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2 Corinthians 6:10

Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

2 Corinthians 8:2

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

According to Merriam-Webster.com: to rejoice means to feel joy or great delight. I want to be this person that rejoices in times of sorrow, blesses others even while living in poverty, and knows that I possess everything because I have Jesus, even though I may have nothing of value on this earth. I want to be this person! And not just sometimes, ALL THE TIME!!!

Being content means more than serving where we are, changing our materialistic attitudes, and being content with our paychecks. Being content, also means that we can rejoice when the car breaks down, when the kids are screaming at each other, and when you lose the job you’ve been at for 19 years. How can we rejoice when things get tough?

1. Get into God’s Word! This is so important! The Bible is full of encouraging verses to help us through the difficult times. Start digging and see what you find.

2. Start a gratitude journal (or use a journal you are already using). At the end of every night list 5 things that happened during the day that you are grateful for. Even on the worst days, God sneaks the blessings in; make a habit of looking for the blessings as you go through your day.

3. Get your praise on! Even if your day is the pits, make a habit of praising God anyway. Praise God simply because He is in control and can deal with any situation.

4. Step out in service to others. When you step out in service and take the focus off your own situation, it is easier to put things in perspective. You may find that there are other people in the world with tougher situations than yours.

5. Pray. Pray. Pray. Whatever the situation, give it to God. Our Father in heaven can handle our problems better than we can. On our own we are powerless to solve any of our problems, but with God as our life partner, we can accomplish all things, we can solve all problems.

Always remember that God is for us and not against us. It may be tough to rejoice today, but rejoice anyway! God is on His throne, aware of everything that happens in this world. He knows that you may be hurting today and wants to guide you to the place where you can be truly joy-filled. Our loving Jesus wants us to be able to dance in the rain.

Uncle Sam stop whining

Philippians 2:14,15

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”

As a mom of 5 kids, I hear whining, complaining and grumbling on a daily basis. Admittedly, it isn’t always from the kids! Too often, I hear myself complaining because the kids haven’t cleaned their rooms or done something I had asked them to do, complaining because my work day isn’t going as smoothly as I would like, or whining because I’ve been inconvenienced in some way. I don’t like to hear it from my kids and I really don’t like to hear it from myself.

Paul tells us that in order to become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” we must do EVERYTHING without grumbling or arguing. I know it seems like an impossible task, but remember that Paul was writing these words from prison and Paul was a man that practiced what he preached. If Paul had the ability to rejoice even while in prison, without complaining and whining about his circumstances, then we can be assured that when we abide in God, we have that same ability to rejoice in our circumstances, without complaining that our car broke down, our phone died, or our significant other has left us with a baby to take care of. I’m not saying that these aren’t things to complain about, but honestly, is complaining going to change the situation? No, it isn’t. Complaining only hardens our hearts against the love of God and others who may want to help us. God loves us and wants to help us in the tough times, but we have to guard our hearts against the sin of grumbling and arguing and be willing to give our circumstances to God and let Him deal with the situation.

Life is full of things to complain and argue about. I am challenging you to take the following steps the next time you feel a whine coming on:

1. Mentally, draw a circle around yourself and imagine that you have entered the No Whine Zone or the No Argument Zone (this does not mean that you have to let people walk all over you or verbally attack you, you are just making the decision not to engage in the argument. To deflate the situation, you may say something like, “I feel we are both to angry to discuss this right now, why don’t we take some time to think about this and then we can get together and see if we can come up with a solution that we can both live with,” and if necessary, just walk away.)

2. Immediately, give the situation to God. Say a prayer of surrender and allow God to take control of the situation.

3. Replace any complaints with praise for the good things in our lives. (Even in our darkest hour, we can find the blessings of God.)

4. If our complaint involves a person, pray for that person. Get to know that person and see whats going on in their lives that may cause them to be the way they are. Cultivate a heart of compassion toward that person and show them the love they deserve as a child of God.

5. Always be on the lookout for a whiny spirit. Nip it as soon as it rears it’s destructive head.

Remember that before Paul became an apostle of God, he murdered Christians. If Paul was able to completely turn his life around to the point of rejoicing in prison, we can too. God wants us to be pure before Him and He is here to show us the way. Be content in ALL things without whining about our circumstances. If Paul did it, so can you!

ladder_to_success

Luke 3:14

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.”

This was John’s reply when a group of soldiers came to be baptized and asked John what they needed to do. Wise words that are just as applicable today as they were then. We live in a time when the daily mantra seems to be, “more money, more money, more money.” This is not how Jesus lived and this is not how Jesus instructed his disciples to live:

Luke 9:3

He told them: ” Take nothing for the journey- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.”

WOW! This is such a departure from how we live in today’s society! Most people today are to busy climbing the corporate ladder, trying to gain more prestige, earn more money. It always seems to come down to earning more money. It’s always about the money. We have past the point of just working for enough to pay for our basic expenses. We now work ourselves sick trying to pay for things that we really don’t need. This was not God’s plan for us.

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If we are in Him, God will ALWAYS provide what we NEED. According to Matthew 6:25, what all we really need is food, drink, and clothing. I know, I know, things are different today and we need more than they did in Bible times. We need cars, shelter, utilities, phones, etc. I agree that these are needs in today’s society and God is completely aware that times have changed.

If we become content to live with what we NEED, instead of everything that we want, we will be able to stop the stress filled cycle of working for everything that we want, only to find out that we never have the time to enjoy those things, because we are working ourselves sick to keep up with this lifestyle.

I want you to ask yourselves the following questions:

1. Am I working myself sick to pay for a lifestyle I never get to enjoy?

2. If I am completely honest with myself, what are my basic NEEDS?

3. How is God leading me to simplify my life (either in my career or at home)?

4. Write down 3 action steps you can take to simplify your life.

5. Give yourself a deadline for completing those action steps.

God wants us to live joy filled lives! Embrace the life that God wants for you! You can do it! God is always willing to walk the path with us!

Black Friday

1 Timothy 6:6-7

But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, he addressed the greed of the Ephesians. He wanted to warn the Ephesians about the consequences of  their greed. Their greed was the root of their problems and Paul knew it needed to be addressed.

I admit that I have been guilty of letting envy get the best of me when so and so gets new furniture or so and so gets a new car. There are times when I cry out to God, “I work, and do what I’m supposed to do. Why do I never get these things? Why do I always have to struggle?” This kind of attitude breeds bitterness. I have needed an attitude adjustment more than once!

In today’s society, materialism and consumerism has led to greed. Greed is a sin and it leads down a very dangerous path. We all want the newest vehicles, the newest and biggest houses, the newest and most expensive smart phones. You name it, we want it! No one is satisfied with living simply anymore and we have suffered the consequences of  living with our discontentment. Those consequences include: living a life apart from God, always wanting the next best thing, continual dissatisfaction with what we have and with life itself.

If you have fallen into the trap of materialism, I encourage you to meditate on the following questions and answer as honestly as you can. Begin a dialogue with God and ask Him to show you where you may need an attitude adjustment.

1. Has my materialism produced an attitude of greed within me?

2. If so, what consequences have I suffered as a result of my materialism?

3. Am I really satisfied with my life, or am I in a constant state of dissatisfaction?

4. What is God telling me about this materialistic attitude?

5. What steps is God leading me to take to change this attitude of materialism?

6. What steps is God leading me to take to live more contently in my life?

7. How will I implement those steps?

8. What is my timeline in making these changes?

Living contently in our lives is an ongoing and sometimes painful process. It is a heart issue and sometimes we may find ourselves subject to undergoing the  pruning process of our heavenly Father, in order to rid us of the hardened areas of our hearts. This is a process, friend. Don’t get discouraged if the process is taking longer than you expected. Take one step at a time. Open your heart to our heavenly Father and find joy in the simple things in life.

inner courts

 

 

Luke 2:36-38

36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[a] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

I was anything but forgiving when I realized that my husband of 7 years was leaving me for another woman. I raged against them both, hatred filling my soul. I was terrified of being left alone to raise 4 kids. I was fueled by anger, bitterness and resentment; my only thought on how to cause them as much pain as they had caused me.

I was not a pretty sight at that time, far away from God and as far away from being an Anna as I could possibly get. I continued to hold on and 6 months after our divorce baby #5 was conceived. Although, I was driven by the fear of being abandoned, this pregnancy was a complete shock to me. My heart felt like it would break into a million pieces. I couldn’t seem to find my way out of the storm and sometimes I felt that it would just be easier to go to sleep and never wake up. It was in this time of darkness that I found compassion and sympathy in a co-worker. Although, it never grew past an emotional affair, I knew it was wrong and God convicted me of my sin. Eventually, I quit my job and turned my heart to God. I began a journey of seeking God’s face and in turn, he healed my wounded spirit.

When I first read about Anna, I connected with her immediately. Here was a woman who knew grief, but in her grief, instead of remarrying, which was expected in her culture, she found comfort in God’s arms. She ran to the temple, where she spent the rest of her life in night and day prayer and worship. This is what I seek now. I have found my refuge and never want to leave the shelter of my heavenly father’s arms. It took me years to get here though, and I am here to encourage you to seek God first. If you are going through the storm of a broken relationship or dealing with the grief of a husbands’ death, I am encouraging you to run to God. Before you find yourself in another relationship, run to God and let his love and mercy heal you. We are so quick to jump into earthly relationships, seeking solace for our pain, when God is longing to shelter us from the storm. Run to God, get in the word, sit at his feet in worship and prayer.

We have an example in Anna in how to deal with the grief of a broken relationship or the loss of a husband. Become like Anna, run into the loving arms of our Father, he is waiting.

bloom where your planted

 

 

Philippians 4:11-13

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Paul knew what hardship was. He wrote four of his letters while he was imprisoned. Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written while he was in prison. Paul suffered severely for his beliefs. He was imprisoned, he was flogged, and he was exposed to death more than once, but Paul had faith in God and he never quit giving the message of the Gospel.

Every day circumstances can cause discontentment in our lives. I have worked in the food service department of a local convent for 2 1/2 years now and although I love the sisters and my work environment, I often get frustrated because I want to be doing more for God. I know that God has called me to a full-time women’s ministry and that is where my heart is. I have been guilty of arguing with God and have been a bit whiny. I have complained that “all these other women are serving in full-time ministries, why shouldn’t I be able to?” I admit, I have sounded like a petulant child. No wonder my heavenly Father has left me where I am! I have finally realized that until I can be content in my present circumstances and allow God to use me where I am, I will not be able to move forward in a full-time ministry. Why does it take us so long to learn these lessons?

Paul says in this passage that he has learned the secret to being content in any and every situation. What is Paul’s secret?

1. Love (1:9)

2. Confidence in the Lord (1:14)

3. Union With Christ ( 1:21, 4:13)

4. The Privilege Of Suffering (1:29)

5. Humility (2:3)

6. Unselfishness (2:20)

7. Losing What The World Prizes (3:8)

8. A Heavenly Goal (3:20)

9. Helpfulness (4:3)

10. Being Worry-Free (4:6)

11. Godly Thinking (4:8)

12. A Grateful Heart (4:14-16)

Paul desired to do God’s will, even if it meant suffering and death. Paul also trusted God to bring something good out of his suffering. Paul truly had a servant’s heart. His only desire was to serve God and to serve those God sent him to. If we allow ourselves to become servants and allow God to use us right where we are today, then we open the door to future assignments. We have to be willing to find contentment wherever life has us today. Become that willing servant to whomever God puts in your life and watch as God works in our own lives and the lives of those around us.

I am challenging you to look outside of your own situation and find someone else that you can help or encourage, even if in a small way. Cultivate that servant’s heart within yourself and find contentment no matter what your circumstances may be.

*1-12 of Paul’s secret was taken from John Mark Ministries http://www.jmm.org.au/articles/15401.htm

Fear Not

Fear Not

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we can ALL confess to being fearful of something. Dictionary.com defines fear as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. Certainly, there are real dangers in the world that we have a right to be fearful of. On the other hand, many of our fears are imagined or we live in fear of what MIGHT happen. I have lived most of my life dealing with social phobias, panic attacks, partial agoraphobia, worry, and paranoia. I have let fear control my life to the extent of allowing my social phobias keep me from God’s will of sharing my testimony with other women and encouraging them in their relationship with God. I recently discovered that there is a “Fear Not” in almost every book of the Bible. God does not want us to live our lives trapped in a prison of fear. I was so afraid of being hurt and rejected because of past hurts and heartaches that I built a wall around my heart and became a prisoner of my fear. I am so much better now, but it is sometimes a day to day struggle. Will I “Fear Not” or will I allow my fears to control my life? Below are 10 of the “Fear Not” scriptures I have found. I pray that they encourage you as they have encouraged me.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Isaiah 35:4

say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:13

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Isaiah 43:5

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

Isaiah 54:4

Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

Luke 2:10

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Luke 12:7

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Luke 12:32

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

prayers-for-healing-cancer

 

 

Philippians 4:13

I can do EVERYTHING through him who gives me strength.

I have been a diagnosed type 2 diabetic for 3 years now. If you are not a diabetic, let me tell you that diabetes is a chronic illness that consumes your life. It is a constant struggle with maintaining glucose (blood-sugar) levels, constantly having to analyze when and what you eat, staying away from sugar/carbs in a sugar/carb obsessed world, losing weight, and facing the fact that I will have to live with this for the rest of my life. I did well and lost 45 lbs. my first year. I still do okay, but I often feel completely overwhelmed and when I look at the fact that I am only 43 and am living with what could be considered a life and death disease (depending on how it is maintained) I feel completely unable to maintain this disease alone. I am scared that I will die before my kids are all grown. I feel guilty when I eat a candy bar, ice cream or other sugar. I feel completely unable to discipline myself  to exercise and eat right. I feel totally helpless right now.

This is something I will always struggle with. I know that I can not deal with this illness on my own. I am not strong enough or disciplined enough on my own. I have to believe that through Christ, who died for me, I have the strength the conquer this thing. I have to be willing to surrender this illness to God, who is in control of ALL things. I am weak, but He is strong!

If you are overwhelmed in any area of your life, surrender the situation to God. God is so good and merciful to meet us where we are. God loves you and wants to walk this journey with you. He never expects us to struggle alone. Cry out to Him, tell him your struggles. He already knows, He just wants to hear it from us. I will be walking this path with you. Remember, my friend, you are never alone!

Dearest Jesus,

I am coming to you now, to surrender this struggle with diabetes. I am admitting, what you already know, that I am to weak to carry this load alone. I need you! I need you to help me do what I need to do to live a healthy long life. On my own, I am weak, but with you beside me, I am strong. I thank you and praise you for loving me enough to carry the load of diabetes with me. I trust you completely and I never want to live without you!

Amen

Taming the Tongue

think

 

 

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

If I am completely honest, I have to admit that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart have not always been acceptable in God’s sight. I have been guilty of yelling at my kids when I am frustrated and overwhelmed. I have been guilty of snapping at the cashier in my impatience and I have been guilty of complaining about co-workers when they aren’t doing things my way. I have also been guilty of thinking un-Christlike thoughts. I don’t like when I do these things and am immediately filled with remorse. My loving Father in heaven convicts my heart and brings me back to Him.

It is an ongoing battle though. Every day is filled with opportunities to lash out with unkind words and harbor unkind thoughts.

James 3:5-8

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

I know how discouraging this verse sounds. How can we ever gain control over our tongue, if the Bible says that no human being can tame the tongue? And if the words of our mouths stem from the meditations of our hearts, then what hope is there to live like Christ? I am here to encourage you, my friend, it does take some discipline on our part, but if we make the effort to be the example of Christ in our own sphere of influence, God in His mercy and grace will show us the steps to take. Below are some ways to become that example of Christ that God calls us to be:

  1. Study God’s Word: Meditating on God’s word allows us to hide His word in our hearts so that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). If you are struggling with an issue today, rest assured there is a scripture that addresses that issue. The Bible is definitely my go to book when dealing with a tough situation or simply to sing praises to my compassionate and loving Father.  There are many free Bible studies for women online and relatively inexpensive on Amazon.com. If you have a Christian book store near you, check there also.
  2. With today’s obsession with media and entertainment, it is easy to let things into our hearts that are evil. I have been astounded at the violence and sexual content in television shows lately. We have to make the decision to turn the T.V. channel/radio station or turn them off to keep our hearts pure before God.
  3. Think Before You Speak: this is one I have trouble with! When someone says unkind words to me or simply has a different opinion from mine, it is sometimes hard for me to keep my mouth shut. Especially, when my pride has been wounded and my ego bruised. I constantly feel like I have to defend myself or have the last word. I have gotten better at keeping my mouth shut, praying for wisdom in the situation and choosing my words more carefully, so I don’t add fuel to the fire. As in many other areas of my life, I am a work in progress. Sometimes we simply need to walk away from the situation when our evil tongues are itching to sting someone with it’s deadly poison. In those situations where we can’t walk away, pray for God’s wisdom in dealing with the situation. I promise He will give you the right words to use in every situation.
  4. Pray: I am constantly in prayer throughout my day. Now, before you think I am some super spiritual person, let me reassure you that some of those prayers are of a whiny child simply wanting an easier day at work. I know people who can sit in prayer for hours at a time and I am glad that there are those who feel called to that type of prayer life, but I am not one of them. With 5  kids, a job, and other responsibilities, I have found it necessary for me to pray on the go. God has called us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) anyway, so it makes sense that being in a continual conversation with God throughout our day is going to help us in deflecting the poison arrows of the enemy.  Asking for forgiveness immediately when we sin, asking for wisdom, patience, self-control etc. immediately as a difficult situation arises, saying a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude when given good news or when we have been the recipient of God’s favor. Being in that continual conversation puts us in the place where the meditations of our heart will be acceptable to Him.
  5. Get involved in a local church: getting together with other Christians provides us with a support system when we need one and accountability partners when we are facing the temptation to sin. Becoming active in the local body of Christ keeps us close to the Vine (Christ) and provides the strength we need to keep the enemy at bay.

I have addressed five important ways to stay close to God and be that example of Christ in our lives. It takes discipline. Being a Christian is not easy, but it is so worth the effort to have that peace in my life, even in the midst of chaos at times, that comes from knowing and living in Christ. Being attached to the Vine gives us power over Satan and allows us to live victorious lives no matter what circumstances we may be living with. I encourage you to incorporate these steps into your life and you will find yourself a living example of Christ. We cannot tame our tongues on our own, but with God’s help the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts will be acceptable to the One we seek to honor and glorify.

I know it’s been a couple of months since I posted. Those couple of months have been eventful and have left me reflecting on life and God’s will for mine. I am facing a new season of my life and it has left me excited and scared about where God is leading.

babies

I started having to face the fact that I’m not getting any younger last year when my oldest daughter, Cherokee, graduated high school. In October I was completely unprepared to hear that I was going to be a grandma. In March, Cherokee and Nick were married. Last month, Kiowa graduated high school and is making that transition into adulthood. On June 8th, I turned 43! 43! WOW! On June 13th, my beautiful granddaughter Ava Rose was born and I became grammy to this precious baby girl. Well, you might think that would be enough to convince me that I’m getting older, but God seemed to think I needed another reminder. I have been having a hard time focusing when I read. I have had a hard time seeing the small print of my Bible. I love to read, so when I was forced to change the font on my kindle so I could actually read the print, I knew it was time to go to the eye doctor. As a diabetic, I know how important eye care is. I knew bi-focals were a probability, but until the eye doctor actually said I needed bi-focals, I was able to live in denial.

readingowl

 

 

I can’t live in denial anymore. I am entering a new season of life. I still have dependent children at home, but I know that my life has shifted and God is preparing me to answer the call He has placed on my life to encourage and minister to women. I now have a choice in how to accept this realization that I am getting older. I can either kick, scream and deny this reality or I can accept it with grace and look with excited expectation at what God has planned for my future.

Entering a new season of life is never easy. We may be fearful of the changes that are coming. We may feel a sense of loss when we realize that changes sometimes mean losing those things or people that are near and dear to us. Believe me, I know it isn’t easy, but God wants to walk through this transition with you. God wants to give you a peace that only He can give. God knows what the future holds for us and He loves us enough to walk through this new season with us. There is never any reason to fear the future. Trust God to work ALL things out for you. Your heavenly Father is waiting, with a hand held out to you. Take His hand and step into this new season together.