Everyone is special

Published on by lindseybiggs2 Comments

My family has a tradition of celebrating Special Days. It started with my husband and I because we like to buy each other little gifts. We also don’t like the silly focus on how old someone is that comes along with birthdays. So we celebrate Special Days several times a year. It’s a surprise because your Special Day falls on whichever day the family has decided to honor how special you are.

I love how it reminds me to show my appreciation for my family members frequently. And isn’t that the best part about birthdays — to honor someone’s unique, God-given identity?

I don’t think God knows about our age or personality or what color hair we have. I think God has a completely different view because God isn’t like man, God is a Spirit. The one and only Spirit. Infinite Life. Everlasting Love.

It’s nice to know that there is One out there who is seeing us as we really are — spiritual, unique, and free; Her adoring image & likeness; The reflection, the mirrored image, of the Perfect One.

I hope to see everyone around me the way God sees us today: made of beautiful, shining qualities radiating & shining out to warm & bless everything around you.

The Beatitudes teach us about friendship

Published on by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

I love the Beatitudes.

They illustrate beautiful qualities of character — the kind of person you want to be around.

They exemplify the perfect friend.

      • Humility — there is no quality more amazing to me than humility. It is beautiful, graceful & gracious.
      • Comforting — we’ve all had times when we’ve been down and turned to a friend for comfort. It’s a wonderful feeling. And to be able to give comfort when someone else is down gives a sense of satisfaction.
      • Selfless & generous — someone who can share and isn’t greedy.
      • Appreciates good activities (and good clean fun!)
      • Satisfaction in right-doing — does the right thing, even if it’s not popular (even if you don’t want to).
      • Forgiving — doesn’t focus on the past or hold a grudge.
      • Genuine — honest, authentic (not fake).
      • Peace-loving (instead of drama-loving) — looks for the best in you and others (doesn’t get in to gossip).
      • Loyal, faithful & devoted — to his/her beliefs as well as to your friendship.
      • Confident & courageous — stands up for what is right; sticks up for beliefs as well as friends.

See what I mean? It’s a perfect model for friendship (or business partner or neighbor). Christ Jesus exemplified this and showed us we can, too — that it is right and normal. He wouldn’t have said it if we couldn’t be it!

Enjoy giving & expressing these qualities today. You’ll be thanked for it!

Clarity heals depression

Published on by lindseybiggsLeave a comment

Several years ago, I felt depressed and alone. I didn’t want my boyfriend at the time to leave my side (which of course added strain to the relationship). But one night when he had other plans, I was left alone wallowing in this deep depression.

I sat in bed crying and crying. I couldn’t go to sleep or do anything else, it seemed. I reached out in prayer (I had just been learning how to pray, although this was going to be a simple and desperate prayer).

“God, help me”.

The next moment I heard these words “you don’t have to be tempted by this.”

Well, in that instant, a light went on in consciousness. I was completely healed. I rolled over and went to sleep.

What I learned in that moment was this: thoughts of negativity (sadness, hatred, depression, etc) are unsolicited thoughts. They exist outside of us and are never within us. We can defeat them by simply recognizing who we are as the spiritual, beloved children of God.

Even though these negative thoughts seem to be prevalent, they have no actual power or life because they don’t originate in God, good (the only, true power). Through God’s help you can defeat them, like I was able to do in that moment of clarity.

Do you have an experience of spiritual, mental clarity that is meaningful to you that you’d like to share?