Consider it pure joy!!!

Forgive me for not having the exact reference in front of me.. . . one of my bff’s reminded me of this the other day and I had to share it!!!

Did you know it says in the Bible that we are to consider it pure joy when we have trials??   Before you go running to  the porcelain princess to bow and pay homage (thanks for the visual aid- A!) at the thought of being joyful during trials, stop and think for a moment. . . . .

First off, it says the word WHEN not the word IF.  God knows we have trials!  God knows we are going to have more trials!  God knows He is capable and willing to help us through those trials!!  That’s where the joy comes in!! 

Every time something stinking, stressful, painful, or just outrageously horrible comes knocking at your door, consider it a perfect excuse to seek more attention from you heavenly Father!!  You know exactly what I mean, you mom’s out there reading this. . . . .

When your kid has a bad dream- who do they come to for comfort?

When your kid falls off his bike- who do they come to for a bandaid?

When your kid gets made fun of at school- who do they vent to when they get home?

When the cat gets hit in the road- who comforts the kids and helps with the funeral?

The kids parents do all that don’t they!!!!!!  As a parent, being completely honest with yourself- you actually enjoy being asked to help with all those things don’t you. . . . put aside the middle of the night awakenings, the fighting with them to get the road burn cleaned up,  the wanting to call the parents of the neighborhood bully and do a little bullying of your own,  the digging with a shovel to reach the exact “6 foot under” for the burial service. . . . .   

When your kid has trials. . . . . . .you actually like to and want to comfort them and help them through it don’t you!!!!

Now, stretch that a little further. . . ..

You heavenly Dad made you in His image so if He made you to want to comfort your own children don’t you think that He will want to and enjoy comforting you?  

Ask Him today!  Let Him set you up on His lap and hug all the nasties of life right off your back!  He Loves You!!!  Yes YOU!!

Sometimes all you can do is pray. . . . .

Ever worry too much?  Ever feel so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start?  Ever have a friend or loved one in the hospital or going through a really bad time in their lives?  Ever been through a really bad time yourself?  Someone close to you ever died?  Someone you love seriously ill?  Are you seriously ill?  Are you mad?  Are you sad?  Are you in the depths of despair?  Learn from Jesus: Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane just before he was to be arrested and crucified and He knew what was coming. . . . .

Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”  He took Peter, James, and John with him.  He plunged into a sinkhole of dreadful agony.  He told them, “I feel bad enough right now to die.  Stay here and keep vigil with me.”  Going a little ahead, He fell to the ground and prayed for a way out: “Papa!  Father!! you can- can’t you?- get me out of this.  Take this cup away from me!  But please, not what I want- what do You want?”  Mark 14 : 32-36 (The Message Translation)

Me and my BIG mouth. . . .

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a BIG mouth! But in this instance I’m speaking of all of our big mouths and not just my own. . . . awe. . . you were hoping for one big honking story weren’t you?!!!!!

James 3 (quoted and paraphrased portions of the chapter) says this:
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness. We all make mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. . .. . the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. . . . . . People can tame all kinds of animals but no one can tame the tongue . . . .sometimes it praises our Lord and sometimes it breaks out into curses against others. . . . blessings and curses from the same mouth is not right! You can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool.

Now think about that last sentance. . . . if you mix salt water and fresh water together what do you get? Salt water slightly watered down but it’s still salty. . . . .if you mix blessings and curses what do you get? Hmmmmmm? Got ya’ thinkin didn’t I!!!! (got me thinking too! LOL)

Lord, I ask you today to keep one hand on my shoulder and one hand over my BIG mouth! Thank you Jesus!

-amen

Quote to ponder for the day

We must begin and end every day with praising God, we must give Him thanks every morning for the mercies of the night and every night for the mercies of the day; going out and coming in, we must bless God. – Matthew Henry.

The Difference a Prayer Makes

I got up early one morning

And rushed right into the day;

I had so much to accomplish

That I didn’t take time to pray.

 

Problems just tumbed about me,

And heavier came each task;

“Why doesn’t God help me?”, I wondered.

He answered, “You didn’t ask”

 

I wanted to see joy and beauty-

But the day toiled on, gray and bleak;

I wondered why God didn’t show me,

He said, “but you didn’t seek”

 

I tried to come into God’s presence,

I used all my keys to the lock;

God gently and lovingly chided:

“My child, you didn’t knock”

 

I woke up early this morning

And paused before entering the day;

I had so much to accomplish

That I had to take time to pray.

-author unknown- Taken from A Woman’s Call to Prayer by Eliz. George

Success through Failure?

The website, School for Champions, offered this information on Abraham Lincoln:

List of Lincoln’s failures

“A common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes) is:

• 1831 – Lost his job

• 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature

• 1833 – Failed in business

• 1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)

• 1835 – Sweetheart died

• 1836 – Had nervous breakdown

• 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker

• 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress

• 1846 – Elected to Congress (success)

• 1848 – Lost re-nomination

• 1849 – Rejected for land officer position

• 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate

• 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President

• 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate

• 1860 – Elected President (success)

That looks like a pretty glum résumé, making you wonder how he ever made it to the top. But when you really think of it, to run for office or high positions so many times, you have to have something on the ball and have more successes than meet the eye.”

Few history books mention Lincoln’s faith in God as a way for him to persevere through all this failing but I found a quote from Lincoln himself about his faith and I want you to focus on it today.

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.

 -Abraham Lincoln

Being famous in our history, seems to put people in the light of their success.  This makes it hard for the common man to think of success as something attainable.  Lincoln’s failures made him who he is because they forced him to focus on God and his inability to do things independent of Him.  Every time you fail, stop and ask God for help.  God is the reason for all successes in life no matter who you are !  Success comes through failure. . . .

People need Prayer

With so many prayer requests going on around my community recently, I was reminded  of Elizabeth George’s book, “A woman’s Call to Prayer”.  Below is a quote that Elizabeth has in her book about the importance of prayer.    As you are thinking of and worrying about those in need today, don’t forget to pray that God will take care of their every need.

Lord, Awaken in us the realization that we need to call on You continually. . . . Teach us to have hearts that pray.  Teach us to keep ourselves focused on You. To set up an altar in our hearts, where our soul might call out to You continually. Amen   -Terry Glaspey (from his book Pathway to the Heart)

Words of St. Francis of Assisi

Who Was St. Francis?
by Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance.

Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi’s youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.”  (this excerpt taken from www.americancatholic.org)

 

Lord, make me a channel of thy peace

That where there is hatred, I may bring love,

 that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness,

That where there is discord, I may bring harmony,

that where there is error, I may bring truth,

that where there is doubt, I may bring faith,

that where there is despair, I may bring faith,

that where there are shadows, I may bring light,

that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

-St. Francis of Assisi

Ever Feel like you’re in a hamster wheel?

Do you ever get something stuck in your head?  Something that you can’t get out of your head?  Something that seems to take over your thought processes?  Maybe your mind is telling you that you’re fat.  Maybe your mind is telling you that you’re not lovable.  Maybe your mind is telling you that your house is a pig sty.  Maybe your mind is telling you that no matter what, you won’t be good enough.  This spinning wheel train of thought is wrong!!!  It is FALSE!!  It is from Satan. 

It says in Genesis 1:27 that God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. . . .   If we were created to be the nature of God himself, how in the world could we possibly be too fat, not lovable, not capable, or not good enough?  God is the right size.  God is lovable.  God is capable.  God is good enough.  Therefore, you are the right size.  You are lovable.  You are capable.  You are good enough!  You are who God sees when HE looks in the mirror!!!

Mark 12:31 says that God commanded us to. . . . Love others as well as we love ourselves.  Some of you may have heard this as love your neighbor as yourself.   Stop thinking about showing love to your neighbor for a second and look at this differently.  If you’re neighbor needed someone to walk with them for exercise, would you if you had the time?  If your neighbor was lonely or depressed and needed cheering up, would you send them a card or make a visit?   If your neighbor needed help getting started cleaning their kitchen, would you spend a little time in their kitchen with them offering tips and encouragement?  If you would do these things for your neighbor, then you MUST do these things for yourself as well.  So often, we think this verse means that we should treat our neighbor better than we treat ourselves.  Turn it around, learn to love yourself as much as you show love to your favorite neighbor or friend!

Romans 12:3 says that we must not. . . .misinterpret ourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.  No, God brings it all to you.  The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.  We are who we are because of what God is.  God does for us.  No, we may not be worthy of all the wonderful things he does for us.  No, we might not feel like accepting it either but it’s God who is offering it, who are we to refuse to accept how wonderful he made us??  God does not make junk!  God made us like Him and I highly doubt that he considers himself worthless.  He is God for goodness sake!  Creator of all the universe.  King of all kings.  We are his children!!!!

Decide today which part of Proverbs 15:15 you will become. . . . a miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.    I hope you are choosing the cheerful heart!  If so, go to a mirror.  Look at yourself.  Smile, force a fake one out if you have to.  Say out loud, I am looking at the image of God himself! I am God’s child!  I am worthy; I am capable; and I am loved!!!

Are you overwhelmed?

Psalm 61:1-5  says: O God, listen to my cry!  Hear my prayer!  From the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help, for my heart is overwhelmed.  Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.  Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!  For you have heard my vows, O God.  You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.

No matter what is overwhelming you today (me? my list of things to do. . . .), God is with you.  He knows that you need peace, perserverence, and energy to overcome that feeling of “too much”.  May he bless you with his all encompassing love and grace today and always.