We all have worries, serious worries about our children, relationships, day to day living, our health, the future... Life is hard.
Use the worry, I say, (which is connected to the intuition), to pray. If the worry indicator is high, up the prayers. If its lower, up the praise.
Bringing our worry before the Almighty God, is the only way I know to down it. Worry, pray, wait, trust. Short, simple, words. Difficult, short,simple,words.
Impossible. No.
Everything is possible with God. He takes the unbearable and makes it bearable. He takes the worry and fashions something beautiful out of it. He takes our prayer and sends a helping Hand.
Everybody pray now...
Everybody pray now!
Come on, sing with me!
" Don't worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank Him for all He has done.
If you do this, you will experiance God's peace,
which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds
as you live in Christ Jesus."
philippians 4: 6,7
(p.s. tell your mother, too)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Now what's my job?
I feel energized today! It's been a long time since I have written here. Attention, my girls! I would like to invite some of my friends to participate on here. What do I do? How do I invite them? How do I change this into an invite only blog so that they can feel comfortable to come here. How's this for an idea? My friends and my family. It would be fun! Just writing my own thoughts is a little like talking to myself. End of this topic.
I'm reading this fabulous book called Three Cups of Tea - One man's mission to promote peace... one school at a time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Sister lent me the book. Won't say much about it except... the place he is building schools is Afghanistan. He's one man making a big, good difference. There have been many 'men' making a difference, and many times to the world's detriment. This guy is up there with Mother Theresa...( How can that be? you say ) Makes me wonder what I could do... One quote here, describing the man...' And like her daughter, she had come to the conclusion that the large, gentle man living two blocks away was cut from unusual cloth. "One snowy night we were barbecuing, and I asked Greg to go out and turn the salmon,..I looked out the patio door a moment later and saw Greg, standing barefoot in the snow, scooping up the fish with a shovel, and flipping it, like that was the most normal thing in the world. And I guess, to him, it was. That's when I realized he's not just one of us. He's his own species." You read the book and you understand what is meant here. He has a passion to improve the lives of the people in dangerous, mountainous Afghanistan and he crosses dangerous tribal, political war torn borders to build his schools, provide fresh water or build bridges...inspiring.
Now what's my job?
I'm a Christian. How am I going to make a difference in my world?
I'm reading this fabulous book called Three Cups of Tea - One man's mission to promote peace... one school at a time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Sister lent me the book. Won't say much about it except... the place he is building schools is Afghanistan. He's one man making a big, good difference. There have been many 'men' making a difference, and many times to the world's detriment. This guy is up there with Mother Theresa...( How can that be? you say ) Makes me wonder what I could do... One quote here, describing the man...' And like her daughter, she had come to the conclusion that the large, gentle man living two blocks away was cut from unusual cloth. "One snowy night we were barbecuing, and I asked Greg to go out and turn the salmon,..I looked out the patio door a moment later and saw Greg, standing barefoot in the snow, scooping up the fish with a shovel, and flipping it, like that was the most normal thing in the world. And I guess, to him, it was. That's when I realized he's not just one of us. He's his own species." You read the book and you understand what is meant here. He has a passion to improve the lives of the people in dangerous, mountainous Afghanistan and he crosses dangerous tribal, political war torn borders to build his schools, provide fresh water or build bridges...inspiring.
Now what's my job?
I'm a Christian. How am I going to make a difference in my world?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Teach your children well
My daughter has frequently challenged me to realize that it is not good to shelter your children.I have always been at a loss as to how to answer her.
My childhood was storybook. I grew up with parents who love me and still love each other. My family of origin is still intact and good. The biggest thing that happened to me were neighborhood kid squabbles and teenage friendship and boy troubles. That was my only legitimate pain. Small now. When I was 18, my Grandfather died. This was my first encounter with death. I got married at 19, because it was my dream to marry and raise a family. Life was good. No serious challenges except those that belong with adjustment to marriage and motherhood.
Then life started teaching me some hard lessons.
After 19 years of marriage, my husband took up with another woman and divorced me as quickly as possible.
What did I learn from this?
I learned that nice people get walked all over by not nice people. I learned that it does no good to bend yourself over backwards, hoping it will help,...and humiliate yourself, loosing your self respect and esteem even further, if someone is bent on hurting and getting rid of you. There is nothing you can do to change his mind. I began to learn to stick up for myself. I began. I was 39. It would have been much better if I could have learned to stand up for myself in my youth. But shucks, life happens. You don't get to write the script. You can't possibly know what the future holds for you.
Am I ready to say thank you to life for the curve ball it threw me? I think so.
Am I ready to say thank you to life for spoiling my children's familial security and throwing a lot of pain their way?
Only in the sense that it made them into stronger young people and more ready to face their own life.
Time and again I have agonized on their behalf. They were robbed of their innocence and forced to face life without a secure family unit.
I look at them now and I am so proud of them. They are caring, thinking, wanting to make a difference in their world kind of people. They have been forced to look at life from a sad perspective and this has refined their souls.
Indeed, the Refiner of our souls, the Author of life has stirred His rod among us.He has been with us in all this process and He has seen to it to draw our attention to forgiveness and to the rising above, when we could have chosen to become bitter.
This is how I will answer my daughter next time.
We have not stayed in the protection zone of life. We have been thrown into the mainstream. We have almost drowned, but not. The lessons which we each personally learned through this ordeal, we must now pass on to those around and coming after us.
This has made us authentic and genuine. It has begun to.
I truly do not know what else lies ahead, but we can go it with a confidence chip. A program that will direct us and help us.
Life is the best teacher, the Author of life our best source of strength.
What awaits, may come.
My childhood was storybook. I grew up with parents who love me and still love each other. My family of origin is still intact and good. The biggest thing that happened to me were neighborhood kid squabbles and teenage friendship and boy troubles. That was my only legitimate pain. Small now. When I was 18, my Grandfather died. This was my first encounter with death. I got married at 19, because it was my dream to marry and raise a family. Life was good. No serious challenges except those that belong with adjustment to marriage and motherhood.
Then life started teaching me some hard lessons.
After 19 years of marriage, my husband took up with another woman and divorced me as quickly as possible.
What did I learn from this?
I learned that nice people get walked all over by not nice people. I learned that it does no good to bend yourself over backwards, hoping it will help,...and humiliate yourself, loosing your self respect and esteem even further, if someone is bent on hurting and getting rid of you. There is nothing you can do to change his mind. I began to learn to stick up for myself. I began. I was 39. It would have been much better if I could have learned to stand up for myself in my youth. But shucks, life happens. You don't get to write the script. You can't possibly know what the future holds for you.
Am I ready to say thank you to life for the curve ball it threw me? I think so.
Am I ready to say thank you to life for spoiling my children's familial security and throwing a lot of pain their way?
Only in the sense that it made them into stronger young people and more ready to face their own life.
Time and again I have agonized on their behalf. They were robbed of their innocence and forced to face life without a secure family unit.
I look at them now and I am so proud of them. They are caring, thinking, wanting to make a difference in their world kind of people. They have been forced to look at life from a sad perspective and this has refined their souls.
Indeed, the Refiner of our souls, the Author of life has stirred His rod among us.He has been with us in all this process and He has seen to it to draw our attention to forgiveness and to the rising above, when we could have chosen to become bitter.
This is how I will answer my daughter next time.
We have not stayed in the protection zone of life. We have been thrown into the mainstream. We have almost drowned, but not. The lessons which we each personally learned through this ordeal, we must now pass on to those around and coming after us.
This has made us authentic and genuine. It has begun to.
I truly do not know what else lies ahead, but we can go it with a confidence chip. A program that will direct us and help us.
Life is the best teacher, the Author of life our best source of strength.
What awaits, may come.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
tootin' your horn
'Everyone has a horn to toot'
as my youngest daughter so wisely told me
oldest daughter toots about recycling
second daughter toots about self-esteem
I toot about faith in Jesus
we get irritated at each other sometimes
over the things we toot to each other about
because 'it hits a nerve'
wise words, young woman!
the things you have said to me, girls
have made a difference in the way I do life
we shouldn't stop talking about the things that are important to us
for these things will help shape us all
(trumpet sounds in the distance)
as my youngest daughter so wisely told me
oldest daughter toots about recycling
second daughter toots about self-esteem
I toot about faith in Jesus
we get irritated at each other sometimes
over the things we toot to each other about
because 'it hits a nerve'
wise words, young woman!
the things you have said to me, girls
have made a difference in the way I do life
we shouldn't stop talking about the things that are important to us
for these things will help shape us all
(trumpet sounds in the distance)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Cleaning the mirror
'Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.'
1 Corinthians 13:12
How overwhelming it is to me
to try to understand that God fully and clearly knows me.
He understands me.
That is why, when He answers a prayer of mine,
He answers in such a surprising way.
A knowing way.
A way that tells me He knows my soul.
He knows what I truly long for.
He knows and I don't know....
For now we look in a mirror that gives only a blurred reflection and
no matter how often we try to clean our life mirror,
there will always be too many unanswered questions...
until perfection comes.
That, to me, is Jesus.
Jesus is perfection.
When He comes, we shall see clearly,
and face to face.
His Face to our face...
it is too much,too wondrous,too big for us now...
He, in all wisdom, knows this too.
Trust Him
there's no better place
to place your hand
than in His
trust Him.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.'
1 Corinthians 13:12
How overwhelming it is to me
to try to understand that God fully and clearly knows me.
He understands me.
That is why, when He answers a prayer of mine,
He answers in such a surprising way.
A knowing way.
A way that tells me He knows my soul.
He knows what I truly long for.
He knows and I don't know....
For now we look in a mirror that gives only a blurred reflection and
no matter how often we try to clean our life mirror,
there will always be too many unanswered questions...
until perfection comes.
That, to me, is Jesus.
Jesus is perfection.
When He comes, we shall see clearly,
and face to face.
His Face to our face...
it is too much,too wondrous,too big for us now...
He, in all wisdom, knows this too.
Trust Him
there's no better place
to place your hand
than in His
trust Him.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Your Divine Valentine
"A valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe...'The Lord your God...will rejoice over you with gladness, He will keep you quiet with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.' Zephaniah 3:17...a valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all. Jesus....'I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.' Song of Solomon 2:1... A valentine may take you out to dinner, but God has invited you to the most amazing feast ever given....'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' Revelation 19:9...A valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something even sweeter. His Word...'How sweet are Your Words to my taste. Sweeter than honey to my mouth!' Psalm 119:103...A valentine may be far away, but God is always with you...'I am with you always.' Matthew 28:20... A valentine may give you something, but God has given you everything. 'God gives us richly all things to enjoy.' 1 Timothy 6:17...A valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity! 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love... with loving kindness I have drawn you.' Jeremiah 31:3" ... This is something I received at the women's Bible study I go to. A blessed valentine's day to you!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
How odd was that ..... really?
You know how sometimes when you go out in the winter, and you're wearing a knitted hat,you come back in and you realize that your hat has ridden up and you look like an elf? Well, I was out for lunch with my parents today. There's a little Bake Oven place so very close to where I grew up and they like to go there for a sandwich. There was a lady there, sitting by herself. Her hat, it was a white woolly hat, her hat was riding up just like my orange woolly hat does when I'm outside playing with my dog. To say the least, she caught my attention. To catch even more of my attention, she was talking to herself about the lady at the other end of the caffe who said the coffee wasn't fresh. I stopped. She caught my eye and began all over again. 'The lady over there doesn't like her coffee. She says it isn't fresh. I don't know why she's complaining because I like the coffee. She's complaining that it's not fresh...and I really like my computer. I like the way the keys feel and I like the features it has.. I can send e-mail.. and my brother has a sore shoulder and he can't play pool anymore. He tries but it just hurts too much... The waitress brought her sandwich and she forgot I was there listening. At first I thought, this lady is odd. How many of us have the courage to ramble on at a stranger, whether we are odd or not? How many of us do exactly what this lady did in public, only we save our ramblings for when we are doing the dishes or vacuuming, for when we are alone? She actually made my day extra special. I think if we try to be too much like everyone else, we become too ordinary. It's the 'odd' people in life that add the extra spice. I do think she was lonely, so that makes me sad. The caffe at least has people coming and going. I'll be on the lookout for other 'odd' people from now on and I hope I have the courage to offer some company. God loves us all and it's my job to follow His example. Have a great day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)