Inhale Exhale

Year 4-Day 15: Today, I am grateful we can choose what we inhale and what we exhale.

Pollution is everywhere. It is in our air...in our water and I am pretty sure mind pollution oozes from our televisions and computer screens, too. It causes stress and steals our peace. It's tough to avoid the consequences and often we find ourselves a bit overwhelmed. 

In fact...our interests have turned to a fascination with people who live off the grid, half off the grid or a more simple, freeing life style with less.  

Can we choose what we inhale and exhale?  I believe we can.  Not the actual air we breathe, but in the context of what messages we take in and put out.  Remember the phrase "Garbage in - garbage out."? It holds simple truth.  What we feed our heads, our hearts and our bodies will have an effect. 

It is why time in The Word matters.  Good stuff in...good stuff out.  On my judgement day, I don't want to try to explain why I neglected to "read the directions". 

I began this post before reading my daily scripture, but His living word never fails.Look what was waiting for me:  

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
"If you" - We all have a choice to make
"abide" - The Greek word is "meno" defined as "to remain,to abide, to stay in,  to continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, to await" 

One of the girls in my Bible Journaling community used a tea cup to represent "abide" and even used the word "steep"  after contemplating the Greek origins. I love it!  The word picture is fabulous. If we steep ourselves in Him and His Word, can it help us inhale love and exhale gratitude?  I had just journaled this scripture earlier in the week.  I guess I needed to consider it again. Breathe in...breathe out.  




"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples," - So, there is evidence in the actions.

"and you will know the truth," - Because it is there for the reading

"and the truth will set you free." - Great speech writers borrow this phrase, but here is the original author...who happens to be the perfecter of our faith and the source of our freedom...even if bound by chains.

The chains of illness, job loss, learning struggles, or whatever keeps us from living freely.

Breathe in...breathe out.  Remember..."Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."-1 John 4:8

Breathe Him in...his essence from His word, and we an be filled with the kind of gratitude we can't help but exhale. 

It helps us to love our neighbors and forgive ourselves as He forgives us. 

Today, I am grateful we can choose what we inhale and what we exhale.