Listening... And Obeying... Even in the Middle of a 5 mile run!

This morning I went for a 5 mile run... I am running a half marathon this weekend, and was focused on running my 5 miles and getting back home to begin my day as wife, mom, and teacher. 

Well, I think I was about a mile and 1/2 into my run when I passed a young lady out for a brisk walk. I waved and said, "Good Morning!"  Not long after passing her I decided I was hot and wanted to shed my jacket, so I stopped to take it off and tie it around my waist.  While doing this I saw her coming down the hill  and I felt the Spirit whisper to me, "Ask her if she knows that Jesus loves her".   I kind of shrugged it off, but the Spirit did not stop, He was still whispering in my heart, "Ask her." 

I tried to talk myself out of... I was in the middle of my run... I would have to turn around and backtrack, what if she thought I was crazy??  So, I started running, away from her... but then, I heard His voice again and I turned around, I forced myself to obey... (Why is it so hard sometimes??)

So I approached her and asked her if I could ask her a question, she said yes...

"Do you know that Jesus loves you?"

She looked at me, but could not speak... her eyes were welling up with big tears that just poured out of her eyes and down her cheeks.  It was as if I saw something break in her expression, like the love of Christ was breaking off a hard exterior that she did not let many get past.

I put my arm around her and said, "The Lord wanted me to stop and tell you that He loves you very much." 

She continued to cry...

I asked her if I could pray for her...

She said, "Yes, please pray for me to have strength.  I am going through so many hard things right now." 

So, right there, in the middle of the street, in a slight drizzle of rain, with clouds overhead and the wind blowing around us, I prayed for her...

I know that Christ encouraged her with a reminder of His love today.  And Christ encouraged me by the fact that He can use me right where I am, if I have a listening ear and a willing heart.  He can use me, and He can use you, even in the middle of a 5 mile run, on a cold, windy morning, in a slight drizzle of rain...

Are you the one He wants to use??  Or are you the one who needs the reminder that He loves you so very much??


 

Thankful Thursday!

Do you have a thankful heart today? 

Here is my thankful list for the week! 

• The convicting power of God's Word, the privilege of prayer, and the cleansing power of forgiveness...
• The teaching power of God's Word... we have had a few "teachable moments" here at our house this week, as we do every week, (wondering when these "teachable moments" are going to take!!).  Thankful that I have God's Word to guide me as I try to teach and train these little hearts entrusted to us.
• Time... The Lord has guided me to be very careful about the activities that I place on my plate, showing me that He wants me to have time to sit with my kids to teach and train them.  I fear many of their little "heart issues" would not be addressed properly had I not listened to His prompting regarding time commitments... there are times when we spent a large portion of our time searching the scripture together to see what God's Word says about certain things... like interrupting, disrespect, arguing, ungratefulness, you get the idea.  It really does not matter what I say about all those things, what matters is what God says about them.
• A sweet, unexpected, encouraging text from my husband in the early morning hours while having my quiet time (he was having his upstairs!)  And I only saw the text when I did because I was checking the time!
• Some unexpected time to myself for 3 nights in a row to spend a little extra time reading!
• A helpful husband who is eager to help others...
• My children helping more often in the kitchen without having to be asked!!
• Friends who pray for me...
• The strength and ability to run!!  Getting ready to run the Mercedes Half in just a week and a few days!!
• Blessings found in hand-me-downs and the joy they bring my kids!!  3 storage containers of Legos, my boys have been in Lego Heaven!!

I hope you take time to reflect on what you are thankful for... and encourage your family to do the same!  It just may do away with some grumpy attitudes, it works at our house!

Listening...

"...Be quick to listen, slow to speak..." James 1:19

Are you a listener?  Do people find it easy to talk to you?  Do they often pour out the contents of their hearts and fill you in on everything going on in their life?

Do you find joy in listening to others, in being there for them when they need a listening ear?

Listening can be a ministry...

Maybe that stay-at-home, homeschooling mom needs someone older than 9 to talk to occasionally.  Maybe the widow who spends much of her time alone just needs someone to listen to her every now and then.  Maybe the working mom who works away from home all day, and then has to juggle kids, after school activities, homework, and a husband just needs someone she can be real with.

Eventually, everyone needs a listening "ministry".  We all have a desire and a need to be heard...

Lately  I have been thinking about the listeners, those who always seem to be listening to someone else, but never really have the opportunity to share what is on their heart... What about the listeners in our lives?  Do we ever stop and take time to give THEM a listening ear?

I have recently noticed, in several different venues, with varying numbers of people, that the "listeners" sometimes do not get listened to... They get to do plenty of listening, they get to express care and concern, and then... nothing.  They are not asked about their life, their family, or how things are going.  They frequently do not get the opportunity to be listened to... I am pretty sure that there are times when they need someone to listen to them...

Now, I do not believe this is in any way intentional.  I think our world is so busy, with everyone running from this event to that meeting and back to this event and then off to another meeting, that we often do not slow down enough to listen to those who listen to us. We rattle off all that is going through our hearts and minds, and without even realizing we have done all the talking and no  listening,  we run off to the next thing.

I just wonder... do the listeners in our lives leave gatherings and get togethers feeling empty,
lonely, and as if no one is interested in their life or cares about them.  Do they leave times of fellowship, which are meant to renew and refresh, feeling depleted and sucked dry.

Let's take time to listen to those who listen to us... They just may be going through some hard stuff and need a listening ear!

But also remember, if you are a "listener", and you can not find anyone to listen to you when you most need a listening ear, our Heavenly Father in Heaven is always listening:

"You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; 

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry."  

Psalm 10:17

 

Thankful Thursday!

Another Thursday is upon us... I almost let it slip by, and I really need to be starting dinner for the family right now, but I decided I will give thanks first!

This week I am thankful for:

• Shelter from the wind, rain, and cold... we had lots of wind and rain here on Wednesday, and then the temperatures plummeted from the 70s to the 30s, so I am thankful for a home with a thermostat!
• Chick-fil-A and visits with other CBS (Community Bible Study) moms after our class each week...
• A husband who is handy and can fix anything he puts his hands to...
• Food to cook and a family to clean up after...
• Giggles and laughter...
• Books to read... and boys who like to read books...
• Children who are good at doing their chores... they are such good helpers!
• Snuggles with all my men...
• Our kitty, Bootsie, who is 19 and still hanging in there with us!
• Redemption...

What are you thankful for this week?  Take some time to think about it, even if it makes you a bit late cooking dinner!!

Thankful Thursday

Another Thursday is here... it seems the week just speeds by and before I know it another week has vanished!  I have good intentions of doing other blog posts, have a few floating around in my mind, but have not found the time to "get them on paper".  So in my effort to be more intentional about being thankful here is my thankful Thursday post for this week...

I am thankful for:

1. My double blessings... this week they turned 9!  My, they are growing up!
2. The privilege of studying God's Word with other ladies at Community Bible Study... today a precious lady shared her testimony.  She grew up with a very abusive father, was 1 of 6 children, yet her mother took her to church, her teachers had daily devotions, prayed with their class, and taught the Bible... in public school.  She came to know Christ at an early age, and God gifted her with an excellent reading ability at an early age... so much so that she read God's Word through, cover to cover, while in the 2nd grade!  She said she savored every word, every line, and every page!  Can you imagine hungering for God's Word at such a young age??  I was encouraged to not take His Word for granted, and to pray for my children to hunger and thirst for His Word so much that they read it without being prodded to...
3. The strength and energy to run!  And the occasional run with a friend out running at the same time!
4. Sunshine!  We have had some beautiful days after a long, dreary, cloudy, rainy week last week...
5. Books to read...
6. Like-minded friends... the Lord has blessed me with a couple of wonderful, like-minded, homeschooling moms of boys, both of whom I got to spend time with this week...
7. Little boys giggles and little boy hugs...
8. My husband, and the little things he does to help me and make my days go smoother...
9. The privilege of prayer...
10. The constant presence of my Lord and Savior through His Holy Spirit...

Take time to stop and give thanks for the blessings in your life, big and small... it may just refresh a tired and weary heart!

Thankful Thursday

Well, I made it to another Thursday... time to share again what I am thankful for from the past week.  This has been a rainy, cold week, and I have been cooped up inside, homeschooling 2 squirrelly, wiggly boys who have been big bundles of energy!  But we have had a good week, with sweet times together reading and learning new things.  And today we had SNOW!!  That is quite exciting here in our part of the world... just a few flurries that do not stick, yet the schools close early (some anyway), people leave work early, and the grocery stores run out of milk and bread!

Here are a few things I have been thankful for this week:

• the sound of rain falling outside, worship music playing inside
• books to read
• warm clothes to run in
• morning hugs given and received
• snuggles on the couch with a shared blanket while reading
• cold, white snowflakes swirling in the wind
• little boys thrilled with excitement over falling snow
• the sun peeking out from behind the clouds
• life - reminded how precious and fragile life is as a friend of a friend lost her baby in her 5th month of pregnancy
• library books, our home is always a bit quieter following a trip to the library
• grace... undeserved, yet given in abundance...

Have you stopped and taken time to give thanks??  It will certainly bless your heart...

Child Training and the Word of God

I am currently reading a book that I wish I had found years ago, when my boys were itty, bitty...  It is packed full of excellent yet practical ways and reasons to teach your children the Scriptures.  Not just drill them by memory into their heads, but teach them into their hearts...  Teaching God's Word into their hearts takes more time and effort than memorizing, it helps them to understand God's Word, and it helps them to apply it in their lives, even as a young child.  It often requires stopping in the midst of life, many times when it is inconvenient and when it interferes with your schedule... and it requires taking that real life opportunity to teach and apply scripture at the moment when it is needed.  And by teaching His Word into their little heart in this way, they will memorize it and know it because of the time you will spend together reading it and talking about it.  The book is Teach Them Diligently, How to Use the Scriptures in Child Training by Lou Priolo. 

From the title you can probably surmise that the book is based on the scripture from Deuteronomy 6:6-9.

And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

I am not even halfway through the book yet, as I am taking my time, trying to glean all there is to be gleaned from this little treasure I just happened to find at a 2nd hand bookstore!  However, I have already put many of its principles and suggestions to use and am very much pleased!  I feel that what I am learning is helping me to be more effective as a parent in fulfilling the command quoted above in Deut. 6.

The following 2 quotes have really struck me, and I have gone back to re-read them numerous times.  They apply to my relationship with my kids, my husband, and my friends...  I am to be truthful, yet loving, as they are with me, in regards to sin.  I am to confront it lovingly, using God's Word, and the power of God's Spirit, in order to bring conviction, to correct, and to train my children in righteousness. 

You would count him unworthy the name of a friend who, knowing a thief or an incendiary to lurk in your family with a design to kill, or rob, or burn your house, would conceal it from you, and not acquaint you with it in his own accord.  There is no such thief, murderer, incendiary, as sin.  Silence or concealment in this case is treachery.  He is the most faithful friend, and worthy of most esteem and affection, that deals most plainly with us in reference to the discovery of our sin.  He that is reserved in this case is but a false friend, a mere pretender to love, whereas, indeed, he hates his brother in his heart.  David Clarkson

A foolish physician he is, and a most unfaithful friend, that will let a sick man die for fear of troubling him; and cruel wretches are we to our friends, that will rather suffer them to go quietly to hell, than we will anger them, or hazard our reputation with them.  Richard Baxter  

(he notes that both of these quotations are taken from The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations)

I want to be a faithful friend... a faithful wife... a faithful mom...

I want to be faithful to my Lord and Savior...

May my Lord continue to be faithful to me as I humbly attempt to train my 2 little warriors for Him and for His glory, using the marvelous Sword He has provided for me, the Sword of the Spirit, the very Word of God.

Thankful Thursday

I used to be very consistent doing my Thankful Thursday posts... then homeschooling started, and I found it hard to find time to sit and type out a post. After teaching all day I found myself, and still do, mentally exhausted. I still try to have a thankful heart, and I really like the accountability of knowing I have a post to do, which makes me intentionally look for things to be thankful for, big and small.

 I have noticed recently that my children sure do complain about things... and boy, how that gets on my nerves! I have started making them immediately think of something they are thankful for when I hear a complaint pop out of their mouth. And sometimes they complain about that!! We all have those days, the kind where we complain and grumble more than we give thanks... those types of days usually do not end with good fruit. I want to intentionally be thankful, and I desire to teach my children to intentionally be thankful, so we will see how my Thursdays go this year...

We have been to Bible study this morning, then ran to pick up my race packet for a race I am running in this weekend... now we are home. The boys are riding bikes up and down the street, and the thought entered my mind that I should do a Thankful Thursday post. So here it goes...

This week I am thankful for the following:

1. Life... physical and spiritual 
2. Good health... 
3. A husband who works hard to provide for our family...
4. Children who are kind, hard-working, and fun...
5.  Time in the mornings to read the Word and drink a cup of coffee...
6.  Resurrected iPods!  (Mine died last weekend but has now been revived!!)
7.  Friends and family who have been willing to share their iPod with me so I would not have to run without music!
8. My husband making up our bed each morning...
9.  For food to cook and a family to cook for...
10.  For the many spiritual blessings we have "in Him"... I am currently attempting to memorize the book of Ephesians (on chapter 1 right now), and have had my eyes opened to the immenseness of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ.

Do you have a thankful heart today??  What are some things you are thankful for??

 

Happy New Year!!

Our annual Christmas and New Year's letter is below! 

We also included several links to pictures and other sites we have found to be helpful and encouraging through the year... Hope you enjoy!! 

 May your HOPE for 2013 and all the years to come be in Jesus Christ, 

our Savior and Lord!

We pray the year 2012 has been a good one for you, our friends and family. Our annual Christmas letter was not composed in time to make it in the mail with our Christmas cards, hence a New Year's letter here on the blog. For whoever is interested, here are a few of the highlights from our year, each in our own words...

Tricia: I continue to be blessed to be a stay at home wife, mom, and homeschool teacher. My days are full, as well as my heart, yet sometimes the work is awfully hard and tiring. However, my Lord continues to daily provide me with strength, energy, and endurance to do what He has called me to do for this season.

We are well into 3rd grade and I am so proud of the boys for all their hard work. What a joy it is to see them learning, and it truly blesses my heart to see and hear them actually apply what they are learning! I love to see David curled up reading a book, it amazes me at how well Paul can apply numbers and math to daily activities, and it tickles me when Paul uses big words correctly, just because he likes to use big words! They both sometimes leave me stunned at how much science and history they glean and can have a conversation about just from time spent reading together!

 One of the highlights of our year has been spring and fall soccer season! They have both become good little soccer players and I absolutely LOVE watching them play and cheering them on! Being a soccer Mom is FUN! David seems to have a natural God-given ability and speed that he uses nicely and humbly on the field... We were told he plays like "Messi", which we found out later was quite a compliment! Many hours of practice between the 2 of them and James in the backyard has resulted in some awesome "brother" plays on the field... One passes to the other right in front of the goal and the other one shoots it in!

I continue to run. It is a great way to clear my mind, get some exercise, and it is the one time of the day when no one can ask me any questions!! I completed the Seaside Half Marathon with a friend in March, and am currently training for the Mercedes Half coming up in February.

As I get older, it becomes more and more evident that nothing in this world matters other than knowing Jesus, my Lord and Savior and walking with Him. My heart's desire is that my husband and children would see Jesus in me, and that those I meet along this life journey would see Him and want to know Him and walk with Him also.

 David: I liked soccer because it was fun. I also liked Dollywood, especially the Wild Eagle roller coaster. I also liked camping out with friends in the backyard because we got to have smores. I liked riding the Ski Bob behind the pontoon boat, because it was easy to stay on and not fall off. Paw-paw took me to Uncle Rays, I was fishing with dead minnows and I caught a croppy. I also caught a colossal bass! When we used crickets at Uncle Ray’s we caught too many blue gill to count!! I also used live minnows and a spinner bait that bass love and caught 4 bass! Uncle Ray has a really nice big lake behind his house, I love to go there! And Paw-paw almost reeled in a 20 pound carp and I got to help, but it broke his pole!!

Paul: This year I liked seeing dolphins and a manta ray at the Gulf of Mexico. I also liked going to Tennessee and staying in a cabin in the mountains with my fun cousins. The cabin was 3 stories, had a hot tub, and a game room with a pool table, foosball table, ping-pong table, and an Xbox game system. Grandfather played a game of pool with us and he won! We went to the beach with some friends and it was very fun! While at the beach we saw a lot of jellyfish! And we also went to the lake and rode on a pontoon boat. And while we were there I caught a catfish and I tangled it in fishing line. And while I was riding behind the pontoon boat I jumped a wave, and I went through a wave.

Bootsie: I’m coming up on 20 years… against their better judgment I’ve been allowed in the house some during the holidays, it’s been kind of cold these past few weeks. I had them wondering if I was about to leave them a couple of times this year, and they hauled me off to the vet which is something I never want to repeat. Then I had to continue to suffer for a couple of weeks as they jammed some yuck stuff down my throat and coated my eye with some foreign substance… glad that is over! But one good thing did come out of all that, now I get to eat canned food!! It tastes heavenly!!

James: Another year, ... I must have blinked along the way. Our little boys are turning into little men. They've become serious soccer players, mountain bike riders, wrestlers, and fishermen. They have kind hearts and sweetly express compassion for the less fortunate, for those that who are different, or those in pain, that is, unless they are inflicting pain or misfortune on each other. The boys still find girls to be yucky but they also find something mysteriously interesting about them. They still dig dirt and Tonka trucks and things made out of cardboard boxes. They have requested a 3-story ropes course as an addition to their backyard fort. 

 I find myself thankful for many things… for good times and good friends, for the opportunity to travel, for my wife's restored health, for the blessing and opportunity of seeing family that we hadn’t seen for years, for my boys love of being outdoors, their eagerness to learn, and for their strong work ethic and desire to be helpful (many times without being prompted). I’m thankful that my boys know about the Jim Elliots, Gladys Aylwards, Eric Liddells of this world. 

Thankful for good friends… let’s expound on that one a bit… just HOW good are these friends? How about sharing a condo at the beach and nary a fuss from the adults nor children! Or an incredibly fun weekend on the lake sking and tubing! Even better, an eight hour road trip to watch cars go fast and hangout with old college buddies- just to have your minivan drop a transmission without warning six hours from the house on the way home!! Thankfully we were able to coast to an exit ramp and then pushed the van to the only establishment in sight, which happened to be a Dollar General. Wasn’t looking forward to that tow bill! Yet the Lord provides. While we awaited our rescue from the extraordinary Mr. George, we made the best of it and camped out at the Dollar General parking lot, complete with hibachi grill. This “good friend” acquired a trailer to haul our entourage back home, drove 6 hours to rescue us, loaded us up, turned around and hauled us back home. Tricia managed to miss this memory maker, as she was enjoying a rare 3 day weekend at home all alone. However, my friend’s wife that was well with child WAS with us… and she just rolled with it- calmly knitting as darkness fell upon us.

On a different note, I empathize with those who have lost loved ones, those who are experiencing the pain of broken relationships, and those who live with chronic pain. But the Lord allows for us to grow through circumstances and I continue to strive to be the best husband, dad, son, and friend that I can. To help keep things in perspective, I enjoy listening to Ravi Zacharias, John MacArthur, Erwin Lutzer and Chip Ingram.

May 2013 be filled with the blessings of the Lord in your lives and in your families. “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”  Numbers 6:24-26 

Love and Blessings, 
James, Tricia, Paul, David, and Bootsie 


P.S.  If you have taken the time to read this, please leave us a comment!  We would love to hear from you!! (Just click on post a comment below.)

A Great Read and Great Ideas for Reflecting on 2012

 I received this in an email from Vision Forum... It is absolutely too good not to pass along...

Dear Friends:
Life moves fast. If we don’t take the time to chronicle the providences of God, we forget them. If we don’t take the time to say “Thank you” to those who have invested in our lives, we actually cultivate a spirit of ingratitude in our own hearts. If we don’t stop and make sure that we have a spirit of forgiveness toward others, we grow bitter, we lose the capacity to move victoriously into the future, and our prayers are hindered.

Here is a little practice that I was taught and would like to share with you. Each year, during the last week of December, I encourage you to do the following things.

I. Outline and Chronicle the Many Providences of God 

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Hab. 2:2) 

First, using simple bullet points, outline the key events for every week of every month of the year. Take the time to do the research which will help jog your memory and allow you to make an accurate record. I find that reviewing bills, blogs, journals, newspaper headlines, letters, and even organizing my photographs chronologically are enormously helpful tools. Those individuals who were faithful to journal or keep a diary will have little problem reconstructing key events. Give yourself a good week to reconstruct your own outline of the year. Also, by making this a family project, you will not only build your list with greater speed and precision, but (in the hands of a loving patriarch) the very act of chronicling the providences of God in your life is a blessed tool for family discipleship.

Every family will have a different set of priorities directing what they should record. In addition to recording the key events and providences of the year chronologically, I try to take the time with my family to record some of the following information on separate bullet lists:

Where did I/we travel?
 What were the most important sermons I heard this year?
What books/articles did I write?
What significant household projects did we accomplish in 2012?
What were the most important meetings of the year?
What special friendships were made this year?
Which children lost teeth, and how many?
Who grew in physical stature, and how much did they grow?
 Who learned to read this year?
What diet and physical exercise regimen did I maintain to honor "my temple"?
What books did I read?
Did we read as a family?
Did my children read?
What Scriptures did my family memorize?
What loved ones died this year?
What were the great personal/ministry/national tragedies and losses of the year?
What were the great personal/ministry/national blessings of the year?
What were my most significant failures/sins for the year 2012?
What commitments have I made to overcome sin in 2013?
What significant spiritual and practical victories did I experience?
In what tangible ways did I communicate gratitude to those who have blessed me and invested in my life? What were the top ten themes of 2012 for my family?

 II. Say ‘Thank You’ to Those Who Have Invested in Your Life 

 [I] cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. (Eph. 1:16) 

 Whatever happened to the man who first opened to you the words of life from the Scripture? Where is the comrade, coach, or instructor who believed in you and helped you to accomplish a great goal? What about the Bible teacher whose careful handling of the Word opened up new vistas of understanding? Where is the friend who stood with you through thick and thin? Most importantly, what have you communicated to the mother who carried you in her womb, loved and nurtured you, or the father who labored to provide for and shepherd you?

When was the last time you responded to their investment in your life with gratitude, blessings, and even money? Jesus reminds us of those ungrateful recipients of blessing who simply went their way without demonstrating gratitude (Luke 17).

Before the year ends, make a list of two types of people: The first list are the names of people whose life, ministry, or personal investment in you have deeply touched you and changed your life. (In my case, the list includes parents, pastors, and even some teachers from the early years of my Christian walk that I did not meet until much later in my life, but whose books and tapes were crucial to my personal discipleship as a young Christian.) The second list should include those people who played the most significant role in your life in 2012.

Write a brief, meaningful letter to each of them. Be specific in your gratitude. Explain what they did for you and why it was important to you. Show them how they were God’s instrument of blessing in your own life. Pray over each letter, asking God to grant you rich insights on the character qualities of each individual and on the way those qualities changed your own life. Where appropriate, include a check or special token of appreciation that reflects your desire to show them, tangibly, that you recognize that you are in their debt. You cannot imagine the joy this will give to someone from your past who may think you have forgotten them. Give generously and without concern for getting a tax deduction. I strongly recommend sending money to your parents. Keep in mind that you will never be able to return their personal and financial investment in your life, except through your testimony of faithfulness, covenant keeping, and honor to the Lord.

Also, your children need to know the people who have blessed their parents. They need to see that Mom and Dad are grateful and generous. Share your letters with them. In our household, we ask our children to write to some of the people who have blessed Mommy and Daddy, because our children are the indirect recipients of these blessings on their parents.

This will take a day or two to complete. You may have twenty letters to write, but you will never regret saying “Thank you.”

 One last thought: One reason why Christians are often limited in vision, energy, and blessings is that, contrary to the Lord’s command, we are ungrateful, unforgiving, and bitter. Far too many who profess the name of Christ spend more time obsessing on those who have wronged them than rejoicing in those who have blessed them. Letters and tangible expressions of gratitude are not only pleasing to Christ, but an antidote to heart-sickness.

III. Forgive Those Who Have Wronged You 

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21) 

In the course of a year, it is possible to build up many offenses and personal grievances at others. Left unaddressed, these grievances fester and grow. They turn the heart black and the body weak. They foster a spirit of vengeance and misguided self-righteousness. The short of it is this: Unforgiveness leads to bitterness. Bitterness curdles the mind and the spirit.

 Fresh starts and new years should begin with forgiveness for others. Having a genuine spirit of forgiveness towards those who have wronged us is a mark of biblical Christianity. It is an evidence that we have been redeemed, and that we are praying lawfully: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

 Successful Christians are men and women who are free from bitterness. They have learned the principle modeled by our Lord Jesus Christ who, while suffering death at the hands of people he had never wronged, was able to say, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24).

 I have a dear preacher friend with a sterling reputation who was once grievously slandered. When asked about the wicked actions of the slanderers, he replied something to this effect:

Oh you don’t understand — I am far, far worse than my detractors realize. They may have gotten a lot of the specific facts wrong, but I am just thankful they don't know how bad my heart truly is. God have mercy on me a sinner 

This man had victory over bitterness. My father is another man who always appeared to have victory over bitterness. In fact, from my earliest days to the present, I have watched lesser men “twist the truths [he’s] spoken to make a trap for fools.” [i]

 Early in my life when I was still in government schools, I would listen to my own teachers criticize before my class the work my father was doing for the President to dismantle a government agency which was at war with the family. I read untruthful articles and saw derogatory comics on the pages of the Washington Post picturing him as a caveman for his “prehistoric” views. When my father was a leader in the Republican Party in Massachusetts, a gangster repeatedly threatened the life of his family. I remember being a boy and having my father shield me from homosexual picketers and protesters that would follow him and our family around at public locations.

 Most painful and difficult for many to forgive is betrayal and dishonor. But that is a mistake. Betrayal and dishonor probably exist in the lives of most men. And why should any Christian be denied in their lives what past generations of Christians — and our Lord and Savior Himself — patiently endured? To our shame, most of us have been on both sides of that coin. From a son’s perspective, however, it is highly instructive to watch a father act honorably in the midst of such conflict. It has been a great blessing in my own life to observe my father nobly respond even in the face of barbs from former allies and friends, once loved and nurtured by him.

Eternally optimistic, Dad would always say: “Never be bitter. Life is too short. Thank God for your blessings. Press on!”

Bitterness comes from being unwilling to forgive. Bitter people are small people. They are unsuccessful people. They are people who cannot move forward. They are people who believe that the personal wrongs against them are so great that they — the offended — are entitled to do to their offenders what they pray the Lord Jesus Christ will never do to them: refuse to forgive.

Here is my recommendation: Think through every grief, minor and major, caused by others to you in the year 2012. Now add to the list any other personal offenses that continue to linger from past years. Write these down as bullets on a sheet of paper.

The first thing you will likely realize is just how many offenses are polluting your thought life and, probably, your spirit. This is a sign of latent bitterness. Bitterness will kill you. It renders you completely ineffective.

Now prayerfully walk through the list — bullet by bullet. With each offense, remind yourself that the most despicable action taken against you by another utterly (and infinitely) pales in comparison to the least of your offenses against the Lord Jesus Christ.

And yet He has forgiven you.

Before 2013 begins, adopt a spirit of forgiveness towards your insensitive friends as well as your hateful enemies. Forgive your imperfect father for whatever it is you need to forgive him for (and pray to the Lord that your own children someday forgive you for your failures). Quit devoting untold precious hours to commiseration, mental replay of the wrongs done, and thoughts about just how badly you were wronged. Stop blaming everybody but yourself for your problems. Look to yourself. Once you start chronicling your own sinful attitudes and crimes against God and man, you simply won’t have time to worry about the wrongs done to you. You will stop being bitter, and you will start being thankful.

Wipe the slate clean. “Press on.” Forgive.

Conclusion 

As 2012 comes to a close, take time to remember and to say “thank you.” Take time to examine yourself for bitterness. Forgive others. Finally, as you love God with all your heart, soul and might, trust Him, too. Really trust him. Trust God with all your heart, your soul and might. You and I cannot solve every problem. What we can do is be kind, forgiving, and patient before the Lord. We can not “fix” everything that is broken. Only God can do that. In His time and His way, the Lord cannot only bring peace, but He can give you the very desires of your heart as you seek Him with integrity. He can redeem the years the locusts have eaten, and He delights in blessing His faithful children. “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).

 It is appropriate that we stop and thank God at the birth of a new year. Remember that God gave man the stars on Day Four in part so that he could order and structure his life based on a clock/calendar system of days, seasons, and years (Genesis 1). He tells us to “remember” acts and to “number” our days. In Scripture, the formal act of remembering providences of God in our life is linked to hope, honor, and generational success (e.g., Psalms 44, 78, etc.). By February 2013, the year 2012 will be a distant memory. Strike now while the iron is hot. The opportunity to remember and to say “thank you” may never come again. And can you afford even one more day in which your prayers are hindered — because you were refusing to forgive? Trust the Lord. He is in charge: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5).

 With love and gratitude,
Doug Phillips
Douglas Phillips, President, Vision Forum Ministries
[i] From Rudyard Kipling’s “If”

May this bless you, motivate you,and encourage you... as it has me...


And stay tuned!  Our New Year's letter is coming tomorrow!!

Advent... Preparing for the King!

At our home, during the Christmas season, we try hard to focus our

hearts on Christ...

I often find myself sad during the holidays, 

for various different reasons, 

one of them being the fact that so many seem to be joyful 

over Santa, or their Elf, or what they are going to "get"...

In conversations with people about their holiday festivities, 

Jesus is rarely mentioned... yet He is the reason we have Christmas...

So... in an effort to make sure our boys know the real meaning of Christmas, 

and in an effort to keep MY heart in the right place, 

we celebrate Advent.

We have a very simple advent wreath with candles... 

we light the appropriate candles each day, have a short devotion,

and talk about preparing our hearts for the coming of our King.

This year we have an advent tree that we place simple ornaments on, 

each one corresponds to the devotion we read, 

each having a symbolic meaning to remind of us God and His great love for us...

And we are reading a chapter from Jotham's Journey each day...

This book has been absolutely wonderful and has captured my children's hearts and attention, 

as well as my own!

And our celebration of Advent would in no way be complete

 if we did not read the passages detailing the story

of Christ and His birth found in Luke...

We take our time reading through these passages, 

savoring them and discussing the events together.

So, what are you doing to prepare your heart for the coming of the King??

He is coming again... and it just may be soon...

"Stir us up, O Lord, to make ready for your only-begotten Son.  

May we be able to serve you with purity of soul through the coming 

of Him who lives and reigns."  Advent Prayer

 

Take Care What You Listen To...

O be careful little ears what you hear... This song has been playing through my mind today.  Our memory verse brought it to mind...

 Our memory verse for our CBS class this week is Mark 4:24b-25:

  And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.  For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."

 I have been studying it all week, trying to understand what it means ( understanding it tends to help me remember it better), and I was really having a hard time getting the meaning behind the words, so I started looking at the verse in its context and also in the Amplified Bible.

 Just before these verses Jesus gives the parable of the sower and the seeds, then He explains the parable. Following these verses He gives the parable of the Seed and then of the Mustard Seed. 

"Take care what you listen to,"... 

"Be careful what you are hearing,"...

 Do you ever wonder why some people seem to understand God's Word better, why some seem to have a deeper understanding, and some seem to be able to draw out deep insights and powerful truths that minister to hearts and bring about powerful transformations in hearts? I think this passage reveals to us why.

 "And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure of (virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you - and more (besides) will be given to those who hear. For to him who has more will be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (by force)." Mark 4:24-25, The Amplified Bible 

 The more I think on and study the Word of God the more virtue and knowledge I will receive... And even more will be given to those who hear, to those who are listening to the voice of God! Wow! What a motivation to spend more time reading, studying, and thinking on the Word of God. Nothing else we put into our hearts and minds can produce such dividends!

What do you put into your heart and mind daily?

If you only have 30 minutes to sit down and read during the day, what do you choose to read... A blog, a news site, the newspaper, a magazine, a secular book... Do we pick these things over the Word of God? I want to choose God first...

 I have found in my life that if I choose Him first, then He takes away my desires for the things in this life that only end up drawing me away from Him.  He takes away the desire for the things He does not want me to fill my heart and mind with, and as a result I am able to focus more fully on his Spirit living in me, and am more able to hear and respond to that still, small voice. 

Luke 8:18 "therefore, take heed how you listen."

 

Spend time with Jesus

I think it is so sweet when the Lord confirms something He has spoken to  me through His Spirit.  After sharing about "My Plate" a post back, my Lord has sweetly confirmed to me that I am right where He would have me to be for this season of my life.

Just yesterday I opened some mail that has been in a clutter pile for about a week, and I read the following from a brochure for a book by Priscilla Shirer, The Resolution for Women.  This is what I read:

I do solemnly resolve to embrace my current season of life, and will maximize my time in it.  I will resist the urge to hurry through or circumvent any portion of my journey but will live with a spirit of contentment.  

 and this...

I will seek to devote the best of myself, my time, and my talents to the primary roles the Lord has entrusted to me in this phase of my life.  

Wow!

And last night I attended a meeting of a group called Generations... a group of homeschool moms who gather to share ideas and offer encouragement to one another.  What a blessing it was, as we talked about scheduling, organizing, disciplining, habit training, and discipling our children.  The answer to every question that was presented was "spend time with Jesus"... If we spend time with Jesus, He will give us wisdom, creativity, strength and power to fulfill what He has called us to do for this season.  I came home so refreshed, encouraged, renewed, and motivated to do this homeschooling thing with excellence for His glory!

If  I need creativity... spend time with Jesus, He is the Creator...

If I need wisdom... spend time with Jesus, wisdom comes from Him...

If I need help... spend time with Jesus, for my help comes from the Lord...

If I need peace... spend time with Jesus, He is the Prince of Peace...

If I need strength... spend time with Jesus, the joy of the Lord is my strength...

You get the idea!


So... spend time with Jesus, and then go do what He has ordained for you to do for this season of your life, and enjoy it!

Hanging onto the Words of Jesus

During my time in the Word this morning I read the following:

And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling, saying to them, "It is written, 'And My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a robbers' den." And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging upon His words. Luke 19:45-48

The first thing that struck me as I read this passage was, "for all the people were hanging upon His words." I had never noticed this in this passage before, although I know I have read this portion of scripture countless times.

In my mind, I pictured people gathered around Jesus, eyes intently on Him, hanging on to His every word. Listening so intently that they were practically able to repeat verbatim every word He spoke. They were soaking up all that He had to say.

Then I went back and read the verses before this verse as I wanted to see the context in which this was written. And what I saw was very revealing... Jesus had entered the temple and He became so upset at what He saw happening in God's temple that He began casting out those who were misusing the temple grounds for their own purposes and greediness... I am sure He made quite a scene. I have seen it portrayed in movies and it was not pretty or nice, Jesus was angry, this was His Father's house, meant to be used as a house of prayer. Yet, people who were coming to make sacrifices were being taken advantage of...

What got my attention, was that in spite of all the people who were bound to be angry with Jesus, in spite of the chief priests and scribes and leading men trying to destroy Jesus, there were so many people hanging onto His every word that those wanting to destroy Him could do nothing to harm Him. The Amplified Bible reads this way, "For all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him,".

Do we hang onto Jesus' words today?? Do we stick by Him no matter what?? Or are we swayed by the voices of this world and the agenda of those with unrighteous plans...

 Just something to ponder...

Living Fully, Intentionally...

I attended a funeral yesterday... for a young wife, mom, and daughter... she was only 35 years old... she died of cancer...  She leaves behind her husband of 11 years, 2 daughers, 9 years old and 5 years old, her parents, and countless other friends and relatives...

Her funeral was by far the most worshipful funeral I have ever attended. Upon leaving, I was struck with the fact that I had attended a funeral but felt as if I had attended a worship service!  I believe this was the first time that I have received encouragement and spiritual renewal from attending a funeral.  I left her funeral encouraged and motivated to live my life to the fullest and to live intentionally in light of eternity rather than living for the temporal things of this world.

Her life made a difference for the kingdom.  She willingly allowed God to use her life and the story He wrote with her life to show His love to a lost, dark, and dying world.  It was said of her that she never complained about her battle with cancer, never asked "Why me?".  Rather, she asked God to give her a testimony and to use her life for His glory.  The gospel was preached through her life and through the words at her "Going Home Party", and at least 10 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior at her funeral!!!  I can not remember ever attending a funeral where an invitation was given and where people came to meet Jesus personally as their Lord and Savior!  What a testimony!  What a life well-lived!  What a demonstration of the power of God... to work through death to give life to those who were dead in their sins! 

I want my life to count for His Kingdom.... thank you Jamie Layton Cagle, for motivating and encouraging me to keep my eyes focused on my Savior, and to live my days left here on earth intentionally, for His Glory, and with an eternal perspective...

"The memory of the uncompromisingly righteous is a blessing..."  Proverbs 10:7

 

Good Friday

 I read this this morning and found it to be very thought provoking... just thought I would share it here...

"Put yourself in the place of the first followers of Christ who were there at His death. Your heart would be broken. Your mind would be racing. This isn't anything at all like what was supposed to happen to the King of the Jews. He was supposed to set everything right. Mend what was broken. Restore what was lost. But now, it would seem, all is lost. Everything is broken. Nothing is right.

Spend some time today trying to live in that space between the cross and the empty tomb. After hope has left. Before grace has come. Use that feeling to fuel your prayer for someone you know that lives there every day. Ask God to show you how to reach out to them and invite them into your Easter observances this weekend." 

from YouVersion Easter reading plan

Time in the Word

I read these quotes recently and have really been thinking on them.  I have wanted to blog a bit about what they have stirred in my heart, but just have not had the time to sit down and get my thoughts out on paper...

...so I am just putting the quotes here for whoever happens by my way to ponder upon... they are most certainly better than any of my thoughts could be on them anyway...

"The poorest [man] who understands his Bible, knows more about religion than the wisest philosophers of Greece and Rome." 

and...

"Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be got by hard, regular, daily, attentive and wakeful reading. Do we grudge the time and trouble this will cost us? If we do, we are not yet fit for the kingdom of God."

These were taken from Sunsets, Reflections for Life's Final Journey by Deborah Howard, RN, CHPN

 Any thoughts??


                                                                                                                                                                               

How God Uses Our Suffering...

I read the following this morning and just wanted to share it here...

It addresses how God uses suffering in our lives... and let's face it, we all have some sort of suffering in our lives.  Sometimes it is a season of intense suffering, and other times the suffering is more bearable but it still hurts...

God uses suffering to purge sin from our lives, strengthen our commitment to Him, force us to depend on his grace, bind us together with other believers, yield discernment, foster sensitivity, discipline our minds, impart wisdom, stretch our hope, cause us to know Christ better, make us long for truth, lead us to repentance of sin, teach us to give thanks in times of sorrow, increase our faith, and strengthen our character.  And once He accomplishes such great things, often we can see in part what we will one day see in full - that our suffering has been worth it.

Lord, though you have redeemed us, we are yet incomplete, in need of your daily touch and refinement.  Thank you for using adverse circumstances, disappointment, discouragement, frustration, and uncertainty, along with our ailments, to transform us into Christ's likeness.  May we submit ourselves to your chisel, making transformation easier for us and more honoring to you.
from 90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn

Are you able to thank God for the hard things and the suffering in your life? 

Sharing Jesus through my story...

Fair warning to any readers... this post is long... I recently shared my testimony at our Community Bible Study opening assembly and wanted to share it here also.  

 

Father God, I pray that you would use these words that You have given me, 
and the story You have written with my life, 
to bring hope and encouragement to many.  
I pray you would you draw others to Youself and to Your Word, 
and through Your Spirit bring peace, comfort, and healing.  
In Jesus' precious and holy name, Amen.

  Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

  Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Psalm 103:1-3

I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom… so I am hardly ever by myself…

Back in September, near the end of the month, I went away for a weekend, all by myself… I attended a women’s conference, all by myself, and stayed in a hotel all by myself… and it was heavenly!! God spoke to me while I was there through one of the speakers (and I actually got to ride in the elevator with this speaker... all by myself... although I did not get to talk to her, as she was on her cell phone, asking her son about his soccer game.)

What she spoke to me, from her platform, was this:

“Tell them your story – that is how they see Jesus.”

 Now this grabbed my attention, as I had just recently told my story, back on September 9th, to a group of friends who had gathered in my home to celebrate with me the goodness of the Lord and the fact that He had carried me through the fire… exactly a year prior…

The next week I read this…

“Corrie ten Boom told her story many times. And it was in the telling of that story that lives were changed. Deep within each human being is an ancient, profound desire for a good story. You and I have a story, too, without which every other Christian is the poorer. Perhaps in learning how Corrie told her story, we will learn how to tell our own stories as well – and in so doing we will affect our world in ways that only eternity will tell.”

God got my attention, I heard Him… and that is why I am here today… telling my story, out of obedience to my Savior and my love for Him…

As I look back over my life, I can now see very clearly how the things in my life which have brought me great suffering and pain are the very same things that my Lord has graciously used to carry me deeper into intimacy with Him and to cause me to depend on and rely on Him alone.

Looking back, I can see that the things I had suffered are the very things that God had used to prepare me for an even greater season of suffering that I never would have anticipated…

I had suffered:

• The rejection and ridicule of others in high school because of my stand for Christ,
• Heartache from a broken engagement
• A difficult pregnancy, requiring a lengthy hospitalization
• My sibling choosing a different lifestyle which has torn our family apart and shattered dreams…

Jesus has graciously redeemed each and every one of these circumstances and used them collectively to draw me closer to Him, to speak to me through His Word, to teach me more about who He is, and to make me more obedient to Him… because somehow, in His grace, and in His sovereignty, I turned to Him and to His Word and not to other people or “stuff”… As I endured each season of suffering, my Lord has proved Himself to be so very faithful, and I have learned that His Word is trustworthy, true, and powerful.

I am so thankful that I learned these truths before He brought the next season of suffering into my life… which is the story I am here to tell you about today…

My story starts about 4 years after our boys were born. I started having problems associated with that time of the month, but I tried to play them off, as “this must just be what happens after you have had a baby, especially twins.” For about a year, I was able to manage pretty well.. I only had problems for about a week each month, they were bothersome, but I still functioned pretty well. They didn’t really slow me down…

About a year after that, we started homeschooling… and I started running more. I decided to train for a couple of half marathons, therefore I was running 4 to 6 days a week. I noticed that I was really tired a lot, and did not have as much energy, but blamed it on the homeschooling and running. And I just kept trudging along…

Well, I successfully trained and ran the Mercedes Half Marathon in Feb of 2010, and in March I ran the Seaside Half Marathon… we were also in the midst of K… then in April my symptoms significantly increased in severity. They went from being bothersome to being painful, but were manageable with lots of Aleve.

Then came May, and with May came more pain, more frequently, and there began to be times that it was debilitating… but at least we finished K …

Then June came, and when June hit, I began to experience pain like I have never in my life experienced… Aleve no longer had any effect… and the pain and discomfort were no longer confined to just a week, it was for 3 weeks… and it just kept getting worse. My pain originated in my right lower side, and it spread around to my right lower back, to my tailbone and pelvic area, and even at times down my right leg.

July was BAD! I could barely function, and I was getting worried, because we were supposed to start school back in August. All I could do at the time was let the boys watch TV, they watched LOTS of TV that summer, send them out back to play, and just try to survive from hour to hour…I had no idea how once August arrived I would homeschool my children, I couldn’t even effectively be a wife and mother, I rarely cooked dinner.. I did only what had to be done around the house, it was excruciating to make a trip to the grocery store, riding made my pain worse and walking through the store just made my pain even worse… my husband frequently came home from work to find me in tears because of pain, my boys would come inside from playing out back and find me in tears, I often had to call my husband to come home from work because of the intensity of the pain… nothing would bring me relief… I just wanted to throw something across the room or ram something into the wall I hurt so bad…

Through this time I was unable to study God’s Word, my mind felt like it was in a fog, the pain was so consuming, that concentrating on what I was reading practically impossible… but I KNEW God’s Word, and I KNEW God, thanks to my previous sufferings…

I would often listen to praise and worship music, unable to sing along because of the tears streaming down my face, and one song I listened to over and over and over was Psalm 121 put to music, and it was a balm for my broken and hurting heart.

	I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.  The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.  The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.  The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.  Psalm 121

Around this time I started sleeping (or more like attempting to sleep) in our guest room because I did not want to keep my husband awake at night… I rarely was able to sleep… the pain kept me awake and I tossed and turned all night long…

Most nights I laid awake in excruciating pain, pain that truly no words can adequately describe… I was unable to get relief, and did not know anything physically I could do to help my situation… so I often would just close my eyes and call on the name of Jesus, I would just say His name over and over… One night while calling on the name of Jesus, I was finally able to go to sleep and God gave me a vision. In this vision I saw a huge hand, it was the hand of God.  I saw myself, laying down, curled up into a ball, in God’s big, strong hand… I was laying in the palm of His hand. And His hand was big...  so big that He could close it up over me to protect me without harming me…

This gave me HOPE, and I clung to that HOPE…

Not long after that I was sitting in my chair in the den, with the heating pad (which had become my best friend), James and the boys were outside playing, and I was able to spend some time reading through the Psalms… and my Lord spoke to me so clearly through His Word – He gave me scriptures to pray back to Him… this infused me with HOPE! For I know God’s Word is powerful and that praying His Word is powerful.

At this point I KNEW that my Lord was not going to leave me in such a state of pain forever – and I knew that He would be honored and glorified even through one of the most physically, emotionally, and mentally hardest times of my life…

These are the verses that I read…

Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Psalm 71:20 “Thou who hast shown me many troubles and distresses, wilt revive me again, and wilt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” Psalm 119:25 “My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Thy Word.”

Psalm 138:7-8 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou wilt stretch forth Thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Thy right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Thy hands.”

Hosea 6:1-3 “Come, let us return to the Lord, for He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.”

Revive was a recurring word and theme I was seeing in these verses, so I decided to look it up in the dictionary.

REVIVE – to bring back to life, consciousness, or activity; to make or become fresh or strong again, to bring back into use…

I knew God was going to bring me healing, but I didn’t know how…

Well, through a series of God-ordained events, I ended up having surgery on September 9th because of severe endometriosis… the doctor said it was one of the worst cases he had ever seen… I had a complete hysterectomy, and because of complications, I had to have 8 inches of my colon removed because the endometriosis had grown into it… and I stayed in the hospital for 8 days… However, I knew the moment I woke up from surgery that my pain was gone… and my pain is now completely gone with no trace of it whatsoever!

God provided for me so graciously… He provided me with a Christian doctor who held my hands and prayed fervently over me the morning of my surgery, He provided me with a surgeon who was an oncologist gynecologist who typically did surgery on cancer patients, therefore I was thoroughly checked for cancer and none was found! He provided me with wonderful caring nurses and friends and family who were used to be the hands and feet of Jesus to me and my family during my recovery…

He is my healer, my redeemer, my Savior, and my Lord… and I am so grateful for His hand upon my life, I praise Him for first of all my salvation, and then for my healing... He did not have to heal me, but for some reason He chose to heal me completely… therefore I desire to live fully and completely for Him, to share His love with others, and to share my story, to bring Him glory, whenever He gives me the opportunity to do so…

 Psalm 71

 For You are my hope;
O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.
⁶ By You I have been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You. (verses5-6)

 But as for me, I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
¹⁶ I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.  ¹⁷ O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
¹⁸ And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
¹⁹ For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?(verses 14-19)

“God uses suffering to achieve the glorious transformation of our characters to prepare us for service and joy in in the next life”… and in this one… Randy Alcorn