Christmas Time

Christmas time...A time for family and friends,food and presents. A celebration of the birth of Jesus....all to often put at the end of a thought. With all the hustle and bustle, parties and decorating, we are left exhausted and  filled with discontent.  You may be resentful of obligations to go places you don’t want to, spend money you don’t have, spend time with people you don’t like. You may envy those with the funds to have a beautiful Christmas celebration and those families that seem to have the “perfect” life. The reason for the season can become all about you, and you ask “What is the significance of it all?” 

Stop! Look around you at the everyday things; the way your child’s eyes light up when they smile, the stars twinkling at night, the way the sun glistens on the snow- or the turquoise water at the beach... 

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Matthew 2:11

In the ordinary things and places.  That is where the wise men found the baby Jesus. In an ordinary barn , in an ordinary manger, birthed by an ordinary woman. 

They came bearing gifts. Gold, a gift for kings.  Frankincense, an incense used in temples to worship God. Myrrh, a spice used on the dead.  All this acknowledging  Jesus is God, King and Savior. 

What will you bring to Jesus for his birthday this year? What can you possibly give? Trust. Yourself. Time. When you trust Jesus you are also having faith, giving yourself and your time to Him will help you grow in that faith and really get to know Him better, as a result you trust even more.  

For the next week think about the new year. What will you trust in? The economy? Yourself? will you trust someone else or will you trust Jesus? 

We’ll talk next Monday....

Merry Christmas!

What is the size of your world?

 The size of your world can vary from large to small depending on what you are doing, but over all what perspective do you see the world from?  

Are you watching from the 5th floor or are you at ground level? 

One misconception I hear is that you have to look out for number one.  In fact one of my old sayings was, “You have to look out for number one because if you don’t no one else will.”  and that is the way I lived my life.  I remember one of my children when about 3 or 4 years old, was always giving the toys away to other kids.  I reprimanded and explained - “if you give them away there will be nothing left for you.” It wasn’t that there weren’t enough toys, the aunts, grandparents and “Santa” always gave too much. We were over run with “stuff”. My world was small, a ground floor perception, and I was transferring it to my child. Ya, sad right....

Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. 4 Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Philippians 2:3-4 CEB

Later when I truly surrendered all of myself to God my world grew too. I then had a 5th floor perspective of the world.  I realized that it wasn’t God himself  or just God’s purpose for “me” alone I should be seeking, but God’s purpose for us all.  

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.       1 Peter 3:8-9 MSG

God wants us to love, care and give to others. It takes empathy and mercy to succeed.  These traits may not come naturally to you, but they can be learned.  I look back at that past situation and wonder- who was the child and who was the adult?  God was trying to teach through my child at that time, but I wasn’t listening. I was caught up in my selfish, all about me perspective.

My pastor reminded me in his weekend sermon that : Self righteousness is worse than unrighteousness. 

Bridges could’ve been burned by my selfish, self righteous ways, but fortunately my family and friends stayed with me in spite of myself and that ground floor view.  So glad God got a hold of me, not only can I feel better by thinking of others, but I could have ended up on an episode of  Hoarders: Buried Alive, or then again, American Pickers wouldn't have been so bad....

Learning to Let Go

Forgiveness can be a difficult thing to do for a lot of people, but forgetting is even harder.  When the hurt comes from a family member or a Christian it can be even more difficult to deal with so knowing what to say and what not to say becomes an issue.  

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.  Proverbs 15:1

Oh how hard choosing those gentle words can be, I become torn between showing my feelings and trying not to hurt the other person.  My inside crazy freak out woman says “Oh no you didn’t just say that...” While the Christian Mother says, “ Well now bless their heart, they don’t really mean that....”  So at times I become paralyzed and do nothing.  I let my mind go over every word, every past hurt, every past mistake and the downward spiral continues until I can apply the emergency break. 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6

God is the emergency break. Realizing what is God’s job and what is your job will put the breaks on the emotional roller coaster. Being grateful for all God has done and will do for you will also apply the breaks- It is very difficult if not impossible to have a grateful heart and a tormented heart at the same time. 

When someone receives God into their heart, God doesn’t want to let them go.  He stays within our hearts always. 

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6

A comforting verse, I know first hand it is true, I have seen it and lived it.  So I will learn to let go, forgive, forget and let God do His job....mine is simply to love, be available when needed & pray.

God Still Loves a Freaked Out Woman

Ever have one of those days when you felt like the world was crashing around you?  I immediately go into to the ‘where did I go wrong’ mode. which takes me to Matthew 25:23

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’Matthew 25:23

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

Then more panic- I know it is not true, but I think that God is pleased with me and  loves me more when I am “sane”, so how can He care for this crazy freaked out woman?  I clearly have not been faithful in handling the small stuff. How can I possibly think I can minister to others when I cannot even minister to myself? Why would God give me more responsibilities?  Uggg. The old stories start playing in my head until I am worked up into a full emotional mess.  I hate when that happens.  Sound familiar?  Maybe you have been there too, just don’t go overboard like I tend to do. 

So where do I go wrong?  First remembering who or should I say forgetting who I am.  Through Christ, God has given us all a new identity.  We tend to look to our surroundings, jobs, family, and activities to determine who we are; hoping these things will please others or even God. We are a vulnerable species, we humans, often needing reassurance to feel fore-filled.

But we have power over all these things through Jesus Who loves us so much. 38 For I know that nothing can keep us from the love of God. Death cannot! Life cannot! Angels cannot! Leaders cannot! Any other power cannot! Hard things now or in the future cannot! 39 The world above or the world below cannot! Any other living thing cannot keep us away from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans  8:37-39 NLV

That is my reassurance. I need to get this verse deep into my heart so that it is available when I feel that freaky woman coming out; I have power over her through Jesus who loves me.  I will listen for God to say “You are my daughter whom I love and am pleased.” He loves me  and is pleased with me; not because of my activities and performance, but unconditionally  just as I am, faults and all.  He knows I am a work in progress.  Not because I deserve it, just given freely.

What's Important To You?

Think about that, and really be honest with yourself and ask what is important to you. Is it to be wealthy ? Is it to be famous? Or are you half way committed to family and half way to a worldly goal? Perhaps you aren’t really committed to anything and prefer to “ go with the flow”.  

Whatever you are committing yourself to now will determine your future life.  So if you aren’t committed to anything or are committed to things that do not share the same values you are likely to end up frustrated or floating in mediocrity.  If you focus more on the worldly ways of wealth and fame, you risk being bitter and disappointed in what your life has become. 

I speak from experience here, early in life I made poor choices, some that have come back to bite me.  My choices were self centered and lacking wisdom concerning my future.  I was living day to day, going with the flow of the world and partying my way through life. I made little effort towards getting an education until in my 30’s when it became apparent I needed more knowledge to get on with my worldly goals.  My family truly suffered, both my relationship with my parents and little did I know the relationship with my children, I just couldn’t see past today.

So everything will be destroyed. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives. 2 Peter 3:11 NIRV

In the last several years I have developed a wonderful relationship with God, and with His help I have made a complete turn around in my  life. The lines between the families, step & biological, became amazingly blurred.   Holidays and birthdays have become times with “friends”; no resentment of each other, just our crazy functional-dysfunctional  family. People were amazed that we could all get along.  Though we would explain that it hadn’t aways been that way, I am sure everyone agrees we are grateful that we let God take control and make things right between us.  

There are some relationships that still need work, however long it takes, I will give that to God to work on; I know it is not my job to repair everything, but is God’s job.

However you don’t have to wait; stop, think about what is important to you today, before it is too late and you have repair broken relationships or end up living a frustrated meaningless life. Let God direct your way, you may not understand where he is leading you, but you don’t have to, He sees the whole picture of your life- you don’t.

What's in your pockets?

How many times have you read something and not really get it until a moment in your life when you really needed it. Does that make sense?  

I read a scripture from Proverbs that I have read many times, Proverbs 3:3.  We have all heard Pastors and speakers tell us to "get the word deep in your heart" or "write them on the tablet of your heart".  I guess I always knew what that meant, but never really thought too much about it until I needed it.  In the Encarta world Dictionary one meaning of Write is  "to ordain or prophesy what will happen in the future". 

In the verse Proverbs 3:3 NKJV we are told to let not mercy & truth forsake you bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 

 In the NLT the verses reads; Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder; Write them deep within your heart. 

Mercy & Truth.  Loyalty & Kindness.  We can prophesy that they will happen in the future.  We can ordain that they will happen in the future. 

For me keeping it in "my heart" is like keeping something in your pocket.  It is there when you need it.  So by keeping Kindness, let's say, in my pocket, I can ordain or command myself to show kindness;  at a time I really need it.  Like when the guy cuts me off in traffic...

I can prophesy Mercy, it's in my pocket, I have it when I need it; I will reveal (show) God’s mercy & compassion to others; I am predicting it, because I am prepared. 

Life is full of the unexpected, many times you are going to have to check what is in your pockets.  Will they be full of lint or the good stuff.......

An Ispiring Vet.

Marine Corporal Aaron Mankin after 65 surgeries

 Aaron Mankin was severely burned in Iraq when the vehicle he was riding in hit a roadside bomb, killing 4 of his buddies.  In 2007 he was the first patient accepted to  Operation Mend at UCLA. 65 surgeries 8.5 years later he is traveling speaking to and encouraging other veterans.  
Watching his interview this morning on the Today Show, I was struck by his attitude and words.  
"So much in life you can’t control,  your power is in that you can choose to dictate how you respond. I made a choice; a choice that no one will dictate who I am."

So many of us let our Identity be dictated by what the world says about us. What we wear, where we work, what you drive, where you live, who’s your Spouse and who are your parents or children. When in fact as Aaron said, “Beauty is who you are not how you look.”  Or what you have or who your family is, I would add.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17)  This means you get a new identity.

Like Aaron stated, there is so much in life we cannot control. Make the same choice as Aaron did, the choice that no one will dictate who you are.  We need to use our power to live more like Christ lived, and let God dictate who we are and how we respond.

Where are you God?

Hey everyone!
Sorry it has been so long since I have written.  I am trying to make this blog work into my schedule, so I will be changing to a weekly format.  I am  also researching new topics and going over some old writings (pre-blog) to share with you.  So please hang in there with me for a little longer.

It's been a little tough writing lately. God's inspiration wasn't coming and I admit to being a little frustrated.  I caught myself praying, "Where are you God, remember you wanted me to do this, and promised to help?"  As my 5 year old granddaughter Addie says "And then I just said Seriously?"
My feeling of abandonment and I are in good company, great men in the Bible felt the same way. Isaiah says-

While I wait for God as long as he remains in hiding,    while I wait and hope for him.I stand my ground and hope,...  

Isaiah 8:17 MSG

And David in Psalms -

God, God . . . my God!    Why did you dump me    miles from nowhere?Doubled up with pain, I call to God    all the day long. No answer. Nothing.I keep at it all night, tossing and turningPsalms 22:1-2 MSG

But of course God had not abandoned them, he has not abandoned me- and He won't abandon you either.
We are seeking a relationship with God. Relationships take work, we have to do our part; and I think God is asking us "Will you remain faithful  and worship me even when you cannot feel my presence?"
Faith & worship, that's what He is asking for, our faith and love.

Politics- Love it or Hate it

What I am going to write about today is surely going to rub some people the wrong way. So if you are easily offended please try to maintain an open mind.

I don’t normally write about politics in this type of forum nor do I usually engage in conversations centered on sensitive political views. However, I get frustrated when I hear people constantly complaining about the President, one party or the other, our government in general and the latest “Obamacare” which is not even the name of the plan.  When I have voiced my opinion I have been told I am naive, that I haven’t read the policy or candidates promises, I don’t know the repercussions of the policy (or the election’s outcome) and in general been made to feel a little dumb. However I am a little bit of a control freak so I do read the issues and do my best to make informed decisions.

I have been stuffing my emotions for a sometime on this subject, and while I am not going to come unglued about this I do want to make this point, no matter what – 

I still believe we live in the greatest county in the world.

Are there things I would like to see changed? Yes!  I hate it that Christian values are being pushed out to accommodate those that say they are offended by it.  I hate that every bill that is presented to congress for a vote has so much garbage attached to it that congress doesn’t know what they are voting on with out reading a 200 page document; then has to decide to vote against a good issue to stop a bad issue that is attached to the bill. I hate it that Candidates make promises that cannot be kept without the votes of congress. I hate that congress seems to take party loyalty more serious that the issues. I dislike the Electoral College way of voting. But I still believe~

 We live in the greatest country in the world.

“Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. 2 People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. 3 Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need to be afraid of the authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. 4 After all, they are God’s servants, and it is their duty to help you. Romans 13:1-4

I try not to complain about our government, I don’t know the solution to fix the problems But without  exception we should be adding more God & prayer and less ego & pride.  The Bible is clear about what we are supposed to do in Romans 13.  That doesn’t mean follow blindly.  The Bible also says put God first and if those that rule go against God- we don’t follow. Look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. See, God will help you, if you stay loyal to him.

The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves. 17 The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 13:16-18

Our leaders are not perfect; they are human. Our system is not perfect, and as our country grows and more ethnicities come in to live here, there will be more opportunities for adjustments so get ready.

Time it buck up buttercup and enjoy the ride, consider it a great opportunity to teach about what God can do for us all if we can just agree to put Him first.

Fear: Fight or Flight?

Fear is the emotion or reaction of a perceived threat. How do you react when in fear? Fight or flight? Are you lashing and bashing or running and deserting?

Reactive Fighting

Mary & Martha were afraid for their brother Lazarus, he was very sick so they sent word to Jesus to come right now. Can you just imagine the urgency of their message? They knew Jesus well and knew he was capable of saving their brother. But two days and Jesus didn’t come, Lazarus died.  Then Jesus shows up. Now can you imagine Mary & Martha coming “unglued “ on Jesus?  They see him coming toward the house, “There that little bugger is” says Martha. She drops the pots and pans she was cooking with (you know she is the event planner) and runs out the door, Mary hot on her heels. They both say:

“If you had been here, our brother would not have died.”

John 11:21, 32

Ok so maybe that is all in my head, the girls were more respectful to him than that according to the Bible, but I may have had a moment…out of fear.

What causes your fear? 

Are you afraid of what others think? Are you judging yourself? You are if you assume you know what others think of you.

A miss diagnosis of who you are can be your biggest hindrance in doing what God wants you to do.  Pastor TJ Hankey reminded us this weekend that God saw Gideon as a warrior, not a man hiding in a pit.

 Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am.”

Judges 6:15

Gideon, I believe had judged himself to the point he had no self-esteem, I mean he was hiding from the world in a pit! So unsure that he, Gideon, could possibly hear from God, he asked for a sign to be sure!  Gideon’s misdiagnosis prevented him from seeing who he could be and what he was capable of doing; holding him hostage in that pit.

So what are we to do?  Fear will always be there, the only way around it is to overcome it.

Emotions-

Don’t let fear direct your emotions- Bow up to yourself and boss those emotions around!

Get Moving-

God has a plan for all our lives, when you hear God’s voice or feel His urging, get moving.

Pray-

God will give you strength, and everything else you need in just the right timing and portions to do His work. You can bank on it.

Stop Searching and Start Listening!

At times I feel like I am still searching for who “I am” and what “I” want to do with my life; and I think I am too old for this, I should already have this down. 

But God does put new desires in our hearts though out our lives. Discerning which is from God and which are your own desires becomes the key.

I have so many different prayers that if God gave me them all at one time I would be overwhelmed! I’d be on gift overload. Looking back I wanted to be singer chick, I wanted to be a Christian Teen Club owner, Christian Concert Event Planner. I wanted to help the homeless, get the prostitutes saved, raise awareness to the human trafficking rings, see where I am going with this?

 My thoughts and My ways are above and beyond you,
        just as heaven is far from your reach here on earth.Isaiah 55:9 Voice

I thank God that His thoughts are greater than mine!  What God has for you is greater than you can even imagine. Oh I may have been able to accomplish some of those things on my list, but here is the constraint –I didn’t wait, I wanted it too quick. When that didn’t happen I gave up or was distracted by what was next on my list.

When I stopped focusing on “my “ desires I could hear God’s desires for me.  Desires I could not imagine because I felt I didn’t have the skills.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:20 MSG

“I” don’t have the skills, but God can provide them. He will open doors and provide a path for my journey.

Remember God made you, He knows you inside out. He has a plan for you if you will just- Stop searching and start listening!

"Well, I'm just wait'in on the Lord..."

I’ve realized I am waiting in the wrong way.  That’s right, there is a correct way to wait.

Have you heard people say, “Don’t pray for patience God will teach you a lesson in being patient.” But  we confuse patience and passiveness; patience means waiting without complaint, your willingness to suppress your restlessness, or steady perseverance. It is not being passive or inactive.  

“Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.” James 5:7-8 MSG

I 'm sure you know someone that has been praying for years for something, they'll say "Well I'm just waitin' on the Lord..." 

You see it’s not all about waiting on God, we can’t just pray and then do nothing. The farmer is weeding and fertilizing while waiting.  If you are waiting for the right job, make sure you are filling out applications and in the mean time volunteer.  I have several things I have been praying about, yet I seem to focus on one and forget that I need to be cultivating the others. I imagine God looking down saying- 

“Yep, I hear you Sherry, I know you want that and I want it for you too. But what are you doing to make it happen? This is going to hurt a little but-No, you aren’t ready yet.” 

We are like God’s teenagers whining because He didn’t give us what we wanted.

“Oh snap! I didn’t realize I actually had to w-o-r-k for it!"

Or how about this one- "Well I've been pray'in for it, Bible says God'll give it to me if I just ask."

Matthew 7:7  does say, "Ask and you will receive". Sort of makes God sound like a vending machine doesn’t it? I’ll put my money in and press B-2, out comes the answer to my prayer.  But read the entire verse-

“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

There are requirements to receive the answer to your prayer: search to find it; knock to get the door to open. Read verse 8

“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:8

So can we get positive results just waiting on God? Without a doubt God loves us just like we love our teenagers, but no, God wants us to do our part too.

That means I have a lot of doors to start knocking on and a lot of searching to do. Oh, geeze I’m so far behind!

My Unglued Girls

It’s so great to have a group of friends to hold you accountable, pray for you, encourage you through life’s tough moments & celebrate the joys in life with you too. That’s my connect group.

I love these girls, I’m old enough to be their Mother, but that doesn’t seem to matter.  I am so proud of them; how they, (we) are making so much progress in dealing with our emotions through the book Unglued.  I love how openly we can share our personal “unglued moments” without fear of judgment.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” James 5:16

Why confess to others?

First I believe this verse is a commandment, maybe not the top 10 commandments, but a commandment nonetheless. 

And I think it means –do it, it’s good for you.

1.    It holds you accountable for your own progress.

Saying things out loud makes it real; it helps you to really think about the issue. Look at the situation from another angle and you could see the humor in your reaction to it.

2.    God loves it when we pray for one another; it is an action of love.

I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34

3.    Praying and really believing in the prayer can help you overcome and be healed. The bible tells us where two or three are together in His name, we can count on God being there too.

Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

Matthew 18:18-20 MSG

Yes, I have a fun group of young ladies; they inspire me to be a better “me’. I hope they find their selves encouraged by me their best too and know we are all an imperfect work in progress. I love you “Unglued Girls”!!

Know Love to Show Love

I admit there are times I have opened my mouth and later thought “Oh God, what have I done, that wasn’t a very Christian thing to say.” or my reaction in a situation, wasn’t exactly what I would consider “Christian like”… oh the guilt! I sometimes would think “I just don’t feel like a Christian should or act like one."

So what is the problem?  Self control?  Emotional control? Loving people more? Probably all of these would help, but if you find yourself thinking “Maybe I don’t know God well enough.” as the reason for your behavior, you could be right. 

We love because he first loved us.1John 4:19

Do you know how much God loves you?

Have you ever been in that new love?  You were just happy, happy, happy!  No one could do anything to ruin your day!  You felt loved and so were willing to respond in a loving way.

Well God loves you if you are confused, mad, or hurt the same as when you are happy.

You see it is much easier to respond in a positive way and love people instead of reacting to them if you really feel the love of God; really know how much God cares about everything in your life. You can find new words to use if you choose to praise him in all situations.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:3

When you don’t want to go to church is when you need it the most.

Press into God even when it is not really what you feel like doing. Go to church, read your bible and trust God and he will keep you on track.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
 Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6

Empathy,Compassion and Humility

A lovely 20 something young woman once proudly told me that she has no problem telling people, “this is the way it is going to be.”- because she just doesn’t “feel” that deep about things so sometimes she insults people. 

Wow.  I suppose that will change with maturity. Age isn’t necessarily a sign of maturity, but you do have to learn empathy, humility and compassion to be a mature Christian. You really will never fully understand someone else’s pain, sadness or suffering until you can “feel deeply”. Without feeling deeply how can you know empathy or compassion? Without empathy and compassion how can you be humble?

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… Colossians 3:12

Empathy comes from the Greek word empatheia and the en, “in” pathos as in feeling.  The World Dictionary defines empathy as, “The power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person's feelings”. Having this skill will certainly make it easier for you to have compassion. 

Other words for Humble are unpretentious or unassuming; I think these words are a good description of someone that I find humble.

Someone that shows humility will remove themselves from their own desires, egos and mind long enough to feel empathy & compassion for others.

My take on this is;  you can have empathy without compassion, you can have compassion without empathy, but you cannot have either without humility.  Jesus should be our example; with humility he showed empathy by healing and raising the dead, with humility he showed compassion by forgiving.

Compassion

“A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.

³³ Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” ³⁵ Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!” Mark 7:32-35

Empathy

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” John 8:4-5

 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:7-11

Humility, letting yourself get out of your own way so you can feel deep enough to care about others. I don’t know about you but I think that’s a really good way to live my life.

Fresh Start

It has been moving weekend, well it has turned into moving week.  You bet you can tell who you can really count on when that day comes around.  No one likes to do it but everyone likes the help!  This time my husband had to work on Saturday and I was so grateful for the guys that showed up to help me.  We could have never been able to to it on our own.  

Now that we are moved in - mostly, I look around at the boxes to be unpacked and all our "stuff" and I don't just see work.  I feel gratitude. Gratitude for the things God has been so faithful to provide. Gratitude to God for a fresh start that we so do not deserve. 

You know God is in the fresh start business.  When we accept Jesus we are given that fresh start, no matter want mess we made of our lives in the past.  No matter how many times you have blown it with your finances, people, family, illegal activity, it doesn't matter. If you truely love God, and accect Jesus as your savior, you have a fresh start waiting for you.

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed.  On account of his vast mercy,  he has given us new birth.  You have been born anew into to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish, an inheritance that is kept safe for you in heaven.  1 Peter 1: 3-4 CEB

Breaking Point 2

What will it take before you decide to create a buffer zone in your life?  Stress reveals itself in many ways, lack of patience, snapping at others, weight gain, heart attack…. What will it take?  Our bodies need downtime to heal and refresh. Listen to your body it will let you know when you are at the breaking point. 

As you’re in the overload mode your time seems to disappear, no time for family or friends, no time for God.  Seriously, how can you do what God wants you to do if you have no time? How can you even hear what God wants you to do if you don’t take the time to be with Him and listen?    Don’t be that person that says “Really God, now…?” 

“People plan their path, but the Lord secures their steps.”Proverbs 15:9

Do you know someone in this stressed out obsessed with too much stuff people?  You know they have probably lost their joy too, instead of just blowing them off as a mean person, try to help them figure it out…

“Anxiety leads to depression, but a good word encourages.” Proverbs 12:25

Breaking Point

 Do you feel stretched so thin you think you might snap?  Do you rush all day from one appointment to the next? Like getting the kids to school, then you to work; you inhale your food at lunch to rush back to work so you can meet the deadline before days end. Oh but heaven forbid if anyone is late!  This throws the entire day off and you are late for everything else, it’s the snowball effect.

Then you rush home to fix dinner, clean up the kitchen get the homework done, then kids in bed. You then fall into bed mind racing fighting to fall asleep, only wake up in the morning to start all over again.

Even if you are a stay at home Mom you can get into this rush routine.  I was a stay at home Mom for a while, I had a 6 year old in school, and 2 in diapers-15 months apart.  I remember one day my husband came home to the chaos and asked, “What did you do all day?”  “Oh no he didn’t just ask me that!” was my thought.  The next day I wrote a play by play of my day. Every diaper change, every burp and feeding was in that journal.  He never asked that question again.

I had no ease, quiet or rest and trembling came. Job 3:26

What kind of life is that? Can you say STRESS!  I believe that if we will schedule some buffers, or little breaks into our day we could be much happier and more productive in the long run.

We are overloaded- too much media, too much debt, too much work~ home & business~ too much activity in general.

When we are hurrying and worrying we don’t take time to think. When we don’t think we make poor decisions and all too often say hurtful things to those we love we normally would never say. 

So take some time to relax, have some fun. Psalms 46:10 says

Be still and know that I am God…. Let God take control.