Deuteronomy 7:22) And the Lord your God will clear out those nations before you, little by little; you may not consume them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase among you.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could battle Satan once and be done? The theme of my devotional book is taking part in the battle of the mind. It is a fact that with Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection Satan was defeated. Satan knows he is ultimately beaten but his goal is to take as many down with him as he can. Because I have the Holy Spirit in me I have a spot in heaven, but that does not mean Satan won't try to make me miserable. So even though I have the ultimate victory I still have to take on each one of Satan's attacks. Thanks to God I don't have to do it alone!
The secret of living a victorious Christian life is to move ahead little by little. My friend Kristin often reminds me to take one day at a time. The same proves to be true for our battles. We must take them one at a time relishing in each and every victory. It is crucial to relish in each victory and thank God. God's grace is always available to us when we aren't so victorious. Either way we have much to be thankful for.
Let's visit the Israelites again. The Promised Land was a beautiful and fertile land. To top that off it was theirs, their inheritance. It was promised to them. It had fallen into the wrong hands for, oh say 400 years! Even though the Promised Land was theirs they had to fight for it. The same goes for us now. My inheritance is spiritual freedom yet I have to battle for each victory. Little by little I attain freedom from mental strongholds. Just like the Israelites it is up to us to take what is rightfully ours. It will never be easy. He never said it would be, but He did say He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).
I think the principle that God establishes with the Israelites is a very important one to hold on to. They had to fight for every inch. Their land was full of foreigners and beasts yet God was always there to assist them. They didn't go in and in one fell swoop have victory. Deuteronomy 7:22 says it came little by little.
Life with the Lord is much more exciting when we take each day one at a time, each battle one at a time, and every victory one at a time. We are able to see his constant sustenance. I encourage you to inch forward little by little basking in the Light as He holds your hand in each step and gives you a high five with each victory.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Promised Land or Bust!
Deuteronomy 1:6-8) You have dwelt long enough on this mountain. Turn and take up your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites...Behold I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to you fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them.
God allowed the Israelites to be afflicted and to have difficult times. God knew they had dwelt long enough in the spiritual and physical trials of the wilderness and wanted them to move on. He knew when His people had enough and it proves true for us now.
The Israelites took 40 years to make an 11day journey. They wanted to return to Egypt because of the great food and comfort. They seemed to forget they were slaves in Egypt. We get comfortable in our miserable situations. I fear the unknown often. Implementing change sure can be hard.
I am going to share something personal with you. I used to not sleep very much and struggled with mind numbing fatigue. Most days the fatigue was so strong I could barely see straight. After living this way for many years I became comfortable in it. I learned to accept it yet deep down I longed for restful sleep and energy. I would get scared at times because I wouldn't know what to do with energy. Before you label me as crazy I challenge you to do some self-evaluation and see if you can relate somehow.
God doesn't want us comfortable, but holy. He doesn't specifically desire me to be uncomfortable. He does want me to grow spiritually despite my misery. God pushed the Israelites to the Promised Land. In the wilderness God had delivered everything they needed and they still weren't content. Goes to show you that having more "stuff" isn't the key. Our attitude is the key. The Israelites were never satisfied. They looked back at their time in Egypt with rose colored glasses.
"They had seen God's deliverance in the past, but they weren't ready for it in the present," says Joyce Meyer. Yes! This describes me! I used to think I would never ever be healed from chronic insomnia. I would always dread bed time. The mountain seemed far too big. Slowly but surely God gave me some relief. Now I actually can sleep most of the time! It's a miracle to me! I will still have a night of poor sleep here and there, but they no longer bother me as much because I know the next night will be better. There are a few things I am still dealing with as I continue on my journey to hormonal wellness. They look similar to that mountain that was insomnia. I am having trouble believing deliverance will be mine yet God has been very clear with me that it will be...eventually. I am afraid to believe for it. My vision is cloudy just like the Israelites was. Their comfort in the wilderness was partly from a lack of vision for the future.
If you are unhappy with something in your life do something to change it. Don't be okay with the wilderness. God has more for you just like He did His ancient people. When I think of myself I am not in a bad situation now that I want or need to change. I am not in a bad relationship or bad job for example, but I am at a mountain nonetheless. My wilderness is in my fear to hope I will get better. Stepping out and grabbing on to the belief God will change this is scary to me. I am used to where I am at. Stepping out also involves putting my heart on the line and refusing to live in self-preservation mode any longer. Let us not be comfortable in our misery. Regardless if the battle is one with another person or a mental stronghold like mine let's get brave. Step out in faith and head for the Promised Land!
If God has shown you something you need to change or has shown you He desires you to be somewhere else He will give you every resource to accomplish it. Pray that He will help cast off the wilderness mentality. Remember in Him we are more than conquerors! Please lift me up in prayer also. Pray that I will not be afraid to hope. I want a Biblical hope and not a worldly one. Biblical hope is a confident expectation. I have never done this before, but feel lead at this moment. If you need prayer for anything please message me and let me know!
God allowed the Israelites to be afflicted and to have difficult times. God knew they had dwelt long enough in the spiritual and physical trials of the wilderness and wanted them to move on. He knew when His people had enough and it proves true for us now.
The Israelites took 40 years to make an 11day journey. They wanted to return to Egypt because of the great food and comfort. They seemed to forget they were slaves in Egypt. We get comfortable in our miserable situations. I fear the unknown often. Implementing change sure can be hard.
I am going to share something personal with you. I used to not sleep very much and struggled with mind numbing fatigue. Most days the fatigue was so strong I could barely see straight. After living this way for many years I became comfortable in it. I learned to accept it yet deep down I longed for restful sleep and energy. I would get scared at times because I wouldn't know what to do with energy. Before you label me as crazy I challenge you to do some self-evaluation and see if you can relate somehow.
God doesn't want us comfortable, but holy. He doesn't specifically desire me to be uncomfortable. He does want me to grow spiritually despite my misery. God pushed the Israelites to the Promised Land. In the wilderness God had delivered everything they needed and they still weren't content. Goes to show you that having more "stuff" isn't the key. Our attitude is the key. The Israelites were never satisfied. They looked back at their time in Egypt with rose colored glasses.
"They had seen God's deliverance in the past, but they weren't ready for it in the present," says Joyce Meyer. Yes! This describes me! I used to think I would never ever be healed from chronic insomnia. I would always dread bed time. The mountain seemed far too big. Slowly but surely God gave me some relief. Now I actually can sleep most of the time! It's a miracle to me! I will still have a night of poor sleep here and there, but they no longer bother me as much because I know the next night will be better. There are a few things I am still dealing with as I continue on my journey to hormonal wellness. They look similar to that mountain that was insomnia. I am having trouble believing deliverance will be mine yet God has been very clear with me that it will be...eventually. I am afraid to believe for it. My vision is cloudy just like the Israelites was. Their comfort in the wilderness was partly from a lack of vision for the future.
If you are unhappy with something in your life do something to change it. Don't be okay with the wilderness. God has more for you just like He did His ancient people. When I think of myself I am not in a bad situation now that I want or need to change. I am not in a bad relationship or bad job for example, but I am at a mountain nonetheless. My wilderness is in my fear to hope I will get better. Stepping out and grabbing on to the belief God will change this is scary to me. I am used to where I am at. Stepping out also involves putting my heart on the line and refusing to live in self-preservation mode any longer. Let us not be comfortable in our misery. Regardless if the battle is one with another person or a mental stronghold like mine let's get brave. Step out in faith and head for the Promised Land!
If God has shown you something you need to change or has shown you He desires you to be somewhere else He will give you every resource to accomplish it. Pray that He will help cast off the wilderness mentality. Remember in Him we are more than conquerors! Please lift me up in prayer also. Pray that I will not be afraid to hope. I want a Biblical hope and not a worldly one. Biblical hope is a confident expectation. I have never done this before, but feel lead at this moment. If you need prayer for anything please message me and let me know!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I Can't Help It!
Deuteronomy 30:19) I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set worth before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.
This verse encourages us to choose life. What exactly does that mean? It means that we have a responsibility in our decision making. I can make decisions that promote life specifically a godly life. I am to judge myself in which way I should go. Should I do this or that? My responsibility ends at judging myself. This verse is not telling me to judge others, but rather myself only. By choosing life I am deciding to follow the Lord. My descendants depend on my decisions that I make now. I thought a little background into the above verse would be helpful.
Saying, "I can't help it," is the easy way out. It takes real courage to take responsibility for the actions that are not beneficial to us and the Kingdom of God. God lays on our heart these behaviors. Joyce Meyer says in today's study, "issues buried alive never die." I like that! They always resurface and usually they have grown. Joyce talks very candidly about the abuse she suffered as a child and teenager. She said she lived many years bitter and angry because of the abuse she endured. She felt she was entitled to feel anyway she wanted and act anyway she wanted because of the abuse she suffered. She stuffed her pain. It wasn't until she got brave enough to unbury her pain and allow God to heal her with His healing balm that she truly began to live. Joyce's story is amazing.
While most of us have never had to endure that kind of abuse we all have issues that cause pain. Joyce said her mind had to change before her life could. What I think about is mostly influenced by my experiences and let's face it, negative ones seem to stick in our minds. I do not have to accept what falls into my head. We are called to take every thought captive in 2 Corinthians 10:5. It takes no effort to think rotten thoughts or to dwell on the bad that has been done to us. It takes great effort and discipline to keep our minds on a short leash. He wants us to deal with our issues and what is in our minds. We can help what we think about. Joyce says she only began to be free when she took responsibility for her thoughts.
At times I have been in bondage in my mind. My battle has been very personally because it is a physical ailment that follows me everywhere I go. It seems impossible to not dwell on it. This is a lie. After all the Bible says, 'with God all things are possible." Please see Matthew 19:26. I can't help it, but God and I can help it together!
There are two ways in which I have learned to counteract bad thinking. Please understand that I am yet to arrive and I'm in the same battle you are. We just have to keep on fighting for right thinking. Joyce speaks of similar ways to counteract rotten thinking in her books an sermons.
1. Know Scripture. The only way to counteract Satan's lies is with the Word of God. Memorizing Scripture is crucial. There are different ways of doing this. Beth Moore makes great prayer cards that have specific verses for specific problems. I read these to Eli often. It's never too early to be filling your child's head with good. A battle binder is also helpful. Get a small flip binder and fill it with passages that speak to you personally. When you feel fearful, uneasy, etc. flip open your battle binder. Keep it in your car or purse. Post-Its are helpful also. Just jot down a verse or two and place it on your kitchen cabinet, fridge, or anywhere else.
We are all addicted to our phones, right? I have the You Version app on my phone so Scripture is just a touch away. Just last week I was waiting at the doctor's office. I have trouble with anxiety over these appointments which is weird because I have only been to what seems like 500 of them. Usually I will grab a magazine and flip though aimlessly or read Facebook or Pinterest. I am trying to distract myself with nonsense. How many articles can we read on banishing belly fat or how great the lives are of celebrities? I put down the magazine and decided to fill my head with real goodness. It took discipline.
2. It sounds cliche, but counting blessings helps keep the focus on the positive. I don't mean the obvious blessings like a safe house, trustworthy car, healthy children, plenty of food, etc. While it is good to count those blessings that is not what I am referring to here. I challenge you to get deeper. I have found that when I specifically think about the positive that has come from the trial my thinking changes. If you have not already read my entry title, "Moving Through the Muck" please do so. It lists specifics on the good that has come through my situation. Again this takes discipline because we often don't usually feel any good or see any for that matter.
In closing, I encourage you to try my recommendations and see what happens. It may be painful as you dig up some of those buried issues, but the freedom will be worth it. We can control what we think about. If we fill our minds with God's goodness than we are not sitting ducks to the constant barrage on our minds. We must be purposeful in our thinking. When I experience a victory like controlling my thinking better I sense Satan's disappointment and I like that!
This verse encourages us to choose life. What exactly does that mean? It means that we have a responsibility in our decision making. I can make decisions that promote life specifically a godly life. I am to judge myself in which way I should go. Should I do this or that? My responsibility ends at judging myself. This verse is not telling me to judge others, but rather myself only. By choosing life I am deciding to follow the Lord. My descendants depend on my decisions that I make now. I thought a little background into the above verse would be helpful.
Saying, "I can't help it," is the easy way out. It takes real courage to take responsibility for the actions that are not beneficial to us and the Kingdom of God. God lays on our heart these behaviors. Joyce Meyer says in today's study, "issues buried alive never die." I like that! They always resurface and usually they have grown. Joyce talks very candidly about the abuse she suffered as a child and teenager. She said she lived many years bitter and angry because of the abuse she endured. She felt she was entitled to feel anyway she wanted and act anyway she wanted because of the abuse she suffered. She stuffed her pain. It wasn't until she got brave enough to unbury her pain and allow God to heal her with His healing balm that she truly began to live. Joyce's story is amazing.
While most of us have never had to endure that kind of abuse we all have issues that cause pain. Joyce said her mind had to change before her life could. What I think about is mostly influenced by my experiences and let's face it, negative ones seem to stick in our minds. I do not have to accept what falls into my head. We are called to take every thought captive in 2 Corinthians 10:5. It takes no effort to think rotten thoughts or to dwell on the bad that has been done to us. It takes great effort and discipline to keep our minds on a short leash. He wants us to deal with our issues and what is in our minds. We can help what we think about. Joyce says she only began to be free when she took responsibility for her thoughts.
At times I have been in bondage in my mind. My battle has been very personally because it is a physical ailment that follows me everywhere I go. It seems impossible to not dwell on it. This is a lie. After all the Bible says, 'with God all things are possible." Please see Matthew 19:26. I can't help it, but God and I can help it together!
There are two ways in which I have learned to counteract bad thinking. Please understand that I am yet to arrive and I'm in the same battle you are. We just have to keep on fighting for right thinking. Joyce speaks of similar ways to counteract rotten thinking in her books an sermons.
1. Know Scripture. The only way to counteract Satan's lies is with the Word of God. Memorizing Scripture is crucial. There are different ways of doing this. Beth Moore makes great prayer cards that have specific verses for specific problems. I read these to Eli often. It's never too early to be filling your child's head with good. A battle binder is also helpful. Get a small flip binder and fill it with passages that speak to you personally. When you feel fearful, uneasy, etc. flip open your battle binder. Keep it in your car or purse. Post-Its are helpful also. Just jot down a verse or two and place it on your kitchen cabinet, fridge, or anywhere else.
We are all addicted to our phones, right? I have the You Version app on my phone so Scripture is just a touch away. Just last week I was waiting at the doctor's office. I have trouble with anxiety over these appointments which is weird because I have only been to what seems like 500 of them. Usually I will grab a magazine and flip though aimlessly or read Facebook or Pinterest. I am trying to distract myself with nonsense. How many articles can we read on banishing belly fat or how great the lives are of celebrities? I put down the magazine and decided to fill my head with real goodness. It took discipline.
2. It sounds cliche, but counting blessings helps keep the focus on the positive. I don't mean the obvious blessings like a safe house, trustworthy car, healthy children, plenty of food, etc. While it is good to count those blessings that is not what I am referring to here. I challenge you to get deeper. I have found that when I specifically think about the positive that has come from the trial my thinking changes. If you have not already read my entry title, "Moving Through the Muck" please do so. It lists specifics on the good that has come through my situation. Again this takes discipline because we often don't usually feel any good or see any for that matter.
In closing, I encourage you to try my recommendations and see what happens. It may be painful as you dig up some of those buried issues, but the freedom will be worth it. We can control what we think about. If we fill our minds with God's goodness than we are not sitting ducks to the constant barrage on our minds. We must be purposeful in our thinking. When I experience a victory like controlling my thinking better I sense Satan's disappointment and I like that!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
His Strength and Not Mine
Zechariah 4:6b) Not by might, nor by power, but My Spirit...says the Lord of hosts.
My major weapon against Satan is to cry out to God for help. Willpower will not work. I do not have enough willpower to keep my mind on track. I have struggled to admit I can't do it alone. A humble person draws near to God.
My problems seem so small compared to others. I saw firsthand the result of a doctor looking into a person's eyes and saying, "You have cancer. We can start treatment immediately, but it probably will not work. You have three to six months to live with treatment." Now that is a problem. A person losing their job when they have mouths to feed at home. That is another big problem. It is true that it is important to keep things in perspective, but I also believe it is a lie of Satan to tell us our problems do not matter or are not that big.
I remember talking to my BFF Jessica about some things I was going through. Like normal we were working out together at the gym! I apologized for sharing because they weren't really that big of a deal compared to other things happening in the world. I will never forget what she said. Jessica simply said, "they are big to you." I have never forgotten her saying that. Trials and tribulations are different for every person and we should never judge or measure anothers problems.
He cares for every part of our lives. He is waiting for me to humble myself and ask for help. I have gotten better at being too proud to ask for help. Now it is a matter of remembering to ask for help and not go immediately to my own reasoning and understanding of the issue. Bad habits die hard I suppose. I first have to believe He really cares about my problems before I cry out to Him. Be honest with yourself for a minute here. Do you REALLY know He cares for you when your going through a horrible time? I will be honest with you...I do not believe this all the time. How can I lean on someone who doesn't care. Getting that issue ironed out in your heart is crucial. I am getting quicker at recognizing when I am struggling with this and I go immediately to the Lord with it. It really is an ongoing battle to keep this straight and keep my perspective Biblicaly grounded. Satan places the thought in my head that my problems do not matter to God and that He does not really care. If He did how could He allow such terrible things to happen in the first place?! I can hear the Satanic attacks as I type. Satan is active! When I grab on to the thoughts and believe them I will not ask God for help. He's not really trustworthy anyway so why ask Him for help is what I ask myself. When I am reeling like this I am isolated and I am right where Satan wants me.
What have I got to lose by asking God for help? Just the other day I felt awful (physically) and cried out to God for help to get through the day. I know He ultimately is the only one that can help me. It is only by His strength that I can make it thought my trials because in my own strength I would have given up long ago.
I am reminded today to keep crying out to Him. Yesterday I was encouraged to not quit doing good (Galatians 6:9). Today I am encouraged to continue to humble myself by asking for help from the only Person that can truly help me. I will push through doubts and call out to God.
My major weapon against Satan is to cry out to God for help. Willpower will not work. I do not have enough willpower to keep my mind on track. I have struggled to admit I can't do it alone. A humble person draws near to God.
My problems seem so small compared to others. I saw firsthand the result of a doctor looking into a person's eyes and saying, "You have cancer. We can start treatment immediately, but it probably will not work. You have three to six months to live with treatment." Now that is a problem. A person losing their job when they have mouths to feed at home. That is another big problem. It is true that it is important to keep things in perspective, but I also believe it is a lie of Satan to tell us our problems do not matter or are not that big.
I remember talking to my BFF Jessica about some things I was going through. Like normal we were working out together at the gym! I apologized for sharing because they weren't really that big of a deal compared to other things happening in the world. I will never forget what she said. Jessica simply said, "they are big to you." I have never forgotten her saying that. Trials and tribulations are different for every person and we should never judge or measure anothers problems.
He cares for every part of our lives. He is waiting for me to humble myself and ask for help. I have gotten better at being too proud to ask for help. Now it is a matter of remembering to ask for help and not go immediately to my own reasoning and understanding of the issue. Bad habits die hard I suppose. I first have to believe He really cares about my problems before I cry out to Him. Be honest with yourself for a minute here. Do you REALLY know He cares for you when your going through a horrible time? I will be honest with you...I do not believe this all the time. How can I lean on someone who doesn't care. Getting that issue ironed out in your heart is crucial. I am getting quicker at recognizing when I am struggling with this and I go immediately to the Lord with it. It really is an ongoing battle to keep this straight and keep my perspective Biblicaly grounded. Satan places the thought in my head that my problems do not matter to God and that He does not really care. If He did how could He allow such terrible things to happen in the first place?! I can hear the Satanic attacks as I type. Satan is active! When I grab on to the thoughts and believe them I will not ask God for help. He's not really trustworthy anyway so why ask Him for help is what I ask myself. When I am reeling like this I am isolated and I am right where Satan wants me.
What have I got to lose by asking God for help? Just the other day I felt awful (physically) and cried out to God for help to get through the day. I know He ultimately is the only one that can help me. It is only by His strength that I can make it thought my trials because in my own strength I would have given up long ago.
I am reminded today to keep crying out to Him. Yesterday I was encouraged to not quit doing good (Galatians 6:9). Today I am encouraged to continue to humble myself by asking for help from the only Person that can truly help me. I will push through doubts and call out to God.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Keep On Keepin' On
I have to start out by letting you all know in the time I did not have a laptop I switched Bible study guides. I needed a change and God lead me to a great study based on Joyce Meyer's book Battlefield of the Mind. So you will notice a different format and theme to my blog entries. I hope you enjoy them!
So my daily E-mail devotion today was on being thankful and not complaining. I was up for the challenge to not complain about anything for one day. That was the action plan in my devotion. There are a few things I really wanted to complain about! The other devotion I read on my You Version Bible had a similar title, "Pray and Give Thanks." I am thinking God wanted to teach me something!
It is easy to complain. There does not even have to be big things to complain about. I challenge you to go through one day without complaining. I even challenge you to take it a step further and actually thank Him for the good, bad and ugly. Remember through trials come depth of character, patience, an increase of faith, among many other wonderful things. Heck, since we already went one stop further let's go another. I challenge you (and myself) to also not let your mind be unthankful and complaint-filled. Proverbs 23: reads, "For as he thinks in his heart, so he is."
Galatians 6:9) And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Today's title has been one of my theme's for many years now. The verse in Galatians has also been very important to me. I have mentioned it in other blogs, the concept of continuing to move in the right direction even when it appears nothing is changing. There have been times when I have grown very wearing of doing the right things. Stack this on top of intense insomnia and that makes for someone who desperately wants to quit. Deep down I know that quitting is not an option and Galatians 6:9 offers a wonderful promise to those who act nobly and righteous. The promise is He will lift you up.
I think of my two devotions this morning and compare them to today's Bible study. How do they relate? I took on the challenge to be thankful for everything today and to not utter a word of complaint. Generally speaking I am not a Debbie Downer, but we can all improve. My struggle is in dealing with my health issues. That is where I can be unthankful and full of complaints. Today I put focus on the good that has come out of my health issues down to the smallest detail. Did my world move? Did I see angels? Did my health issue miraculously disappear? Did my attitude instantly and permanently change? No. I am clinging to the promises in Galatians 6:9.
I firmly believe the Holy Spirit laid the principles on my heart today and I intend to grab on to them. I believe the more I listen and obey God the more treasures He gives me. My mom always said it took 30 days to break a habit. Of course, like usual, she was referring to a horse, but the concept is well known and accepted. After 30 days if the struggle is still there take another 30 days and another and another. The point in Galatians 6:9 is to not lose heart or grow weary...just keep on. So whatever your struggle is I encourage you to keep on, pursue righteousness, and heed the Holy Spirit. He is with you through it all helping if you let Him
So my daily E-mail devotion today was on being thankful and not complaining. I was up for the challenge to not complain about anything for one day. That was the action plan in my devotion. There are a few things I really wanted to complain about! The other devotion I read on my You Version Bible had a similar title, "Pray and Give Thanks." I am thinking God wanted to teach me something!
It is easy to complain. There does not even have to be big things to complain about. I challenge you to go through one day without complaining. I even challenge you to take it a step further and actually thank Him for the good, bad and ugly. Remember through trials come depth of character, patience, an increase of faith, among many other wonderful things. Heck, since we already went one stop further let's go another. I challenge you (and myself) to also not let your mind be unthankful and complaint-filled. Proverbs 23: reads, "For as he thinks in his heart, so he is."
Galatians 6:9) And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Today's title has been one of my theme's for many years now. The verse in Galatians has also been very important to me. I have mentioned it in other blogs, the concept of continuing to move in the right direction even when it appears nothing is changing. There have been times when I have grown very wearing of doing the right things. Stack this on top of intense insomnia and that makes for someone who desperately wants to quit. Deep down I know that quitting is not an option and Galatians 6:9 offers a wonderful promise to those who act nobly and righteous. The promise is He will lift you up.
I think of my two devotions this morning and compare them to today's Bible study. How do they relate? I took on the challenge to be thankful for everything today and to not utter a word of complaint. Generally speaking I am not a Debbie Downer, but we can all improve. My struggle is in dealing with my health issues. That is where I can be unthankful and full of complaints. Today I put focus on the good that has come out of my health issues down to the smallest detail. Did my world move? Did I see angels? Did my health issue miraculously disappear? Did my attitude instantly and permanently change? No. I am clinging to the promises in Galatians 6:9.
I firmly believe the Holy Spirit laid the principles on my heart today and I intend to grab on to them. I believe the more I listen and obey God the more treasures He gives me. My mom always said it took 30 days to break a habit. Of course, like usual, she was referring to a horse, but the concept is well known and accepted. After 30 days if the struggle is still there take another 30 days and another and another. The point in Galatians 6:9 is to not lose heart or grow weary...just keep on. So whatever your struggle is I encourage you to keep on, pursue righteousness, and heed the Holy Spirit. He is with you through it all helping if you let Him
Thursday, May 17, 2012
I Am Back!
Wow, time flies! It feels so great to be typing on my laptop. Believe it or not it took this long to get a new power cord for my computer. Don't get me started on stores having poor customer service!
I seriously can't believe my last entry was two months ago! So much has happened since then. Eli turned five and enjoyed a wonderful party at a local tumbling facility. He has quite a haggle of little friends! Everyone was so generous to him with unique and wonderful gifts. Eli graduated from preschool and we enrolled him in kindergarten at Augusta Christian School. I literally got choked up when I sent the money in for his school supply list. I'm going to need to get a grip sooner rather than later! One great Eli quote is this, "did you know when you do good you sin against Satan?" I will give you a minute to chew on that concept!
I turned 33 which is pretty wild. My birthday was on a Monday and Dave took the day off. While I was at the doctor (yes I saw my doctor on my birthday) Dave and Eli went shopping for party supplies at the Dollar Store. They picked out party plates, streamers, hats, etc. Dave also baked a wonderful whole wheat cake for me. You may wonder who came to my party? Well, it was myself, Dave, Eli, Floppy, and about 25 of Floppy's closest stuffed animal friends. Eli picked out wonderful mixing bowls for me at Williams-Sonoma. For my birthday dinner we got takeout at our favorite Asian restaurant. Dave added candles to my cake which was great...except he put a "31." My friends also sent great cards, flowers, some thoughtful gifts and a birthday lunch later in the month when it worked for everyone's schedules. Love my Georgia girls!
Let's see what else happened to update you all...I had strep throat too. I won't dwell on that or the fact that two weeks later I caught bronchitis. Good times! At one point during the strep I seriously considered throwing myself in front of a bus. Dave and Eli took great care of me and I basically lived on steamed veggies and ice cream for a week. Eli and Dave never caught anything! We are all thankful for that! My gynecologist advised me I could no longer eat ice cream. It wasn't a huge deal because I don't eat desserts very often. Like I said I did eat ice cream while I had strep because it soothed my throat. The next visit to my wonderful doctor we walk in and the first thing Eli says is, "mommy ate ice cream." We all had a good laugh!
Dave continues to take Procter and Gamble Augusta by storm. He would not tell you this, but I know it is true. How could he not when he has a wife pounding heaven's doors daily on his behalf. I pray many things for Dave, but one particular request is that he will have blessings at work that even he does not understand. He amazes me every single day and I love him with all my heart.
Probably the biggest and most emotional news is that I lost my beloved horse Sox. In 1994 he was diagnosed with degenerative joint disease. He never took a lame step for many years after this. If you know Sox you know he was really hard on himself with his nasty pacing habit. He wore his legs out. We won Congress in 2001 and he had been turnout to pasture for about four years prior to this. We brought back the ole man, but he needed lots of help with Bute and injections in about every joint he had. God blessed us with one more wonderful year of showing. I never appreciated him like I should have. Again, if you know Sox you also know he was a very difficult horse to get along with. He could be high strung and well...a bit nutty. For many of our years together I didn't have the skills nor maturity to handle him. As I grew up we bonded even more because I finally 'got' him. He was an old school, bright copper quarter horse with lots of white who sported a huge fake tail at the shows and could beat the snot out of any Warmblood!
His arthritis had gotten significantly worse the past three to four years. His left front leg was heavily distorted and he had lost all mobility in his knee and ankle. The vet was afraid he would step wrong and literally break his leg in half. The torque on the leg could also cause his shoulder to come out of joint. So within two days I made the difficult decision to euthanize him. Eli and I spent an afternoon out at the barn the day before his appointment with the vet. Sox was so bright-eyed and gentle as ever. Eli could literally walk around his legs. Sox remembered how to bow and gave us one last poetic bow. Eli and I brushed and scrubbed him to get him all cleaned up. He was glistening. The night before I was "this close" to calling the vet to cancel. I didn't. We went through with it. I led him to the vet as she waited. He just simply trusted me. He was eating horse treats right up until the end. I laid with him with several minutes after and just kissed his velvet-y nose. I'm looking forward to the beautiful bracelet I'm having made out of hair from his tail. He lived 28 wonderful years and I owned him for nearly 21 of those years. I so badly wanted to call my mom for reassurance I was doing the right thing.
I am also progressing on my hormonal journey and God is still working on me physically and spiritually. I would love to say I woke up one morning and the issues were all gone, but that wouldn't be true. The struggles are still present, but I'm two months closer than my last blog to feeling well. God has blessed me with tremendous revelations in regards to my health situation. They are much too personal to share at this time.
In closing I will share with you my devotion from today.
A man told a friend, "I know where God has put me, and I know God put me here, but I just wonder if He remembers where He put me." Yes, God remembers! He has not forgotten. He is never late. Don't rush God. Don't think He has abandoned you because your prayers are not answered. He will turn your midnight into a sunrise and your mourning into dancing.
This reading gives me such hope and encouragement. The last two months had awesome moments and sad moments. That's life though, right? Today's blog was more of an update than an entry based on my personal studies, but hopefully it spoke to you somehow. The following Bible verse relates to my daily devotion. I hope it encourages you to remember He has not forgotten you nor your pain.
Psalm 56:8) You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in Your book?
I seriously can't believe my last entry was two months ago! So much has happened since then. Eli turned five and enjoyed a wonderful party at a local tumbling facility. He has quite a haggle of little friends! Everyone was so generous to him with unique and wonderful gifts. Eli graduated from preschool and we enrolled him in kindergarten at Augusta Christian School. I literally got choked up when I sent the money in for his school supply list. I'm going to need to get a grip sooner rather than later! One great Eli quote is this, "did you know when you do good you sin against Satan?" I will give you a minute to chew on that concept!
I turned 33 which is pretty wild. My birthday was on a Monday and Dave took the day off. While I was at the doctor (yes I saw my doctor on my birthday) Dave and Eli went shopping for party supplies at the Dollar Store. They picked out party plates, streamers, hats, etc. Dave also baked a wonderful whole wheat cake for me. You may wonder who came to my party? Well, it was myself, Dave, Eli, Floppy, and about 25 of Floppy's closest stuffed animal friends. Eli picked out wonderful mixing bowls for me at Williams-Sonoma. For my birthday dinner we got takeout at our favorite Asian restaurant. Dave added candles to my cake which was great...except he put a "31." My friends also sent great cards, flowers, some thoughtful gifts and a birthday lunch later in the month when it worked for everyone's schedules. Love my Georgia girls!
Let's see what else happened to update you all...I had strep throat too. I won't dwell on that or the fact that two weeks later I caught bronchitis. Good times! At one point during the strep I seriously considered throwing myself in front of a bus. Dave and Eli took great care of me and I basically lived on steamed veggies and ice cream for a week. Eli and Dave never caught anything! We are all thankful for that! My gynecologist advised me I could no longer eat ice cream. It wasn't a huge deal because I don't eat desserts very often. Like I said I did eat ice cream while I had strep because it soothed my throat. The next visit to my wonderful doctor we walk in and the first thing Eli says is, "mommy ate ice cream." We all had a good laugh!
Dave continues to take Procter and Gamble Augusta by storm. He would not tell you this, but I know it is true. How could he not when he has a wife pounding heaven's doors daily on his behalf. I pray many things for Dave, but one particular request is that he will have blessings at work that even he does not understand. He amazes me every single day and I love him with all my heart.
Probably the biggest and most emotional news is that I lost my beloved horse Sox. In 1994 he was diagnosed with degenerative joint disease. He never took a lame step for many years after this. If you know Sox you know he was really hard on himself with his nasty pacing habit. He wore his legs out. We won Congress in 2001 and he had been turnout to pasture for about four years prior to this. We brought back the ole man, but he needed lots of help with Bute and injections in about every joint he had. God blessed us with one more wonderful year of showing. I never appreciated him like I should have. Again, if you know Sox you also know he was a very difficult horse to get along with. He could be high strung and well...a bit nutty. For many of our years together I didn't have the skills nor maturity to handle him. As I grew up we bonded even more because I finally 'got' him. He was an old school, bright copper quarter horse with lots of white who sported a huge fake tail at the shows and could beat the snot out of any Warmblood!
His arthritis had gotten significantly worse the past three to four years. His left front leg was heavily distorted and he had lost all mobility in his knee and ankle. The vet was afraid he would step wrong and literally break his leg in half. The torque on the leg could also cause his shoulder to come out of joint. So within two days I made the difficult decision to euthanize him. Eli and I spent an afternoon out at the barn the day before his appointment with the vet. Sox was so bright-eyed and gentle as ever. Eli could literally walk around his legs. Sox remembered how to bow and gave us one last poetic bow. Eli and I brushed and scrubbed him to get him all cleaned up. He was glistening. The night before I was "this close" to calling the vet to cancel. I didn't. We went through with it. I led him to the vet as she waited. He just simply trusted me. He was eating horse treats right up until the end. I laid with him with several minutes after and just kissed his velvet-y nose. I'm looking forward to the beautiful bracelet I'm having made out of hair from his tail. He lived 28 wonderful years and I owned him for nearly 21 of those years. I so badly wanted to call my mom for reassurance I was doing the right thing.
I am also progressing on my hormonal journey and God is still working on me physically and spiritually. I would love to say I woke up one morning and the issues were all gone, but that wouldn't be true. The struggles are still present, but I'm two months closer than my last blog to feeling well. God has blessed me with tremendous revelations in regards to my health situation. They are much too personal to share at this time.
In closing I will share with you my devotion from today.
A man told a friend, "I know where God has put me, and I know God put me here, but I just wonder if He remembers where He put me." Yes, God remembers! He has not forgotten. He is never late. Don't rush God. Don't think He has abandoned you because your prayers are not answered. He will turn your midnight into a sunrise and your mourning into dancing.
This reading gives me such hope and encouragement. The last two months had awesome moments and sad moments. That's life though, right? Today's blog was more of an update than an entry based on my personal studies, but hopefully it spoke to you somehow. The following Bible verse relates to my daily devotion. I hope it encourages you to remember He has not forgotten you nor your pain.
Psalm 56:8) You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in Your book?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)