Author: Mark Farley

Isolated Thoughts

   August 23, 2024 0 Likes 62 Views
 There is no “i” in team…. 


A few years ago, I borrowed the phrase; “I can’t fix the head I got with the head I got.” from Brian C. from one of the AA meetings here in Phoenix. 


I learn many things from listening to and observing people and this thought has proven to be a strong tool for myself and others. 


Maybe it’s different for you, but when I am in spiritual pain or struggling with issues of pride and self-will, I have a hard time initially sharing my struggle. 


This thought gives me a quick reality check and motivates me to seek counsel from others and not let my selfish thoughts continue to dominate my mind and actions. 


How comfortable are you in using your own mind to clear up your struggles with your thoughts and spiritual walk? …


Check your experience… 


“Continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment, and fear. When these crop up, we ask God at once to remove them. We discuss them with someone immediately and make amends quickly if we have harmed anyone.” Big Book pg. 84 


Lord, let us not only share the things that are dominating our thoughts and blocking us from Your grace but also be willing to act on advice received from others, AMEN. 


“One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 


Have a blessed day y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 

Hand UP not Hand OUT

   August 22, 2024 0 Likes 63 Views
Give a hand up and not a handout… 


Have you ever noticed that when you give stuff to people for free, they will usually take it? 


It’s a nice thing to give to others 


and that is what we should do as part of our spiritual growth and walk with Christ, 

but sometimes helping actually hurts those you are giving to. 


Stop giving them fish and instead teach them to fish! 


Think about it, if we continue to provide for others without teaching them or giving them a chance to provide for themselves, then we are hurting their growth and not really helping. 


It’s good to give, please don’t misunderstand, 


but it’s not helpful if we continue to give and do for the same people over and over without giving them a chance to learn how to provide for themselves … 


Check your experience…. 


“Your job now is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others,” Big Book pg. 102 


Lord, let us share our bounty with others as you so generously share with us, but let us share with a motive of helping with hand UP and not a hand-OUT, AMEN. 


“Treat others as you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Did  you know that Mentorship can help you grow and achieve your goals and dreams? 

Inspired 365 Mentorship with Mark Farley!!


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 




Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

Bad Moment not Day

   August 21, 2024 0 Likes 68 Views
 “Don’t turn a bad moment into a bad day.” 
… 
Back in Sacramento, years ago, ol’ Dick E. of Group 3 used to say this “phrase that pays” the AA meetings. 
I have held onto that thought over the years and found it very useful when I am in times of stress or struggle. 
I simply force my head to remember these words and it stops the bad moment from becoming a bad day. 
While some situations last longer than a moment,
I have learned that I am not facing it alone and that when I turn my troubles and fears over to the Lord, 
not only does my day go better, but also, the situation usually resolves itself and leaves me in a better place as a result

Are you allowing bad moments to become bad days? … 


Check your experience…. 


“In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves.” Big Book pgs. 70-71 


Lord, what times of uncertainty, stress, or struggle come, remind my heat that You are with me and I can turn it over to Your care and not let it run my whole day, AMEN. 


“I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 


 Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System as well as those escaping homelessness and helplessness through the Furniture Bank 

https://homesfromheaven.org  

Growth in Fertile Soil

   August 20, 2024 0 Likes 69 Views
Things grow better in fertile soil… 


Have you ever noticed how certain plants grow and thrive in some climates but not in others? 


I live in Arizona and while many forms of cacti and desert plants thrive here, tropical plants don’t. 


It’s kind of the same with our spiritual life. 


When we plant ourselves in the Word and make sure we are receiving the Living Water of the Holy Spirit and our hearts are getting needed soul nutrition from fellowship with Jesus we thrive. 


However, when we try to live in unspiritual conditions, like plants in poor soil and bad climate, we struggle to grow and thrive. 

How is your spiritual soil?... 


Check your experience… 


“At the start, this was all we needed to commence spiritual growth, to affect our first conscious relation with God as we understood Him.” Big Book pg. 47 


Lord, please help us to find fertile spiritual growing conditions through Your Word and the Holy Spirit residing within us, AMEN. 


“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Did  you know that Mentorship can help you grow and achieve your goals and dreams? 

Inspired 365 Mentorship with Mark Farley!!


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 




Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

Going with the Flow

   August 19, 2024 0 Likes 62 Views
Going with the flow… 


It’s easy to know how to act, dress, and what to do these days. 


Just watch TV or pay attention to any form of advertising and it will tell you how to think, act, and feel. 


But, is that healthy for us? 


It’s nice to “fit in” but what mold are we trying to actually fit in to? 


Because we have a God who loves us unconditionally and give us free will, we can become disillusioned by some of the trappings of this world. 

Most of us know that money and things do not buy real happiness. 


Having a real relationship with a real and living God does!..


Check your experience… 


“We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change” Big Book pg. 84. 


Lord, let us not fall into the illusions of the material trappings of this world and distort our relationship with You, AMEN. 


“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:29 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Inspired 365 Mentorship with Mark Farley!!


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want Mentorship to get you out of where you are? 


Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

Encouragement and Strength

   August 18, 2024 0 Likes 67 Views
Encouragement and strength…. 


We all have those in our lives who seem to always point out our faults, wrongs, and failures. 


We can either let their comments weigh us down and keep us from growing or we can take great pleasure in knowing that we don’t have to worry about not being perfect because they are there to remind us that we are not! 

The good news is we have the power of choice in what we allow to invade our ears and cover our hearts. 


We receive encouragement daily when we look in our hearts and know that God’s grace and hope live in His spirit in us. 


I am glad I have those in my life who have taken on the job of pointing out my wrongs and failures, it frees me up to focus on what I am doing right and gain strength as I grow closer to God. 


Are you finding hope and encouragement daily?.. 


Check your experience… 


“…whose hope is the maintenance and growth of a spiritual experience,” Big Book pg. 66

Lord, let us seek hope and comfort through our daily relationship with you through Jesus, AMEN. 

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say.” 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 


 Have a blessed day y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible!


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 

Heart Traffic

   August 17, 2024 0 Likes 59 Views
Navigating through traffic…..  

It seems we encounter traffic in just about everything we do these days. 


The freeways are full of commuters, the Starbucks and Dutch Bros lines are long at times, there is usually a wait time for scheduled doctor appointments. 


Most of us become aware of these patterns and we adjust our schedules to either accommodate or avoid these situations as best we can so we can continue with our day. 


What about the things that can clog our hearts at times? 


The “rush hour traffic” of fear and worry, or being taken hostage by worldly clamors of self-willed perceived wants and materialistic desires can derail a good day if we let it. 


There is a plan and a solution to avoid this clutter and traffic in our hearts. 


Turning our will and our lives over to the care of God clears this traffic of our heart and allows us to focus on the important things and enjoy peace and grace…


Check your experience… 


“But soon the sense of His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself. And so, it has been ever since.” Big Book pgs. 12-13 


Lord, let us give You the things in our heart that block us off from your grace and Spirit, AMEN 


“Let us put everything out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should. Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.” Hebrews 12:1 


Have a blessed day y’all! 


Did  you know that Mentorship can help you grow and achieve your goals and dreams? 

Inspired 365 Mentorship with Mark Farley!!


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 




Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

Help Is On The Way

   August 16, 2024 0 Likes 62 Views
Hang on, help is on the way….. 



One of the most freeing experiences for me is to help another person. 


It frees me from the burden of self and puts perspective onto my self-centered perceptions of my challenges and problems. 


Now maybe it’s different for you, but when I can place my focus on helping another, my heart gets filled with not only a refreshing humility from the service, but also, I gain a fresh perspective when I revisit my issue or challenge and it no longer appears to be such a problem, but a manageable challenge. 


This is how the Holy Spirit works in us and among us. 


Give it a try next time you feel your chips are down.


Reach out and help someone and see how your day changes! …


Check your experience… 


“Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can help.” Big Book pg. 84 

 Lord, let us look to help others and be of service, in order to gain perspective on our issues and challenges, AMEN. 

“Help each other in troubles and problems. This is the kind of law Christ asks us to obey.” Galatians 6:2

Have a blessed day y’all!


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 

Walking by Faith

   August 15, 2024 0 Likes 67 Views
Faith is not believing that God can…It is in knowing that God will…



Wouldn’t it be great if we could wake up every morning with a faxed or emailed itinerary of EXACTLY how our day will go? 


No more guessing, juggling, and figuring out, just seeing and doing. 


Unfortunately, we live in a real world with other real people, places, and things that are ALWAYS changing. 


The good news is that we actually DO have the daily itinerary! 


It’s in our hearts and all we have to do is drop the expectations on people, places, and things and walk forward in faith, knowing God has the end result covered, all we need to do is participate fully with our hearts. 


Think about it. 


Doesn’t your day go so much better when you drop the expectations and just be?..


Check your experience… 


“In this book you read again and again that faith did for us what we could not do for ourselves.” Big Book pg. 70 


Lord, let us walk in faith and not in expectation, AMEN. 


“For we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Did  you know that Mentorship can help you grow and achieve your goals and dreams? 

Inspired 365 Mentorship with Mark Farley!!


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 




Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

It’s a Matter of the Heart

   August 14, 2024 0 Likes 79 Views
It’s a matter of the heart… 



 Have you ever heard or used the expressions; “’ You’re all heart, ‘; ‘ She has a lot of heart’ ; or ‘bless his heart’”? 


Hopefully, we use and or hear those phrases associated with good thoughts. 


They are spiritually based and character driven by design. 


The Bible is full of examples and references to our heart and how we should guard it, allow good to flow from it and protect it. 


The fact of the matter is that God not only sees our hearts but also knows what fills them and how it fuels our lives. 

So, what do you see when you look at your heart?..


Check your experience… 


“Here was something at work in a human heart that had done the impossible.” Big Book pg. 11 


Lord, open our hearts to contain good and grace and remove those things that get in the way of our usefulness to You and those You would have us help, AMEN. 


“God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System as well as those escaping homelessness and helplessness through the Furniture Bank 

https://homesfromheaven.org