Have you ever thought about your reason for being here, your purpose? I know I have.
On November 22, 2007, something began shifting inside of me. I felt an awakening, an understanding of sorts. Suddenly it was as though knowledge and wisdom had come into me and filling me with illumination. The simple fact that by accepting God and His sacrifice, He accepted me into His Kingdom.
It all made sense, it was all clear now. I could feel the overwhelming joy of knowing what it was liked to be loved full up and spilling over. I couldn’t think about anything except the awareness of a shift in and around me and that the future was going to be alright.
I began to ask myself questions to ponder...
What if you could give total acceptance of yourself as is?
What if you actually stop judging yourself and feeling guilty?
What if you could stop the words spoken over you that repeatedly play in your mind over and over like a taped message?
What if you could do something that would make negative thoughts and feelings vanish, cares and worries lift like weights floating above your shoulders and neck.
How different would my life be if I could walk in faith and confidence that God is completely 100%, truthfully, without a doubt who he says he is and can do what he says he can do and further more, will do what he has promised he will do?
If I say I believe God and His Word (the Holy Bible), then I can trust him to finish what he started in me for he said he will NEVER leave me or forsake me. He said He will finish the good work he began in me. He said He has made a way for me. He said I am His child and He loves me. He said that none should perish but have everlasting life if only they believe in Him.
Believing in something or someone, makes you a follower, a promoter of that belief.
So if I believe then follow. No more fence straddling....just commit and go all the way with God. The results of this heart and mind change -- full comittment -- will astonish you how your life will change when you are fully committed. The secret here is to look at yourself and ask yourself "Am I FULLY committed?" If I was put to the test in some unusual, uncomfortable way, would I pass.
Only you can answer that question. Its between you and God but know this, the Bible says that our hearts can deceive us. So we have to ask God and rely on Him to reveal our hearts desires for only God truly knows what is inside of us and He loves us anyway.
As you pass through that valley of discomfort, trials and tests, pain and sorrow, whatever you are going through, remember that He already walked that road.
Now thinking about these thoughts and just trusting God for my future (our times are in his hands), there seemed to be a clarity of direction, just barely visible, as though to say, don’t think too much about the future just yet. Instead breathe in this time you are connected to. Savor it. Its called peace and love because the Heavenly Father loves you. He reaches out to you with arms of total love and acceptance. Will you surrender? Let him love you? Let the Father embrace you as He wants to be your Daddy. The Daddy who is always on your side, who always loves and listens to you. Father God hears your heart breaking, he sees every tear.
5/26/09
Are you a believer?
Bible verses that are the standard definition of who is a Christian:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
To summarize, the only way to be saved and go to heaven is by the grace of Jesus and by faith in God. These are the basic verses that every Christian who has accepted Christ knows. Now for the verses that clearly state that only Christians who believe the above will go to Heaven:
-John 3:3: no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
-John 3:15: everyone who believes in him [Jesus] may have eternal life.
-John 3:18: whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of Gods one and only Son.
-John 14:6: Jesus answered: No one comes to the Father except through me
-Acts 3:23: And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. (ASV)
-Acts 4:12: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved
-Romans 10:9: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
-Hebrews 9:28: he [Christ] will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him
-1 John 5:12: he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
To summarize, the only way to be saved and go to heaven is by the grace of Jesus and by faith in God. These are the basic verses that every Christian who has accepted Christ knows. Now for the verses that clearly state that only Christians who believe the above will go to Heaven:
-John 3:3: no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
-John 3:15: everyone who believes in him [Jesus] may have eternal life.
-John 3:18: whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of Gods one and only Son.
-John 14:6: Jesus answered: No one comes to the Father except through me
-Acts 3:23: And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. (ASV)
-Acts 4:12: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved
-Romans 10:9: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
-Hebrews 9:28: he [Christ] will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him
-1 John 5:12: he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
5/21/09
Patience
Life is just too short to be so upset about trivial things. I know this truth. I tell myself this almost every day and yet, when I least expect it -- WHAM! I get hit with that pesky bug that makes me freak out over the little things. I don't know how paper can push my buttons or impatience can cause me to be so nasty sometimes.
Then I end up at the hair salon to get my hair cut and styled (and a dye job). I look at two beautiful, adorable twin Asian little girls getting identical haircuts too. They are so cute. All they can think about is holding still and being good so when they are done they can run over and pet the puppy.
Times like these make me stop and just watch the innocence of life. What could be so important that I had to get all twisted out of shape over when I need to just hold still and be good so when I'm done I can run over and pet the puppy too.
Life really can be so simple in the eyes of a child. I think sometimes we adults need to learn from them. I hope I remember this "double" lesson.
Then I end up at the hair salon to get my hair cut and styled (and a dye job). I look at two beautiful, adorable twin Asian little girls getting identical haircuts too. They are so cute. All they can think about is holding still and being good so when they are done they can run over and pet the puppy.
Times like these make me stop and just watch the innocence of life. What could be so important that I had to get all twisted out of shape over when I need to just hold still and be good so when I'm done I can run over and pet the puppy too.
Life really can be so simple in the eyes of a child. I think sometimes we adults need to learn from them. I hope I remember this "double" lesson.
5/9/09
Honoring Mom
Mother's Day to most of us that means we call, write, send a card and/or gift to our mothers on that special day to make sure Mom knows we love her. It is an opportunity to show her we care and appreciate her, an opportunity to honor her.
I remember songs that explained how wonderful mothers are, "M is for the millions things she gives me, O is for"....well, you get the picture.
My version that I wrote today....
M is for the many times you nagged me
O is for my obvious replies
T is for the tantrums I threw to get my way
H is for the hard times when you made me cry
E is for the eternal time I was grounded
R is for the running away I promised you I'd do
put them all together, they spell M-O-T-H-E-R,
If she were alive today I'd hug and say 'Thank You'!
My children, Haylie & Coley, two kids that really make me proud. I am truly blessed to now have finally made it from "ma-ma", to "mommy", to "mom", and now to honorable title of "mother". They surpass themselves in showing me their love each year they grow as parents too. Sorry, kids, but I was beginning to wonder (just like my mother did with me) if you would finally get there. Its that place where you know they just get it finally. All your blood, sweat, tears and prayers are finally understood. Its not easy being a parent, especially a mother.
For mothers, the learning process is continual. We have to learn to let go of the apron strings, to butt out of your lives, to let you find out for yourself through your own mistakes. Although we would love to hear from you a couple of times each week if not more, telling us what new thing you've learned or what you've been going through, we Mother's of adult children, take whatever we can get from you now.
We're still here anytime you need us. Nothing would make us any happier than to be needed once in awhile, a little advice asked for would be like whipped cream on top of a well baked dessert that took all day to make. We are proud that you're handling life but here's a little secret I'll share. Mother's really don't stop worrying about their kids no matter how old you become, we just finally learn there isn't a darn thing we can do about it anymore so we just pray for you every day and leave you in God's hands.
Thank God for daughter-in-law's who influence their husbands to honor their mother. I'm sure my mother-in-law thanks me and my husband does too. He isn't working alone to find ways of showing his mom he loves her because he's got me there to help. Women know how to speak 'woman to woman' best. My son is pretty good about calling me and keeping in touch. He is very caring and keeps me updated on the growth of my grandson, which makes me happy. My daughter-in-law helps my son look good with her support. The two of them are really good about showing their appreciation and love for me. I feel truly honored and blessed to have gained another daughter who has brought out the best in my son. I feel sorry for men who don't have the help of a wife or girlfriend to pick out a mother's day gift.
And to my daughter -- didn't I tell you that you'd make a good mother someday? You had nothing to worry about. I always believed in you. I knew you had it in you because I turned out to be ok as a Mom and you're turning out just fine as a Mom too. In fact, I think you're doing a much better job than I would have in your circumstances. I'm so proud of you. Mother's and daughters don't really understand and appreciate each other that much until they are both older and wiser. Many times they often becomes best friends. That's what happened between my mother and me and now my daughter and I have a bonded friendship that we grew into. We finally 'get' each other now. I feel like I am learning from my daughter most of the time. To really appreciate each other it seems our relationship grows most living 1700 miles apart.
Other than Dr. Spock (not Leonard Nimoy), nobody wrote parental "how to" books i\\\ you into the perfect mother. Spock's book was more about helping the mother to ensure the baby survived the new inexperienced mother. Now we've got the Supernanny! She is about making sure you don't go insane and raise delinquents.
Before I close this blog message about honoring mothers, I would like to share a poem that I wrote for my parents in 1978 when I was a young mother myself.
"My Parents"
What would we do without parents?
I wouldn't want to guess
I know that without them
I'd be in a terrible mess
And yeah, they raised me up to be
Just what I am, yeah its me.
I'm not the greatest daughter they have,
But I'm their only one, I ain't that bad.
And I love them more than they know.
That's why I'm writing this poem,
To tell them so.
It wasn't the poem of the century but my parents, especially my mother, treasured it in her heart. She took the poem, burned the edges for decoration and mounted it onto a piece of wood with clear epoxy. She burned the date onto the back of the wood, put a hook in it and hung it on their bedroom wall. After she died I took the mounted poem home to keep as a keepsake. The expression of my heart meant the world to my mother because I honored her through my creative writing and it meant something special to both of my parents. Mom is part of who I am today and because of my mother, I continue to use the creative gifts given to me.
My mother was an artist. She painted pictures with oil paints and watercolor. My mother was always impressed by my ability to write poetry, stories and extremely descriptive letters. When she was dying, I sat down beside her and wrote in my journal from my heart. She turned to me and asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm painting a memory of you with words." "Oh," she said, "I always wondered how you did that."
This is dedicated to my mother, Irma, who continues to inspire me.
I remember songs that explained how wonderful mothers are, "M is for the millions things she gives me, O is for"....well, you get the picture.
My version that I wrote today....
M is for the many times you nagged me
O is for my obvious replies
T is for the tantrums I threw to get my way
H is for the hard times when you made me cry
E is for the eternal time I was grounded
R is for the running away I promised you I'd do
put them all together, they spell M-O-T-H-E-R,
If she were alive today I'd hug and say 'Thank You'!
My children, Haylie & Coley, two kids that really make me proud. I am truly blessed to now have finally made it from "ma-ma", to "mommy", to "mom", and now to honorable title of "mother". They surpass themselves in showing me their love each year they grow as parents too. Sorry, kids, but I was beginning to wonder (just like my mother did with me) if you would finally get there. Its that place where you know they just get it finally. All your blood, sweat, tears and prayers are finally understood. Its not easy being a parent, especially a mother.
For mothers, the learning process is continual. We have to learn to let go of the apron strings, to butt out of your lives, to let you find out for yourself through your own mistakes. Although we would love to hear from you a couple of times each week if not more, telling us what new thing you've learned or what you've been going through, we Mother's of adult children, take whatever we can get from you now.
We're still here anytime you need us. Nothing would make us any happier than to be needed once in awhile, a little advice asked for would be like whipped cream on top of a well baked dessert that took all day to make. We are proud that you're handling life but here's a little secret I'll share. Mother's really don't stop worrying about their kids no matter how old you become, we just finally learn there isn't a darn thing we can do about it anymore so we just pray for you every day and leave you in God's hands.
Thank God for daughter-in-law's who influence their husbands to honor their mother. I'm sure my mother-in-law thanks me and my husband does too. He isn't working alone to find ways of showing his mom he loves her because he's got me there to help. Women know how to speak 'woman to woman' best. My son is pretty good about calling me and keeping in touch. He is very caring and keeps me updated on the growth of my grandson, which makes me happy. My daughter-in-law helps my son look good with her support. The two of them are really good about showing their appreciation and love for me. I feel truly honored and blessed to have gained another daughter who has brought out the best in my son. I feel sorry for men who don't have the help of a wife or girlfriend to pick out a mother's day gift.
And to my daughter -- didn't I tell you that you'd make a good mother someday? You had nothing to worry about. I always believed in you. I knew you had it in you because I turned out to be ok as a Mom and you're turning out just fine as a Mom too. In fact, I think you're doing a much better job than I would have in your circumstances. I'm so proud of you. Mother's and daughters don't really understand and appreciate each other that much until they are both older and wiser. Many times they often becomes best friends. That's what happened between my mother and me and now my daughter and I have a bonded friendship that we grew into. We finally 'get' each other now. I feel like I am learning from my daughter most of the time. To really appreciate each other it seems our relationship grows most living 1700 miles apart.
Other than Dr. Spock (not Leonard Nimoy), nobody wrote parental "how to" books i\\\ you into the perfect mother. Spock's book was more about helping the mother to ensure the baby survived the new inexperienced mother. Now we've got the Supernanny! She is about making sure you don't go insane and raise delinquents.
Before I close this blog message about honoring mothers, I would like to share a poem that I wrote for my parents in 1978 when I was a young mother myself.
"My Parents"
What would we do without parents?
I wouldn't want to guess
I know that without them
I'd be in a terrible mess
And yeah, they raised me up to be
Just what I am, yeah its me.
I'm not the greatest daughter they have,
But I'm their only one, I ain't that bad.
And I love them more than they know.
That's why I'm writing this poem,
To tell them so.
It wasn't the poem of the century but my parents, especially my mother, treasured it in her heart. She took the poem, burned the edges for decoration and mounted it onto a piece of wood with clear epoxy. She burned the date onto the back of the wood, put a hook in it and hung it on their bedroom wall. After she died I took the mounted poem home to keep as a keepsake. The expression of my heart meant the world to my mother because I honored her through my creative writing and it meant something special to both of my parents. Mom is part of who I am today and because of my mother, I continue to use the creative gifts given to me.
My mother was an artist. She painted pictures with oil paints and watercolor. My mother was always impressed by my ability to write poetry, stories and extremely descriptive letters. When she was dying, I sat down beside her and wrote in my journal from my heart. She turned to me and asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm painting a memory of you with words." "Oh," she said, "I always wondered how you did that."
This is dedicated to my mother, Irma, who continues to inspire me.
5/2/09
Renewed Appreciation
Are you content with what you have?
How do you get a new car on an old budget? You buy a set of new seat covers, different than the color of the current seats of course. Then you buy a padded steering wheel cover to match the seat covers. You take your car to the car wash and then drive it home and clean out all the junk and trash. Then you vacuum clean the interior, Windex the windows inside and out and finish it off by wiping it down with Armor All. Don't forget to clean the floor mats and vacuum the trunk.
That is what I did today.
Obviously this isn't the first time I've washed, vacuumed and cleaned out my car but it is the first time I've purchased seat covers $29.99 and a steering wheel cover $14.99. I took it to a car wash $8.00 and the rest was accomplished via good old elbow grease. I was amazed at the final transformation and highly recommending it to anyone who has lost appreciation for their vehicle but can't afford to replace it with a new one.
This was the best and smartest way to get a "new" car for only $53.00 plus tax. That's wisdom! That's appreciation for what you do have.
How do you get a new car on an old budget? You buy a set of new seat covers, different than the color of the current seats of course. Then you buy a padded steering wheel cover to match the seat covers. You take your car to the car wash and then drive it home and clean out all the junk and trash. Then you vacuum clean the interior, Windex the windows inside and out and finish it off by wiping it down with Armor All. Don't forget to clean the floor mats and vacuum the trunk.
That is what I did today.
Obviously this isn't the first time I've washed, vacuumed and cleaned out my car but it is the first time I've purchased seat covers $29.99 and a steering wheel cover $14.99. I took it to a car wash $8.00 and the rest was accomplished via good old elbow grease. I was amazed at the final transformation and highly recommending it to anyone who has lost appreciation for their vehicle but can't afford to replace it with a new one.
This was the best and smartest way to get a "new" car for only $53.00 plus tax. That's wisdom! That's appreciation for what you do have.
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