Author: Mark Farley

Thought Battles

   October 30, 2023 0 Likes 97 Views
Picking our battles… 


Perhaps it’s different for you but every now and then when I am alone with my thoughts, the quiet thought that has been with me for most of my life tries to remind me that not only am I a loser but also I am not worthy of others. 


Now thankfully I have enough Jesus in my heart and step work from over 30 years of sobriety to remind me quickly that this thought is not mine, it is from my disease; 


get it? 

DIS-EASE… 


The disease of addiction capitalizes on this for those times when we struggle with self-doubt and or fear. 


I am thankful for my picket fence of friends in sobriety and my brothers and sisters in ministry who constantly remind me that God is using me for His will and I need to continue with my passion for helping others. 


How are you handling your thoughts of DIS-EASE?.. 


Check your experience… 


“Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.” Big Book pg.86 


Lord, let us go to war on our thoughts and not let thoughts of doubt and fear control our minds, efforts, and actions, AMEN. 


“We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments 5 and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5 


Have a blessed day Y’all!! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


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


Want a one-on-one coach 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]

If You Can’s See It Then BE IT!

   October 29, 2023 0 Likes 89 Views
If you can’t see it, then BE it!.. 


Here is a suggestion. 


Think about this and try it today and this week! 


While going about your normal day and doing your same routines, look around today using the eyes of your heart. 


Find someone doing some good and go out of your way to thank them. 


Do something good unexpectedly for another person today. 


You will make their day and your heart will thank you!…. 


Check your experience… 


“Helping others is the foundation stone” Big Book pg 98 


Lord open the eyes of our hearts today so that we can see and do good for others, AMEN. “


Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:10 


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 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Gain the World?

   October 28, 2023 0 Likes 77 Views
What’s the real price?.. 


Perseverance and dedication are admirable traits and are certainly needed in order to be successful but at what cost? 

It’s wise to learn, practice, and train in order to become good at what we do and gain valuable experience in order to be successful. 


But what about the other parts of our lives? 


Think about it. 


How beneficial is it to neglect our family and friends and ignore our Spiritual needs while we pursue a personal or professional goal?.. 


Check your experience… 


“The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. 
He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.” Big Book pg. 25 


Lord, let us set aside our earthly wants and seek Your will for our lives, AMEN. 


“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Matthew 16:26 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


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


Want a one-on-one coach 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]

What Are You Wearing?

   October 27, 2023 0 Likes 91 Views
What are you wearing?.. 


We have gear for all types of weather, events, sports, hobbies, and seasons. 


I just learned, and pardon my fashion backwardness, that there are even special shoes just for driving your car! 


While it’s nice to have all of these choices to clothe ourselves properly according to weather, activity, and such….


How are we covering, preparing, and protecting our Spirit for all situations we encounter?


Our Bible teaches us to clothe ourselves in love which covers all things. 


While I’ll admit that sometimes that this is really hard to put on for certain situations, it generally goes much better when I do...


Check your experience… 


“…asking each morning in meditation that our Creator show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness and love.” Big Book pg. 83 


Lord. Let us clothe ourselves in love to handle all people, places, and things that we encounter, AMEN.


“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 


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 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Embracing a Challenge

   October 26, 2023 0 Likes 86 Views
Embracing a challenge…. 


When it’s all said and done, we basically have 2 choices with respect to challenges. 


We can either let fear win and stop us from moving through it, or we can park our fears and walk straight into the challenge with faith, hope, and perseverance. 


Think about it. It is our own mind that usually stops us from embracing change. 


We tell ourselves through negative self-talk that we can’t. 


Heck, we even try to rally others around us to reinforce this thought and gain their agreement that we can’t. 


This makes it easier not to even try. 


How about looking in your heart? 


That is where the Holy Spirit lives and usually, if you listen to your heart, your head quiets down with the negativity… 


Check your experience… 


“For if (we) failed to perfect and enlarge (our) spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, we could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead” Big Book pgs. 14-15 


Lord, let us embrace a challenge knowing we can learn and grow from it, AMEN. 


“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” Romans 5:35 


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.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 

Good Deeds

   October 25, 2023 0 Likes 90 Views
 He sees everything… 


I love watching people. 


I learn so much from others. 


It’s interesting to me to watch folks as they interact with others. 


My experience has been that different situations bring different actions and behaviors. 


For instance, at the fast-food drive-through, the focus is on the order, as both the attendant and the customer are centered on the purchase of a pre-established menu item, pretty much a no-brainer. 


Then there is the grocery store and the need to be in the shortest line. 

The type A personality versus the passive is fun to watch. 


The Type A will go all out directly to the short line and heck with whoever has the misfortune of being in their way.


While the passive personality will be aware of others and see the Type A and clear out of the way letting them go first. 


My favorite is unexpected assist. 


One night a while back, I observed a mom with a toddler attempting to fit all of her bagged purchases into one hand while deftly grabbing car keys and freeing the other arm to hold the baby because the cart would not go outside of the store.


While shoppers ignored her and moved around her as they exited the store. 


She almost went into shock when I asked her if I could help. 


After the shock wore off, she saw my smiling wife and figured out quickly I was not a psycho stalker,  she politely refused and gave us a heartfelt thank you for caring enough to ask. 


 Remember folks, keep the eyes of your hearts open to see who the Lord puts in your path. 

It’s always good to offer assistance for the right reasons… 


Check your experience… 


“It depends on us and on our motives.” Big Book pg 70 


Lord, let us perform good deeds with the only motive of being of service to others and not for personal gain, AMEN. 


“In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.” 1 Timothy 5: 24-25 


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.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 

Rough Waters

   October 24, 2023 0 Likes 85 Views
When the going gets tough…


There are times when we are faced with a difficult decision or situation, it seems to be a part of being human. 


Perhaps you are healthier mentally and spiritually than me, but my initial gut reaction is to feel alone, isolate, and let my self-generated fears magnify the difficult moment to lead me into making a bad choice with my actions or behaviors. 


Over the years I have learned to expect this reaction in me and to not act on it. I turn to prayer and invite the Holy Spirit to guide my words, actions, and choices. 


When I do, I no longer feel alone, defeated, or fearful. 


Sure, I still have to walk through the situation but I no longer let it control me and my attitudes. 


I remind myself that God has me covered with His Spiritual Armor and I walk through it. 


Is God helping you through those rough patches?..


Check your experience… 


“God either is or He isn’t. What was our choice to be?” Big Book pg. 53 


Lord, remind our hearts and quiet our minds in times of difficulty that You are with us no matter what, AMEN. 


“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!” Isaiah 43:2 


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 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

That Plank in My Eye…

   October 24, 2023 0 Likes 89 Views
How’s your eyesight?… 


Why is it so much easier to see the problems that other people have when compared to our own? 


Now maybe it’s different for you, but my cross wired head can point out the faults in others while overlooking the issues in my life that need attention. 


The funny thing is, no one ever asks me what’s wrong with them, yet my head likes to show me what it sees that is wrong with others. 


Thank goodness I am used to this twisted thinking and for the most part manage to keep my opinions to myself, and my mouth shut. 


I have learned the hard way that when something in another person bothers me, be it their actions, appearance, behaviors, or words, it’s a strong signal that there is something in me and my life that I need to look at and address… 


Check your experience…. 


“Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.” Big Book pg. 84 


Lord, let us look in the mirror to see what we can change in us instead of looking to change others, AMEN. 


“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3 


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.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 

Getting What We Give

   October 23, 2023 0 Likes 100 Views
Getting what we give…


Most of us do a pretty good job of surrounding ourselves with people who we can get along with pretty well. 


However, every now and then we are put into a situation with strangers who make us uncomfortable with their actions or we have an encounter with others whose behaviors may not match up with what we consider acceptable or normal. 


Now perhaps its different for you, but it’s in these times that my self-centered head likes to hold court and begin judging and condemning others because they are not doing or behaving the way I consider acceptable. 


You know what I mean. 


Like the guy who forgot to brush his teeth and you are trapped listening to him go on and on about something you could care less about while your mind tries to determine from his breath what his last meal was. Or the person who is making a mountain out of a mole hill over something that is obviously important to them, yet insignificant in your life. 


Judging others is never good because it warps our opinions and does not give our heart a chance to see why the Lord has put this person in our path. 


We don’t have to agree with everyone we encounter, but we do need to treat them like we want to be treated… 


Check your experience… 


“but we let God be the final judge.” Big Book pg 70 


Lord, open the eyes of my heart and let me seek to understand instead of looking to be understood, AMEN. 


“Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?” Romans 2: 3-4 


Have a blessed day Y’all!! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


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


Want a one-on-one coach 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]

Pulling Weeds

   October 22, 2023 0 Likes 91 Views
Pull the weeds trying to grow near your heart…


Static noise and visual distractions are everywhere these days. 


Our tablets and electronic devices are bombarded with visual ads trying to distract us. 


I just learned that highway billboard are now electronic and change ads in front of our eyes as we drive! 


The ads on “free versions” of Internet radio interrupt our music filling our heads with “offers and specials” 


Peyton Manning humming the Nationwide jingle is still stuck in my head! 

We experience the same type of distractions with our Spiritual walk with Jesus. 


Worldly clamors distract us trying to allow fear, worry, and pride to fuel our self-centered minds away from seeking and doing God’s will. 

How many times daily are your good thoughts challenged with earthly interruptions? 


Check your experience…


“His presence had been blotted out by worldly clamors, mostly those within myself.” Big Book pg 12-13 


Lord, please let us focus on your love and will for us despite all of the earthly distractions around us, AMEN. 


“The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit.” Luke 8:14 


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 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?