Category: Guys With God

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Bad Moment

Don’t turn a bad moment into a bad day...


It was in hearing and learning the St. Francis prayer in AA that I first learned that in order to be forgiven, I must first forgive others. 


Back then, and even sometimes today, it was a tall order and I had a very hard time finding the willingness to open my heart and mind to become forgiving. 


Over the years I have learned from my own experiences as well as from watching and working with others that we tend to hang on to negative feelings and experiences longer than we should and if not addressed, these feeling and experiences can take on a life of their own and begin influencing our thoughts, actions and over time behaviors over other people, places, and things. 


With Thanksgiving coming next week, all sorts of resentments, anger, hurts, and ill feelings will come rushing to the front of folk’s minds as family and friends gather together. 


Jesus forgave us for our sins and continues to forgive me daily because of His unconditional love. 

It is a spiritual principle that HE can’t forgive us until we are able to forgive others… 


Check your experience… 


“We go to him in a helpful and forgiving spirit, “Big Book pg. 77 

Lord let us open our hearts to become forgiving of others so that we can be forgiven ourselves, AMEN. 

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 


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? 

Heart Traffic

 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! 


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/ 


AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT! 

Look for the Helpers

Look for the helpers… 


Tragic events have hopefully shown us that we are capable of caring for, praying for, and helping others in need. 


It’s sad that it takes enormous tragedy to spotlight this, but this is our culture and socially acceptable


The good news is that there are many of us who don’t wait for a tragedy to strike but set out daily to look for the good and ways to plug in to be helpful and supportive. 


A few have shared a timely quote from Mr. Rogers; “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”


It’s easy to focus on the bad in times of trouble, but spiritually speaking, the Lord through His Holy Spirit can help us see the good when we look for the helpers… 


Check your experience…. 


“Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.” Big Book pg. 63 


Lord, let us look past the hurt and pain and find the helpers and the hope that You bring to every situation, AMEN. 


“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude.” 1 Peter 3:8 


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/ 


AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT! 

We GET What We GIVE

We get what we give…


It seems to be a common line of thought and an acceptable practice these days to look for the bad and find fault in others as part of the attempt to build ourselves up.


Perhaps you have learned the hard way, like I have, that all this brings us misery, chaos, and trouble.


When I took an honest look at my part in these behaviors years ago, I knew I had to make a change.


Just like the spiritual principle says,


we GET what we GIVE.


I find that when I spend my time building others up and looking for the good in others, the same is returned to me, even more than I deserve!..


Check your experience…


“We cannot be helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.” Big Book pg. 67


Lord, let us look for the good in others and not give into fault finding, AMEN.


“Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13


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? 

Spiritual Food

Filling food… 


Most folks I know are doing a better job these days of choosing better foods and meals. 


Just like having the proper fuel for our cars, it’s important to have the proper fuel in the form of nutritious healthy food for our bodies. 


Slowly the fast food chains are getting this message and it’s possible to get a sort of healthy meal from them if there are no other healthier options, but for the most part, fast food, like sugary snacks, are full of empty calories that fool our bodies and leave us more hungry as well as tired. 


It’s the same in our spiritual nutrition as well. 


We can fool ourselves and load up on man-made words and spiritual “junk food” that require no action on our part and make us feel momentarily good about ourselves. 


Unfortunately, like fast food, this leaves us hungry and thirsty in our souls. 


We can get true spiritual nutrition daily by turning our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him and feast on His Word daily… 


Check your experience… 


“A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, “a design for living” that really works.” Big Book pg 28


Lord, let us feed spiritually on Your Word and the Holy Spirit, AMEN.


“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 


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]

Humble Humility

 Humility is way different than humiliation…. 


Humility is a good virtue that allows us to acknowledge others and respect their dignity, talents, and opinions. 


Humility is not weakness; it’s a spirit of self-examination that through seeking and doing God’s will prevents us from becoming selfish and arrogant. 


Humiliation is a painful emotion that we feel when we’ve been shamed. 


It’s a negative response that usually comes as a consequence of our own selfish actions. 


I used to confuse the 2 words, I think a lot of corporate America still does. 


I have learned that a humble person is a powerful person who has a firm relationship with God, self, and others. 


A humiliated person tends to be isolated and suffer from their own actions based on self-centered fears, greed, and pride.


How do you see yourself?..
.
Check your experience… 


“Belief in the power of God, plus enough willingness, honesty and humility to establish and maintain the new order of things, were the essential requirements.” Big Book pg 13 


Lord, let us humble ourselves to be strengthened and fortified by our Word, grace, and promises. AMEN. 


“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3: 13-16 


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? 

Trading the Truth for a Lie

Truth or consequences… 


Perhaps you have a better handle on this, but it can get confusing for me at times to know when I am getting the truth or a lie with respect to information. 


Looking at information for just about anything these days takes a measure or patience mixed with persistence to sort through the word vomit and visual imagery to learn the truth needed to make a decision. 


Trying to help Miss Tami find sunscreen for her face became a hunting expedition as we read ingredients and learned about all kinds of scary stuff that is part of the ingredients in some brands. 


I am neither a scientist nor an expert, but it seems to me that putting various concoctions and mixtures of alcohol and mineral oils on one one’s face cannot be good in the long run, let alone make a good sunscreen for sensitive skin! 


 Experience, trust, and faith are the anchors I depend on to get me through. 


We found the brand she likes and lo and behold, no alcohol or mineral based petroleum products are used! 


This experience leads me to my thought for today,.. 


How are we reading the ingredients that we are putting into our spiritual lives? 


Are we getting the good soul food from God’s Word or….


Are we getting “junk food” and chemical substitutes that make us feel good for the moment but have no lasting spiritual nutritional value?…


Check your experience…


“We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again:” Big Book pg. 33 


Lord, let us look for Your Truth in seeking Your will and learning from Your Word, AMEN. 


“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,” Romans 1:25 


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? 

Thank You Veterans!

Thank you for your Service and God Bless Chuck Jackson, Rick Jackson, Scott Jackson, Nick Farley,  Charles King, Russell Priddy, Curtis Smith, Eric Fowlston, John R., Coop, Bill S., Roger, Tyler, Dan H., my Sponsor Jim R., Phil, Adam, Mel, KD, Dave C., Raenee, and all Veterans past, present, and future. 


Your honor, duty, sacrifice, and service keep us safe, protected, and free! 


“Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.” Big Book pg. 77 


Lord, we thank and honor those who protect our freedom by serving our country. May You constantly bless them and their families, AMEN. 


 “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 


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]

It’s a Matter of the Heart

 It’s a matter of your heart… 


Have you ever had a situation where even though you are there, your heart’s not in it? 


Perhaps it’s out of your immediate control and for the greater good you need to be there, but given your preferences, you would choose to be elsewhere. 


I am sure we all have these times, and we manage to get through them just fine. 

What about your faith? 


While it’s good to go to church and participate in worship, 


it’s not so good if our hearts are not in it. 


God doesn’t care where we are physically at, 


but He does want our hearts to be open and full of faith. 


Believing is a heart matter and our actions show our faith… 


Check your experience… 


“It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself. Nothing more was required of me to make my beginning.” Big Book pg. 12


Lord, let us keep our hearts open and filled with our belief in You and Your promises, AMEN. 


“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:10 


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? 

The Power of Choice

The power of choice… 

We face many choices daily but for me, the most important and constant choice I face is to either seek God’s will or follow my own self-will. 


Maybe some folks think like I used to think   when I was first saved that I no longer had to battle with life’s twists, turns, trials, and temptations, because I had Jesus in my heart.

However, the fact is that God loves us so much that even though through Baptism He fills our heart with His Holy Spirit,
 
He loves us so much and so unconditionally that He allows us to keep our free will


Now perhaps it’s different for you, but this is exactly why I must make the choice daily and even hourly at times to seek His will and not give into my selfish self-centered will. 


How do you handle this choice?… 

Check your experience… 


“Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.” Big Book pg 86 


Lord, thank You for loving us so completely and unconditionally that you let us keep our free will. Let us exercise this power of choice and choose to seek Your will in all things, AMEN.   


“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 


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/ 


AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT! OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA