GOODBYE 2017...HELLO 2018

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As the sunsets on another year, the sun will rise on a new year.  2017 will soon be in the past as we begin to look forward to what 2018 will bring.  Tomorrow night at midnight a new year will rise, one filled with many hopes and dreams, excitement and anticipation fills the air for many.  Yet for others 2018 is another year filled with disappointments, hurts, pain and dread.  To be honest it doesn't matter what year is it or what year it is or what year is done, nothing changes for many of us.  We make New Year's resolutions that we don't keep, we make plans that we never follow thru on, there will be dreams that will never come true because we just don't have faith that good things ever happen to us.  Yes another year has come and gone.  As we look back on yesterday and look forward to tomorrow we must realize that our attitude has everything to do with how we perceive what was and what is to come.

A negative or a positive attitude will determine how our year ahead goes.  It's easy to look at everything that went wrong and everything that is going wrong and worry about what may go wrong.  But I'm challenging you to look at things with a positive attitude this New Year's.  Look at all the good that happened to you in 2017.  Even if there is only one good thing that happened this past year, dwell on that.  Even though 2018 don't look promising yet, focus on the endless possibilities ahead.  

Dream dreams again, hope against all hope!!!  You see there is a God above that has amazing plans for us but when we constantly dwell on what went wrong, when we continuously complain about what happened or didn't happen, our plans are altered and it's no one's fault but our own.  The Israelite's turned an 11 day journey into a 40 year nightmare because of their attitude and their constant whining and complaining.  They could have been in the promised land in 11 days, instead it took them 40 years.  

Don't let 2018 be another year filled with whining and complaining.  Don't let 2018 be just another year of going around the same dumb mountain.  Don't miss out on the promised land because you have a better idea than God.

DIFFERENT

   

The color in this tree stands out from the other trees because it is different.  While the other trees were still green, this tree shown brightly with colors of yellow and orange.  It sparkled!  While the other trees blended into the background of all the other trees, this one stood out.  It was not concerned about what the other trees thought, it wasn't worried about offending the other trees, it didn't shrink back and hide it's beauty.  If a tree that really does nothing for us, except take care of oxygen and carbon monoxide, can live it's life free of worry and concern, why can't we?  

Oh I know you scientific folks will give me a list of reasons a tree doesn't feel and doesn't care, I get that, I know that.  I'm just using trees as a comparison.  What I'm trying to say is that a tree does some amazing things.  In the summer it gives us shade, it cleans and purifies the air we breath, and so many other great things that we take for granted.  Of course worry is not a part of their design, but it isn't a part of ours either, so why do we worry?  Why do we waste our time and health concerning ourselves with the probabilities of life that may never happen?  And if these things we worry about do come true, what good does it do to worry?  Can we change anything or anyone by our worrying?  Can we change our circumstances by worrying?  

Worrying is a big, fat waste of time!  It puts so much stress on our already stressed out bodies.  It can destroy our health and ruin marriages and families.  Oh we'd love to put all our loved ones in a plastic bubble to protect them from all the germs floating around, but that doesn't really do any good.  We'd love to wrap our loved ones in bubble wrap to protect them from the evil that lives in this world, but that is not reality and quite frankly it is impossible.  I used to watch my mom pace the floor waiting for my brother or sister to come home.  I used to watch her wring her hands and pray her rosary over and over and over again.  It was hard to watch.  

I decided when I was younger that I would not worry my life away.  You ask how I could decide something like that.   Well to be quite honest, I saw the stress in my mom's eyes.  I heard her cries in the dark when she thought I was sleeping.  I was determined not to live my life that way.  Some say you cannot control your feelings....I beg to differ because I have learned to do just that, for the most part.  (I am human and fall short a lot.)  I prayed for strength to fight against worrying my life away.  It hasn't always been easy, but I can honestly say I hardly worry.  

There is nothing in my life that worry will fix or change so why bother?  As a believer in Jesus Christ, there is no need for me to worry because He's on my side, He's got my back.  Listen my days are already planned in God's Book of Life.  Every hair on my head has been counted and all my tears have been collected, so why should I waste time worrying?  God is for me and wants the best for my life, so I trust in Him.  I rely on Him.  I give thanks to Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Because of my faith and trust in God, I have peace that I cannot explain.  My heart and my mind is connected with His will for my life and I trust Him to use all things for my good.  Yes there are still days I want to sit and worry about my life but God always seems to snap me out of my funk and back into His loving arms.  It is so comforting for me to know that I do not have to worry about anything.  God's got the whole world in His hands.

GO AHEAD MAKE MY DAY

Ever have one of those days when it seems everything you planned goes by the wayside?  Today is one of those days.  I felt defeated before my feet even hit the floor.  I planned to work out, didn't get done.  I planned on picking up leaves and nuts in our yard, nope.  I planned on writing this first thing this morning after my work out and before I picked up leaves.  Do you see what time it is?  Yea I didn't do anything like I had planned.  Right now I'm sitting here with a disgusted look on my face and I'm shaking my head is disbelief.  Seriously though, it makes me mad at myself.  How could I have let this day get so much out of control?  I know you've all felt that way at one time or another.  We plan,  we strategize, we schedule, we even make a list of things to accomplish.  Then we wake up.  

Alright I might as well sit and laugh about it, otherwise I would get madder and madder as the night crept in.  I could vent but what good would that do?  I could throw myself a pity party, but that wouldn't change things.  I know how about I just go back to bed and start the day all over tomorrow, that just might work.  Then again it probably won't.  Maybe I should just get over it and do what I can do right now and let the rest go.  Listen I know some of you may be a bit confused right now but let me be really honest here....I'm in a battle.  The battle is for my soul and it is real.  

Satan wants me distracted, overwhelmed and angry.  His favorite weapon to use against me is my own thoughts!  He attacks my mind with lies and schemes and strategies that make me confused and full of doubts.  "Did God really say you are His daughter?"  "Did you really receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?"  "Do you really believe He loves you and forgives you?"  "Who do you think you are?"  "Is there really a God?"  Oh yea these questions and thoughts bombard my mind until I sometimes just give up, grab my iPad and play games and watch Hallmark Christmas Movies.  Yes, that is what I did today.  He got me!  He distracted me!  To top it all off, I allowed it!!

WHY?????  Why did I allow this to happen?  What's wrong with me?  The thing is his attack on me today actually made me feel physically ill.  It was mind blowing when I look back on it all.  Okay now it's funny.  I seriously let this fallen angel, this idiot who actually tried to take God's place ruin my plans for today.  Listen the enemy is alive and well on planet earth.  He is a liar!  He is pure evil!  He schemes to distract us and he tries to steal our joy.  He longs to destroy our relationship with God.  The thing is he has already lost the battle.  Jesus Christ defeated Satan when He rose from the dead.  

Isaiah 54:17 (AMPC)  But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.

No weapon formed against us will ever prosper unless we allow it to.  We have the Lord Jesus Christ to protect us and defend us.  Nothing and no one will ever separate us from His constant love and protection.  Jesus Christ is my shield, my fortress, my God in whom I trust.  He will shelter me and He fights for me.  Because of Jesus I have peace, righteousness, security and victory.  I am human and I fail to remember these truths sometimes.  But it doesn't take me too long to come to my senses and remember these truths.  

I am a servant of Jesus Christ!  Through His blood shed on the cross, through His resurrection from the dead, I have been redeemed and forgiven.  I have the promise of eternity in Heaven.  If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I pray you seek out truth!  Please join me on the journey of a lifetime for all of eternity.

SERIOUSLY?

Life involves a series of choices.  When we choose wisely, life is good.  When we choose poorly, life sucks.  In our lifetime we will have many opportunities to choose our words.  In fact every second of every day we have a choice to make in regards to our words.   Does we speak without thinking?  Or do we take a moment and think about what we want to say and how to say it?  Or we can make the sometimes wiser choice and keep our big fat mouth closed?  For me many times I make a conscious decision to keep my mouth shut.  I remember when I was growing up my mom constantly reminded me this:  "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."  So to this day I do my best to remember this and that is why I am sometimes quiet.  Notice I said sometimes.  I am human after all (at least I think I am).  LOL.

There are times we are tested to use our words wisely.  Like during an argument it can be very easy for me to forget this saying I try to live by.  We all do.  In the heat of the moment we feel we need to defend ourselves so we spout off a list or wrongs, a list of offenses and maybe even a few of those bad words we used to get punished for as a child.  We defend ourselves by bringing someone else down.  We beat them up with our words, after all "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me", right?  After all there is no physical damage done to someone else after we've let them have a piece of our mind through our mouth.  We use our words as weapons and while there are no outward, visible signs of damage, we don't notice how defeated the other person looks.  Sure there are no scars we can see, but internally we have broken their spirit and bruised their hearts.  

I have used my words as weapons in the past and I have experienced people who have used their words as weapons against me.  When we choose to criticize others, when we choose to point fingers and when we choose to tease, we choose to bring death to others.  Our words can carry a destructive power that can cause mass destruction.  The thing I've come to realize in my 56 years of living is that people who use their words as weapons are doing so to make themselves feel better and more superior than others.  Instead of using fists, we use our words, instead of looking in the mirror and saying "what's wrong with me?" we concentrate on what's wrong with everyone else.  We have no problem telling others what they're doing wrong, but God forbid someone do the same thing to us.  

Words are powerful, even if no one else hears them because God hears every word we speak.  If we had to answer to God for every word we spoke, would we change our words?  If we really knew that God hears our words and our tone of voice, would we speak differently?  If we had our words thrown back in our faces, how would those words affect us?  Words bring life or death, so what are our words saying to others?  Think about that for a moment.   If our words could literally kill someone, would we change how we speak?  Well our words may not literally kill someone else, but how many suicides have been caused by someone's words?  How many marriages have been destroyed over words?  How many families have been torn apart by someone's words?

I can honestly picture God in heaven crying over the way we speak to each other.  He gave us words to bring life and healing.  He gave us words to encourage others and build others us.  Words should give us hope and make us feel loved.  Words should change someone else for the better and make their life just a little brighter.  I recently heard a story of a family who was having a young man spend the night.  This young man had spent the night at other people's homes and money and other things came up missing after he left, so this family was warned by well meaning people.  So when the young man walked into the home, the dad looked at the young man, shook his hand and spoke life into his heart.  "Wow!  You have a very powerful handshake.  You must be a very strong young man.  I see in you something rare and unique.  I see greatness in you."  That young man left the next day, nothing was missing and all went well.  Years later that young man told the dad how much his words changed his life for the better.  Our words carry power!!!!!

We must begin to use our words to encourage others and speak life into their lives.  Yes, there are times we need to confront others but we should always do it in love and with words that help, not words that hurt and condemn.  We have the power with our words, to change lives for the better.  Let's stop criticizing.  Let's stop beating people with our words.  Who's with me?

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Oh my goodness I love mountains.  They inspire me and make me stand in awe.  They are majestic and they can be a bit intimidating, especially if you're a climber.  I am not a climber but I just love staring at mountains.  Whether they are snow covered, covered with tall pine trees or desert mountains I love mountains.  There is something powerful about mountains, not sure if it their size or just the looks of them.   I've seen many different mountains over the years and what intrigues me about these desert mountains is the fact that in between the rocks a cactus or other type of foliage will arise.  It may seem like the most inappropriate spot between a rock and a hard place, but life will spring forth.  

"Between a rock and a hard place"...how many times have we described our lives this way?  When times are tough financially and there isn't enough money to pay the bills, doubt and fear fill our mind.  Worry sets in and we begin to struggle with our faith.  We fear the worst and plan in our minds what's gonna happen.  We plan for a future that looks bleak.  Our thoughts begin to wonder and we become desperate to figure out what to do and how to do it.  It seems impossible to imagine that we will get out of this financial hole we've dug ourselves into.  Physically all this stress and worry begins to take it's toll on us so this "between a rock and a hard place" gets even worse.  We don't sleep, we can't rest, we can't even enjoy the little things in life because we're too stressed out.  Sound familiar?

 I won't lie here because I've experienced it and have seen it even in the lives of so many people, even pastors and biblical scholars.  It may seem hard to believe but us Christians, people who are supposed to know better, fall into this category.  We forget the promises of God.  We forget that He will work all things out for our good.  We forget the miracles He performed for us in the past.  All we see is that the bottom line is not good and we do not have control of the situation.  We feel hopeless and restless.  We can't fix it, we can't make it all go away, we can't wave a magic wand and make our hard times vanish.  How can we believers fall for this trap of the enemy? 

We're humans and we loose our focus.  We forget that God is in control, if we let Him.  We lack the faith we need to totally surrender our finances to Him.  That's right God wants to be in control of your finances.  After all He is the best financial adviser there is.  He knows the future better than anyone else.  He knows what His plans are for us, yet we doubt.  We hang on with clenched fists holding on tight to every single penny we can.  God has more important things to concentrate on than our finances.  Oh how little faith we have.  It's easy to talk about it, preach about and study about it, but it's hard to live with it.  Yet, God's promises are all over the Bible.  We read it but do we really believe it?  Our faith in God and His promises (I believe) will determine our life here on earth.  Will we live in peace and joy no matter what our circumstances are?  Will we trust that God knows better than we do?  Will we have faith in God the size of a small mustard seed?  

Matthew 17:20 (The Passion Translation) "It was because of your lack of faith.  I promise you, if you have faith inside of you no bigger than the size of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move away from here and go over there,' and you will see it move!  There is nothing you couldn't do!

Our faith and trust in God is critical.  We have to release our clenched fists and open up our hands to receive God's promises.  We have to stop worrying and stop stressing.  We need to rely on God to move the mountains, yes even the financial mountain of debt we may have.  God is still in the miracle working business as far as I am concerned.  But we can't receive His blessings or His promises with clenched fists.  We need to let go and surrender our financial future to God.  Sound scary?  It is.  

In 2007 we risked our entire financial future in a hope and dream God gave Jerry.  We put our faith and trust in Him at a time businesses were declaring bankruptcy and closing their doors.  We took a chance and relied on His promises and trusted He would work it all out for our good.  We had faith the size of a mustard seed and He did not fail us.  He moved financial mountains that only He could move.  It was not about something we did, He did it all and we give all honor and glory to Him!  It was the scariest thing we have ever done.  Our faith was tested to the max and God rewarded our faith.  Do you have a financial mountain that needs to be moved?  Pray.  Trust.  Have faith in God and rely on Him!  Then do what you must but enjoy your life and give thanks for the power He has to move mountains and sit back and watch the Glory of God work a miracle.   

ARE YOU STRESSED OUT?

It's early in the morning here and darkness is all around me, literally.  (This is not a picture of where I am right now it's a place I visit to spend time with my mom.) Anyway back to the darkness of the morning.  I don't know why this time of day seems to intrigue me.  I know the sun will soon rise but it's still so dark. If there were geese on my lawn I wouldn't know, well except for their annoying squawks.  The darkness frightens me, I don't like it.  I think it's the unknown, the hidden and the dark places where I can't see what's in front of me that fills me with fear. But it's this time of day just before the sunrise that I absolutely love.  You know that time in the morning when the sun slowly begins to kiss the horizon and dispel the darkness. The sky slowly begins to turn from black to blue and the shadows that were once hidden, some to light.

As I sit here typing the world around me is slowly coming to life.  Kitchen lights are being turned on, cars are getting warmed up ready for to take their driver to work or school.  Bedroom lights begin to pierce the darkness as people get ready for their busy day.  I can smell the coffee brewing as I type.  Showers are cleaning off yesterdays messes as we begin to prepare for a new day.  The geese are starting to wake up, I hear them now. Kids getting ready for school, parents getting ready for work, streets begin to be filled with traffic running here and there and everywhere.  Once the sun rises and lights begin to shine, we forget about the darkness and move on in our fast paced world.

As we move and go and do our day begins to fill with the stresses of every day life here in America.  From the moment our feet hit the floor in the morning, our feet don't stop until bedtime. That's the time the darkness returns and the regrets of what we didn't do, the thoughts of what we should of done, the ideas that never came to pass and the reality of what could have been fill our minds until we can't sleep.  We toss and turn as our mind continues to process the stresses of today and our mind fills with the worries about tomorrow. Our dreams, if we sleep, are filled with torments and regrets.  We wake up tomorrow and begin this same path all over again.  Day after day, night after night the same old vicious circle keeps up tied up in knots and stresses us out until we become so physically ill that we break.

I've seen it for myself, I've heard people's stories about how stressed filled their lives are.  I have noticed that there is a darkness that surrounds these people.  They are literally living life under the attack of the enemy. That's right I'm talking about Satan.  He is alive and he is out to get us.  He wants us so rushed, so distracted, so deceived that we live this life in ways God did not want us to.  Let me ask some hard questions that I have had to ask myself... Is that job that stresses you out worth the income you're spending at the doctors?  Are you so busy running errands that you're missing your child's or grandchild's performance?  How much more can you take?  Do you feel like your gonna break?  What is your first thought of the day?

I recently ran into an old friend I haven't seen in almost 5 years.  In those 5 years he had aged 20 years.  His face was filled with lines from all the worries and regrets. His health was struggling from all the stress of trying to make a buck and please people.  In the last 5 years he had spent numerous amounts of money trying to figure out why he was in so much pain and felt so ill most of the time.  It was sad.  I felt so bad for him.  Stress is a darkness and a strategy of Satan that steals our joy, kills our family life, and destroys our health.  The best remedy for stress that I have found is diving into God's Holy Word first thing in the morning.  Before we get dressed, before we get busy, before the darkness can get a hold of us....get your Bible and read it.  If you have to blow the dust off it, do it.  Trust me, it defeats the enemy before he can get started.   

Psalm 119:105 (The Passion Translation) Truth's shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your word make my pathway clear. 

If you are reading this and do not know Jesus please don't stop reading.   Jesus Christ is the only pathway to an eternity in heaven.  God is waiting for you with open arms.  He's waiting to love you with a love you cannot even comprehend.  He's waiting to forgive you for all of your sins.  Jesus Christ died to testify to the truth that He is the only way and the only truth.  He took away my sins, He took away my stress, He took away my worries, His Word lights my path and pierces the darkness.  I surrendered because His way was much better than mine.  His path way much brighter than mine.  When I totally surrendered, I also gave up my worries.  It wasn't easy at first and if I'm honest there are still times I try to take my worries back, but in the end I always give Him back all my worries, all my fears and all my life.  

In doing this I have a peace that surpasses all understanding.  I have faith that has been tested by fires.  I have a love that is beyond my comprehension. Please take a moment and consider making Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior.  Trust me it will be the greatest decision of your life.  

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

Ever have one of those days where everything seems to go wrong?  Ever experience a time when your heart just seems so heavy and weighed down? There are times we all experience this I believe.  Sometimes we don't even know why we feel that way or what is causing it, but it happens to the best of us, that is if we're being totally honest.  I've had those days when a smile just don't seem possible.  Oh sure I could blame it on the weather but in reality it usually happens when we're disappointed or frustrated whether at ourselves, our situation or someone else.  There is usually nothing that can be done to rectify the situation, we can't make ourselves snap out of it and we can't make someone do something for us that they don't want to do.  This stuff usually starts the downward spiral into becoming brokenhearted. 

Feeling brokenhearted is not easy to deal with.  It literally feels like someone is ripping your heart right out of your chest with no anesthesia.  It's painful, it's hard and it's also the reality of this human life sometimes.  Alright I'll admit it, sometimes life sucks.  We expect things to go a certain way and they don't, we expect people to treat us a certain way and they don't, we expect ourselves to be perfect and we're not.  It may seem at times like life just threw us a curve ball we weren't expecting.  Like we were hit right between the eyes and we never saw it coming.  Have you ever felt that way?  Am I the only one who falls into a pool of tears?

Okay I'm being honest here and so should you!  Being brokenhearted is not a weakness and it does not mean you are a failure.  For me it means that God is going to raise me to a new level and my enemy, Satan, doesn't want me to go there.  He attacks me with a vengeance that is powerful and scary. As God tries to continue to prune me and grow me, the attacks from the enemy become increasingly more frequent.  He (the enemy) will use whatever and whoever he can to break me.  He will fill my head with lies until I become brokenhearted and cry a pool of tears.  That's usually when I fall with my face on the floor.  Call it a pity party or a strategic plan but it's at that point I have a decision to make.  I can either remain pitiful or I can become powerful.  

How in the world can I become powerful when I feel brokenhearted?  Well to be honest it ain't easy.  In fact it can be rather painful.  Usually when my heart is broken and my spirit feels crushed, I turn to my Heavenly Daddy and ask Him to reveal to me His truth about who I am.  I ask Him to speak truth to me in areas I need to change or grow.  I ask Him if there is someone I need to forgive or something I need forgiveness for.  I ask Him to speak to my heart and my mind.  I ask Him to fill me with His spirit and I bind the enemies power in my heart and my mind.  My Heavenly Daddy, loves the brokenhearted.  No matter how broken I feel, my Heavenly Daddy is with me, healing me and saving me from the attacks of the enemy.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that I can awaken from being brokenhearted and feel restored and redeemed.  You see Jesus Christ has already defeated Satan.  Because I believe in Jesus Christ, I have the power to overcome the enemy.  What used to take me days and sometimes weeks to recover from, now only lasts an hour or less.  How?  I have a personal relationship with the One who defeated the enemy. I have been saved and I have the same power that rose Jesus from the grave living inside of me. With that kind of power and love, no weapon formed against me will ever prosper. Although I may feel brokenhearted for a time, I am not defeated.  I will overcome and live my life powerful, not pitiful.  

As I continue my journey as a Jesus Girl, I know the enemy will continue his attacks and at times even increase them, but I have already won the battle because Jesus Christ already won the war.  I've read the end of my story and I win through my belief in Jesus Christ.  Join me please.  

GARDENING IS NOT FOR THE WEAK

I sit here looking at this picture remembering the insanity of the way this garden was when we bought this home.  It was a wild flower path filled with rocks and stones and flowers and weeds galore.  In fact I truthfully couldn't tell the difference between a weed and a flower.  There was ground cover and bushes and to me all I saw was a mess.  It was overgrown and an eye sore to me.  There was nothing pretty about it except a few Iris's and a tulip or 2.  I sought out advice because I was at a loss.  People advised me to give it a year and see what happens.  To be honest, I couldn't wait.  I felt like I was almost becoming claustrophobic just walking around in the garden.  I couldn't enjoy it at all, I wont even mention the mosquitoes we had to deal with. There was nothing about this garden I enjoyed....yet!!!!

Then we had a neighbor come over and literally rip out everything except the hostas and the iris.  We just purged the whole thing and started over from scratch.  The process was painful, it was difficult and it was costly.  We needed a major transformation and this was just the beginning.  It was amazing to see the difference between what used to be and what is now.  All the hard work, all the backaches and muscle strains was all worth it.  The garden is the way I like it...neat and organized.  

Like I said the result is amazing.  While the new bushes and flowers are still small, it is much better to me without all the clutter.  Our lives are a lot like a garden, if we don't tend to the weeds, if we don't prune out the dead, and if we don't nourish our garden it will become a giant mess of overgrown drama and clutter.  Their are weeds in our hears we all must deal with.  It's called our past.  It can infect our hearts, our minds along with our words and actions to a point that makes us a giant mess.  We can no longer see the beautiful flowers God has planted in our hearts because we have neglected our hearts and our minds.  We can get so wrapped up in the garbage of the past, the negativity of the world and our current circumstances that we can't see the truth about ourselves.  Heck we can't even begin to receive the promises of God because we are so blinded by the weeds.

As believers in Jesus Christ we are slowly being transformed into His image, but this process is painful.  It means dealing with the weeds and getting rid of them for good.  It means pruning away the things or people who are robbing your joy and stealing your time with God.  It means digging into the past and dealing with it.  It means forgiving others and yourself.  It means looking in the mirror and taking an honest look at yourself and take an inventory of your life.  What do your words say about you?  What does your actions say about you?  How have you treated others?  How have you treated yourself?  When you look in the mirror who do you see?  Yourself?  Jesus?

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's Glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who us the Spirit

We are slowly being transformed much like my garden.  I'm not where I need to be but thank God I'm not where I used to be.  It ain't easy!  It ain't simple!  It isn't an overnight process.  In fact it will take my entire life, but I will keep allowing God to pull my weeds and prune the dead away.  I will allow Him to nourish my soul and get rid of the drama and negativity.  Will you join me?  

IT'S PLAY TIME

Who doesn't like a good water balloon fight on a hot summer day?  Who doesn't like to jump in a big pile of leaves in the fall? Who doesn't like to have a snowball fight in the winter?  Who doesn't like to run through a rain shower in the springtime?  Me.  I don't know why, well actually I do I just don't want to admit my reasons but I guess I have to confess the truth hear since this is what I'm talking about.  I don't like to get messy and dirty.  I don't want to mess up my hair or my makeup or my clothes.  Yes I am serious here.  This is a very sad statement I am typing here.  Really this is not a great way for me to be.   I love to have fun and laugh but why do I get so goofy about this stuff?   Seriously?  It seems sort of ridiculous when I think about it after all that is what life's all about isn't it?  Laughter is the best medicine, isn't it?  Sometimes being a little childish can be fun, although there are those people who never want to grow up, but sometimes we(me) get so wrapped up in the seriousness of life we forget to let go and have some fun.

3 of my 6 grandchildren are pictured here having a water balloon fight during the 4th of July weekend.  Where was I?  Up on the deck watching and laughing and taking pictures.  Seriously?  What is wrong with me?  I don't think I'm the only one acting this way in fact I know I'm not alone in this struggle.  We were taught that we grow up we should give up our childish ways.  Why?  What's wrong with acting like a child for a few moments?  I tend to be one of those serious people.  I need to behave a certain way or people may not like me or approve of me.   I'm a believer in Jesus Christ and that is serious business after all.  I'm supposed to be an example of Jesus and I don't think Jesus would get in a water balloon fight with a group of children.  I don't think Jesus would jump in a pile of leaves or have a snowball fight or dance in the rain.  Or would He?  

Seriously the picture of Jesus I had growing up was a serious man who prayed and ministered and healed.  He had too much important things to do to waste time playing with children.  I pictured Him like a CEO of an important organization.  His schedule was packed tight with no time for shenanigans and goofing around.  He's God's Son with an important mission to accomplish, no free time in His schedule.  He had a very serious goal to accomplish and a balloon fight or dancing in the rain was out of the question.   Since He lived in the Middle East there probably wasn't piles of leaves to jump in or snow to form into snowballs.  But anyway I just couldn't begin to imagine Jesus playing with children, but I think He did.  He loved children.  In fact when the disciples tried to get them to leave Him alone, He told them to let the little children come to Him.  Then He said this:

Matthew 18:33 And He said: " Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Even though it's not in the Bible, I can picture Jesus playing tag with a group of children.  If there would have been water balloons back then, He would have been in the center throwing them back and forth and laughing with the children. I can picture Him dancing in the rain with the children.  Sometimes we take the seriousness and urgency of this Jesus thing way to serious, I know I do.  We become legalistic and bond by our doctrine instead of laughing and enjoying this life.  Jesus said that we must become like children.  That doesn't mean that we spend our life playing, that means (at least to me) learning to grow, learning what path we need to follow, letting God have control of our life, letting God provide for us, and it means learning to laugh and enjoy life.

Children (not teenagers) have fun but they are also learning new things, growing in their knowledge, willing to get back up after they fall down, willing to try new things.  They rely on their parents for food and shelter and clothing, they trust that their parents will take care of them.  They are totally dependent on their parents for survival.  They obey (for the most part) their parents trusting that they know best.  They play games and learn through these games, they read parent approved book and watch parent approved TV shows and movies.  They listen to parent approved music.  

God is our heavenly Daddy.  He wants the best for us.  He has a plan that make our life way better than we could ever dream.  When we rely on Him and trust in Him the way a child trusts in and relys on their parents, that pleases God.  When we get rid of the music, the TV shows, the movies and the books that aren't doing anything good for us, that pleases God.  When we come to Him with our needs, that pleases God.  When we thank Him for all He's done and given us, that pleases God.  When we learn to laugh and play, that pleases God.  

So lets try to live life like a child.  Let's learn and grow and laugh.  

THE CHALLENGE

Life is simply amazing and actually comical.  It seems like just when you think you have gotten your head on straight and things are going the way you had planned, a monkey wrench is thrown and you know what hits the fan.   I love when this happens, seriously I do because I know that God is working something out in me and my life that will be for my good.    It’s actually becoming quite hysterical when times like this happen.  Many years ago this stuff would send me into a tail spin and I would have a good pity party or I’d get angry.  Now days I tend to laugh it off although sometimes, I should say most times, I laugh inside to myself.  I know God is trying to refine me and mold me into His image.  I ask Him, “What are you trying to teach me?  What do I need change?”  He always lets me know with a gentle whisper and sometimes with a smack on the back of the head.  Sometimes these challenges aren’t necessarily for me, but the other person involved in these challenges.   At those times I enjoy the fact that I just get to sit back and watch God work in their life.   

I love the fact that God has a sense of humor.   These challenges, these tests have helped me so much and I have learned so much about myself and His plans for me.  While their not always enjoyable they are learning experiences that have changed me from the inside out.  Things that used to bother me, no longer do.  I’ve stopped expecting others to give me what only God can.   To say I’ve gone much deeper with God would be true.   He has challenged me beyond my expectations and He sometimes points me in a direction I don’t want to go.  But for me obedience is the key here.  Being open to hear the whispers of God, allowing God to wake me up by giving me a Gibbs smack ( for all you NCIS fans...you get it).   

It’s amazing what happens when I allow God to deal with me.  While I’ve gone deeper than ever with Him recently, it’s still not deep enough for Him.  I have been challenged lately by God with a certain verse from the Bible.  It is extremely thought provoking and extremely challenging to me because it truly makes me question myself.   Do I really believe in Jesus Christ?   No, I mean do I seriously believe in Jesus Christ?   This is not a question to take lightly or just blow off.   The common statements like, “ I believe”, “ I go to church every Sunday “, “I was baptized as a baby”, “I listen to Christian music”, “I said the salvation prayer” can be meaningless unless you are willing to take an honest look at your life.  

James 2:19-20  You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

These verses have been constantly coming up in quite a few of the sermons I have listened to lately.   Talks about repentance, talks about changes, talks about beliefs have propelled me into this deep conversation with God that made me think seriously about my beliefs.   To hear the facts that demons believe in Jesus, shocked me.   I forgot that fact because it’s not really talked about much in church settings.  So if demons believe in Jesus and they’re in hell, I need to search my heart and my life deeply.   For me repentance is a big key factor here.   “Repent and be saved” was the preaching in biblical times but we’ve sort of missed or neglected the repentance part of that preaching.  

For me it is only through true repentance that change can begin to occur.  It is only through repentance that I can deal with my past and learn for my future.  On my knees repentance draws me to the foot of the cross and humbles me.   It is only through my repentance that I was led to do away with certain books, music, movies and TV programs.   It has only been through repentance that I have changed to be a little bit more like Christ.   Trust me I’m not where I need to be, but at least I’m not where I used to be.  

Belief is more than just a feeling, it’s action.   If we truly believe in Jesus Christ, than we need to repent daily.  We need to be honest with ourselves and allow God to remove those things that are hindering us from going deeper with Him.  

REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!!!

GETTING EVEN

Ah, the peaceful joy of a sunset warns my heart and brings peace to my crazy mind.  I love sunsets and sunrises.  I love nature.  There's something about the beginning of a day and the end of a day that calms my mind and gives me a sense of peace.  Nature can be very calming to me especially after a crazy day or before a crazy day begins.  I am a person who craves peace, I think that's why I love living on a lake.  Even when this home is full chaos and commotion, when all of our children, their spouses and our grandchildren are here, I simply glance out over the lake and feel peace.   

I also am one who doesn't like conflict or arguments.  Who does?  There are people who crave drama and arguments and conflict, in fact they seem to thrive on it.  We all know those people who have to have the  last word.  They have to prove their point and give us a piece of their mind.  They are usually very vocal, sometimes loud and even obnoxious.  They feel they're right and we're wrong and they are out to prove it.  Then there are those who have a list of wrongs we've done to them over their lifetime.  They have kept track of every wrong word, every wrong action, every single offense has been recorded in their mind to relive and to resurrect if needed.  They have the ammunition to blow us out of the water and annihilate us. They look forward to the day they can argue and fight with  us.  

Listen, I am not one of those people.  I will not apologize for it either.  But on the other side, I am not a wimp and I will not allow people to walk all over me.  Most times I like to just sit and listen while these types of people ramble on and on and on.  They may raise their voices, they may point fingers, they may get very defensive, they may even raise their fists in anger, but I like to just listen.  Why?  Well I've learned many valuable lessons in my days here on earth and one of them is hurting people hurt people.  So if someone is trying to hurt me, I do my best to try to understand their hurt and pain.  

Actually I think some people I anger more because I don't argue back or fight back.  They  expect it, they want me to get upset and angry like they are.  They want me to get defensive and live my life offended but I refuse.  I know something they don't know, they are hurting deep inside.  Their is pain in their life they haven't dealt with so they take it out on us.  When this happens we can either become victims in this stupid game or we can become victorious.  How can we come victorious?  I pray for them.  

Listen Jesus Christ prayed for those men who were in the process of killing Him.  "Father forgive them, they know not what they do."  He could have cursed them but He didn't.  He could have called legions of angels down to destroy them but He didn't.  He simply prayed for His enemies.  He calls us as believers to do the same.  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  Seriously....read it for yourselves.

Matthew 5:44  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

I do my best to try to live this way, not by my own strength and power but through the power of the Holy Spirit of God that lives in me because of my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.  Oh there are many times I fail at this so this is also a reminder to myself.  Hurting people hurt people.  So instead of cursing our enemies lets start praying for them.  Instead of getting even, love them like no one has loved them before.  What better way to get even with someone who hurt you....love them...pray for them.

CELEBRATE TODAY

Today is one of those days that seem ordinary, but it’s not.   You see there is nothing ordinary about today.   Today is a special day, heck every day we’re alive and breathing should be a special day.   Why do we only celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays?  We need to celebrate every single day!   We need to enjoy this life we have no matter what our circumstances are.   Oh I understand that circumstances can fill us with regret and bitterness but our circumstances do not have to dictate whether or not we enjoy our lives.   I know it may be difficult for some of you to understand but we have a choice each day whether or not we will enjoy this day or not.   

Every morning when we wake up we have a decision to make....will today be a good day or a bad day?   The choice is ours and it doesn’t or at least it shouldn’t depend on our current circumstances.   “Easier said than done.”   “You don’t know what I’m going through right now.”  Trust me I understand that it’s easier said than done because I’ve done it.   I chosen to wake up with a smile and enjoy my life even when my dad died.  It wasn’t easy and some days were more difficult than others but I did it.   I may not know what you’re going through but let me be honest, you have no idea what I’ve been through and still decided to enjoy my life.    Circumstances cannot dictate how we live our lives unless we allow them to.   If we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed and stressed out by what’s going on around us or in our lives, the enemy wins.   If we allow circumstances to dictate our joy, than we will be depressed and angry.   

Listen I know life is hard and it can get really ugly at times but our life is what we make of it.   If we choose to enjoy our life, if we choose to celebrate our life, if we choose to put a smile on our face, the enemy is defeated.   I know first hand how this simple choice of enjoying my life, despite of what my circumstances may be, has changed me and my life for the better.  It’s easy to make a list of everything that is wrong in our lives, it’s easy to concentrate on the problems and current circumstances.   But I challenge you to do the opposite.  Make of list of everything that is going right in our lives.   Concentrate on the blessings and the good going on in our lives and all around us.   Stop talking about all the problems.  Stop thinking about how bad our circumstances are.   Stop living with regrets and depression.    Stop thinking about what could have been, what should have been.   Choose to enjoy your day.  Celebrate today.  Smile because God loves you!

Circumstances happen, regrets come and go.   With Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior....He has already conquered the enemy.  He has already overcome the world.   With Him on our side, our circumstances cannot defeat us or overwhelm us.   Regrets are not in our vocabulary because we understand we cannot redo our past we can only learn from our past and grow and learn from it.   The we need to move on.   There is no need to live in our regrets or circumstances because He is taking us through them, we aren’t stuck.   We are called to enjoy our lives.   Jesus died for us to enjoy our life.   So today I challenge you to celebrate today.   Enjoy today.  Choose Jesus Christ and live the life He died to give you.

IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STAND

When was the last time you took a stand for something you truly believe in?  When was the last time you stood up for anything?  Now I'm not talking about protesting I'm talking about being honest about your beliefs and making them known in a loving way.  For me taking a stand at home behind closed doors is easy, but around other people it's difficult.  I don't want to offend anyone or get into an argument so I just keep my mouth shut.  Then there are times when I take a stand for something that's really not that important in the grand scheme of life.  Am I alone in this struggle?  I doubt it.  

Oh it's easy to get belligerent and start protesting about our beliefs.  It's easy to grab a picket sign and run our mouths off when we're surrounded with people who feel the same way we do, but how about when nobody agrees with us?  How about when no one listens or cares to listen to our thoughts and beliefs?  How about when we see or hear a loved one doing something or saying something we know is wrong?  Do we take a stand and voice the truth?

I look at my life and I realize I have not really taken a stand for much.  I have my beliefs, my opinions and I don't want to ruffle any tail feathers, but I think it's time I take a stand.  I'm not talking about pushing my opinions or beliefs on anyone, I'm talking about standing up and being honest about my beliefs.   Take a look at David in the Bible.  Even if you're not a believer, I'm sure you've heard the story of David and Goliath.  Everyone has.  This giant bully was being verbally abusive for 40 days.  Screaming and yelling at the Israelite's about how pathetic they were, how pitiful their God was and how they were such losers.  The Israelite's heard this for 40 days and because this giant was so big and vocal, they were afraid.  They lived in fear for 40 days.  How long have you and I lived in fear, afraid to take a stand?  How many days or should I say years, have you and I allowed the enemy, the giants in our lives to speak lies into our lives?  And we actually just sit and listen to these words hoping he will vanish into thin air?  Seriously?

1 Samuel 17:45  David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

David knew who he was and he knew who God was.  He was not angry, he did not protest or riot, he simply spoke with confidence that God was who He said He was and He'd do what He said He'd do.  David spoke in truth because he knew what God had done for him in the past.  David spoke to Goliath with faith that the Lord Almighty would deliver him from the enemy.  He knew God was with him and that God would defeat the enemy.  David knew what many of us don't, he knew the truth about God.

If God would deliver David from Goliath, don't you think He'd deliver you from the attacks of the enemies in your life?  Is there any Goliath's that are too big for our God?  If we take a stand like David did, do you think God would listen?  Where's our faith in God?  Who do we put our confidence in, God or man?  Who's truth do we listen to?  Listen I know taking a stand can be risky and even scary but if David can do it, why can't we?  David did not go around talking about his problem, Goliath, he talked to his problem about how big his God was.   We have choices in life...we can choose to speak about how big our are or we can speak to our problems about how big our God is.  Choose wisely, so will I.

IT'S TIME TO GET OVER IT

I truly believe that its time we talk about an old fashioned attitude adjustment don't you?  Our world is broken and bleeding at an alarming rate.  Blood is being shed over opinions, feelings and attitudes.   People confess things with their mouth that astounds me.  People get angry over things that seem so trivial and meaningless.  I mean in the light of eternity, does it really matter what our opinion is?  In the long run will our feelings change anyone or anything?  In looking back over our lives who does our attitudes affect?  Think about this for a moment.  Our opinion matters to no one but ourselves.  Our feelings are fickle and change constantly.  Our attitudes can propel us into a state of depression.  Who are we hurting?  Ourselves.  What or who does is change? nothing and no one.  Who is responsible for our attitude?  Look in the mirror.

I am tired of this sinful nature most people tend to live in, including many people who call themselves believers.  I am sick of people living by their feelings.  We are a broken group of human beings who need to grow up and look in the mirror instead of pointing fingers.  Get over yourself.  You are a sinner.  I am a sinner.  As such I need to constantly battle with my opinions, my feelings and my attitude.   I am responsible for my reactions, my actions and my words.  I am responsible for my feelings and my attitudes.  I cannot and will never change anyone else.  Heck I can't even change myself.  Trust me I've tried and it wasn't pretty.  My sinful nature wants me to throw pity parties and temper tantrums.  My sinful self wants to voice my opinion and argue until the cows some home and I don't even own a cow.  My sinful mind wants to be filled with anger, hatred and rage.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, my sinful nature died on the cross with Him.  My feelings can be controlled, my opinions can remain silenced, my attitudes can be changed.  My former way of life is no more.  The thing is we have to allow these changes, we need to desire these changes and we need to put on our new nature.  No one will do it for us, we need to realize that we can change by working with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to help us put on our new selves that is clothed in the righteousness and holiness of God through Jesus' death ad resurrection.  We need to become humble and less selfish.  We need to look in the mirror and get honest with ourselves as to how we are acting and reacting to our circumstances.

Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We can develop a new attitude with new feelings but it's not easy.  We have to choose love, choose peace, choose joy and choose forgiveness.  We have to get over ourselves and get rid of our old sinful nature and stop living offended lives.  I wish all of us would choose this way of living.  It's so refreshing and joyful when we learn to stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror at ourselves.  "What's wrong with me that I need to change?"  "God please help me to change, I can't change without you."