memories ... or the lack of them!

Does anyone else out there have memory issues?  Granted, I'll be 55 this summer, but still!!  I have friends and classmates that are able to reminisce about things that happened 35 plus years ago, and I do good to remember their names!!  It's so embarrassing and frustrating.

I just learned that a classmate passed away this week.  While I remember the name, and his face, I can't remember much about him.  Thankfully, there are others that are able to remember him and share his life with all of us.

So then I start thinking of my own life and mortality... he was my age!  So many classmates have gone too soon.  But we are now "middle" aged if we live to be 110!!  OLD if we live to be 70!!!  Which makes me think that my memory ain't that bad then!  Haha!

I think of my salvation... of other's salvation that have gone before me.  I hope and I pray that they knew the Lord and that they are sitting at His feet.  I look forward to the day that I'm called Home, but pray that those that I love will come to know Him before I take that journey.

Today will be a day of reflection for me... reflecting on all of the friends that the Lord has truly blessed me with over the years...whether I remember them or not!~I know HE does!

He is my rock ... my fortress and my deliverer... He has my plans for my future... thank you Lord for my life and salvation... even in this time of aging!!

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Babies

Since the last time I wrote, a lot of babies have been born.  It's been a bittersweet week.  First a friend that I used to work with became a grandma again, and her son and wife named their daughter Melody!  :)  Made me smile for sure, even though I'm sure it wasn't because of ME!  haha... then another friend on Facebook became a grandma again.  THEN another friend that I used to work with became a grandma for the first time, and sadly her granddaughter died shortly after arriving.  This broke my heart.  My heart aches for them still.  But a few days later, we became grandparents again.  Colten Joseph was born at 11am on Monday, February 20th.  He is beautiful and perfect.  I almost felt bad posting photo's of him on FB, for I didn't want to hurt my friend's heart that had just lost her grandchild.

As a Christian I still don't know why these things happen... the Lord definitely works in mysterious ways!  I'm reminded of the verse in Jeremiah... ""For I know the thoughts I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and hope. Then you will call upon ME and go and pray to ME, and I will listen to you and you will seek ME and find ME, when you search for ME with all of your heart." JEREMIAH 29: 11-13


So here we are, celebrating the birth of another grandson, rejoicing that he is perfect and healthy.  At the same time I pray for the family of the lost granddaughter.  Thankful that they know Him, and know the future, the hope and the peace that He still offers them.


God bless all these babies, the ones here and there with Him... they are our angels and our future.

mistakes along the way...

I know we all make them. But do ya ever think of the baby Christians or NON believers around you AFTER you've made them? How do you re-do that? I battle with the evil one daily, as he reminds me of all of my mistakes along the way. I curse him, and tell him there's no room for him in my life, but the flashbacks of my mistakes still haunt me.

I'm thankful that most of the mistakes have been changed or those that I made the mistakes with have come back around. I am not perfect. I am forgiven. I get stressed out just like the next person. The difference is, my heavenly Father sets me straight when I'm done having my little fit!! And I strive to do better the next day.

As a Christian, I struggle with staying "unstained by the world". I try to shine the light of Jesus. I try to be His hands and feet, then when trying to do this with an unbeliever, they can't see past a mistake I made awhile back. This makes me so sad. I see other people that are being hurt by these baby Christians and unbelievers and I get saddened all over again. So, I go to my closet and pray.

Why can't we all get along and learn from one another? I really really REALLY want to know this!! Without Christ, we are "mud pies baking in the elements of PREFERENCE and prejudice"! (Beth Moore~James~Mercy Triumphs) I emphasize preference because this is what I am fighting and a friend is fighting right now. Preference of others above us. I say it's ok...I know I've wronged these people over the years...but in these "mistakes", their best interest was always in mind.

So now I study today on Favortism. Oh brother! I'm going to get smacked around a bit again ~ I can feel it. But from these mistakes, I've grown. Don't mind me, I say...God isn't finished with me yet!!

still prayin...

Now the Billster is sick...I won't go into details that he so graciously shared with me on the phone! And yes, he's still working... he's a workaholic, and loves his job... but also because the boss is gone for the day and the other driver needs to leave early. So Bill requests chicken noodle soup for dinner and the bed to be ready as soon as he gets home and all day tomorrow so he's ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday. (By the way...my idea of a super bowl is a self cleaning toilet!!) Anyway... I continue to pray that the Lord go before him and keep him safe and that his tummy be calmed... AND that the Lord help that I don't get 'it'!

Good thing that one of my gifts is care giving. Doing my study this morning and it's perfect timing. (God's timing always is!!) :) Opening verse is: "Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27 Now I'm sure you're saying, okayyyy, but Bill's not an orphan or widow!!! No he's not... but he's in need. But my gift actually is caring for the elderly, or even just visiting them. I LOVE going to see them when they're lonely and/or in need. So let's say that Bill's my elderly for the day! HA!

Anyway, I'm also reminded that I can't be saved by deeds without faith in Christ! God COUNTS on us to care for the needy. But we have to commit to Christ's ethics and morals in order to minister to these needy! God is also practical. He doesn't ask us to do what doesn't matter! I've made up my mind who I want to be and I daily die to the worldly stuff... I am a child of God, caring for those in need... and today's needy is the hubby!

Blessings ya'll...for a healthy and happy weekend!

prayer...

The Billster is having a really bad day. Heck, he's had a really bad week on the job. This is nothing unusual. It's usually someone that's messing around and not doing what they're supposed to do that gets him goin...and I'm here to listen. Now mind you, I've been doing this for nearly 11.5 years and it does 'get old' on occasion. But I'm in a new mindset these days. I learned in my study today (or was reinforced) that anger doesn't bring about a righteous life that God desires. So,I listen to Bill, with intent ... with purpose. Then I pray for him when we hang up.

I was recently in a group of praying wives...praying for the marriages of those in our church and our own. We all have the book: The Power of a Praying Wife. In it states that all men have an enemy who wants to undermine what God desires to do in their lives. Women have that same enemy, but men seem to be more vulnerable to his attacks in certain areas. A wife can pray that her husband will discern the lies and hear instead words like "hope", "prosperity", "possibility", "success", and "new beginnings" and know that they're from God!

As a married couple, we are one... an assault on him is an assault on me. So I step in on his behalf and pray 2 Timothy 1:7...for a mind of power and love and self discipline, and NOT that of a spirit of fear!...or bitterness, or anger, etc.

Remember to stay in prayer for your husband's ladies... "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:10-12

hearing, speaking, angering?

Today's study lesson hit me like a ton of bricks! Opening scripture from James 1:19... "My dearly loved brothers, understand this; Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger."

WOW. Well, anyone that knows me well, knows that I have had issues of anger! (Praise God for showing me and convicting me away from this horrid habit/sin!) Thankfully, He wants us to need Him. And I certainly do, daily!

This chapter goes onto to say in Proverbs 17:27-28... "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even tempered. Even a fool is kept wise if he keeps silent and discerning if he holds his tongue." Whoa!

Again, I praise Him for showing this in me... I know that this has never been a God given gift or "of God"!!! I have blamed it on my genes!! Whatever the case, it was evil, a sin and definitely not necessary!

From here on out, I will HUSH, LISTEN and NOT anger... there are so many times when people haven't listened or heard what I was saying, and it's frustrating. I don't ever want to be one of those non listeners.

Along with the anger that I have had excess of, the study goes on to remind me of the lack of trust we tend to sometimes have in the Lord. Mine was the time we lost the business and our home...a time I thought the Lord was abandoning us!

It took 2.5 years for Him to bring me to my senses. These were sins! Angering and not trusting!!! I look back now in shame! Now I tell Satan to get behind me... and I walk with God!!

There's a paragraph in the study that goes: "If God insists on making more room in our lives, it's so He can bless us with things that really satisfy. Remember! Every good and perfect gift comes from above!"

He is so faithful! In the words of Beth Moore, Let's all move our hands away from the rich soil of our hearts and welcome seeds that sow salvation "to the uttermost"! (Heb. 7:25) I know I'm welcoming those seeds! Won't you!?!

friends

Today was just about as good as it gets. I woke up feeling terrific, even after my spill yesterday onto the pavement! One little tiny sore spot!! Thank you Lord!!! I worshiped and studied the book of James with a room full of over 200 women. I took my bff to the dentist then back to her house to help babysit a beautiful baby girl. We took a walk with the baby. We got to a half way point and just stopped. We were under a tree...temps in the mid 70s, beautiful blue skies, birds chirping...and Barb said "it doesn't get much better than this...best buds, a beautiful baby, birds chirping and gorgeous weather". And as I've thought on this moment since, she was right! How many times do we encounter these moments and not stop and appreciate them? You know...like the saying, 'stop and smell the roses'.

I really am blessed with many moments like this. And this particular friend has been with me thru some of the worst times but has walked me thru them and helped me find and SEE these moments clearer and clearer. I thank God for her and all of my friends that have helped me thru the last 2.5 years...but especially this bff...Barbara (Bobbie) Grey...THANK YOU! You don't even know how thankful I am for you. I love you!

I thank the good Lord for helping me find the joy in life again, and feel His peace again... the peace that surpasses ALL understanding. Life is amazing. I don't care that we're broke half the time... I don't care that I don't have a million square feet to live in anymore. (Well, you know... thousands anyway!) I don't care about much of nothin but life in Him... time with the Billster, time with my Godly friends, and praising, worshiping and serving an awesome, omnipotent, loving heavenly Father.

My prayer is that you all will stop and appreciate the AHHH moments... the God given moments... and thank Him that gives them! AND that you each have at least one Godly friend to help you see God's grace!!

who out there doesn't stumble and fall!!?!!~literally!!!

I've had quite the day today... one that I absolutely enjoyed. It started with breakfast with 3 of the most precious people. Then off to run the streets with my best buddy Barb... we first stopped at her cousins to visit for a bit. We were sitting in the back, on the patio...then crunch, bam, boom~ I'm down, on my back! The chair crumbled beneath me. (it had dry rotted!~no I haven't gained THAT much weight!) But it was the wildest thing... I've never had anything like that happen to me before. I remember clearly thinking it through as it was happening! I vividly remember hearing, don't hit your head, brace yourself!! It could've been very ugly, at the speed I was falling. Rather than being knocked out, I only have some back and neck pain. (Nothing this old bird can't handle!) I thanked the Lord for protecting me. But we had to chuckle. That God has a sense of humor!!

But this little stumble today reminds me of how I stumble almost daily in my walk with the Lord. The Bible tells us that we must remove stumbling blocks that cause us to sin. This does not mean to cut off a part of the body; it means that any person, program or teaching in the church that threatens the spiritual growth of the body must be removed. For the individual, any relationship, practice, or activity that leads to sin should be stopped. Jesus says it would be better to go to heaven with one hand that to hell with both. Sin, of course, affects more than our hands; it affects our minds and hearts. (I personally, would rather deal with this little bit of physical pain!) I'm loving my mind and heart these days... they're God's!

who's comin with me to eternity...

Today's blog may be a little different. For my friends and family that think I've become a Jesus freak or Bible thumper...is that such a bad thing? Let's just say that this last couple of weeks, since beginning back with Tuesday morning Ladies Bible study and hearing Pastor Steve preach on Revelations, my heart has been softened, and my eyes re-opened. God is good!

This morning's sermon was about the Lake of Fire. See Revelation 20:1-15. I don't know about you, but this is one place I don't want to go! And none of us HAVE to, if we accept Jesus as our savior !! This is GOOD NEWS! As long as we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and believe in our hearts that He died on the cross for our sins, our names will go into the Book of Life and we won't go to that Lake of Fire.

I know a lot of people that say that they're good people...or that they've done a lot of good things. Sorry...that doesn't cut it. Yes, those works help...but only in the level of the Lake that you'll be thrown!

If you're still not certain that you want to 'go there' and confess your sins, consider this...God also judges us on what we THINK, as well as what we do!!! I don't know about you, but that made me BEG His forgiveness the very second I heard that!!

Jesus died on the cross so that WE would have life...with HIM! But first we must ask His forgiveness. Then we must strive to do better. It ain't gonna work if you just say "forgive me" and then go on to do what it is you've been doing in sin.

True Christian faith results in loving behavior...the way we act can give us assurance that we belong to Christ! (Or what you're doing could look like you're headed to that said Lake!) What you have in your heart and not your bank account matters to God and endures for eternity!

Won't you accept Him as your Savior? If you already have, continue to praise and thank Him! I by know means am a Bible Scholar ... but if any of you have questions, I'll be glad to answer or find the answer! I want to see my family and friends in Eternity. I can't even fathom the thought of anyone I know being in the Lake of Fire!

Everyone in my life, who has touched me in one way or another, is always in my prayers. I hope I see you in Eternity! Jesus loves you and so do I!!

the Future

One of my favorite scriptures is; "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you & not to harm you. Plans to give you hope & a future." Jer29:11

As my friend, Helen Rodriguez so wisely puts it: His plan for us is perfect. He wants us to have enough, to be safe, to be hopeful & to have a future. A future in this life & the next (eternal). Stand on his promise when fear enters in.

PERFECT!!!~His plans are PERFECT!!! Another wow moment! He already knows what we do before we do it... He has our paths ready! How awesome is that?!? He wants to prosper us, and not harm us... He gives us hope and a future... AMAZING!!!! I for one praise Him for this.

Today the Billster and I have eye exams and are getting new glasses. As petty as this sounds, I'm a bit fearful... not for the eye test... this is one doctor I don't fear!! haha... I fear the price of the glasses!!! LOL... But I know He has it all under control before we even get there, and will make sure that we get what we need and not what we "want"!!! (I had originally thought I wanted some designer frames...ain't gonna happen!)

Today I'm walking in faith that He is with us, and has our plans in order... and I go on in hope, as is what He wants for us... PTL!!!

Have a blessed weekend my friends!

Struggles and Weaknesses

As I struggle with what to write today, it reminds me of all of my struggles these days. My weight is the biggest struggle and getting it DOWN! Then I see a piece of chocolate and the weakness wins AGAIN! Why is it so hard to leave this struggle at the feet of my Lord, like my other instabilities of yesterday's post? Maybe I'm not leaving it there. I tend to be in Indian Giver... giving it to Him then taking it back, like He needs help or somethin!! Or I make excuses, like oh this chocolate will give me the burst of energy! Or I'll walk off the next 2 or 3 pieces! HA! I'm not kidding God! So why am I trying to kid myself?

I've learned through Romans 14:1 that we all are weak in some areas and strong in others. Our faith is strong in an area if we can survive contact with sinners without falling into their patterns. It is weak in an area if we must avoid certain activities, people, or places in order to protect our spiritual life. It is important to take self inventory in order to find out our strengths and weaknesses. Whenever in doubt, we should ask if we can do this without sinning.

I'm not influenced today...I know I'm healthier and feel better when I'm thinner... so I plug on each day... just like with other sins and weaknesses, I give it to God. Today I will try not to be an indian giver!!!

Encouragement and Faith!!!

I have so much going on in my mind right now. What to write about today mostly. Prayers for so many going out. Then I talk to my bff here and she, as always, sets me straight! God is so awesome in who He puts in our lives to encourage us in our walk with Him.

So much has happened in my life that I could write a book. Maybe some day. But I focus on now.. and as my study today is about, I bring it ALL to Him. I ask without doubting. I take on the words of Romans 11:36.. From Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

The thing that struck me most in study this morning was "...what happens if we chuck all this single mindedness and wholeheartedness for the natural life of duplicity? We get the grand prize: a life of instability!!! Lord knows that I've had my share of instability, as recently as yesterday. BUT quicker than the past, I found myself at peace with yesterdays instability as I took it to the Lord. His provisions are great and mighty. He never leaves us or foresakes us... I know from my life of instability, that what I struggled with yesterday in a personal issue will be at peace someday too. I have faith enough for all of my family...siblings, children, grandchildren...etc. I love them and would die for them. I leave them at His feet. He is our constant source of stability.

God really IS good...

...all the time...and all the time, God IS good!

This is my first attempt at blogging... a few of my sisters in Christ have been doing it, fabulously I might add, and I felt the need to join in for 'therapy'!!

I'm studying the book of James in my Tuesday morning ladies Bible study group, and today's homework kinda hit me like a ton of bricks! It starts with the verse "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." WOW!~REALLY!?! Anyone that knows Bill and I, knows that we've faced lots of trials over the last 2 and a half years, and I'm ashamed to say that I did not consider them a joy!!! BUT, I do now! Those trials put some Godly people in our lives, and taught us to never stop thanking the Lord for what we DO have! The Lord knows our future...he HOLDS our future... who was I to question those trials?! I am so thankful for where we are. It ain't much by most people's standards, but it's where HE wants us! And my home with Him is what my eyes are set on now! Don't ever forget to give Glory to God for what you DO have.