Kaleidoscope Faith

Lisa Revels O'Neal

Description

Life is like that, stories from heart. Reminders of God promises in everyday life.

Throughout her life, author Lisa ONeal has faced an array of challenges—from suffering a stroke, to dealing with lupus, and battling cancer, among them. During this journey, she relied on her faith and wrote, documenting God’s presence, goodness, and promises.



In Kaleidoscope Faith, she presents these narratives of day-to-day experiences. Sharing stories from the heart, it’s about seeing everyday life through a God’s perspective. It’s about seeing his beauty in what can sometimes feel like broken pieces.



ONeal communicates that when we pause and view things from a different perspective, it can often change difficult situations into hope, joy, peace, and strength. It helps us look at our struggles in life with eyes of faith, allowing us to see God’s hand in everything.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Spirituality
• Religion
• Faith
• Perspective
• Vision

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 04 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664295643
• Langue: English

Extrait

Kaleidoscope Faith




Lisa Revels O’Neal








Copyright © 2023 Lisa Revels O’Neal.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.



WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9565-0 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9566-7 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9564-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023905122



WestBow Press rev. date: 03/31/2023



Contents
A Weed or a Wish
Live in Grace, Walk in Love
Red Solo Cup
Seeds Planted
Claim Not on File
Long Way Around
Level Failed
Weights
Penalty
Window Views
Snowstorm
Anchor
Closet
And the Winner Is…
Lost
Repairs Needed
Trampoline
Relationship Status
On Hold
Lost and Found
Hero
Scenic Highway
“Let It Go”
Scratch and Dent
Maintenance List
Recycle
Doing Time
Over the Rainbow
Seeds Planted
AMO (Attitude, Motivation, and Opportunity)
Controlled Burns
Tracking Number
Kelley Blue Book
Living in the Past Lane
There Is a Script for That
Anchor
Pace Car
Spring Forward
Emergency Kit
911
In Route
Flood Warning
Stained Glass Windows
Toothache
Lost—Reward If Found
True Love
Life Matters
One Size Fits All
And the winner is … …
Colorblind
If the Shoe Fits
Recycle
Desert
Stripped
Inbox
Through the Window
Contracts
“Must Be Attractive”
Penalty Box
Red Zone
Broken Crayons Still Color
Speed Bumps
Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive
But Happy
Liquid Drano
Tomorrow’s Forecast
Elf on a Shelf
Yet I Will Praise Him
Daytona 500—Left Turn
Scars
Do Not Waste the Wait



A Weed or a Wish
I love lilies and had several planted at my home in South Dakota that beautifully bloomed every year. When I moved to Georgia last March, I planted some at my parents’ house near the wood line, in case they did not grow well. Thankfully, they are getting ready to bloom this year. However, last year when they were growing, my dad forgot that I had planted them there. He thought they were weeds and cut them down with the weed eater. They started to grow back a second time, and while my nephew was mowing the lawn for my dad, he cut them down again because he also thought they were weeds. They somehow survived, and my mom put rocks around them earlier this year so that my dad and nephew would remember they were there. When I saw the weed-or-wish phrase “Some people see a weed, some see a wish,” I realized that life is a lot like that. We often don’t recognize our blessings because we can’t see past the weeds.
It is like when I dropped my phone and cracked the screen. It still functioned as it was supposed to and I still received calls and text messages. However, because of all the cracks, I could not see clearly who was trying to contact me. Oftentimes the windows of our hearts have been cracked and damaged so badly that we are not sure what we see in ourselves or in others. However, no matter what our defects, mistakes, or faults, God sees treasures. He sees the beauty within us. First Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God sees our value though our inability. We have to learn to trust him and be patient in the pace of time. Just as it takes time for the lilies to bloom into something beautiful from the dark ground, it also takes time for what is within you to bloom. We have to sow what we are currently blessed with and wait. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (emphasis added). After all these years, I realized that verse says “will renew .” That means that God knew we would at some point be drained and tired and that we would have to be renewed . I know that we often have trials that come along and cut us down, but if we hold on to hope and believe, we can and will bloom again. God can bring healing to whatever caused the cracks in the window of your heart. Then you can once again see clearly and know how valuable and worthy you are, as well as see the value in others.
My favorite quotation is “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” You can find hope in the valley because it is a passageway, not your destination. When you don’t think you have any strength left to grow and bloom, and you can’t seem to see any hope, look again. God can renew you. Faith sees past today and has hope for tomorrow. Look past the weeds in your life and see the wish. Believe!



Live in Grace, Walk in Love
T he Bible says that if we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths, we will be forgiven. It is often difficult in day-to-day life to remember this and apply it, not only to ourselves but to others. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you.” In Matthew 18:21–22, when Peter asked how many times he should forgive, Jesus said, “Seventy times seven.” He was essentially saying don’t get fixed on a certain number, checklist, or scorecard. He was saying let those without sin, mistakes, poor decisions, and so forth throw the first stone (John 8:7). I think we often forget that by holding unforgiveness toward someone, we are also imprisoning ourselves. It is like holding a glass of water in your hand for a few hours, realizing the difficulty as time goes by. The weight of the water never changes, but the longer we hold onto it, the heavier it feels and the harder it becomes. We go from having no problem holding the glass, to having difficulty, and then to feeling like our hand is numb. It is because we are carrying the burden ourselves, and in doing so, we don’t allow God to cultivate growth or improvement.
Unforgiveness can cause us to unintentionally place shackles on ourselves and others, not allowing room for growth or change. It holds us in that place of error rather than allowing for God to create healing. Forgiveness will allow us to grow beyond that place we may be stuck in. It will allow us to have room for today’s opportunities. However, unforgiveness only breeds bitterness, resentment, and doubt. It breeds a need for retribution or vindication and causes us to have an attitude of justification. I’m guilty of having a “but you don’t understand” attitude. However, God does understand. He tells us to cast our cares on him (1 Peter 5:7). Therefore, if we are exhausted, we have to ask ourselves why. The Word of God says in Isaiah 40:31 that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength and will not grow weary. The Word also says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that his power is made perfect in our weakness. Weakness is not a flaw. When we try to get through difficult times using our own strength, we will always fall short, becoming weary and discouraged.
Ask yourself, Did I give it to God? Am I allowing him to work it out in his timing? God wants us to align with his heart, knowing that he forgives us day after day and removes the shackles of our offenses. Philippians 3:13–14 talks about forgetting what is behind and moving forward to what is ahead. Forgiveness brings freedom to all those involved. Ephesians 4:31 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander.” Forgiveness will not change the past, but it can change the future. Acts 8:3 talks about how Paul caused havoc, which means widespread destruction. Yet God still used him for his glory. Despite how dirty Paul’s past was, his future was spotless. The world tells us to look at the mistakes, the things done wrong, the sin. God tell us to look at the heart. I know all too well that it is not easy to truly forgive yourself or others. The pain we feel from our own faults or the things said and done by others is real. However, I read a quotation that said, “Forgiveness loves mercy more than justice.” That is God’s heart. Forgiveness does not ignore the reality or wrongdoing. It instead restores Christ to the center, allowing us to approach things the way God does. He looks without malice or vengeance but instead with gentleness and love. Forgiveness for ourselves and to others is the only way to truly bear fruit (Galatians 5:22–23). Otherwise, we are digging up our own seeds and others’ before they can take root.



Red Solo Cup
I was recently preparing for a party at work and stacking the plastic Solo cups on the table. While doing so, I thought about how we often associate the Solo cup with barbeques, parties, and more