Monday, October 17, 2011
On Fall
In the fall leaves are falling everywhere, the air is colder and you have to get out the jackets once again. Children start getting back into the swings of things with school and the stillness and quietness of summer shifts back into busy lives. Fall is also preparation for winter. I am going to apply this now to our spiritual lives. We need to brace ourselves for the winters in our lives. In the good time we need to stock up on all we can learn to prepare us for winter. This doesn't mean to worry about what will happen next but rather how we will react when it does come and safeguard our hearts will enjoying the good times. In the winter things are dormant. Flowers die and wither away. Trees are bare. But what comes after winter? Spring! Everything becomes alive again. The trees regain their leaves. Flowers spring up again. It is warm again. Just like our lives. There masy be hard times but in the end we become alive again and become victorious all over again. Why? Because Jesus knows how much we can handle and won't put us through anything we can't handle . Don't get discouraged if the season you are in now is hard to handle. If you are in the winter of your life remember that Spring is coming!!!!! It's right around the corner. You will blossom once again into the person God made you to be. The painting of your life will turn out beautiful.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Where You Are
Hello Friends! It has been a long time since I've writen. I am sorry. Needed time to get reflect and get more inspiration so I can have more to share with you. Follow my blog still as I will be writing more. Hope you enjoy our new topic...
Sometimes we reach a fork in the road, a dead end and we don't know know where to go or what to do. We feel we are failures especially when we know there is so much more for us. We begin to compare ourselves with others who have what we want. We think we have no reason to be where we are. We see it fruitless. I have been in that place may times even in the past year. I wanted something more. I look back now though as seeing everything as a step to where God wants me to be tomorrow. God's timing isn't always are timing. There have been so many times I fought with God. I cried and got depressed. I saw what other people had and I wanted it. I was after my will, what I wanted and not after the Will of my Heavenly father who made me and loves me and wants for me more then I can imagine. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about Esther, probably a teenager at the time. She was placed into a HORRIBLE situation and the lives of her people were in hands. She was at risk being killed herself. She was placed in a situation where she just didn't understand. Why God had put her in that situation. God put her there "For such a time as this" and because she did what God said, her people were spaired and not only that but they had more power then before. She could not understand why but in the end our God knew what He was doing and had a plan for her. If you have reached in a road block in your life. If you wonder "Why this, Lord" don't lose heart. God knows what He is doing and has you there for such "Such a time as this." Allow Him to use you where you are. Place your will in His hand. You never know what will happen next.
Sometimes we reach a fork in the road, a dead end and we don't know know where to go or what to do. We feel we are failures especially when we know there is so much more for us. We begin to compare ourselves with others who have what we want. We think we have no reason to be where we are. We see it fruitless. I have been in that place may times even in the past year. I wanted something more. I look back now though as seeing everything as a step to where God wants me to be tomorrow. God's timing isn't always are timing. There have been so many times I fought with God. I cried and got depressed. I saw what other people had and I wanted it. I was after my will, what I wanted and not after the Will of my Heavenly father who made me and loves me and wants for me more then I can imagine. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about Esther, probably a teenager at the time. She was placed into a HORRIBLE situation and the lives of her people were in hands. She was at risk being killed herself. She was placed in a situation where she just didn't understand. Why God had put her in that situation. God put her there "For such a time as this" and because she did what God said, her people were spaired and not only that but they had more power then before. She could not understand why but in the end our God knew what He was doing and had a plan for her. If you have reached in a road block in your life. If you wonder "Why this, Lord" don't lose heart. God knows what He is doing and has you there for such "Such a time as this." Allow Him to use you where you are. Place your will in His hand. You never know what will happen next.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Defining Moments
We all have encountered times in our lives that change us forever, that defineus. We learn lessons on our way that help us as we get older and further along and can pass along to other who are where we've been. Life is the journey and heaven is our destination. Lessons we learn here are meant to help us along the way.
What happens when the lessons aren't clear and not like a billboard on the highway. What if we are in a battle that there doesn't seem to any reason for? What about the moments when God seems so far away and has stopped caring about us?
My friend, sometimes we will face battles that we don't know why we are fighting until after the battle is won. God never puts us in a battle just to make us suffer. Quite the contrary, God puts us through battles so we can learn and grow, to be more like Him. He puts us through battles because He has something better for us after the battle.
The Bible tells us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We sometimes in the middle of the battle think that God has stopped loving us and stopped caring. Yet, He is loves us and cares about us just the same! He is closer in the moments then ever and cries with us and for us. We are the ones who have changed and became different, not God.
I didn't understand many things in the middle of the battle. I didn't understand why God gave me Turner Syndrome and gave me Tourettes Syndrome and Pseudo Seizures. But as I have gotten older and have fault and won my battles why God put me it. In High School, I was able to lead another student into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and see him baptised at my church that summer. I was able to talk another girl out of committing suicide by telling her about my battle with depression and being suicidal and about how my Grandfather's suicide affected me and my entire family.
God also puts obstacles in our way to show us how much He loves us by being with us. Hard times help draw us closer to Him then the good times. God desperately wants us to have a strong personal relationship with Him. He loves us sooooooooo much that He'll do whatever it takes. Don't lose hard my dear friend. Just because you don't know why doesn't mean God isn't working or knows what he is doing. When He seems so far you can't feel Him anymore, He is closer to you then ever before and carrying you higher. He will leave you or forsake you. He will never stop loving you!
What happens when the lessons aren't clear and not like a billboard on the highway. What if we are in a battle that there doesn't seem to any reason for? What about the moments when God seems so far away and has stopped caring about us?
My friend, sometimes we will face battles that we don't know why we are fighting until after the battle is won. God never puts us in a battle just to make us suffer. Quite the contrary, God puts us through battles so we can learn and grow, to be more like Him. He puts us through battles because He has something better for us after the battle.
The Bible tells us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We sometimes in the middle of the battle think that God has stopped loving us and stopped caring. Yet, He is loves us and cares about us just the same! He is closer in the moments then ever and cries with us and for us. We are the ones who have changed and became different, not God.
I didn't understand many things in the middle of the battle. I didn't understand why God gave me Turner Syndrome and gave me Tourettes Syndrome and Pseudo Seizures. But as I have gotten older and have fault and won my battles why God put me it. In High School, I was able to lead another student into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and see him baptised at my church that summer. I was able to talk another girl out of committing suicide by telling her about my battle with depression and being suicidal and about how my Grandfather's suicide affected me and my entire family.
God also puts obstacles in our way to show us how much He loves us by being with us. Hard times help draw us closer to Him then the good times. God desperately wants us to have a strong personal relationship with Him. He loves us sooooooooo much that He'll do whatever it takes. Don't lose hard my dear friend. Just because you don't know why doesn't mean God isn't working or knows what he is doing. When He seems so far you can't feel Him anymore, He is closer to you then ever before and carrying you higher. He will leave you or forsake you. He will never stop loving you!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A God BIGGER Then Depression
This is going to be a real personal blog but that's what blogs are for right? This is for of you out there who need a little "pick me up." This is one is for those of you who are going through trying times- no matter what it is or where you are in your walk with the Lord. It's also for those of who like me have gotten to the side as a gentle reminder to keep going!
I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 14. The trigger point for me was the summer of 2003 after I just turned 14. My brother, Matthew, has just graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a Bachelors degree in religion. He proposed to his girlfriend the day after my birthday. The Tuesday after graduation, she called Matthew at our house. I remember when that phone came in, I was just in the lazy boy reading my Bible. A few days later I found out she broke up with Matthew and that she told him she didn't want to marry him because of me. That summer I became VERY withdrawn. I was in my room most of the time and became very angry and bitter. I didn't trust anyone and felt I didn't deserve anyone to love me.
In September that all manifested into tics which would\ develop into Tourettes and Pseudo Seizures. I couldn't attend school regularly and was almost kept in 8th grade missing over 60 days of school and missing several major assignments. My teachers would also really modify assignments for me and most of them were different from the other students so I wasn't where I needed to be academically. My Dr's didn't know what was wrong with me. They ran test after test. Dr's appointments usually consisted of me banging my head on the way and saying how I wanted to kill myself. They referred me to the Head Phychatrist Children's Hospital and he told my parents I was the most depressed kid he had ever deal with in over 30 yrs.
With his help and also finally the diagnoses of Tourettes Syndrome and Pseudo Seizures I got a lot better. I got onto the other side of depression. I forgave her for what she did and forgave myself. I got right with God and learned to trust others again and allow them to love me. The recover was not instant at all. In fact, I don't think I really fully recovered until after High School.
Know matter how hard the situation that you may be in, DON'T lost heart. Remember God is bigger then any problem you face or will face. God is on your side, friend. When you fall He will be there to pick you up. Nothing can take His eyes on you! He loves for you is obsessive. He can't stop thinking about you! He is sooooooooo proud of you and wants nothing but the best for you!
I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 14. The trigger point for me was the summer of 2003 after I just turned 14. My brother, Matthew, has just graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a Bachelors degree in religion. He proposed to his girlfriend the day after my birthday. The Tuesday after graduation, she called Matthew at our house. I remember when that phone came in, I was just in the lazy boy reading my Bible. A few days later I found out she broke up with Matthew and that she told him she didn't want to marry him because of me. That summer I became VERY withdrawn. I was in my room most of the time and became very angry and bitter. I didn't trust anyone and felt I didn't deserve anyone to love me.
In September that all manifested into tics which would\ develop into Tourettes and Pseudo Seizures. I couldn't attend school regularly and was almost kept in 8th grade missing over 60 days of school and missing several major assignments. My teachers would also really modify assignments for me and most of them were different from the other students so I wasn't where I needed to be academically. My Dr's didn't know what was wrong with me. They ran test after test. Dr's appointments usually consisted of me banging my head on the way and saying how I wanted to kill myself. They referred me to the Head Phychatrist Children's Hospital and he told my parents I was the most depressed kid he had ever deal with in over 30 yrs.
With his help and also finally the diagnoses of Tourettes Syndrome and Pseudo Seizures I got a lot better. I got onto the other side of depression. I forgave her for what she did and forgave myself. I got right with God and learned to trust others again and allow them to love me. The recover was not instant at all. In fact, I don't think I really fully recovered until after High School.
Know matter how hard the situation that you may be in, DON'T lost heart. Remember God is bigger then any problem you face or will face. God is on your side, friend. When you fall He will be there to pick you up. Nothing can take His eyes on you! He loves for you is obsessive. He can't stop thinking about you! He is sooooooooo proud of you and wants nothing but the best for you!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Getting Past The Lies
What we will be talking about may seem to you to be something that is geared to teens girls but that simply is not the case. This is something that carries on to adulthood. We are going to talk about the lies society tells us everyday. Here are just some of the lies that society tells us.
1. "You aren't good enough."
2. "You can't do it."
3. "You will never look the way you want to."
4. "You don't do anything right."
Satin loves to use other people to hurt us. He will do anything to make us feel bad ourselves. When we don't like ourselves, how can we be all God made us to be? We can combat the lies though! We need to shift our focus on what God thinks about us and not what other people think. All too often we place our confidence in the hands of other people rather then God. I know I have done this in my own life.
What we forget and hardly think about is that God MADE us, He formed us in our mother's womb. He had all our days laid out before we took our first breath. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same. When we realize this truth and BELIEVE it, everything changes. It becomes more about God and less about us.
Here are some simple things you can do help you not give into the lies.
Read the follow passages and verses in your Bible.
. Psalm 139
. Jeremiah 29:11-13
. 1 Samuel 16:7
Look in the mirror every morning and say one thing that God thinks about you. Say something positive, speak it out so it will stick with you.
Be around people who love and care about you. Don't be around difficult people who to hurt you.
I have a challenge for you this week. We need to help each other do this. We can't do it on our own. We all know people who need God's love shown to them and need help to see how special they are. This week, I encourage you if you know someone who may need a helping hand, send them a card saying you are there for them. Please refrain from doing this by email. It will mean so much being handwritten and be more effective. If you know more then one person "adopt" a person a week who needs a hand.
We can do this, my friend! We can rise above the lies that Satin and the world tell us. It's not easy but we have God on our side. If God is on our side who can be against us? We need to fix our eyes not the world but on God and when we do, that my friends, is when everything changes and where true freedoms begins because we place our identity sorely on Christ.
1. "You aren't good enough."
2. "You can't do it."
3. "You will never look the way you want to."
4. "You don't do anything right."
Satin loves to use other people to hurt us. He will do anything to make us feel bad ourselves. When we don't like ourselves, how can we be all God made us to be? We can combat the lies though! We need to shift our focus on what God thinks about us and not what other people think. All too often we place our confidence in the hands of other people rather then God. I know I have done this in my own life.
What we forget and hardly think about is that God MADE us, He formed us in our mother's womb. He had all our days laid out before we took our first breath. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same. When we realize this truth and BELIEVE it, everything changes. It becomes more about God and less about us.
Here are some simple things you can do help you not give into the lies.
Read the follow passages and verses in your Bible.
. Psalm 139
. Jeremiah 29:11-13
. 1 Samuel 16:7
Look in the mirror every morning and say one thing that God thinks about you. Say something positive, speak it out so it will stick with you.
Be around people who love and care about you. Don't be around difficult people who to hurt you.
I have a challenge for you this week. We need to help each other do this. We can't do it on our own. We all know people who need God's love shown to them and need help to see how special they are. This week, I encourage you if you know someone who may need a helping hand, send them a card saying you are there for them. Please refrain from doing this by email. It will mean so much being handwritten and be more effective. If you know more then one person "adopt" a person a week who needs a hand.
We can do this, my friend! We can rise above the lies that Satin and the world tell us. It's not easy but we have God on our side. If God is on our side who can be against us? We need to fix our eyes not the world but on God and when we do, that my friends, is when everything changes and where true freedoms begins because we place our identity sorely on Christ.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Open Hearted VS Closed Hearted
I am going to start this blog by asking you a question. It is an important question so I hope you think about honestly and even take it up with God after reading this blog and pray about it. Here it is..... How open are you to what God wants to do in your life? Do you have faith that God is going to what is best OR are you trying to battle things that aren't yours. Have you let God handle the battle that you don't need to handle?
I learned a lesson this past week that changed my life forever. I learned the power of faith and what it can do it our lives. I learned that we all to often fight battles that aren't even our owns. I learned that God is the one who will ALWAYS meets our needs. I learned he is going to behind the scenes.
My family had I have just won a 4 yr battle to get me SSI. I had a hearing schedule for Oct 21st. While last week I found out that the court threw out my claim and I won. I had faith and peace that God was going to something big. I knew He was. I didn't know how much He was working behind the scenes on my behalf. I was scared even though I had faith. I was having meltdowns and panics over something that turned out wasn't even going to be!!!!!
The power of faith is something so amazing. Faith is also a choice. We have to chose to leave behind our human reasoning and choose to believe in God and His plan for us. We need to choose to leave the battle to God. We don't have to fight it.
I know it makes sense to leave the battle to God, but you would not believe how many Christians fight battles that we don't need to fight!! It is so sad. We live our lives in bondage just by simply not having enough faith to let God take care of us and fight our battles. We rob ourselves of the Spirit filled life He calls us. We are free prisoners basically. We are free because we received Him as Lord of our lives and yet prisoners because we don't have enough faith.
My challenge for you (and I) is to learn to develop the kind of faith that allows God to work in our lives. He wants to but when we hold back on His best there isn't much He can do for us. It is when we give God enough faith and "room" that He is able to work on our lives.
Are you ready to step out in faith TODAY? You don't have to do this on your own! God loves you so much. He will never leave you or forsake you. He wants to do something wonderful in your life. His plans for you are so beautiful.
I learned a lesson this past week that changed my life forever. I learned the power of faith and what it can do it our lives. I learned that we all to often fight battles that aren't even our owns. I learned that God is the one who will ALWAYS meets our needs. I learned he is going to behind the scenes.
My family had I have just won a 4 yr battle to get me SSI. I had a hearing schedule for Oct 21st. While last week I found out that the court threw out my claim and I won. I had faith and peace that God was going to something big. I knew He was. I didn't know how much He was working behind the scenes on my behalf. I was scared even though I had faith. I was having meltdowns and panics over something that turned out wasn't even going to be!!!!!
The power of faith is something so amazing. Faith is also a choice. We have to chose to leave behind our human reasoning and choose to believe in God and His plan for us. We need to choose to leave the battle to God. We don't have to fight it.
I know it makes sense to leave the battle to God, but you would not believe how many Christians fight battles that we don't need to fight!! It is so sad. We live our lives in bondage just by simply not having enough faith to let God take care of us and fight our battles. We rob ourselves of the Spirit filled life He calls us. We are free prisoners basically. We are free because we received Him as Lord of our lives and yet prisoners because we don't have enough faith.
My challenge for you (and I) is to learn to develop the kind of faith that allows God to work in our lives. He wants to but when we hold back on His best there isn't much He can do for us. It is when we give God enough faith and "room" that He is able to work on our lives.
Are you ready to step out in faith TODAY? You don't have to do this on your own! God loves you so much. He will never leave you or forsake you. He wants to do something wonderful in your life. His plans for you are so beautiful.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Set Free To Hope
I am going to be doing a series these next couple of weeks about how we are free and why we are free- free to hope, free to love, free to pray and free to live (really live) We are going to start with how we are free to hope.
Hope is something we always have but we become blind to things that bog us down that we can't see it. We can also place our hope in the wrong things. things that are temporary. For example, we can have hope in our job and become almost dependent on it to make us feel good and if we lose it unexpectedly then we feel we lost all hope. We place hope in money- that if we have enough it will give us our basic needs and more. Our hope is not in us and what we can do. Hope is only found in God and what He can do. That is why hope is all about. We don't have to do it alone or have all the answers.
Just this week, we had a tragedy stike us in Columbus. It is affected a whole community. A father killed his 2 young sons- only 8 and 6 before taking his only life. The same thing happened last year here in December when a dad killed his 2 girls 15 and 11 before taking his only like. On Sunday night when the wife/mother came home, she found her family dead- her husband and 2 little boys. He wrote a letter saying he wanted to protect the boys from the misery that he has lived with. This is how destructive depression and the feeling of hopelessness can be.
Hopelessness is just a feeling. There is always hope. I know what's like to be what seems a hopeless situation and I also know how to come out of it. In a way I am going through it through right now. I know I'll come through it victoriously and the fustrastion and even anger I have will one day really soon will go away- when I least except it to. I have faith that God is going to something big, something wonderful. I just have to keep going and cross the finish line on my part, give God the baton and let Him do the rest.
So, why can we have hope? We can have hope because God says He will never leave us or forsake us. We have hope in His abundant and obsessive love for us. We have hope in the Cross and the blood Jesus shed for us. We have hope in being His child. and being able to talk to him anytime of day about anything. I don't know what you are going through right now but God does. He desperately wants to your hand and comfort you. He feels every tear you cry and it makes Him sad, He loves you and know what you need and what you want. You are free to hope.
Hope is something we always have but we become blind to things that bog us down that we can't see it. We can also place our hope in the wrong things. things that are temporary. For example, we can have hope in our job and become almost dependent on it to make us feel good and if we lose it unexpectedly then we feel we lost all hope. We place hope in money- that if we have enough it will give us our basic needs and more. Our hope is not in us and what we can do. Hope is only found in God and what He can do. That is why hope is all about. We don't have to do it alone or have all the answers.
Just this week, we had a tragedy stike us in Columbus. It is affected a whole community. A father killed his 2 young sons- only 8 and 6 before taking his only life. The same thing happened last year here in December when a dad killed his 2 girls 15 and 11 before taking his only like. On Sunday night when the wife/mother came home, she found her family dead- her husband and 2 little boys. He wrote a letter saying he wanted to protect the boys from the misery that he has lived with. This is how destructive depression and the feeling of hopelessness can be.
Hopelessness is just a feeling. There is always hope. I know what's like to be what seems a hopeless situation and I also know how to come out of it. In a way I am going through it through right now. I know I'll come through it victoriously and the fustrastion and even anger I have will one day really soon will go away- when I least except it to. I have faith that God is going to something big, something wonderful. I just have to keep going and cross the finish line on my part, give God the baton and let Him do the rest.
So, why can we have hope? We can have hope because God says He will never leave us or forsake us. We have hope in His abundant and obsessive love for us. We have hope in the Cross and the blood Jesus shed for us. We have hope in being His child. and being able to talk to him anytime of day about anything. I don't know what you are going through right now but God does. He desperately wants to your hand and comfort you. He feels every tear you cry and it makes Him sad, He loves you and know what you need and what you want. You are free to hope.
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