character matters: honesty

Honesty

No one appreciates a liar, not even other liars.  Be honest in every word from your mouth; speak the truth in all things.  Avoid exaggeration and embellishment; don’t make more (or less) of yourself or of a given situation.

“He who speaks truth tells what is right, but a false witness, deceit.”  Proverb 12:17 (NASB)

 You are who you are; embrace yourself and allow others to accept you without surprise or disappointment.  Admit your faults when needful; be accountable for your actions without reservation.  Accept the consequences of your actions, good and bad.  Allow your successes and your failures to mold and shape you into the person God intended you to be.

 “Honesty is a direct reflection of your inner character.” ~ Kelli Mahoney

 We all desire to be admired and respected.  The people in your life will respect and admire your honesty and will be drawn to your good character.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22 (NASB)

 

A person who always speaks truthfully does not have to try to remember what he has told someone as his story never changes.  A liar is unusually transparent to others; no one has a memory good enough to hang onto various versions of their story.

 

^“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  He holds success in store for the upright; he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” Proverb 2:6-8 (NIV)

take a look at yourself and then make a change

"The Man In The Mirror" by Michael Jackson

"I'm gonna make a change
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right

As I turned up the collar on
My favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin' my mind
I see the kids in the street
With not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind
Pretending not to see their need

A summer's disregard
A broken bottle top
And a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind, ya know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
I've been a victim of
A selfish kinda love
It's time that I realize
There are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me
Pretending that they're not alone

A willow deeply scarred
Somebody's broken heart
And a washed out dream (washed out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change"

It starts with me.

a fresh start

Happy New Year!

"It's Your Life"  Francesca Battistelli

"It's your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It's an open door
It's your life

Are you who you always said you would be?
With a sinking feeling in your chest
Always waiting for someone else to fix you
Tell me when did you forget

To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way"

Every day we get a  fresh start.  Every day when we awake from sleep and put our feet onto the ground, we have a new opportunity to reboot our lives.  Every day we get to make a choice to move forward, to remain in place or to take steps back.

Each of the choices we make provide an oportunity for reflection, consideration and revision. Was it the right choice? Should I do it differently next time? Was it the best I could do? Did I hit the mark in front of me (the mark that honors God)?

"Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for"

We were created for a specific purpose or purposes, with a definite, designed and achievable target. God put us here for a reason. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit of God, we will find ourselves moving in the correct direction.

I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, some recoverable and some not.  Some of the choices I made for myself and for my family were certainly not the wisest choices I could have made.  I'd like to go back and fix the outcomes of those unwise choices; sometimes we get that chance, sometimes not.  Choices that affect others may not always be fixable.  Our imprint on the lives of others tends to be indelible.  We can leave broken hearts, minds and bodies in our wake or we can bless others on the paths we cross or walk alongside.  I've done both.

"To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way"

I want to be the "one that lights the way".  I want "to live the way that you believe".

Every day I get a new chance to make a fresh start putting yesterday behind me and moving forward.

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Phillipians 3:13-14 (NASB)

Guided by the Holy Spirit and God's Word, I can begin each day with a renewed purpose and push to achieve that which God has set before me.  I can step onto a renewed path, picking up dropped pieces, pressing forward.