Time To Update Your Priorities

The clock is ticking! Everybody has a time limit on this earth because we live inside mortal bodies although our spirits are immortal. While we are on this earth we are given a number of seconds, minutes, hours, days, years. We don't know how long we have but we are allotted a certain amount. What we do in that time is each person's own responsibility. Freedom and rights were purchased with blood and lives were sacrificed for us. If we do not use that time wisely we will be held accountable to the one who gave it to us, our Creator. Everyone is given a purpose no matter how small or insignificant we may feel. Our value and worth is not for others to judge, not even for us to judge, for the One who made us like unto His image is the only one who has the right to judge us. He is the One who formed us in our mother's wombs and then breathed life into us. He is the only One who has the right and the insight as to what our purpose was established to be.

Some people go all their lives never realizing their purpose. They see themselves as insignificant on this earth. That is sad and something I hope to change in my lifetime for myself and my family's lives. How do I expect to make a change like that? Through prayer and by leaving a legacy for my children and others with my choices and talents. God has called me to use my time wisely and as I said in another posting, I feel I have not reached my full potential. In fact, I was close to giving up because I lost sight of the goal. I have another chance before me as hope has been reignited in my heart.

This is the year, 2009, that I hope to set my feet on the pathway to reach my goals. This is the time, don't give up, reach for the stars. If you quiet yourself and turn to God, listen and seek Him while He may be found, He will show you your value and your purpose, everyone has one. Its hidden from us till we turn to God for insight. Without purpose and direction, people perish. We all have to have something to live for. Just like the movie, "Its a Wonderful Life", we sometimes are oblivious to the importance of our part we play in God's plan.

It is my prayer that we all would discover our purpose, our part to play, accept it and get about doing it because time is running out. There will come an end to things as we know it. Whether it is our own untimely death, simply meaning time ran out before we achieved our purpose, or Jesus returned too quickly and we were not ready. Be ready friend, don't wait until it is too late to make the right choice. Make a decision in your heart to trust God, your Creator, the Almighty Living God and accept the sacrifice that He made in giving His only Son as an eternal sacrifice for you to have right standing with God and to know Him personally yourself. Yes, you can intimately know the God of this universe. He had a plan because He knew that mankind would fall so He sacrificed the One born for a purpose, to die for us all in our place because somebody had pay for sin. John 3:16 makes it very plain.

I am committing this year to re-establish my priorities to fulfill my destiny and stop wasting time. In order to do this and still have a "normal" life, it requires a plan and a commitment. I have hope in that God awakened me this year and gave me direction. You'll have to seek Him for your own direction because only He knows what it is and what you'll have to sacrifice to get there but it is possible to get there. This is our time, let's not waste it.

Revival of a Spirit

I use to love to read everything spiritual, listen to tapes, read books and Bibles, go to church every time the doors were open. I raised my kids this way and though I didn’t have much I was happier in my spirit being about God’s work than I am now. Right now I feel very shallow and almost empty. I feel like my life is full of empty and meaningless things. I’m busy playing or living my cozy little life here on this earth. I have forgotten my home planet so to speak. I have forgotten my first love. I have forgotten my calling and purpose on this earth, which is so very temporal. I have forgotten my destiny and my direction. I feel like I’m drugged up all the time or intoxicated by the pleasures and cares of this world – this life currently on earth. I don’t really feel alive anymore. I feel like I’m missing something. I have everything I ever wanted but I miss church activities. I miss the good old days of church but what I really miss is church involvement and personal growth. Evangelism and reaching the lost, praying for people, encouraging them in the Lord…..this was living but now I’m just caught up in a bubble of getting everything I want and all these “things” simply distract me from my real reason for living.

Finally, I have the thrill of seeing my children walking with God, especially my daughter who is surpassing me and I’m so happy for her. Finally all those years of prayer and now I am getting to see it fulfilled. She is alive in Christ and excited to be learning and growing. I on the other hand feel dried up and as though I’m dying. The only thing I want that I really cannot seem to have is my husband saved, spirit filled and hungrily walking after Christ Jesus. I’ve lost hope of my dream for a Christian husband. That is the only thing I have yet to receive. Now more than ever I am concerned because our finances are under attack, my health is under attack and my life seems meaningless – of no value or worth.

Please God, please help me. Please ignite the ember inside me. Wake me from this numbing dazed mental state and renew a right spirit within me. Revive me O God, Speak to me and help me to put into action that which you are showing me.

Life lessons

THE MOST IMPORTANT "LIFE" LESSON I HAVE LEARNED

by Charlotte

It truly makes me sad that a trust can be broken but it happens. My goal is to accept, forgive and not to create opportunity to allow the situation to happen again. I am worth more than that.

If I have learned one thing in life about relationships with people, it is to accept people just exactly as they are and appreciate them for who they are.

If something about someone bothers me so very much, I have to sit down with myself and decide whether or not it is important enough to discuss it with them to help our relationship be a better one.

The only other option, and sometimes the best one, is to accept that person as they are and live with their faults & flaws. Everyone is flawed - not one human being on this earth is perfect. Is the problem a simple fault or bad habit OR is it a serious character problem?

As human beings we can influence one another regarding personal decisions to change. Only that individual can actually change self but some changes take more than our own ability. It may take divine intervention to help us change.

I am aware of my own imperfections and bad habits and I alone am responsible for changing them. My own personal goal is to become a better person.

If I have learned anything in this life from my past mistakes and relationships, it is that people cannot spend their lives trying to fix other people when there is so much personal work needing done on ourselves.

I finally realized one day that I had wasted too much time, emotion and energy on trying to fix the people in my life or trying to understand why they are the way they are.

If they see something in me that they admire and want to incorporate into their own life then I have influenced them for the better. They may ask for advice or wisdom to help make that change.

If we see something good and admiral in someone else’s life then tell them before its too late and you have only regrets for things unsaid.

The most important thing you can do is to tell the people you love how much they mean to you and do it now! Tomorrow may be too late.

The second most important thing is acceptance and unconditional love toward others -- it is the only way you can live at peace with yourself and the rest of the world. It is following the heart of God and his commandment "to love one another."

It all starts through forgiveness.

Wisdom of the Soul

• No one can ruin your day without your permission.
• Most people will be about as happy as they decide to be.Others can stop you temporarily but only you can do it permanently.
• Whatever you are willing to put up with is exactly what you will have.
• Success stops when you do.
• When you ship comes in make sure you are willing to unload it.
• You will never "have it all together".
• Life is a journey not a destination. Enjoy the trip!
• The biggest lie you can tell yourself: "When I get what I want then I will be happy!"
• The best way to escape your problem is to solve it.
• Learn this one truth and you will be much more fulfilled
• "Ultimately 'takers' lose and 'givers' win."
• Life's precious moments don't have value unless they are shared.
• If you don't start it is certain you will not arrive.
• We often fear the things we want the most.
• Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say.
• Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints.
• Sorry you missed your opportunity for me to listen.
• Look for opportunities not guarantees.
• Life is what is coming not what was.
• Success is getting up one more time!
• When things go wrong don't go with them.
• Sometimes the majority only means that all fools are on the same side.
• God can mend all broken hearts. You just have to give Him all the pieces.
• A person who asks a question may appear to be a fool for about five minutes but the person who doesn't ask is a fool forever.
• I don't have to attend every argument I am invited to.
• Your eyes were placed in the front because it is more important to look ahead than behind.

Shopaholic books

Recently I picked up a strange book at a garage sale and gave some thought to reading it. The book was "Shopaholic & Sister" by Sophie Kinsella. I knew of a series of these books and since I didn't think I would finish it anyway, I didn't worry about reading the series from the start. I was absolutely surprised to find that I loved Sophie Kinsella's books. In fact I not only finished the book within 24 hours but I actually stayed up until 5:00 in the morning to finish it. I laughed out loud, chuckled to myself and had to wipe my eyes a couple of times. Not only was it the type of story and style of writing that I could really get into but I loved the character, Becky Bloomwood! She so reminded me of , well, um, ....ME! (ha ha)
Now I'm hooked and I'm on a quest to buy all these books unless I can get my friends and family to buy one each and send them to me. So now I'm really fully armed with information should someone ask "what do you want for your birthday or Christmas?".....
One great surprise is that I'm reading again and finishing a book, wow -- that in itself is an accomplishment that I didn't think I would achieve. I usually get bored or I'm drawn away by other things I would rather be doing.
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
Shopaholic Ties the Knot
Can You Keep a Secret?
The Undomestic Goddess
Shopaholic & Sister
Remember Me?

Why I write down my thoughts

i like to write down my thoughts sharing them with those who come into my life.

i want to leave something behind, something that was worth being here.

i hope people are encouraged and enlightened by the words i write.

You and i might be old friends just talking.
Occasionally i may tell a story, share a poem or just give you my thoughts whether you want them or not. Some people, but very few, have listened and heard the real me. They read the words from my heart poured out into words and formatted to fit together in one place, which is my heart’s cry to understand people and help them understand one another.

i believe God gave me the ability to understand people through a gift. i have a gift of seeing their pain like black, empty holes needing to be filled -- needing filled up with love.

Pot-shots:
Some people have lots of small “pot-shots” holes, scattered throughout their soul. Pot-shots are words that come out of the blue, you rarely see them coming at first. You never know when one is going to hit a nerve and what would occur when that happens. The damages inflicted are at random over a course of several years until a pattern of self-loathing has been formed deep within the belief system. Behavior patterns known as habits begin to develop. Emotions that are suppressed become addictions. We reach for anything to comfort us to dull, numb or gain reprieve from the emotional or physical pain….drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, sex, shopping – anything addictive is an excess amount of time given to it until IT begins to control YOU. Belief systems that can also affect our choices can also grow beyond our control such as perfectionism, procrastination and popularity.

Craters:
Some people have extreme crater-like holes leaving gaping voids of emptiness. The initial tragic impact feels unbearable. Over time while the sands of time blow through your soul, the holes are reshape, formatted to fit your world, conforming to its from of living but your holes never go away. The wounds are too deep but not too deep for God.

-o-

Scrapbooking makes me smile!

I love to work with my photographs. Doesn't matter whether they are ones I've taken myself or if they are collected over the years. Doesn't matter whether they are of me, my family or friends, landscapes, my travels, my home...I love capturing memories.

Lately I discovered a new way of scrapbooking that if you ever catch on to it you will be hooked. It is so easy too. This is photo journaling online. Let the professionals bind it into an acid free photo book that will keep forever. No muss, no fuss, no worries as they should all be acid free (read the details before you buy). If you want to embellish it after you get it printed you can but you probably won't want to. I added a few special lines to stand out on a few pages.

You can have these done online through Wal-mart, Costco, Kodak Easy Share Gallery and many other online photo companies out there. Those three are the safest because you can also order prints online and all your photos are stored online but Wal-mart and Costco are limited in styles and options. Kodak is the best so far but they don't have a Canadian version so the cost is U.S. dollars.

The other choices are programs that give you a lot more flexibility but you have to download their programs and your photos remain on your computer and on their program. Each have their own unusual limitations. You just have to explore your options by trial and error to find out which ones work best for you. Picaboo is a U.S. company has the best options I've found but again, different limitations compared to PhotoInPress.ca, which is Canadian. There are a lot of them out there. I've found online photo book offers in almost every state from Tennesee to California. Finding them in Canada is harder.

My first one was created as an elegant, red, hardcover photobook, of our backyard barbecue party. It was an amazing night with friends and captured by a photographer. I took the photos and uploaded them onto Wal-mart site. Chose the book and wrote my story. It was well worth it!

The gift of Encouragement

Encourager (noun)
One who encourages or imparts courage to others.

The Word of God says that those who call themselves Christians, believers within the church or the "body" of Christ, are likened to the human body, which has many parts or members. Each part of the human body has its own significant function, excellently and marvelously created and formed for its purpose in the body.

We were all born with a purpose. There is a reason we are to be here on this earth, born on the exact date and born on to grow up in the era we were meant to be a part of. People can believe it or not. It doesn't change the fact that it is true but it does explain why so many people continue searching to find out who they are and why they exist.

Human beings were created with a special calling or purpose to fulfill or to contribute to on this earth. God deposited inside every one of us special gifts, talents and abilities to fulfill this calling or purpose. As each human being becomes reconciled back into relationship with God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, we become part of the Body of Christ. We are to function together to fulfill that purpose working together along side one another in unity for the same goal, to further the Kingdom of God. Working along side one another within the the body of Christ.

This doesn't mean that a person who rejects salvation in Jesus Christ is not going to be part of God's plan. The Father can still work through people as he can through nature and through animals. Don't forget the story of Balam's ass that would not take him where he wanted to go because of the angel blocking the road or the great fish that swallowed Jonah and spat him out onto dry land exact where God wanted him to be at the exact time once Jonah surrendered to God's will. Even Judas played an important part in sending Christ to the cross so that we could all be saved. And so we are not confused, remember that it is written that

So Let's seek the wisdom of God operating in faith, coming to the full saving knowledge and in grace fulfill our part. let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty -- never canceled, never rescinded. Romans 11:29
(The Message)

...we are like the various parts of a human body with many members but not all with the same function..... since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.....If you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy...
Romans 12:4-7 (The Message)

one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the (gift giver in us) grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his^[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage;... Romans 12:4 – 7 (NIV)