Thank you for this walk. WOW! It hit me hard. I have been in a strained relationship with my dad for the past few years and it is hard not having that in my life. I will say his decision not mine and I have had to learn to live in this world with that knowledge. I am the mom of three amazing sons and I am so thankful they have a father who, much like your dad, is someone they come to with the hard decisions they need to talk about. We have always worked together as a family to support and love each other unconditionally. I feel that God put us together as a family because he knew we would take care of each other. I thank him for this daily. - I am so grateful for these walks, blessings to you as always.
Welcome back Donny,I know I have missed your prayer walks.
For me if and when I'm confronted with anything that leaves me having to make a big decision. I always ask "God if this is from You bless it" if it's not from You remove it from my presence " for the small every day decisions I pray about it .
I don't know how many times the word discernment appears in the Bible, but I dare say it appears dozens of times. This number of citations makes perfect sense - in fact, everything in the scriptures makes sense - but, since discernment is an ability to perceive and judge what is true and what is false, this action becomes an essential pillar in building the foundations for making good decisions.
I like to think that this process involves creating a space of silence and prayer, where we can observe our internal movements and the reasons behind a given situation... I confess that this exercise has been a challenge for me and often frightening, since it requires NOT LEAVING God out of the process and also ENSURE that we actually SUBMIT EVERYTHING TO HIM.
Incredibly, when watching the walk and thinking about the questions you raised, the following kept ringing in my mind: "we must ensure that we submit everything to Him under His fatherly gaze", which refers to the image of a loving father. And this, for me, is "scary", because, although we call God our Father, loving, benevolent, who loves us unconditionally, we do not always live as children of this love.
When Jesus stripped himself of his glory and became human like us, he revealed the heart of God like never before, he showed the way to the heart of God as Father. Incredible, Jesus always invites us to live, not only as servants, but mainly as children.
This is beautiful!
Matthew 6:6 Jesus addresses prayer from the perspective of the "Father and son" relationship... "when you pray, go into your room and close the door... and the Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. That is, the presence of God is accessible in our room, the most intimate and personal place in our home, a place where we can be alone with Him and with ourselves.
This Walk touched me beautifully, thank you for that!
Lovely cold walk. Being honest you indirectly found out how difficult it is being a parent to a problem child can be. My child grew up in a happy home. It was her influences that turned her life upside down. It has been a year since she got out of a bad relationship. Before she met her narcissistic boyfriend I had tried to warn her about that kind of online man she could come up against. In her own wisdom she got stuck in a place only God could get her out of. She is a different person now, more like she was before the mess she got into. Praying and allowing God to help her discern wisely I can thank Him she is listening to Him.
Good to see you Donny! For me the past couple of months it seems God has brought this subject or something having to do with it to my attention in one form or another.
Not having children as yourself, I reflected back on my relationship with my own parents when you shared about your father. Without going into a lot of detail, I longed for a closer relationship with my parents. I don’t ever recalling having any heart to heart conversations with them. They didn’t approach me and likewise I didn’t try either. It’s not that they didn’t love me. I believe it was more to how they were raised. What I’ve learned from that experience which I had to acknowledge, accept, and walk through was I have a loving Heavenly Father whom I can take anything to and discuss things with.
That experience of acknowledging, accepting, and walking though the unforgiveness I held on to for years with my family has led me to spiritual growth and communicating with God inviting Him in to my life more deeply to help me with making any decision large or small.
All that said, I do my best to invite God in to any decision and if God places someone on my heart to seek counsel about that decision I will. I make mistakes like anyone else and will continue to do so, but I learn something from each one. Good to see you and the scenery was beautiful. Thank you again for another wonderful prayer walk. God bless you and all within the community.
Wow Donny this was the perfect prayer walk today! Yesterday I went off of social media just for that reason was I deciding or discerning about a situation by listening and being quiet, I was able to find that answer. Thank you many blessings to you today.
Oh my did I need to hear this! I just had a huge disagreement with my youngest daughter. Normally I would pray about things first but I didn't this time and it didn't end well.God always guides me and tonight I never asked for his guidance. I will be praying and not making decisions without his guidance, hopefully no more! Thanks so much Donny for your wisdom and prayer walks ❤️🙏
My first thought was what does deciding mean and what’s the meaning of discerning? Because in my head I was thinking they are separate yet go together. Like we need them both to make a decision!!! As I looked up their meaning and you kept going it became clear it was. I need them both!
Coming to God for discernment in deciding:: it was hard in the beginning cause I did not have a good relationship with my father and still don’t; but this is out of my control. But when it comes to my kids: I want them to come to me with no fear like I go to my Heavenly Father…. But then I thought but “do I respond to them like my Father does to me; with love, grace, mercy, no judgment??”
Loved your walk and the crunching of your boots on the snow. A very beautiful setting. In answer to the query. I just know in my heart when something is right or wrong. This could be guidance from above helping me to take the right path. Should I decide or discern? It is a struggle to know the best response especially for my children. I love my kids regardless. I feel we can discuss anything on any level. It is so important to share ideas and decisions. Nice to hear Beth's comments as part of the discussion. Take care and blessings to you.
Thank you for this walk. WOW! It hit me hard. I have been in a strained relationship with my dad for the past few years and it is hard not having that in my life. I will say his decision not mine and I have had to learn to live in this world with that knowledge. I am the mom of three amazing sons and I am so thankful they have a father who, much like your dad, is someone they come to with the hard decisions they need to talk about. We have always worked together as a family to support and love each other unconditionally. I feel that God put us together as a family because he knew we would take care of each other. I thank him for this daily. - I am so grateful for these walks, blessings to you as always.
Welcome back Donny,I know I have missed your prayer walks.
For me if and when I'm confronted with anything that leaves me having to make a big decision. I always ask "God if this is from You bless it" if it's not from You remove it from my presence " for the small every day decisions I pray about it .
I don't know how many times the word discernment appears in the Bible, but I dare say it appears dozens of times. This number of citations makes perfect sense - in fact, everything in the scriptures makes sense - but, since discernment is an ability to perceive and judge what is true and what is false, this action becomes an essential pillar in building the foundations for making good decisions.
I like to think that this process involves creating a space of silence and prayer, where we can observe our internal movements and the reasons behind a given situation... I confess that this exercise has been a challenge for me and often frightening, since it requires NOT LEAVING God out of the process and also ENSURE that we actually SUBMIT EVERYTHING TO HIM.
Incredibly, when watching the walk and thinking about the questions you raised, the following kept ringing in my mind: "we must ensure that we submit everything to Him under His fatherly gaze", which refers to the image of a loving father. And this, for me, is "scary", because, although we call God our Father, loving, benevolent, who loves us unconditionally, we do not always live as children of this love.
When Jesus stripped himself of his glory and became human like us, he revealed the heart of God like never before, he showed the way to the heart of God as Father. Incredible, Jesus always invites us to live, not only as servants, but mainly as children.
This is beautiful!
Matthew 6:6 Jesus addresses prayer from the perspective of the "Father and son" relationship... "when you pray, go into your room and close the door... and the Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. That is, the presence of God is accessible in our room, the most intimate and personal place in our home, a place where we can be alone with Him and with ourselves.
This Walk touched me beautifully, thank you for that!
Lovely cold walk. Being honest you indirectly found out how difficult it is being a parent to a problem child can be. My child grew up in a happy home. It was her influences that turned her life upside down. It has been a year since she got out of a bad relationship. Before she met her narcissistic boyfriend I had tried to warn her about that kind of online man she could come up against. In her own wisdom she got stuck in a place only God could get her out of. She is a different person now, more like she was before the mess she got into. Praying and allowing God to help her discern wisely I can thank Him she is listening to Him.
Good to see you Donny! For me the past couple of months it seems God has brought this subject or something having to do with it to my attention in one form or another.
Not having children as yourself, I reflected back on my relationship with my own parents when you shared about your father. Without going into a lot of detail, I longed for a closer relationship with my parents. I don’t ever recalling having any heart to heart conversations with them. They didn’t approach me and likewise I didn’t try either. It’s not that they didn’t love me. I believe it was more to how they were raised. What I’ve learned from that experience which I had to acknowledge, accept, and walk through was I have a loving Heavenly Father whom I can take anything to and discuss things with.
That experience of acknowledging, accepting, and walking though the unforgiveness I held on to for years with my family has led me to spiritual growth and communicating with God inviting Him in to my life more deeply to help me with making any decision large or small.
All that said, I do my best to invite God in to any decision and if God places someone on my heart to seek counsel about that decision I will. I make mistakes like anyone else and will continue to do so, but I learn something from each one. Good to see you and the scenery was beautiful. Thank you again for another wonderful prayer walk. God bless you and all within the community.
Wow Donny this was the perfect prayer walk today! Yesterday I went off of social media just for that reason was I deciding or discerning about a situation by listening and being quiet, I was able to find that answer. Thank you many blessings to you today.
Oh my did I need to hear this! I just had a huge disagreement with my youngest daughter. Normally I would pray about things first but I didn't this time and it didn't end well.God always guides me and tonight I never asked for his guidance. I will be praying and not making decisions without his guidance, hopefully no more! Thanks so much Donny for your wisdom and prayer walks ❤️🙏
It’s sad to know how much you miss someone until they are gone. Even if their decision had them go away you still miss them.
My first thought was what does deciding mean and what’s the meaning of discerning? Because in my head I was thinking they are separate yet go together. Like we need them both to make a decision!!! As I looked up their meaning and you kept going it became clear it was. I need them both!
Coming to God for discernment in deciding:: it was hard in the beginning cause I did not have a good relationship with my father and still don’t; but this is out of my control. But when it comes to my kids: I want them to come to me with no fear like I go to my Heavenly Father…. But then I thought but “do I respond to them like my Father does to me; with love, grace, mercy, no judgment??”
A lot to think about!
Lovely walk but cold! Tennessee is beautiful!
Loved your walk and the crunching of your boots on the snow. A very beautiful setting. In answer to the query. I just know in my heart when something is right or wrong. This could be guidance from above helping me to take the right path. Should I decide or discern? It is a struggle to know the best response especially for my children. I love my kids regardless. I feel we can discuss anything on any level. It is so important to share ideas and decisions. Nice to hear Beth's comments as part of the discussion. Take care and blessings to you.