There can be nothing more deceiving than “FEELINGS”……However there is one feeling that cannot be easily mistaken or misunderstood and that is the feeling of being complete,y exhausted. Mentally Physically, Emotionally and Spiritually.
Today has been one of those days. You know the ones where you give everything you THINK you have and God says OH I need about 100% more from you. You can either curl up in the corner and cry yourself to sleep or you can press forward.
Today has been one of those days, but the worst feeling in all of it is this…….did it all turn out the way God wanted it too? Did I make a mess of his plans or was it what He had intended?
Father God, as I sit here before you tonight I ask that my actions, words and thoughts drew someone closer in their relationship with you instead of driving them away. Please give me wisdom as I face each new experience and help me to not become laxidasical with certain situations that keep repeating themsekves. Help me to stay focused on your word and to know what to say and do when YOU want me to say or do it. Please give me strength and courage to stand for what is right and the stamina to keep doing so. In Your precious name
what is radiance? Well Some would say it is a bride on her wedding day…..or a mom who just found out she is expecting their first baby. it could be someone who has just achieved a life long goal OR it could be something more.
When i think of radiance I think of fire….YES FIRE.
Why?
Well Lets start with silver or gold. In it’s roughest form it can be ugly discolored and very unattractive BUT when gold or silver or other precious metals are refined or “put through the fire” they come out in the purest of forms and radiantly beautiful….
I also think of sharp cutting instruments…..and yes of course I will tell you why….
As I think of diamonds, emeralds and rubies I know that these very precious gems have to go through a lot of cutting before the look like the stones that end up in our jewelry! They don’t just happen to come out that way. A stone cutter painstakingly hand cuts each stone. He studies it and envisions what it is to become.
When It comes right down to it none of us can become radiant ourselves. there needs to be a refiner or a jewel cutter…No matter the name there needs to be SOMEONE you cannot do it alone. JESUS is that person and those who have true radiance know and love him fully. They have yielded over their lives entirely and despite the fact they may look tattered and torn on the outside on the inside they are full of love. Though they have been through unspeakable fires and the sharpest and deepest gouges they look more beautiful that ever. They radiat God’s love through their smile and their eyes even though they may be the sickest person you know. They have hope that surpasses all understanding. Even though they may not know what tomorrow will bring they have a hope for eternity that is far brighter than they know they could ever imagine. It is this very thing That i have seen and continue to see in my friends. two friends I have lost this year to cancer and another who is fighting so very hard.
God has asked so much of this woman and she is doing everything in her power to give it all she has. Our prayers are with her family. No matter what cancer will not defeat you….You cannot loose you have everlasting strength at your disposal You are a courageous woman….share with everyone whats truly keeping you going and know that EVERYONE who knows you and your struggles is a better p[person for it. Robin may God richly bless you and your family!
As I sit here and I am writing this I scratch my head in wonderment. I have been duped. Satan Achieved at bringing me down a notch or two….or a hundred…..
Back about 4 months ago I found a TV show that sparked my interest. I love gymnastics and I have always loved watching it. It takes so much grace , poise and stregth to be a gymnast and ALMOST every little girl loves watching it. Actually In mu hometown growing up we had a male gymnast who made it to the olympics!matter oif fact he graduated from the high school I sttended my freshman through Junior years. So again my interest peeked.
As i began to watch the show it was seemingly harmless….No swearing at all which impressed me immensely. Then one of the actresses looked so familiar But I couldn’t place her…..Finally after seeing an interview I knew she was. She is Candace Cameron Bure Otherwise known as DJ Tanner from the 90’s hit TV show full house, sister to former child star and now known for his most recent role in Fireproof- Kirk Cameron.
Over the last few years I have read a few articles about Candace and her faith and was so amazed at the stand she took. But now as I have some questions….I am not judging her faith but he convictions and I seriously wonder if she really sees that her testimony is at stake. Does she realize that by being a part of this show she is putting her stamp of approval on a couple of underlying issues that the show potrays as “OK”
1. Pre-marital sex is okay if the person really loves each other and they are ready
2. Emily had the right to choose to keep her baby….eluding to the fact that it was okay if she aborted it….
3.And in the latest episode it was “OK” that Max was bi-sexual….
Now I am not a bully…I have had friends who are gay….BUT I hold to the TRUTH that there is right and wrong. The Bible clearly states that Sex outside of Marriage is wrong, Murder is wrong, and that ANYTHING outside of HUSBAND and WIFE is wrong! If you are a believer of Jesus Christ and you believe the BIBLE you have No business taking part of something that goes contrary to that…..
NOW that eing said I am at fault too. I got sucked in to the story line and my love for gymnastics. BUT I will not be watching it again. NO more..NOT a chance.
I am sorry Lord for allowing my judgement to be impaired by my own desires. I am so sorry i put garbage in. And please Lord help me to focus on those things of Pure content as listed in Phil. 4.8…Help me to communicate to those around me that being Salt and Light does not mean I should be taking a part in the same things that goes against what the You set forth in your word! In Jesus name Amen
Join me as I journey to find excellence in doing all things to the Glory of God
I will be completely honest with you-the last two weeks have been the HARDEST weeks I have ever had!
I wrote on Monday last week how crazy our life has been and how I have had a major case of writers block. Well just as the gray skies have cleared here on the east coast so has my head!
My life is a myriad of things but first and foremost my life is a life of service. not to everyone…not to my husband or my children but an outpouring of my love for God and that is why I take Care of everyone one around me. My whole life-EVERY ASPRCT. Night or day, my home, our cars, our camper,even my children have very unusual servant’s hearts EVEN FOR THEIR AGE-they amaze me and I am so very grateful for them!
If I am not serving I have a very deep sense of incompleteness. I am not fulfilling what God has called me to do!
Before last Wednesday i had not been to church in two weeks! Why? No I am not being a rebellious Pastor’s wife…..But in one word SICKNESS! I have missed more church this winter than I have my ENTIRE adult life!
Lady Bug was the worst 10 or 11 days i lost count! She threw up pretty much everything she had put in and just as quickly as she put it in it came right back for a second visit. I have never had a child this sick before. And there was nothing i could do to help the poor girl-just pray. Then the bursts of screams started about sharp belly, back and leg pain Again nothing i could do BUT PRAY!.
I missed Easter, sleep deprivation, hubby sick, Me sick, Death of a family friend, murder of a past church member (Yes I said Murder) though i did not know her it devastated many people in our church!, A terrible incident with the physicians Assistant at our doctors office that would justifiably make any good mother angry that her 4 year old was treated in such a manor, #1 son sick, the death of a very faithful church attender. YEP that was two weeks in a nutshell.
On a whole it has been a very difficult 6 or 7 months. I have lost 1 uncle and two aunts, we lost a college friend who was my age, an old friend lost a baby to Potters Syndrome. We have been paying close attention to the fact that the little girl who was one of our flower girls in our wedding is struggling with sickle cell anemia- I haven’t seen her in quite a few yeas but she holds a very special place in my heart and I love her dearly!
We are working with our family doctor to rectify the weight (or lack there of) of our youngest and the possibility of a tonsillectomy for our three year old. Not to mention i have had some health issues of my own.
SOOOOOO there is a reason for re-counting each of these things and it is NOT about throwing myself a pity party nor do I want you to throw one for me either!!!!!
This is a response to someone who decided to comment on my Facebook status on Tuesday Morning. Now I want to make something VERY clear. I am not angry with this person/ This certainly just my personal thoughts and my growth process as I worked through this And to that person I have to say THANK YOU! I know it is not what you intended but then again…My life has not been about what I intended either!. (this conversation has been removed from FB to protect the innocent 😉
my status Read like this
Me:Words have not been invented to describe my morning
Friend : Redeemable?
Me: I am most certainly going to give it my best shot….so it should get better!
Friend: don’t give it your best shot- Give it to God He’ll do way better with it than you could ever imagine. I have had many of those days lately one fail after another. they were my failures though. Cuz I wouldn’t let him lead.
OK let’s park it right there for a minute. My sadness/despair/grief was not based in failure at all. She assumed she knew exactly what was going on with me – she placed me into her circumstances. Instead of asking me “how best can I pray for you” Or “is there anything I can do to help” she simply passed judgement. This does so much harm in so many cases.
Everything she said was true if in fact I was in her shoes BUT I wasn’t I was and still am dealing with circumstances were completely outside of my control, which now needless to say included her words and innuendos of failure (another circumstance i could not have controlled) She said them and they were etched into my brain.
I was also right though in saying what i said about giving it my best shot! , because there is only one thing i can control when I am trials such as these. And that is my attitude and my perspective. To which I did loose my battle with that day and I blame no one else but myself. No one made me choose the defeatist attitude BUT me!
SO if anything else I want to thank her which I said before and yes I wrote that correctly!!! I know she only meant to encourage me and lift me up. I know her intentions were pure of heart and not for pain BUT she did make me painfully aware that I too do the same thing…WE ALL DO! We all assume That we know exactly what another person is going through or experiencing. BUT no matter what the circumstances they will never be the exact same thing.
i will leave you with this thought from the youth ministries Prof I had at Bible college
“meet them where they are, not where you want them to be.”
the ministry of encouragement is not about changing a persons perspectivebut helping them through the murky unsure waters. Afterall we are called to be God’s Promise Keepers….
2 Corinthians 1 :3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (2 Co 1:3–5). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
What has happened to Christian culture? Where we have been called to holiness…to be set a part from the world around us. One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is that believers are choosing to watch and listen to the most awful things! My question is when you say you watching a particular TV program or listen to particular music what are you communicating to those around you….ARE YOU DIFFERENT? IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR LIFE OR ARE YOU JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD!?! We become numb to the smut and garbage. The inappropriate behaviors in relationships are all over the place? By watching or listening you are saying this is Okay! You may argue but that is the message you are sending to those making the TV shows. We should be so appalled by the disgusting behaviors that we can’t watch despite the good story line! I am just as guilty But I am going to start turning off the TV, leaving the theater, shanging the station or whatever it takes to remove the stuff that makes me become numb to what God’s word says!…Revisit Proverbs. It talks about these things and the repercussions are severe!
