to help…as do first responders and people of other faiths and athiests. We pitch in to help each other, because we value life. And life is so much more than things.
So God created human beingsin his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, NLT)
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I pray that God will help people who need to be rescued hang on long enough to be rescued. I pray that God will give stamina to fire fighters, water rescue crews, and average citizens who are rising above and beyond the call of duty to help thousands of people in desperate need. I pray that the water will recede in Louisiana. I pray God’s blessing and favor on everyone affected by the flooding–that they will be able to rebuild and be in better situation than they were before. I pray the fires will be extinguished in California. I @Prayat12 every day for mercy on our country during this insane election season. I pray for the end of the reign of terror under the group that shall not be named. And most of all, I pray for you, my friend, that you will recognize God’s hand moving in the midst of the storm–whether it be a rainstorm, a firestorm, or a lifestorm.
God never said life would be a cakewalk, but he did promise to see us through it to the other side.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13, ESV)
I realize this is not politically correct; however, as I tolerate all kinds of views with which I disagree, I hope you’ll give me the same courtesy. On this Independence Day, I celebrate TWO freedoms: one from the tyranny of Great Britain, and the other from the “Matrix.” I am free.
Having revisited the history of the Revolutionary War with my son recently, I was reminded of the tremendous sacrifice and incredible amount of brain power that went into forming this amazing country. The rights and privileges we enjoy here are unparalleled, and today we celebrate 240 years of freedom.
I am grateful for the sacrifices of brave men and women who have fought to secure (and continue to fight for) my freedom as an American citizen. I thank God for allowing me to be born in America where I have the right to choose who/what/when/where/how and even whether or not to worship, AND I thank God for making it possible for me to have a personal relationship with him.
I took the red pill many years ago, so I walk through this life #awake—aware of satan’s schemes to use, abuse, and destroy. Aware of efforts to shame me into silence. To be like everyone else. To be forced to conform to a society that has no idea it’s enslaved to the enemy.
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Today I exercise my rights as an American citizen to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. As a human being with an intellect and a soul, I exercise my freedom to choose the road less traveled.
If you’ve never studied the different personality types before, you’re in for a treat! Although your personality is comprised of characteristics and qualities that make you uniquely you, you may be surprised (and relieved!) to learn that you’re not the only one who approaches life in this manner.
You’re not the only one who prefers a book to a party (or a party to a book). You’re not the only one who cocoons after being surrounded by a crowd (or seeks a crowd after too much time alone). Learning about your personality is fun and exciting, but why stop with yourself?
For me, the most rewarding part of understanding my personality came when I learned the personality types of my husband and son and parents and siblings and inlaws and friends. Yes, I enthusiastically asked them all to take the quiz, and they did! It was amazing to see how each person was “pegged” correctly and how insightful the descriptions were regarding how we relate to each other.
TAKE THESE FREE ONLINE QUIZZES:
Here are a few of my favorite proven-in-real-lifeonline quizzes to help us not only to understand ourselves and each other better, but also to show each other love and appreciation more effectively. Add your personality type in the comment section below!
KEY #1: Know Your Meyers-Briggs Personality Type
In layman’s terms, the Meyers-Briggs Personality Inventory (MBTI) explains our “preferences” (how we act, how we re-energize, how we make decisions) Here’s a link to the best (in my opinion) FREE Meyers Briggs Personality Test on the internet:http://bitbike.com/cgi-bin/pt?language=en(There’s also a personality test you can take for your children here: http://www.personalitypage.com/html/pqk_indicate.html)
Once you know your 4-letter MBTI personality type, read about it. See if the description fits you (that’s really the best way to know if you were typed correctly). Here are a few good resources to get you started:
Kiersey Temperament Sorter (This site also has a different free test you can take, but you should, hypothetically, get the same results as the test I posted above. So, you don’t need to take this one unless you want to compare the results.)
KEY #2: Know Your Enneagram Type
The Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI) complements the MBTI by providing insight into WHY we act the way we do (i.e., what is our motivation for making the decisions we make?). The sample Enneagram test below will give you enough information for you to figure out your main Type and your secondary Type (“wing”).
It’s important to know your wing, because it has great influence on your main type. To figure out your wing, simply look at your main Type (the type with the highest score), and look at the scores to the immediate right and left. Whichever of the two is the highest, that is your wing. Click here to take the FREE Enneagram Test.
Once you have your main type and your wing, Google is your friend. Simply enter your type & wing followed by the word “Enneagram” and enjoy the learning process! For example, I’m a 1w9, so I would type “1w9 Enneagram” into Google to learn more about my type.
KEY #3: Know Your Love Language
Marriage and family counselor, Dr. Gary Chapman, concluded years ago that people generally communicate in five basic “love languages.” The premise is that each of us has a certain way to give and receive love (our love language), and that we should each work hard to “speak” in the love language that is understood/spoken by the other person rather than only “speaking” in our own.
This concept has been revolutionary in not only marriage relationships, but also family relationships and even co-worker relationships. Click here to take the FREE Five Love Languages Test.
People are finally realizing how important it is for us to know our strengths (a.k.a. “themes” or “inborn talents”) and work within them versus focusing on our weaknesses in order to be more well-rounded. There are basically 34 strength categories (“themes”), and this test will give you your Top 5 Themes.
This test is known as the Clifton StrengthsFinder® which requires a code. The research was done by the Gallup organization over a number of years and is some of the most SOLID data you will find. It’s very accurate and insightful. You can either purchase one of their books which includes the code, or purchase the code separately for $15.00.
Once you know what your Top 5 Themes (your strengths), you can begin researching what they mean and how they impact your behavior and performance. Here are a couple resources for additional information about your strengths:
Here’s a short video series that goes through each of the 34 themes:
PHOTO CREDITS: African American Family by @leighann-renee on @unsplash Reading in France @mvp on @unsplash Friends Talking @helena-lopes on @unsplash Cotton Candy photo by @valerie-elash on @unsplash
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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