Friday, September 24, 2021

How to Keep Your Cool When Someone Offends You

Jesus said that offenses would come (Luke 17: 1). So how do we handle them when they do come?

First of all, let's define what we mean by an offense. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an offense is "the state of being insulted or morally outraged." Another online dictionary defines offense as "annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles."

Offense occurs, therefore, when someone says or does something that insults us or outrages us. When we are offended, our natural reaction is to strike back, to seek revenge, to punish the offender.

But God's way of dealing with offense is the exact opposite. He commands us to respond to offense with love.

Offense is a tool of Satan to get us off track in our walk with Christ. How you respond to offense is extremely important. Here are some ways to make sure that you do not fall into the trap of offense:

1- Give every offense to God. This includes giving him the hurt that the offense caused in your soul. 

2-Do not seek revenge for the offense. God says this in Romans 12: 19: "Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, 'I will take revenge; I will pay them back,' says the LORD." 

3-Forgive the person who offended you (Matthew 6: 14). Since God forgave us, we must forgive others. If we do not forgive those who offend us, God will not forgive us of our sins. This is a very sobering truth.

 4-Pray for the person who offended you (Romans 12: 14). By doing so, you will be returning good for evil. 

The next time someone offends you, apply the four principles listed above. As you do, you will be freed from the hurt that the offense caused you. Instead, you will be filled with the joy and peace of Jesus Christ.

And there is nothing better than that! :)
NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: What do you do when someone offends you? Please leave a comment in the box below.

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"How to Keep Your Cool When Someone Offends You" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)
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Friday, September 17, 2021

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MODESTY?

Hey, Awesome Teen!

 With Christmas behind us and freezing weather upon us, if you're like me, you're probably thinking of warmer weather. Already, I've been getting catalogues in the mail advertising swimsuits and party dresses and other warm weather clothing.
One thing I've been noticing more and more is the indecency of some of the clothing being sold today.  Clothing styles are revealing body parts that should not be revealed except in marriage. 

 What's worse is that girls who claim to follow Jesus are wearing these clothes. In my opinion, this dishonors Christ.

 Now, before you get your hackles up, let me assure you that I think we ought to look as beautiful as we can and dress as fashionably as we can. But fashionably doesn't mean indecently.

 So, what am I talking about?

 I'm talking about low-cut dresses that show not only cleavage but half the breasts as well. I'm talking about short skirts that allow others to see way up to your underwear. I'm talking about hip-hugging clothing that exposes your navel. In short, I'm talking about any clothing that reveals body parts that should be kept private. 

 Lest you think me old-fashioned, let's take a look at what God says about modesty:

 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 - "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

 1 Timothy 2: 9 - "Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control."

 I have one question for girls who dress indecently: Why are you doing so?  Most of the time, girls dress provocatively in order to "provoke" the attention of guys. And why do they want to provoke the attention of guys? That is the question that each girl must answer for herself.

Boys are physically aroused by what they see. A Christian girl who intentionally dresses in such a way as to arouse a guy is leading him into temptation and, possibly, into sin. This should not be.

 The Bible says this in Romans 12: 2:  "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world...." Are you copying the behavior and customer of this world in the way you dress? If so, repent and start obeying God. Don't allow yourself to be a tool of the devil in causing others to sin.

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Copyright 2018-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
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Friday, September 10, 2021

How to Know What to Do with Your Life

Hey, Awesome Teen!

Have you figured out yet what you're going to be "when you grow up"?  I write those last words with the full knowledge that you are almost all grown up and have some very important choices to make.

Consider this: In the next five to fifteen years--depending on your current age--you will need to decide what profession to pursue, what college to attend (or not attend--depending on your career choice), and what person to marry if you decide to get married.

All of these big decisions involve a lot of smaller ones: like, should I go to a four-year college or should I start at a community college, aka two-year college? Or should I go to college at all? 

If I do go to college, how am I going to pay for it? And do I want to spend half my life paying off my college loans?  If I don't go to college, what should I do to earn a living? 

Regarding marriage, you will face these questions: Should I get married or should I stay single?  If I do get married, whom should I marry?  How will I recognize my spouse? If I stay single, what does God want me to do with the life He has given me?

With so many possible paths to take, what's a teen to do?

 Here is a suggestion:  Ask the Holy Spirit what to do.  

After Jesus returned to Heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truth. This means that as you seek the Holy Spirit, He will give you wisdom and direction to make the right choices for your life. 

 Bottom line, there are only two things we need to do in life:

1) Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit; and
2) Obey His voice. 

 If you learn how to do these two things, you will never make a wrong decision in your life.

TWEETABLE:
"To make right choices: 1) Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and 2) Obey His voice." ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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Copyright 2016-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

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Friday, September 3, 2021

"Horoscopes? Ouija Boards? Séances? Are They Really Harmless?" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

Hey, Awesome Teen!

With Halloween close on our heels, we are entering the yearly period of intense occult activity in our land. Not that the occult isn’t alive and active all year round. But at this time of year, it steps up its game. 
What is the occult, and why is it dangerous?

The occult is involvement with demonic supernatural agents. Notice that I said “demonic” supernatural agents. Good angels are also supernatural agents, but they are by no means occultic in nature or function. Instead, they are holy and in total submission to God.
Demons, on the contrary, are in rebellion to God. Demons represent the one-third of the angels who joined Lucifer in rebelling against God. The other two-thirds of the angels remained faithful to God.
Many people today are involved in the occult and don’t even know it. Perhaps you are one of them. If so, read on, because involvement in the occult is extremely dangerous to your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
How can you know if you are involved in the occult? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
1–Do you start your day by reading your horoscope?
2–Do you call the psychic hotline when facing a problem?
3–Have you gone to a séance, consulted a fortune-teller, or spoken to someone you believed was a dead relative or friend? 
4–Have you played with a Ouija board or experimented with levitation?
5–Have you played with tarot cards, read tea leaves, or used crystal balls to determine the future?
6–Do you play occult games like Dungeons and Dragons or Tunnels and Trolls?
7–Have you had your body tattooed in private places?
8–Do you use occult symbols on your personal belongings–symbols like the pentagram, the number 666, or horned creatures?
9–Do you easily rebel against authority? 
10-Have you engaged in animal sacrifices?
11-Do you watch horror or occult movies or read horror or occult books, like Harry Potter?
12-Have you had out-of-body experiences that terrified you?
13-Are you addicted to drugs?
14-Do you deliberately cut yourself?
15-Are you inordinately depressed, to the point of wanting to commit suicide?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you need to take action!  Even if you’ve experimented with the occult “only one time,” you’ve opened the door to a demonic realm that is affecting your life at this very moment.
For example, do you experience panic attacks, nightmares, or inordinate fear? These symptoms could very well be due to your involvement–past or present–with the occult. 
Or perhaps you are tormented by voices continually talking in your head. You may be afraid to tell anyone about these voices for fear you would be considered insane. You may see horrible images in your mind that drive you to distraction, yet you are afraid or embarrassed to share this with anyone. You may have an inordinate fear of something but are unwilling to divulge it. This fear may be due to your involvement in the occult. In worst case scenarios, involvement with the occult could result in a complete takeover of your personality by demonic spirits–something called “demon possession.” 
If you are, indeed, involved in the occult, there is hope for you! That hope is in Jesus Christ!  Before I gave my life to Jesus, I used to read the daily horoscope, unaware of its grave dangers. After I was born again, Holy Spirit showed me in the Bible that what I was doing was sin. I immediately repented and stopped reading the horoscope.
Also, I learned that some of my ancestors had been involved in the occult and, as a result, had passed on to me a generational curse. So, I underwent deliverance ministry whereby I was set free from the generational curse of occult involvement. 
If you have been involved in the occult, you, too, can be set free by the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only able to set you free; He wants to set you free. Go to Him now! Here is a prayer you can use as a model as you ask for His help:
Father God, in the Name of Jesus I confess my involvement with the occult. I also confess any involvement of my ancestors, on both sides of my family, all the way back to Adam and Eve. In the Name of Jesus, I repent of my personal involvement with the occult, and I repent of the involvement of any of my ancestors with the occult. I ask Your forgiveness for my personal sin and for the sin of my ancestors. In the Name of Jesus, I break the power of the generational curse of the occult from operating in my life or in the lives of my descendants. I thank You, Father, for Your cleansing power that sets me free from the curse. Amen!
I’ve listed below some further resources for you. Please take advantage of them as you so choose. If you need prayer or a referral to a deliverance minister, please contact me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I will be happy to help you.

FURTHER RESOURCES FOR DELIVERANCE FROM OCCULT INVOLVEMENT:
1 – My short podcast on the occult: “The Dangers of the Occult”.
Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate Affiliate and receive a small commission on the sale of the above books.
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Copyright 2017-2021 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.
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To Follow or Not to Follow the Crowd

Hey, Awesome Teen!

 Have you ever heard of the expression "the blind leading the blind"? Do you know exactly what it means?

 It describes a situation in which the person leading the way knows as much as or even less than the one he is leading.  In other words, the leader won't be able to take the follower any farther than the follower already can get by himself.

 Obviously, this doesn't make for a good situation, does it? If we want to get somewhere but don't know how to get there, we need to follow someone who does know how to get there.

So, what does all of this have to do with crowds?

 Well, a lot!

 People like to follow crowds, especially at school. There's something about following a crowd that makes us feel secure and special. 

 But what if we are following the wrong crowd? 

 You see, crowds are usually going in the wrong direction. If everybody is doing something, then very likely what the crowd is doing is wrong. 

 For example, today we see crowds of teens rebelling against one's parents or having sex or cheating on tests. All of these things are wrong, but the crowd will try to tell us these things are not wrong.

 Years ago, I heard a quote that said this: "Observe the masses and do the opposite." In other words, watch what everyone else is doing and do the opposite. This is a wise formula for success.

 It is also a wise formula for living as Jesus wants you to live.

 Remember: the people you choose to imitate today will determine what kind of person you will be tomorrow. 

 Do you want to be like the people you are imitating today? If not, do the opposite.

Now, it's your turn: Do you struggle with following the crowd? Do you need to belong in order to feel special and important?

Please share your comments in the box below. The words "No Comments" simply mean that no one has yet posted a comment. So, be the first one! :)

TWEETABLE: Are You Afraid of the Future? by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)
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Copyright 2017-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

Please send in any questions you'd like to see discussed on this blog. Please email your question to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com.  Thanks! 
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