Loving the Broken

We all share a common bond. Whether it be physically, emotionally, or even spiritually, we have all had times in our life when we have been broken.  As I am starting to get out and about a little more, I have come in contact with so many of my friends who expressed how glad they were to see me doing better. I can honestly say this is one of the hardest physical tests that I have ever been through except for giving birth to my two boys. Almost every one of my friends has mentioned how hard it must have been to be confined to the chair and/or bed for so long. I would have to agree. It was hard, but there were two reasons why I didn’t go crazy. One reason was knowing that God was with me, and he would never leave me during my hard days. The second reason is the one I would like to focus on today. It is all of the love and support I received from my family, my church family, friends, and even those I didn’t know who were loving me through prayer. They were all reaching out to someone who was broken. Through these dear ones, I have seen and experienced the Love of Jesus.

Last week, I was able to participate in the block party we had in a community near our church. This is a relatively new ministry our church has become involved in the last year or so. I was struck by how many faces I have looked into and realized these people are experiencing brokenness. I am not sure if it is the times we are living in, but so many I have come in contact with lately have been hurting in some way. It is not only in our communities, but in our church pews as well. I read a quote the other day that seemed to sum up what I have been feeling. “Hurt people hurt people.” I am not sure of the author of this quote, but I can relate.  So many times during my time of recovery, I would pray that the Lord help me to speak sweetly especially on days when I was hurting. I think we fail to see that people in our communities and in our churches often speak or react to what we do out of frustration or because they are hurting. It is not always easy to love and reach out to someone who is harsh or cutting with their words, but God calls us to Love. We need Him to love through us. We need to love the broken and hurting people God has put us in contact with. Why? It is simple. God has called us to minister. Sometimes the only time someone may be open to letting the light of God’s love into their heart is during a time of brokenness. It is our chance to be the hands of God reaching out to them.

I am so glad for all those who reached out to me in my time of brokenness. I know I need to take the things I have learned during this time in my life and pass it on. I need to reach out beyond what is comfortable, and love all the ones with whom I come face to face with daily. We have all been in a place where we have been brokenhearted, broken physically etc. So we know what to do. We need to love and bind up the broken. It is what Jesus would do.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;  he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” ~Isaiah 61:1

Beautiful You

Beauty, it is something we all think about from time to time. Am I beautiful? Who thinks I am beautiful? Does my family really think of me as beautiful? In the moments of quiet reflection, Do we ask ourselves, “Does God think I am beautiful?”

As a child, When we are told we are beautiful by those who love us, we believe it with child like wonder. Then as we grow older, we may come in contact with other little girls who feel they must point out all our flaws to others, and make fun of our imperfections. Perhaps, these little ones have been called out by people who supposedly love them, or maybe they feel they must make fun of someone before someone else points out their flaws. I have encountered gals like this all through my growing up years. Although at the time they just seemed mean and spiteful, I have learned that many times people lash out because of their own insecurities. Do the angry barbs and cutting words hurt any less? No. These harsh words can, however, change your view of yourself and you begin to question your own beauty in the eyes of your family and even God’s view of you.  I can say this with personal conviction that this can happen, because for  a long time I did just that. I let the words of mean little girls permeate my heart and began to let it alter my own perception of me. In my own mind, I began to see myself as not worthy enough, and less than average. Maybe you find yourself in this place as an adult. Believe me when I tell you, you are not alone.

After a lot of soul-searching and praying for answers, I have come upon some simple truths. First, We are made in the image of God. Regardless of how we look on the outside, God formed every part of us. He knew what family characteristics we would have. Whether we looked like Mom or Dad or Grandma was all up to Him. He knew the flaws and blemishes we would have. God formed us in our mother’s wombs to be who we are today. We cannot allow the world dictate to us what beauty is when we are all made in God’s image and do not have control of the imperfections others may see. We need to look past our exterior. Earthly beauty fades. Solomon offers in Proverbs 31:30,”Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” We have to keep in mind what is most important. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Is our heart a God-fearing one?

The second truth that has become evident to me is the more I focus on the beauty of God and praise Him for who He is the less I think about me. Several times in Scripture, we are called upon to recognize the beauty of the Lord.   Psalms 27:4 is one of these, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” Also, Psalm 29:2 and 96:6,9 speak of the Lord’s beauty. We should be gals full of praise and reverence for the one who made us and trust that He has perfect knowledge and understanding of us.

In my own reflections, I have learned that inner beauty trumps outward beauty. When you see someone you think is beautiful, it’s all good till they open their mouth, and the ugly comes out. Maybe, you see someone maybe a little plainer, but when they speak their beautiful heart for God shines through their features making them more beautiful than you thought at first glance. I would definitely want to be part of the second group in this scenario.

Do you think of yourself as beautiful? You should if God is in your heart and shining brightly to the world outside!

A Month in a Whirlwind

Greetings! I just can’t believe how fast the month of October has flown by. I had many good intentions as well as thoughts to share with you, but alas my good intentions did not quite meet my opportunity. My month began with health issues which then collided with fall break and a camping trip that moved into Church activities, hunting season for my men, and another part-time job for me. Needless  to say, Life once again took the wheel, and My little corner here was shoved to the back seat.  I have been tired and so weary with everything. I do realize that when you are not feeling well it is a prime opportunity for our humanness to get in our way. I wish that I could say that I stayed on top of everything and I was upbeat throughout it all not letting my circumstances affect me in the slightest way. Unfortunately, I did not. I did try to focus on the good the Lord was allowing me to be a part of . I will say, also, that in the midst of the whirlwind blowing me to and fro, God has been there with me.

I am reminded of Elijah. He was on the run from a wicked woman, when God lead him to a cave to strengthen up. God fed him and took care of him. (I Kings 19)   He was weary, tired and felt so alone in the task of doing God’s work. He was in fact feeling sorry for himself ( Been there and done that). God had Elijah stand on the mount and sent before him a great wind, an earthquake and a great fire, yet God was not in these things. God spoke to Elijah in a quiet moment with a gentle voice. Though the world around him was shaking and seemingly being torn apart by several different things, Elijah heard God in a still small voice. God talked to him, and while getting Elijah to recognize where he was and what he was doing, God encouraged him in the journey that he was about to take.  In the verses to follow this story, we also see God gave him some help in the person of Elisha. Even though at times we might feel alone in our journey, God is always there, and many times sends us someone to encourage and uplift us as we step out in faith again following Him.

So as one Whirlwind, may have passed for the moment, there will be more ahead.  As we enter the month of Thanksgiving, I know that God will continue to hold my hand no matter what may come across my path. I am thankful that God is a powerful ally. Be encouraged, dear friend, He will never leave us. Strength for the journey is available in Christ. So as you face the whirlwinds around you, be sure to take a quiet moment and listen for His voice. It is the sweetest sound in the world.

Sweet Wisdom

I called home from the office knowing that in a little while I would be heading out to the grocery store. I wanted to double-check with the family to see if there was anything they needed to add to my list.  While chatting with my youngest son, I asked, “Is there anything you need?”  To which he enthusiasticly replied,”Oreos!” Now what 13-year-old really needs Oreo cookies? Apparently, mine does! He was craving a sweet bite. Can’t say that I blame him to much because often enough I crave a sweet bite too.  We have to face cravings in life every day. We often crave things that are not good for us. Now I know that I shouldn’t have gone there should I?    Here you were hoping to be uplifted today then I started messing with your “Oreos”.  My own healthy eating plan has had its ups and downs so I am speaking today merely as a student of this, not the master. God gave me a nugget of truth today so I thought I would pass it along. God does have a ”Sweet bite” He wants us to crave.  Are you ready?

In my devotions, Proverbs 24:13-14 grabbed my attention. It reads,”My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.” It never ceases to amaze me how God speaks to me through his Word. It not because I have a special gift, I’m just His child.  If you are a son or daughter of the King then you have the same access to Him. God has a special portion available for you today. Dive in His Word, and find out what  He wants to say to you. In the verses above, God wants us to crave wisdom. He wants us to go after it as someone goes after something sweet. When the craving hits, you just have got to have it. Why don’t you go for it? Get in God’s Word, and search it out. Proverbs 3:15 speaks of wisdom in this way, ”She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.” The desires and cravings we face are not to be compared to wisdom. Wisdom is a precious commodity. We need it!

Not only do we need wisdom, but it is also good for us. Often the things that I crave do not have good nutritional value. When faced with temptations, do verses come to my mind that help me? When I need comfort and direction in trials, does the Holy Spirit guide me to biblical truth? Wisdom is the key. The more wisdom I have the better it is for me when I am faced with the daily tribulations. The more I hide God’s Word in my heart, the more wisdom I have access to.

The Last sweet morsel of Proverbs 24:14 to me is, “thy expectation shall not be cut off.” I will never be disappointed in going after wisdom. The more I dig deeper into God’s Word, the more wisdom I will receive. This should be a daily challenge for me. Every day I should strive to learn more about God. There is great reward in gathering sweet wisdom.

My prayer is to crave more of Him than anything else!

This Is The Day

I got up this morning and wiped the sleep from my eyes. I began to reflect on the day and what it had in store for me today. I do this every day, yet today holds new significance. Today things have changed. I like change for the most part. It brings variety to life. There is some change I find harder to deal with than others. As I prayed, the Lord brought this verse to my mind. “This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”   The words are true for yesterday, today and tomorrow. He wrote this verse many years ago, and it is still holds a special place for me today. I can choose to rejoice.  

We can choose to rejoice in our Creator, the one who made the day brand new (Genesis 1:31).  We can rejoice in our Savior, the one who brought us out of the pit of sin and established us on the clear and right path (John 17:13). We can rejoice in our Healer, the one who can heal the heart, body, and land we live in (John 16:24). We can rejoice in our God, the one who is ever faithful and will surround us with his love and protection (1 Peter 1:8). God knows every intimate detail of my daily life. He knows and cares what is going on with me this very minute. I need to trust Him and follow Him.

We do not have to let the circumstances of the day steal our joy. Our happiness can be swayed by circumstances and so often does. Our joy should not be affected by the winds of change. It is deep within us placed there by our Heavenly Father. We need to bask in the joy of our salvation, delight in His Word, immerse ourselves in prayer, and glory in day that He has made.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness…”  ~ Isaiah 61:10

Surprise, Surprise!

Have you ever thought that you knew something for a certainty only to have it be totally different than what you thought? Surely you have experienced this wonderful thing called, “Surprise”. Let me explain my latest “surprise” moment.

 

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you will know that we have quite the cat population dwelling among us. We have had a lot of success when it comes to producing a small herd only to give them away before the next herd comes along. Marshmallow, the mother of all cats in this neck of the woods, had a litter of several and we kept one of the boy cats whom we affectionately call Mocha. Then, with the last litter we kept another boy cat who we call Tom rounding out our kittys to a nice manageable number. Last week we noticed that once again Marshmallow was looking fuller than usual. Here we go again. On Saturday morning, Glen, our youngest, came running in and said he found 4 kittens on the porch. Marshmallow came running up also looking her usual thin self. Wow! We fixed up a bed for them and made them nice and cozy. I went back inside to cook breakfast. In a few minutes, Glen came back in and shouted, “Mocha is laying down with the kittens and trying to feed them! That is so weird.” Weird indeed.  Our sweet little boy cat is actually a sweet little girl cat. Mocha (pictured above) is a new mommy! When the realization set in, I realized that we have 7 cats that we know of, and probably some more that Marshmallow has had at another location. Our cat explosion has reached new heights. I couldn’t have been more surprised.

So often in our lives, we are caught by surprise when we least expect it. Our lives are turned upside down by circumstances. How we choose to react to these surprising moments show us what we are made of! Abraham had quite a few surprises in his life. First, Abraham was called by God to follow Him to a place where Abraham did not know where he was going. (Genesis 12)  Later, God told Abraham that he was to have a son in his old age with his wife who was beyond the childbearing years. (Genesis 21)  After that, God asked Abraham to take his beloved son of promise up a mountain and sacrifice him to God. (Genesis 22)   In each instance, Abraham showed us his character in following God, but Abraham also showed us a great faith in the one who had created him. Though we are often surprised by the events that take place in our lives, God is never taken by surprise. He has a divine plan for each of us. God takes us to places we never expected to go in order to teach us.  God will show to us the most amazing things when we simply follow His leading as Abraham did. In these times when God surprises us with something He does, may the strength of our character be revealed to us and may our faith in a great God be seen by those around us.

Hey, anybody want a kitten? Just pay $9.95 shipping and handling and surprise the one you love the most!!!!   (Just Kidding!)

Wanting It All…

In my quest to get ready to leave town for a few days, I called a good friend and asked her to feed my cats. Being the good pet owner that I am (hehe), I bought a large, brand new bag of cat food to make sure Marshmallow, Mocha, and Tom had all that they needed and would not run out of food. I put it up on the barbecue grill to await my friend who will be stopping by tomorrow. I finished my packing and “hit the hay”. Much to my chagrin, this morning I walked out on my  porch to find a large, brand new bag of cat food on the floor. They still had food in their bowl yet they had managed to knock it off the grill and eat a hole not only in the bag, but also all the way through it. When I held the bag up for a look, I saw my neighbors through the hole in the bag. Crazy Cats!

I think sometimes I find myself in the same predicament. I want what I want when I want it, not being content with what I already have at my disposal.  I can’t help but wonder if I am alone in this. All throughout the Bible there is verse upon verse on contentment. This could be because the Lord knew this would be a weakness in us. After all, didn’t Adam and Eve have the Garden of Eden at their finger tips to use and consume? They chose however to go after the one thing that they could not have, “The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”. (Genesis 3) In His Word, God gives us several powerful verses for us to use to combat discontentment.

Paul said it best in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: but I have learned that whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Paul knew what it was like to want something. I think of the ailment he experienced with his eyesight, and how he asked the Lord to remove it three times. When God did not, Paul chose with God’s help to be content. He speaks of contentment as something that he had to learn to do. The state of being content is just like anything else; we have to work at it daily. When we constantly focus on the things that we do not have or own rather than the things that we have, we can grow discontent in our lives. It is a daily decision to be thankful and content.

In I Timothy 6:6-8, we read, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing in this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” I think the second thing we need to realize is that nothing that we have is ours to being with. Our possessions are blessings from God. All that we have in this life is given to us by God. How often have you seen someone accumulate so much and it is lost to a fire or flood? To cultivate contentment we need to realize our things are just things, and all things belong to God. In Psalm 8 and 24, we read how “earth is the Lord’s and all that dwell therein”. When we begin to look at what we have from God’s point of view, we see how our focus will change from “the things we possess” to the “God of all possessions”.

Thirdly, Contentment can be achieved because of who we have, Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 13:5 reads, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” We should not sit around and talk over our possessions. Such as, “This person has this and this, wouldn’t that be nice to have.” Too much of this can lead to coveting what someone else has. I think in this verse Christ is saying to us, “You are not alone. You have me. The wealth of my kingdom is for your use. Let me give to you the things that you need, and be content with what I choose to give you. No matter what I choose for you, I will be with you through it all. I will be your constant companion.”

To many times we fall in the trap of discontentment. May we all rely on the one who began us in this life and will be with us no matter what we have. May we all trust Him to know what is best for us. Remember, When we have Christ, we truly have it all.

A Heart of Thanksgiving

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,

Thanks for all You do provide,

Thanks for times now but a memory,

Thanks for Jesus by my side,

Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,

Thanks for dark and dreary fall,

Thanks for tears by  now forgotten,

Thanks for peace within my soul,

Thanks for prayers that You have answered.

Thanks for prayers You do deny,

Thanks for storms that I have weathered,

Thanks for pains, and thanks for pleasure,

Thanks for comfort in despair,

Thanks for grace that none can measure,

Thanks for love beyond compare,

Thanks for roses by the wayside,

Thanks for thorns their stems contain,

Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,

Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain,

Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,

Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee,

Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,

Thanks through all eternity.

–Author Unknown

When was the last time we just took a moment and said, “Thanks”.

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God… I Thessalonians 1:18 

When you need a Word…

As a child, my parents, Sunday school teachers, and pastors have encouraged me to pursue Scripture memorization.  One of the highlights of my young years was going to a Bible Club every Wednesday in the next neighborhood over from ours. We were taught stories from God’s Word, and lessons on how to follow Jesus. We were taught the plan of Salvation through the verses of the Romans Road (Romans 3:10; 3:23; 5:8; 5:12; 9:10-13).  Scripture Memory was emphasized every week. We were sent home with a cookie and a Scripture verse on a piece of paper to learn for the next week. One of the first verses I learned was Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against God.”  I also learned Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” They even offered a complete camp scholarship if you learned 300 verses of Scripture. I was encouraged to go for it. I am so glad I had people in my life to encourage me in the study and memorization of God’s Word.

It is because of these early experiences that I am blessed today. There have been times in my life when I needed a word from the Lord. The things we face in this life can catch us off guard and circumstances can overwhelm  us to the breaking point. Have you ever been in a situation where you needed a word from the Lord and your Bible was either in the car or back at home? This is where the Lord began to bring verses of Scripture to my mind when I needed them most. Sometimes it was just a phrase or two of a verse, but a phrase is often sufficient when in tribulation.  I was reminded of this again when I was sitting at my desk quite overwhelmed with a problem, and I found myself really scared. I prayed to the Lord for help, and in an instant the Scripture came, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” Over and over on that day, when thoughts of fear came, the phrase remained. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” How thankful I am that He is willing to speak to me where ever I am with words of comfort from His Holy Word.

The Word of God is more than just a book. It is a living testament of a Holy God reaching down to man. The promises are endless. The words are true. God has given to us a guide on how to live this life. We, as a follower of Christ, need to follow his teaching wholeheartedly.  Pehaps you would like to  know more of the word of God. Take one or two verses per week and commit them to memory. You may think that one or two verses a week is not much, but as time goes by you will know more and more the heart of God, and when you least expect it, He will bring to mind a verse that will give you what you need for that moment.  You can ask the Lord to guide you and He will. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know many verses from memory, you can start today. I am glad that God is willing to take us right where we are and move us forward. He does that just because He can, just because He is God.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Things To Count On…

As a housewife, I can always count on a few things. Stocks will rise and fall. The ozone layer will probably let more bad stuff in. Global warming will be on the rise.  Summertime in Georgia will be scorching hot. Dirty dishes and laundry will always be the biggest plies in the house.

Since baseball season has begun, I have spent less time at home than I normally would spend. Glen is in the County’s 9-10 year old league, and Clay is in the County’s 11-12 year old league so scheduling, between practice and games, has been a challenge. During this time of year the dish and laundry plies have grown and I have struggled to keep up. In my effort to start fresh this morning I was dish washing before I had to go to work.  As I was washing  one of my glasses, I heard a pop and felt a burning sensation in my thumb…the glass broke and I saw red. The glass sliced the top part of my thumb. The funny thing was when I first picked up the glass I didn’t see a crack in it. Cracks are usually the first thing I look for in a glass. If it has a crack in it, I go ahead and put it aside to keep this very thing  from happening. The only thing I can figure is the pressure of the cleaning process caused the glass to fracture.

Pressure is something we deal with on a daily basis in our lives.  Pressure to make choices, or to do this or that is present whether we want it to be or not. If we say we don’t have stress and pressure in our lives we are living in denial. The pressure will always be there. What we need to do is to find out what causes the pressure in our life and focus on the best way to deal with it. 

Some pressure we bring on ourselves. At times I find, I am my own worst enemy. Taking on to many things at one time will up our stress level. Yes, sometimes it is very hard to say, “No” to someone because 90% of the time the things others ask you to do are “good” things. We must remember to pray and ask the Lord, “Is this the best thing for me right now?” I find that when I fail to pray about what I should do, I often take on too much then I end up popping and lashing out at the ones I love.

Some pressure and stress will come when we know we have not done the right thing and God is trying to clean us up on the inside. We sin and are stained on the inside. We need the cleansing that only God can do. The cleaning up of the heart is not pleasant. It requires scrubbing and getting in all the small places inside.  No one that I know of will want to drink out of a glass that  has spots on the inside. We can’t explain the dirt and grime away by saying, “It really isn’t that dirty; I cleaned up that glass last week.” The cleaning process must happen for us to be pleasing to God. Sometimes the spots can only be seen by holding it up to the light of God’s Word. We must confess to Him our sin and ask to be made clean. He who knows us the best sees the stains and knows the best way to take care of it. Relying on Him and placing our lives in His hands is our only option.

Pressure can be lessened when we put ourselves in God’s hands. He always knows just what to do. In his hands, I find cleansing, rest, and comfort. Healing is available when we pop and fracture. He is the only one who can put it all back together again and make it stronger as if the fracture never occurred. It is God shining in us and through us that will testify of a life, not free from the pressures of this life, but of one who lets the power and the light of God shine forth in the midst of adverse circumstances.

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 

–2 Corinthians 4:6-7

When the pressure and stress of this life is overwhelming, I can count on my Heavenly Father for He holds me in His Hands.