Before you Hurt Someone - FEEL!

I read this poem on Facebook and it encompassed so much of what I feel,

I just needed to comment on it. 

 

Before you Assume; Learn the Facts! 

Before you Judge; Understand Why!

We've all been there! Times when we feel so overwhelmed with life that we can't put on the happy face anymore. Sometimes it comes in the form of just a bad day, but other times those days go on and on and it's hard to keep it bottle up. And when it finally comes out, it can be harsh, critical, jealous, bitter and even to the point of questioning God. Coming from someone who is a Christian, it almost seems like they have crossed the bridge and lost their faith and it's easy to just walk away.

But a true friend will Learn the Facts!  As one who has moved from State to State and experienced life around the world, I've learned to first look at their history. At this point in our life, we are a compilation of the family we were born into, our general upbringing, our personality, who we married, where we have lived, and everything that we have experience. As I look at my parents and sibling who have never moved from Hudsonville, MI, I realize that as supportive as they are, they can never really understand my life; and I theirs. But we can try!

 

I have a friend who lost a small child in a trauma center hospital. When her adult child had an accident and they took her to that same hospital, I could hear the fear in her voice as she said: "Lynette, they took her to Cooper Hospital." Knowing her history, made it easy for me to run to her with comfort and support.

So before we make assumptions, it is wise to Look at the Big Picture!

Before you Hurt Someone; Feel!

Before you Speak; Think!

Proverbs 15:28 says “ The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” As Rich mentioned in one of his messages that we need to work on the be-er and then the do-er will come naturally.  That is to say, that when you become a godly person to will automatically do righteous thing. Many times I have said that I wanted to be living is such close communion with the Lord that whatever came out of my mouth or whatever actions I took, it would naturally be what He wanted. I don't think I have always achieved this goal, but I'd like to think that I'm working on it.

From this passage it also reminds us that the righteous ponder how to answer. Fewer words – less mistakes. I've been reading through the book “don’t sweat the small stuff” and one of the thing that has stuck in my mind is “it’s better to be kind than right.”  Even though this book is not written from a Christian perspective, it talks a lot about having inner peace. 

As Christians we know that we can have inner peace when we allow the Lord to control our thoughts, actions and words. So I want to sum it up in two words. “Be Nice.” Like you, I have had many situations where people have criticized me and complained. It really hurts when I hear things coming from someone who has no idea about who I am or what I am experiencing at the moment and I think was that really so important that you had to destroy me to make your point.

So before we Speak, it is wise to Feel and Think.

 

 

For the brownie base, preheat oven to 325F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap bottom of pan in foil.

In a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup, melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments. Whisk until smooth. Alternatively, you can melt them together over low heat in a small saucepan.

In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder and salt.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, Swerve and vanilla until smooth. Beat in almond flour mixture, then butter/chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts.

Spread evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes.

For the filling, reduce oven temperature to 300F.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, Swerve, cream and vanilla until well combined.

Pour filling over crust and place cheesecake on a large cookie sheet. Bake until edges are set and center just barely jiggles, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Run a knife around edges to loosen and then remove sides of pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Serve with sugar-free chocolate sauce or ganache.

Read more at http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/02/brownie-cheesecake-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html#xKZItUEJ8YWMpZEV.99