The POWER of I AM--I WILL be

IAT = I am thankful

A few years ago, I was introduced to a simple idea. I think it was through Carol Tuttle's book, Remembering Wholeness. She pointed out that any time we use the words "I am", that we should choose carefully the words that follow, because the words that come next, are what we believe about ourselves, and what ultimately becomes our reality. So, if we often claim, "I am stupid," stupidity will become our reality. Yikes! The power of words is more than we can probably even realize. I wrote a little about that here.

And so, the words I want to focus on today, are the words, "I am." What do they really mean? The phrase "I Am that I Am," comes to mind. So, I thought I'd try to find out what that really means. When Moses asked God whom he should say sent him to the children of Israel, God replied, "I AM THAT I AM. Say I AM sent me." See Exodus 3: 14. What exactly does that mean? I am who I say I am? That's partly what I have thought the last few years. We can apply that to ourselves by saying, "when I say I am ________, I am _________." For example. When I say I am stupid, I am stupid.

Wiki says the literal interpretation is, I will be who I will be. Because asher, a hebrew word in the phrase, can mean that, who, which, or where, other meanings could include:

I will be that I will be
I will be who I will be
I will be which I will be
I will be where I will be

I don't know why that leaves me reeling. But to me it is God's testimony that we can count on Him in every situation. He will be THAT, WHO, WHICH, and WHERE He says. Wow! There is no one else we can really trust this way. In John, He tells us many of the things "I am." I AM the bread of Life. (John 6:35) I AM the light of the world. (John 8:12) I AM the door. (John 10:9) I AM the Good shepherd. (John 10:11) I AM the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25) I AM the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) I AM the vine. (John 15:5) And because He is who He will be, He simply is all of that.

If we are children of the Most High, surely He wants us to strive to be like Him, so we can know Him. And He has set the example for us. Do we follow Him by being that, who, which, and where we say we will? If not, why not? We don't have to be perfect today. But we can try.

We use those words "I am" so loosely. Do we mean what we say behind it? I think those words are very creative and when we say them, they have the power to create what we speak into being. Especially if we say them repeatedly. James Allen says in relation to thought (which I believe is revealed in our words),

"Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err."

In Numbers 14: 28, we are told:

Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

Please read that again! Let me paraphrase, "what YOU say, is what *I* will do to you. Wow! Makes me want to watch those words a little more closely. Especially the identifying, creative words, "I AM." So, I have been watching these very words very carefully the last few years, and changing my negative "I am" affirmations, to positive ones. Long ago, I drafted what I call, a Personal Proclamation. You can read about it here.  I've also added declarations recently. These are just a few chosen "I am" statements of things I hope to create in my life by focusing on them. I have a card with them stashed in my purse, pinned on my bathroom wall, in my vehicle, so I can say them when I have nothing else to do.

The inspiration for this post, was a friend, who used some pretty sad words about herself. I just couldn't let it pass. I encouraged her. I searched for something that would convey the power of "I am," and I found this Joel Olsteen sermon. And I loved it. I think it describes it really well. Check it out when you have 30 minutes. It's well worth it. Click below the picture.

The Power of I AM

A final thought, I read this amazing talk by now Elder Holland, then dean of religion at BYU. It occurs to me that if we are truly to be what we will be, we must rely on the TRUE I AM. By patterning our lives after His, we can become all he means us to be. And we will be what He would have us be.

I HATE...fill in the blank

James 3: 8-10

 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

 It has probably been at least 6 years since I began a quest of sorts of self-improvement. I didn't really do it on purpose.  I read a simple little book oft mentioned in my blog. As a Man Thinketh. As soon as I got over how beautiful it was, I understood the simple truth that man is the creator of his thoughts, and I wanted to learn to create wonderful thoughts. Over the few months following reading it, I began trying to weed out my overgrown garden that is my mind. I began correcting false and harmful thoughts; reversing them.

Over time, my spirits lifted. I thought better of my self and others. And I do see changes in my thoughts, words, actions, and temperament because of it. A simple success formula. Watch your thoughts, control your words. Easier said than done. It takes LOTS of practice. And I believe it will never end.

The reading of that lovely little book, took me down a road that I believe is less traveled. A road to systematically eliminate my many negative traits and become what God has fashioned me to be. I don't have the clear vision He does, of what that is, but I continue to strive for it, and as I do, He reveals little pieces of it to me. I have not yet achieved perfection I am sorry to say, but I do feel I am a better person, still with a long way to go.

Why is the tongue so poisonous? Why is it compared to fire? Poison and fire sicken and destroy. And our words do that every day. How can we bless God and curse Him with the same part of our body? How can we praise Him and curse our friends? These things ought not to be. 

Brigham Young said, 

I have but recently told you that some people think they are capable of judging everybody but themselves. Let us judge ourselves. And if any are disposed to let that unruly member, the tongue, do that which will wound the heart, darken the spirit, and bring us into subjection to an evil practice, resist such a disposition—throw it from you. If you will do that, you will find that the wicked will forsake their wickedness, and those who are inclined to think evil will cease doing so, and those who are inclined to utter evil words about their neighbors will cease that habit, and it will not be long before the people have perfect control over themselves. If you first gain power to check your words, you will then begin to have power to check your judgment, and at length actually gain power to check your thoughts and reflections.

So, I keep trying. A teacher/mentor whose seminar I attended caught me in mid sentence with my destructive words. It was a minor, simple thing. I said, "I hate early mornings." He looked at me fiercely and asked me, "What did you say?" When I began to repeat it, he stopped me after the second word. Hate. "I hate." He encouraged me to watch that expression. I hate? I don't hate. I don't WANT to hate. But our words can reveal that we do indeed hate. 

I did not take action on that right away. Just a month or so ago, I decided it was time to try to eliminate that word. I have been pretty good at replacing it with, I don't love, I am not a fan of, I don't care for. An even better suggestion is to focus my words on what I do love, am a fan of, do care for. I was doing so well. 

Then the other day I did not even catch myself say, "I hate candy." I don't really hate candy. I was speaking of Halloween and how it is not my favorite holiday. Pretty sure I probably also said I hate Halloween. I don't care for the excessive amounts of candy or sugar, or for that matter costumes, decorations, blah, blah, blah. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas though. :-)

Anywho. She repeated that back to me tonight at the Halloween carnival I took the Arteest and the Butterfly to. Oh the irony! I was horrified it had slipped past me and determined to give myself the write 100 times assignment. I will NOT say hate. But, I will use my own advice and phrase it properly. So, since the next 100 sentences will all be exactly the same, you can stop reading here. Haha.

I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love.I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love. I will replace hate with Love.

It really is 100 times.

You are what you THINK!!!

I recently read a few sentences that gave me so much to ponder. The first sentence claimed that we live in a thought world which is part of a thought universe. Then I read that all around us is uncreated matter. And that matter responds to thoughts. I've been on a thought journey. That is, a purposeful attempt at reigning in and training my thoughts, rather than being at the mercy of them. I had a huge aha when I read these ideas. Because not only have I been studying thoughts, but also feelings and emotions.

These ideas that connect thought and the matter that is directed by them are also connected to how we feel and react to the world around us. The Bible says as a man/woman thinks in his/her heart, so is he.

James Allen, who has a book based on the last sentence, and is one of my favorite authors on the subject of thought said, "Tell me what that is upon which you most frequently and intensely think, that to which, in your silent hours, your soul most naturally turns, and I will tell you to what place of pain or peace you are traveling, and whether you are growing into the likeness of the divine or the bestial." The implications are breathtaking when we really think about it. And it applies to anything and everything. Whether our thoughts are about health, money, religion/spirituality....anything, they are creating who we are and what is around us. Our thoughts literally create our lives. Do you think about good things when you have nothing else to do, or are you consumed with doom and gloom and problems?

Our emotions are closely linked to our thoughts. So, when we send out or dwell on lovely, uplifting, positive thoughts and emotions, we get more of it. And when we send out negative, hateful, ugly thoughts, we get more of it. So anything we want to accomplish needs to be created in our thought first. We have to think about what we want, and then start putting our energy into the thoughts and emotions that will take us there. Stephen R Covey says, "Begin with the end in mind" is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There's a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things."

Are you happy with your life? What do you want?

How about what we speak? Our words go right along with our thoughts and emotions. God spoke the world into existence. See Genesis 1. Satan was overcome in the war in Heaven by words/testimony. See Revelation 12:11. As members of the LDS Church, we are commanded to watch our words and deeds or we will perish. See Mosiah 4:30. I don't know about you, but I would rather my thoughts, words, and emotions lead me to abundance, rather than leading me to perish. What are you thinking?