100th Blog

Thank you

 

Somewhere in time, last Saturday, I was posting my blog when I noticed that this week would be my 100^th blog.  I was surprised. I didn’t realize I had written so many.  I went to buy groceries and I asked God for a special blog for this 100^th. I always pray to write something encouraging and maybe inspiring. This particular blog may not have been inspired by God, but it’s what happened last Saturday, so I thought I would share.

I had been thinking of thankfulness.  I’m thankful to the people who read my blog. If no one read it, I would quit writing it.  What could I say about thankfulness?  I prayed about it and thought about it.  I went to buy groceries, just like I do every Saturday.  I was putting them in the trunk of my car and driving away with my mind still going ninety miles an hour with thoughts about this blog and a couple of stories I’m working on.

I got almost to the street, when I thought to call my husband to pick up lunch.  When I looked in the passenger seat where my purse normally sits, I noticed it was not there. I couldn’t believe it.  Where had I left my purse?  In my purse is my phone, my wallet, my checkbook and my driver’s license.  All things I don’t need anyone else to have access to.  That’s when it dawned on me.  I must have left it in the shopping cart. 

As soon as I noticed my purse was gone, I felt panic.  I cried out to God to please protect my purse. Keep it safe, help me to find it.  I had to exit the parking lot and enter in another area and work my way back through to where I parked my car before.  The entire time, I was pleading with God to watch over my purse. 

Luke 12:6-7 ”Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are numbered.  Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than sparrows.”

I kept reminding myself that God cares when a sparrow falls, he cares about me.

I finally worked my way back through the parking lot to the cart coral where I had placed my shopping cart. There in the front, sat my purse.  I grabbed it and pulled over and checked.  Everything was still in it.  Nothing was missing. 

I immediately said “thank you God.”  I must have said it one hundred times on my way home, thank you God.  Thank you for protecting my purse that I left in my own distracted state.  I didn’t deserve to have it protected, but you protected it for me anyway. When the unexpected thing happens that saves you time, money and sometimes grief.  Just remember to say thank you God.  He may have had a hand in working that out for you.

So today, I’m thankful for many things. I’m thankful people are reading my blog. I’m thankful I can write and post lessons I learn and information I find interesting. I’m also thankful my purse is back with all my items still in it.

tobymac - Thankful for You (The Official Lyric Video) from tobymac on GodTube.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Somewhere in time, July 4^th 1776, these word were written:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—“ The American Declaration of Independence.

As America celebrates its Independence Day, I was thinking about the pursuit of happiness.  I know when the founders were forging this new country; they were trying to create a place where people could follow their dreams.  They didn’t want society to define them. With determination and hard work you could accomplish anything. They had good intentions and they gave this country a great start.  I believe that now, we are a little caught up in the pursuit of happiness.

Pursuing happiness should not consume our lives.  With me, I tend to focus on my next goal.  When I get there, I don’t take time to celebrate. I instead focus on the next goal.  I spend so much time in the pursuit of happiness; I don’t have time to enjoy the happiness I find. 

God slows me down to teach me lessons.  He has taught me I really need to know the similarities between happiness and contentment?  Happiness is a feeling of well-being or contentment.  Contentment is being satisfied with what we have. So contentment is rooted in happiness. I believe both are a choice, but contentment is not dependent upon anything.  If the apostle Paul could be contented while under house arrest in Rome, I can be contented waiting for a book to publish. Contentment is a choice and state of mind.  It’s having full confidence in the belief that God is in control and we don’t have to worry.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing with those we shall be content.”

 

My Sister

 

 

Somewhere in time, the past few months, I have thinking about and praying for my sister.  I have four sisters, but only one of them arrived on this earth before me.  Growing up, my sister and I were so different. She was the girly girl, I was the tomboy.  As teenagers we ran into different problem. We had to share a room and since she is a free spirit and I have control issues, we would clash over our rooms’ décor and general order. We were about the same size and we could share cloths, expect I didn’t always share well.  Since we are not quite two years apart, we shared the same interest in choir and some school events.  At times we clashed over boys.  In the long run, that was a waste of a clash.  None of the highschool boys lasted, but sisters are forever.

She had two children when she was young and because of a divorce, ended up trying to raise the two children alone.  When she met her husband, he fell in love with her and both of her kids.  He raised them as his own. Her husband allowed her freedom to follow her heart and he was a good husband to her for over twenty-five years. My sister has such a wonderful heart and a love for hurting children.  She spent several years fostering children and giving some hurting kids a safe haven where they were loved and accepted. After her two children had grown, she and her husband adopted another little girl.  

This year has been especially hard for my sister.  She found out her husband had cancer and she helped him as he battled the disease. A few weeks ago, he lost the battle.  Now my sister faces something none of us have had to face yet, she is a widow. 

I wish she and I didn’t live on opposite sides of the country.  I can’t be there to help her physically, but I can still pray for her every night, which I do.

Times of mourning are inevitable, but that doesn’t make them easier to go through. 

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

The only comfort I can offer is the knowledge that when we mourn, we are not alone.  Our God is with us to help and comfort us even when it doesn’t feel like it. We just need to have faith that he is always with us, no matter what we’re going through.

I love you Gina.

 

 

Mercy Me - Finally Home (Music Video) from mercymemusic on GodTube.

Revival

 

 

Somewhere in time, this week, I was reading the headlines and getting a little depressed.  It’s so hard to hear about wars, famine and persecution.  I thought to myself, we need a revival. The definition of revival, according the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “a renewed attention to or interest in something”.

Growing up, my church used to have revival at least once a year.  I believe it was an attempt to get the faithful few off the pew and into the streets. We were supposed to invite people to hear our guest speaker. Normally he was an impassioned speaker who would encourage us to share our faith, grow in our faith, or whatever topic our Pastor thought was the most beneficial.

It could be we missed the point of “revival”.  This should be a renewed attention to our Savior and a renewed interest in our God.  We may not really even need a special speaker.  I’m not condemning the speakers, there are a few I would go out of my way to listen to. Instead, I purpose that true revival begins in the heart and mind of the believer.  It begins when we search out God, when we strive to know Him better. 

This kind of revival can change our lives and the lives of those around us.  If enough of us get on our knees and seek a closer relationship with God, we can change our world.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

If we will humble ourselves and pray, God will heal our land.  The headlines of a healed land will read with joyous news.

What is so special about this is God has people in every land in the world.  Together, we can take reclaim our Nations and in turn, the world, for God.

 

 

 

Tim Timmons - Starts With Me (Official Lyric Video) + FREE SONG DOWNLOAD from providentlabelgroup on GodTube.

So Hot

 

 

Somewhere in time, this week, it was, or is hot.  I knew it was hot when I got into my car at lunch and the steering wheel was so hot, I was trying to drive with two fingers.  Hot!  There is another place described as hot and filled with fire and brimstone. 

My grandfather was once described to me as a hellfire and damnation preacher.  He scared people into the kingdom of God.  I’ve never wanted to do that, but perhaps I have inherited a little of the preacher in me. The heat I felt this week made me wonder why people would choose hell.

It’s bad enough to have a place where there is nothing good, no light, no laughter, no joy, but the worst part is, there is no presence of God.

How awful would that be?  God never intended people for such a place, but some people still choose it.

John 17-18 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Salvation is so wonderful because we can’t earn it.  It’s a gift bought and paid for by Jesus on the cross.  All we have to do is believe and accept.  Believe Jesus is the Son of God.  Believe he died and rose again for our sins and accept the free gift of salvation.  I promise, this decision will change your life.

Salvation is free because God didn’t come to condemn the world; he came to bring us life.  This is like a cool breeze on a hot day.  God invites us to spend eternity with him in a place where there is nothing bad.  There is light and laughter and joy.  The best part of all is that God’s presence permeates the entire space. 

There is no place I’d rather spend eternity.

 

 

Bill & Gloria Gaither - No More Night (feat. David Phelps) [Live] from bill-and-gloria-gaither on GodTube.

Reflection

 

 

Somewhere in time, today June 8^th, is my birthday.  I won’t say how old I am, but at this point in my life, I know that I have lived more life than I have left.  This caused a time of reflection.  It made me realize that life is beautiful.  It’s not perfect, but it’s still beautiful.

If I could go back and change things, would I.  Yes of course, who wouldn’t?  I would have gone to college when I was much younger.  Perhaps I could be done at this point and have a PHD already. I would have tried to be more patient. I would have tried to be kinder and more forgiving. 

You know hindsight is always better than the present for making choices.   

A few years back, my husband and I were on vacation in California. We had gone to a church that had some famous religious art. It also had a bookstore and in it I was able to purchase a card for my birthday.  It was a June 8^th card, not a miscellaneous birthday card.  On it was written this verse:

Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Really life comes down to a few things.  We all make mistakes.  We all have good times and bad times; times of health and times of sickness.  All that matters is what we do for Christ.

Do we treat each other justly? Do we love mercy?  Do we walk humbly with God?  These are the things that make life beautiful.

 

The Afters - Every Good Thing (Lyric Video) from the-afters on GodTube.

Handcrafted Original

 

 

Somewhere in time, this week, I have been working on a short story about a young girl.  My story is fiction and intended to be light hearted, but it made me think how hard it is to grow up in this day and age. It’s hard to fit it. It’s hard to be accepted.  Kids that are a little different are sometimes ostracized and laughed at. If that’s not bad enough, we are sometimes our own worst enemy.  How many times does a young person look in the mirror and think God made a mistake?

We believe God messed up when he didn’t make us taller or shorter, thinner or heavier or less prone to blemishes.  We think God messed up when our hair color is not what we want, or our nose it not shaped as need.  What about our ears, are they big, do they stick out?  We look in the mirror and see imperfections and assume God made a mistake.

Mirrors lie. They show the outside, but not the inside.  A generous heart, a loving spirit and an active inquisitive mind, these are not reflected in the mirror.

We’re wrong.  We are a hand crafted original.  God doesn’t make mistakes. He formed us exactly like he wants us to be. What our problem is, we expect the mirror to reflect the cultural norm of beauty.  This cultural norm of beauty is too limited.  God’s view of beauty encompasses all types of diversity.  He doesn’t make copies, he makes originals.

Psalm 139:13 -16 (NKJV) “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You. When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written. The days fashioned for me. When as yet there were none of them.”

If God made us and knit us together in our mother’s womb before we were ever born, we must be something special.  We are a handcrafted original made in the image of God. 

 

Britt Nicole - Gold (Official Music Video) from britt-nicole on GodTube.