I have not blogged in a while but here are some things I have learned as a walk this road fighting cancer.
Do you trust me?
This is the question God is continually asking me as we make our way through this maze of pre-cancer diagnosis, cancer surgery, and post surgery recovery and reconstruction.
Each step of the way I pause to question why and what the outcome will be and will I be ok after this next step. And each and every time the question i get back is......DO YOU TRUST ME?
Not the reassuring answer I would want, not the answer why but just.....DO YOU TRUST ME?
Am I a big enough God to cover you if it's not ok?
Am I in control enough to make whatever happens ok sometime in the future?
Is it going to be ok if it's never ok again?
Can I still be God if you aren't ok?
Can I still be God if you are left all alone and I am all you have?
Do you trust me - with all the details and all the circumstances and all the people in your life?
I want my answer to these questions to be YES! But I am human and I want reassurance after my yes that God hears me, and sees me. I want to know that He sees my tears and hears my requests. I want to know that I won't be abandoned by my friends, by my family, by my husband, or by my kids. You know the ok you picture in your head when you think of how your life should be to be OK. The picture perfect life where no one is out of line and no hairs are out of place on anyone head. But what I get back from God is.......
DO YOU TRUST ME?
If I love Him and if I trust Him then I have to let go and let God have control of my life and sit back and understand He may take me though some rough valleys but He won't leave me there. I may even walk parts of this journey alone but even then I am never truly alone. God always walks with me, before me and behind me.
He is with me no matter where I go.
Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Showing posts with label my Savior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my Savior. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
The Waiting Game
I don't like to wait.
When I go to Walmart or the grocery store I try to pick the shortest checkout line so I don't have to wait that long before it's my turn. I don't like red lights because you have to wait until it turns green before you can go and continue on your journey to your destination however close or far that may be. No one that I know of likes to wait. The worst thing I can tell my kids is you have to wait to get what you want. They would rather me tell them NO than wait. Something in our spirit hates to be told we have to wait. I would rather get it over with if it's bad or move on to the next good thing not be told to WAIT!
There is just something disturbing to be told that you don't have control of this situation and you need to wait for the proper timing before you proceed.
WHAT???
Don't you know that I am the queen of my life. Don't you understand that I don't want to wait. Don't you see that I need to live life at break neck speed in order to really enjoy the life that is flashing before my eyes as I speed through life.
But so often that is just precisely what God tells me......is wait. Wait for my timing. Wait not yet. I will give you something better if you will just wait for Me to move and perfect this moment.
God has the viewpoint from high above the situation is am currently living in. He sees it from His heavenly eternal presective. As the saying goes "you can see the forest for the trees." I can't see beyond what I am living because I am living it. It is so real and so in my face that I can't see the things in life that will come next only what I am currently in. But God can not only see my "forest" He can see the "forests" of all those around me. He sees what I cannot. He knows what I don't. He knows that what I ask for today may not be the best idea in days to come and on future tomorrow's.
It's just like when my kids ask for ice cream for breakfast. They can only see that ice cream tastes good and they like to eat it. But I can see that all the sugar and no nutrition will mean they crash later. Could mean they act hyper (in the case of my son when he was youger) and result in them getting in trouble for misbehaving. It will also mean poor nutrition for their body if they are allowed to eat it too often. And possibly disease or sickness down the line if their body can't get the proper nutrition on a daily basis. But they don't see all that. All they see is - I want ice cream and it tastes good!
But my Good Good Father knows what I need today as well as tomorrow. And in His infinite wisdom He sometimes tells me to wait.
Well I am in a season of waiting and moving a little and then waiting some more. This is a very slow process getting tests and waiting for results. Hearing the results and then praying and waiting to decide on the best way to proceed forward. But mostly waiting. I have some many things that I need to do. Things I see on the horizon but I can't do them yet. I have to wait for the proper time. It's like when I ship approaches the shore. You have to wait for the proper time to drop the anchor, turn the ship as you approach to not hit the rocks, realease the walkway on to the shore and finally allow the passengers off. If you do it in the wrong order or too fast and get ahead of yourself you will be in a mess. God knows this about our lives too. If we go too fast or get things out of order then we can end up with a mess. God's timing is always the proper timing. Even when it seems so slow to us.
God really is.....working all things together for our good.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/rom.8.28.NKJV
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
I Peter 5:6-7 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/1pe.5.6-7.NKJV
He is a good father who in His time will give you what you need and nothing less.
When I go to Walmart or the grocery store I try to pick the shortest checkout line so I don't have to wait that long before it's my turn. I don't like red lights because you have to wait until it turns green before you can go and continue on your journey to your destination however close or far that may be. No one that I know of likes to wait. The worst thing I can tell my kids is you have to wait to get what you want. They would rather me tell them NO than wait. Something in our spirit hates to be told we have to wait. I would rather get it over with if it's bad or move on to the next good thing not be told to WAIT!
There is just something disturbing to be told that you don't have control of this situation and you need to wait for the proper timing before you proceed.
WHAT???
Don't you know that I am the queen of my life. Don't you understand that I don't want to wait. Don't you see that I need to live life at break neck speed in order to really enjoy the life that is flashing before my eyes as I speed through life.
But so often that is just precisely what God tells me......is wait. Wait for my timing. Wait not yet. I will give you something better if you will just wait for Me to move and perfect this moment.
God has the viewpoint from high above the situation is am currently living in. He sees it from His heavenly eternal presective. As the saying goes "you can see the forest for the trees." I can't see beyond what I am living because I am living it. It is so real and so in my face that I can't see the things in life that will come next only what I am currently in. But God can not only see my "forest" He can see the "forests" of all those around me. He sees what I cannot. He knows what I don't. He knows that what I ask for today may not be the best idea in days to come and on future tomorrow's.
It's just like when my kids ask for ice cream for breakfast. They can only see that ice cream tastes good and they like to eat it. But I can see that all the sugar and no nutrition will mean they crash later. Could mean they act hyper (in the case of my son when he was youger) and result in them getting in trouble for misbehaving. It will also mean poor nutrition for their body if they are allowed to eat it too often. And possibly disease or sickness down the line if their body can't get the proper nutrition on a daily basis. But they don't see all that. All they see is - I want ice cream and it tastes good!
But my Good Good Father knows what I need today as well as tomorrow. And in His infinite wisdom He sometimes tells me to wait.
Well I am in a season of waiting and moving a little and then waiting some more. This is a very slow process getting tests and waiting for results. Hearing the results and then praying and waiting to decide on the best way to proceed forward. But mostly waiting. I have some many things that I need to do. Things I see on the horizon but I can't do them yet. I have to wait for the proper time. It's like when I ship approaches the shore. You have to wait for the proper time to drop the anchor, turn the ship as you approach to not hit the rocks, realease the walkway on to the shore and finally allow the passengers off. If you do it in the wrong order or too fast and get ahead of yourself you will be in a mess. God knows this about our lives too. If we go too fast or get things out of order then we can end up with a mess. God's timing is always the proper timing. Even when it seems so slow to us.
God really is.....working all things together for our good.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/rom.8.28.NKJV
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
I Peter 5:6-7 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/1pe.5.6-7.NKJV
He is a good father who in His time will give you what you need and nothing less.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Nothing compared to what is to come!
Jason Gray - Sparrows
You can't add a single day by worrying
You'll worry your life away
Oh don't worry your life away
You can't change a single thing by freaking out
It's just gonna close you in
Oh don't let the trouble win
You may feel alone
But you're not on your own
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow
Lean in and it's hard to miss
Everything can change
When you make it His
Oh He wants to carry it
Carefree in the care of God
When you let it go
You'll find that He's enough
Oh you never leave His love
You don't walk alone
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow
There's not a single star that's out of place
There's nothing broken He can't remake
If you long for hope when you're afraid
Oh look at the sparrow
Look at the sparrow
If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow
Even the sparrow knows
He holds tomorrow
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 NIV
This present suffering is just that only in the present. But in the whole view of my life it is only a bump that lasts for a moment. Am I induring a season of suffering? Yes but this too shall pass. This hardship is nothing compared to the wonderfully joy and beauty I will one day experience in Heaven. God is giving me the grace and peace to walk this bumpy road with Him. He knows what tomorrow holds not just in my lifetime but in all the lifetimes to come after me.
Yes I have cancer but yes they caught it really early. Yes this is going to be hard but not as hard as it could have been had we not found it so early.
So I really do have peace that passes all human understanding. This is a road that God will give me grace to be able to walk. And I will trust Him with all the details. I wll prasie His name even while going through this pressent situation.
Cancer cannot steal my peace. It cannot steal my eternal life. It cannot change who my Savior and Lord are.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NIV
Monday, July 4, 2016
When life catches you off guard.
I don't blog very much only when something touches my heart to the level that I feel I need to share with the rest of the world. Well recently I have had something happen in my life that I was fully unprepared for. When my mom passed away I was equally unprepared for that situation. But that my something purely emotionally that I had to walk through but this is something different.
I have been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ which basically means stage 0 breast cancer or precancerous cells have been found that if left untreated could turn into tumors and eventually spread to other parts of the body.
I knew when I went for my first ever mammogram that they would review it. But I thought everything would come back all clear so I could move on with my life. I figured I would be done until the next year. I didn't even stop to think about any other outcome. So when I got a call from the doctors office telling me they found something unusual that they needed to scan some more - it caught me off guard. But I was reassured that this happens often and it was nothing to worried about. They told me I had calcifications which can occur without being anything to worry about but they needed to check to make sure it was indeed nothing. So with only a little anxiety I went for the follow-up scans. After two more scans they said they needed to magnify the area. So I had two more magnified scans and then the radiologists came in. I knew before she even spoke that something was not right. She said they had found 2 areas of micro-calcification that looked very unusual. She further said they need to do a biopsy on these areas to determine if they were benign or not. She handed me a card and told me the surgeon's office would call me and schedule and appointment. With lots of anxiety and fear left that appointment and cried all the way home not knowing what the future might hold and not sure what it all meant.
Next I went to the appointment with the surgeon and he studied the scan and also concluded that I needed a biopsy to determine what kind of tissue we were looking at. Though the biopsy he assured me that we would know what it was. I really at this point wanted to do the biopsy because I needed to know if it was something that needed more treatment. I wanted to know what I was facing.
I went and had the biopsy and then a few days later I returned to the surgeons office. My husband came with me to the appointment. And I am so glad he did because the diagnosis the doctor gave me was not what I wanted to hear. It was then I was told I had ductal carcinoma in situ. I knew basically what that meant even before I really knew what it meant. I HAD CANCER.
What?????
How was this even possible? How could I have cancer?
This was far from what I wanted but it what I have been given. And I choose to continue to pray, to continue to praise the God who made me , and continue to trust that God is in control and knows how all this will end.
I have been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ which basically means stage 0 breast cancer or precancerous cells have been found that if left untreated could turn into tumors and eventually spread to other parts of the body.
I knew when I went for my first ever mammogram that they would review it. But I thought everything would come back all clear so I could move on with my life. I figured I would be done until the next year. I didn't even stop to think about any other outcome. So when I got a call from the doctors office telling me they found something unusual that they needed to scan some more - it caught me off guard. But I was reassured that this happens often and it was nothing to worried about. They told me I had calcifications which can occur without being anything to worry about but they needed to check to make sure it was indeed nothing. So with only a little anxiety I went for the follow-up scans. After two more scans they said they needed to magnify the area. So I had two more magnified scans and then the radiologists came in. I knew before she even spoke that something was not right. She said they had found 2 areas of micro-calcification that looked very unusual. She further said they need to do a biopsy on these areas to determine if they were benign or not. She handed me a card and told me the surgeon's office would call me and schedule and appointment. With lots of anxiety and fear left that appointment and cried all the way home not knowing what the future might hold and not sure what it all meant.
Next I went to the appointment with the surgeon and he studied the scan and also concluded that I needed a biopsy to determine what kind of tissue we were looking at. Though the biopsy he assured me that we would know what it was. I really at this point wanted to do the biopsy because I needed to know if it was something that needed more treatment. I wanted to know what I was facing.
I went and had the biopsy and then a few days later I returned to the surgeons office. My husband came with me to the appointment. And I am so glad he did because the diagnosis the doctor gave me was not what I wanted to hear. It was then I was told I had ductal carcinoma in situ. I knew basically what that meant even before I really knew what it meant. I HAD CANCER.
What?????
How was this even possible? How could I have cancer?
This was far from what I wanted but it what I have been given. And I choose to continue to pray, to continue to praise the God who made me , and continue to trust that God is in control and knows how all this will end.
Isaiah 40:31New International Version (NIV)
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 43:1-2New International Version (NIV)
Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
My HOPE is in the LORD..not in doctors or in men.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
For God so LOVED the world.....
LOVE.....
What does that word mean to you? Is it the romantic love between a man and a woman, or the love between a mother and a child, or the friendly love between friends, or the general love you have for other people who struggle and need help. No matter how you see this word LOVE is a word wrapped in different levels of emotions based on where you are in life and how you view the world.
For me I view this word in the light of how God views us - His creation.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3:16-17 NKJV
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to be a Holy sacrifice. To die on a cross for ALL our sins. To bear the burden of our sins so that we might have everlasting life. "Christ like LOVE covers all wrongs." (Pastor Locke)
"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
I John 3:16 NKJV
That is an awesome love that God has for us that He would give up His Son to die for you and me. Not because He had to but because He wanted to. He pursues us because He loves us. He created us and He loves us more than a mother or father loves their child. He loves us with a perfect love that only He can provide.
This is the kind of love I should have and show others in my life. But only with God's love flowing through me am I able to flow that love out toward others.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
I Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV
Perfect LOVE dispels all fears. (Pastor Locke) Perfect LOVE doesn't think of itself first. Perfect LOVE loves others just because not out of anything it might gain. Perfect LOVE doesn’t hold a grudge. "You cannot hold love in your heart and hold bitterness toward others. " ( Pastor Locke) Perfect LOVE bears ALL things even the very hardest things that come with loving other people. Even the messy things that come with having a relationship with other people.
PERFECT LOVE ONLY COMES FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. PERFECT LOVE ONLY COMES WHEN I YIELD AND ALLOW GOD TO FLOW HIS LOVE THROUGH ME.
What does that word mean to you? Is it the romantic love between a man and a woman, or the love between a mother and a child, or the friendly love between friends, or the general love you have for other people who struggle and need help. No matter how you see this word LOVE is a word wrapped in different levels of emotions based on where you are in life and how you view the world.
For me I view this word in the light of how God views us - His creation.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 3:16-17 NKJV
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to be a Holy sacrifice. To die on a cross for ALL our sins. To bear the burden of our sins so that we might have everlasting life. "Christ like LOVE covers all wrongs." (Pastor Locke)
"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
I John 3:16 NKJV
That is an awesome love that God has for us that He would give up His Son to die for you and me. Not because He had to but because He wanted to. He pursues us because He loves us. He created us and He loves us more than a mother or father loves their child. He loves us with a perfect love that only He can provide.
This is the kind of love I should have and show others in my life. But only with God's love flowing through me am I able to flow that love out toward others.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
I Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV
Perfect LOVE dispels all fears. (Pastor Locke) Perfect LOVE doesn't think of itself first. Perfect LOVE loves others just because not out of anything it might gain. Perfect LOVE doesn’t hold a grudge. "You cannot hold love in your heart and hold bitterness toward others. " ( Pastor Locke) Perfect LOVE bears ALL things even the very hardest things that come with loving other people. Even the messy things that come with having a relationship with other people.
PERFECT LOVE ONLY COMES FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. PERFECT LOVE ONLY COMES WHEN I YIELD AND ALLOW GOD TO FLOW HIS LOVE THROUGH ME.
Sometimes I need to slow down...
Well it's been a while since I did a blog post. I have kids and I am a teacher so the end of the school year gets very crazy for me. But even though it has been busy, the stress has not overwhelmed me. School is finally out for the summer so I think I might blog a little.
I have done a much better job this time around to take each task one at a time. I have taken enough time each day to just breathe, to relax and take time for myself.
One of my absolute favorite songs recently is one by Johnny Diaz "Breathe".
https://youtu.be/hnjeMwxFuBA
I love the lyrics of the song.
Is to take it in fill your lungs
The Peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
Let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe
http://life1019.com/songs/breathe-3/
So many times in life I feel like it is moving so fast and there is nothing I can do but hang on. But God reminds me it is in those times that I need to slow down, breathe, spend time with Him, and fill my lungs with His unending grace and peace. When I feels so spent and weary from all that life has drained from me it is that exact time I need STOP and spend time with my Lord. It is then more than any other time that I need to be refilled and revived. Life can be filled with so many things and all those things we pour our lives into can make us feel so very weary. In order to be able to give so much to so many people and things in my life I have to take the time each to fill my tank back up or I have nothing to give when others need me.
The Lord has impressed upon me over the last year just how very important it is to take a break sometimes and "just be".
The Lord will fill us back up with His grace, His mercy, His patience, His love, and His forgiveness if we only stop and allow Him to.
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV
http://bible.com/111/isa.40.28-31.NIV
I have done a much better job this time around to take each task one at a time. I have taken enough time each day to just breathe, to relax and take time for myself.
One of my absolute favorite songs recently is one by Johnny Diaz "Breathe".
https://youtu.be/hnjeMwxFuBA
I love the lyrics of the song.
Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel You say just
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel You say just
(chorus)
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
(bridge)Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Is to take it in fill your lungs
The Peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
Let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe
http://life1019.com/songs/breathe-3/
So many times in life I feel like it is moving so fast and there is nothing I can do but hang on. But God reminds me it is in those times that I need to slow down, breathe, spend time with Him, and fill my lungs with His unending grace and peace. When I feels so spent and weary from all that life has drained from me it is that exact time I need STOP and spend time with my Lord. It is then more than any other time that I need to be refilled and revived. Life can be filled with so many things and all those things we pour our lives into can make us feel so very weary. In order to be able to give so much to so many people and things in my life I have to take the time each to fill my tank back up or I have nothing to give when others need me.
The Lord has impressed upon me over the last year just how very important it is to take a break sometimes and "just be".
The Lord will fill us back up with His grace, His mercy, His patience, His love, and His forgiveness if we only stop and allow Him to.
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV
http://bible.com/111/isa.40.28-31.NIV
Friday, March 18, 2016
Beauty is only skin deep....
Beauty is a fleeting thing. It disappears before you are ready. About the time you are comfortable in your skin and confident with who you are then it starts to slip away. We are bombarded with images repeatedly telling us what we should look like and how we should act. But we repeatly look in the mirror and are repeatly disappointed with what we see because it never measures up to the images we see in magazines, on TV or in movies. People run around trying to stop time. Trying to stop the aging process. People do all kinds of things to their bodies al, in the name of trying to capture their lost beauty and youth.
The fact is we must remember that the images we see in media and our modern culture are images based in a false reality where the real images are altered and air brushed to create false "people" who are skinnier, look younger and are more perfect than the real people they are supposed to represent. Nothing about these images is really real except that real people were used as the starting point and then their likeness was altered.
But as a child of God I have to focus on the truth that the enemy is fighting a dirty war where false images are used to degrade me and hold me down. They are used to cause me to falsely view my real worth and see myself as less valuable and less beautiful than I really am.
Now I am not trying to say I should inflate my worth beyond what is true. Nor should I value myself more than others but I also should not see myself as less valuable than others either.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
Psalms 139:13-14 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/psa.139.13-14.NKJV
"Inner beauty is inside each of us. We are all beautiful in God’s eyes as we are created in the image of God. God doesn’t make junk. However, many people don’t feel beautiful inside. We are often smothered by a lack of confidence and even a lack of acceptance of other people. It is easy to compare ourselves to others especially when we compare our outward appearance. God’s word makes it clear that we are all beautiful to Him. Beauty isn’t just reserved for models and Hollywood actors and actresses. You are beautiful. Read the following scripture passages and let God heal you as you come to the realization of how much God loves and values each of His created beings. Beauty is more than skin deep. One interesting thing is that the love of another person will often make us feel beautiful. When we have the love of a spouse or our family member we will feel accepted and better about ourselves. When there is a lack of love in our lives, we often feel alone and isolated and even depressed. That is one reason why people are often drawn to the Lord God. God is love. It is what He is. No matter how alone we feel in this life we can always know that God is there for us and He loves us the way we are. Maybe today you are feeling alone and depressed. People have let you down in your life and you don’t feel any inner beauty. Turn to God today. He thinks that you are His masterpiece and He loves you. Embrace Jesus Christ today. Praise Him!!!"
Quote by: Bible Verses About Inner Beauty: 22 Awesome Quotes by
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/gen.1.31.NKJV
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
I Peter 3:3-6 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/1pe.3.3-6.NKJV
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord , she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/pro.31.30.NKJV
The Lord has opened my eyes to the truth of who I am. He has opened my heart to who I am and helped me come to love myself not just the outward appearance but also the inner parts of me that make me who I am. My prayer is that just like me that God will open your eyes to who He sees you as. That He will open your heart and that you too would also come to love yourself.
I am a child of the KING and that makes me precious and loved!
Lord I pray that you would allow me to have eyes to see the truth of who made me to be. Give me a heart to love myself and have an even greater love for those around me. Lord give me your eyes and your heart to impact those around me for you. Allow me to be a mirror which reflects You so that through me others are drawn closer to You. Lord I ask that anyone who might read this post would see You and yearn to know You. Through this that they would also come to know themselves as you see them and not as the world sees them.
Amen
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Be still......
Psalms 46:10 NKJV
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
http://bible.com/114/psa.46.10.NKJV
This verse comes from a beautiful passage in Psalms where the author describes all that God can do and all that He has done.
Psalms 46 NKJV
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord ,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
http://bible.com/114/psa.46.1-11.NKJV
I have spent much of the last year being very still. Deep sorrow and grief for me meant going very deep within myself to find out who I was without my mom. It meant finding out what I really believed. Understanding who I was without the shadow of my mom being cast over me. It meant almost completely getting off social media so I could spend time thinking, praying, communing with God, listening to His words and His voice. Much of this year was spent quietly healing out of the spotlight behind closed doors with just God. I wanted to know that He was God and no matter what emotions I felt that God was indeed bigger than any sorrow I was going through.
God is so much bigger, so much more loving, full of so much more grace, and full of so much more mercy than I ever thought He could be. He somehow enveloped me with all my broken pieces and somehow held me together. And not only did He hold me together He is healing me. I still feel the cold winter wind blow from time to time over those broken pieces which are still healing but spring is coming. I feel life coming back into me. Slowly pieces and parts of me are awaking to where God wants to take me next and the lessons He still has for me to learn. Patiently He is guiding and protecting me.
Spring is coming.....but until then I will be still and wait patiently until He tells me to move.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
http://bible.com/114/psa.46.10.NKJV
This verse comes from a beautiful passage in Psalms where the author describes all that God can do and all that He has done.
Psalms 46 NKJV
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord ,
Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
http://bible.com/114/psa.46.1-11.NKJV
I have spent much of the last year being very still. Deep sorrow and grief for me meant going very deep within myself to find out who I was without my mom. It meant finding out what I really believed. Understanding who I was without the shadow of my mom being cast over me. It meant almost completely getting off social media so I could spend time thinking, praying, communing with God, listening to His words and His voice. Much of this year was spent quietly healing out of the spotlight behind closed doors with just God. I wanted to know that He was God and no matter what emotions I felt that God was indeed bigger than any sorrow I was going through.
God is so much bigger, so much more loving, full of so much more grace, and full of so much more mercy than I ever thought He could be. He somehow enveloped me with all my broken pieces and somehow held me together. And not only did He hold me together He is healing me. I still feel the cold winter wind blow from time to time over those broken pieces which are still healing but spring is coming. I feel life coming back into me. Slowly pieces and parts of me are awaking to where God wants to take me next and the lessons He still has for me to learn. Patiently He is guiding and protecting me.
Spring is coming.....but until then I will be still and wait patiently until He tells me to move.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
The love of my life....
I was saved at a very young age. Some might say I was too young to really understand what I was doing that day at our kitchen table as a played a game with my mom and sister. I clearly remember that day at the age of 5 like it was yesterday. I knew what I meant when I asked my mom what it meant to be saved and what heaven was. My mom was so unsure if I really understood everything I was asking or everything I was doing when she lead me in the believers prayer as I gave my life to the Lord. She was so unsure that I was not baptised until several years later at the age of 7. She wanted to make sure that I clear knew the decision I was making.
I may not have know all I know now but I knew enough to know that I wanted to give my life to Jesus and live with him in paradise. As the years have gone by I have come to love the Lord even more deeply every year then I did the year before. There are no words to describe how much and how deeply I love Jesus. He impacts all parts of my life. Everything I do is in the light of the Lord and what He means to me.
Everything else in my life is built on that love. My husband and our relationship is built on my love and relationship with Jesus. The relationship I have with my children is built on this love. Even my teaching job is built on my love for Jesus and my devotion to show others the love that Jesus has for them.
I may not have know all I know now but I knew enough to know that I wanted to give my life to Jesus and live with him in paradise. As the years have gone by I have come to love the Lord even more deeply every year then I did the year before. There are no words to describe how much and how deeply I love Jesus. He impacts all parts of my life. Everything I do is in the light of the Lord and what He means to me.
Jesus is the love of my life.
Everything else in my life is built on that love. My husband and our relationship is built on my love and relationship with Jesus. The relationship I have with my children is built on this love. Even my teaching job is built on my love for Jesus and my devotion to show others the love that Jesus has for them.
John 3:16New International Version (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Friday, February 5, 2016
God's Grace
My newest obsession is over the word grace.
According to Webster's Dictionary:
Simple Definition of grace:
: a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward
According to Webster's Dictionary:
Simple Definition of grace:
: a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward
- : a controlled, polite, and pleasant way of behaving
But the Full Definition of grace is as follows:
-
1a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctificationb : a virtue coming from Godc : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
-
To me God's grace is the unmerited mercy and favor that He pours out on us. Not because of anything we bring to the table but only because He loves us and wants to.
He loves us and sent His Son Jesus to take our sins on the cross not because He had to but because He so loved us and didn't want us separted from Him for eternity.
- 1a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctificationb : a virtue coming from Godc : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
To me God's grace is the unmerited mercy and favor that He pours out on us. Not because of anything we bring to the table but only because He loves us and wants to.
He loves us and sent His Son Jesus to take our sins on the cross not because He had to but because He so loved us and didn't want us separted from Him for eternity.
Ephesians 2:8-9New International Version (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 6:14New International Version (NIV)
14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law,but under grace.
14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law,but under grace.
1 Timothy 1:14New International Version (NIV)
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
So as a result of my understanding of the great sacrifice that God exteneded to me as His child I am trying to give grace to others in my life whenever I can. Grace is hard. My natural reaction is to be mad, seek revenge, be mean or selfish but grace says I give them the benefit of the doubt. I let them have a second chance. I allow them to make mistakes without holding a grudge or seeking compensation. That is so much easier said than done. But this is my goal for this year to incorporate grace in ALL situations. Not just the ones that are easy.
I have this picture hung up in my living room as a reminder to let GRACE rule my home and my heart.
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
So as a result of my understanding of the great sacrifice that God exteneded to me as His child I am trying to give grace to others in my life whenever I can. Grace is hard. My natural reaction is to be mad, seek revenge, be mean or selfish but grace says I give them the benefit of the doubt. I let them have a second chance. I allow them to make mistakes without holding a grudge or seeking compensation. That is so much easier said than done. But this is my goal for this year to incorporate grace in ALL situations. Not just the ones that are easy.
I have this picture hung up in my living room as a reminder to let GRACE rule my home and my heart.
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