Troubled

'Troubled'
When I am troubled and lost in deep dispair
I bundle all my troubles up and go to God in prayer.
I tell Him I am heartsick and lost and lonely too
That my mind is deeply burdened and I don't know what to do...
But I know He stilled the tempest and calmed the angry sea
And I humbly ask if in His love, He'll do the same for me.

     I had a friend, Marge Nosek, who used to mail me little notes of encouragement. She is with the Lord now and free from all troubles.  The other day I came across this 'Troubled' poem she had sent me and wanted to share it with each of you.
     We have all felt overwhelmed by troubles in our lives at one time or another.  I know Marge struggled with daily pain and loss of vision in the last years of her life. She sought comfort in her memorized verses or in someone reading scripture to her.  Prayer was also a key element in her life.  The first time I heard of a 'prayer warrior', it was in reference to her.
      I don't know what you're personally struggling with.. sickness, heartbreak, lonliness or whatever the case may be...but God does.  As the caption says, go to the Rock that is higher.  The world often has a deaf ear but He is always listening. 'Oh the struggles that we often bear because we do not take it all to Him in prayer.'  The line is always open, He is waiting for your call.

Hiss

      I have two cats, Tux and Tiger.  They are sisters from the same litter.  A stray cat hid her newborn litter in our doghouse.  One day we found them and I said 'oh I want one.' My dad said 'no, these are wild and not good as pets.'  Okay, that answer seemed to satisfy me.  Well the next day, I went out with my aide to put some food out. She caught Tux and put her in my lap. Tux fell asleep in my lap and my dad's theory went out the window. So they said I could have one. Well, I actually need two, lol, so they can play together. And the rest is history.
      Tiger and Tux have completely different personalities.  Tiger is like the big sister of the two, even tho they're the same age. Tiger is friendlier, easy going and more adventurous.  We had a covered playpen in here, when they were kittens, for them to sleep in at night.  Tiger crawled out all the time, Tux not once.  Tux is partial to who she likes, a bully with the dog and a lil demanding.  She loves to lay flat on her back, anywhere.
      The caption above is what I think Tiger must say to Tux every morning.  Tux is like a 9o'clock wakeup call that you didn't request, lol. She cries at the bottom of the stairs to be fed. If Tiger goes over to her to tell her to have a lil patience, she gets a bold HISS in the face.
      So is this blog about getting up on the right side of the bed or patiently waiting for things or both?  Of course, it's both.  It's easy, I know, to get up with the attitude of 'I want what I want and right now' and when that doesn't happen, our mood goes sour.  All I can say is take a deep breath, hold your horses and cool your engines.  Tux has yet to starve and I bet you won't either.

Talents

               
  
      I go to a church where music lessons are offered at no charge.  The talent over there is overwhelming to say the least. I go first in the recitals so I don't have to follow anyone, lol.  I have taken hammer dulcimer lessons for a few years now.  I don't consider myself to have a talent for it so I try to make up for it with effort. I enjoy it and I think it shows an example of working thru your limitations to others. 
       A woman at church, who is 95 this year, has a talent for sewing. She has shared that talent most of her life by making pillows and lap quilts for others.  Age hasn't stopped her so what's stopping you?
       We all have something to offer. I think we are often hindered when we compare ourselves to others.  Would Celine Dion sound so special if we could all sing like her?  Whatever your talent is, share it with others.  You may have to branch out and try something new to find a hidden talent you never knew you had.  I took a risk with this blog and as pitiful as it started, it has become my new favorite hobby.  Things may take a little time to develop because most of us aren't born prodigys, we have to work at it.

Discernment

     I couldn't pass this caption up. I thought it was too funny.
     Discernment is the act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgement.  We need it in all areas of our life. We need to choose who is good in our lives and who are not. Some people are so naive/gullible and desperate for direction in their lives that they will latch on to whatever sounds good.  Like TV evangelists that promise to send you a prayer cloth that will make all your troubles go away, if you send them 50 dollars.  That cloth is as valuable as the kleenex I blow my nose on. The best things in life are free and that includes prayer.
     Scamming people has become a popular crime lately by mail or email.  A friend of mine had her email hacked to find out information and then was sent a phony email asking for money. It was sent as if it was from a friend but it turned out to be scammers in Nigeria.  Another example is when my aunt received a check in the mail with instructions on how to send them money to get more.  Luckily the bank teller thwarted that scheme.

     From the 'Grace to you' website..........First Thessalonians 5:21-22 teaches that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be discerning: "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." The apostle John issues a similar warning when he says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

     We watched a dvd series this summer in bible study and paused it several times to contradict what the pastor was saying with scripture.  Don't believe everything you hear, use discernment and check it with scripture.

Merciful

    Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.  A friend of mine once told me that after reading my blogs, she realized 'mercy' was not my spiritual gift.  Really?  Another friend has told me 'I'm glad I'm your friend because I wouldn't want to be your enemy.'  This all makes me sound like the big bad wolf.  I am forgiving, it just may take me a lil bit to get there. I've never been on jury duty and there may be reason for that, lol.
     God's mercy is faithful and quicker but also just.  God does have a point in which he will give people over to their evil ways.  His grace and mercy are always available tho. Our hearts can be as hard and wicked as Pharoah's but His mercy remains.
     May we all recognize our own failures when others fail or disappoint us and show mercy more often to them.  I'm not saying it's going to be easy but it's going to be worth it.  Don't be a doormat either, God has limits too.

  Romans 1;28-32  '' Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.''

Way Back Wednesday--Bull Shoals

     Well I don't have a story to go with this picture and I don't have a picture for my story so I'm combining them on this blog.  I was about 7 here and that's about the age that I was when we took a camping trip to Bull Shoals.
     I'm not a big fan of camping but my parents like to go so we went alot while I was growing up.  Back then, we had an orange and white striped camper that fit on the back of the truck.  It was tiny. It had a stove/sink to the left, a table that folded into a bed on the right and a bed over the cab of the truck. That's it, a far cry from the RV now.
     We went fishing during the trip, which I always loved. On this particular trip, we had fished all day and were headed back UP the shoals.  Well the rocks weren't too kind to our motor.  We'd go a little ways then a shearing pin in the motor would break.  We drifted back down and try again. We had about 4 pins with us and everyone of them broke. At one point, they both got out of the boat and tried to walk the boat upstream.  My mom who had her lifejacket on lost her grip and footing and floated off out of sight. So I'm in the boat alone and my dad, without a lifejacket, has a hold on the boat. If he had lost his grip, I would have been like Unsinkable Molly headed for trouble.  He got in the boat and we found my mom clinging to a limb not too far away.  So now what?  My dad, who must be related to McGuyver, had a nail-like object that he turned into a pin.  It was a last ditch effort.  He had my mom and I get out of the boat and walk the brushy bank. 'What about snakes?'  He said it was too cold for them and there wouldn't be any.  So we walked and he made it across the shoals this time.  It is still a vivid memory to me so I must have been scared out of my mind.  Oh, and guess what was outside our camper door the next morning?  Yes, a snake.
     We only see a glimpse of God's protection over us but isn't that enough to make us tremble at the thought of being separated from Him?

What Have I Done?

 

     I am looking at my computer right now just like this pug and thinking 'What have I done?'  I hit a try something new button for my blog and I don't like it and now I don't know how to change it back.  So I've spent the last hour, unsuccessfully, trying to fix it and relearning how to blog.  Is that what the pug is going to try to do on his daily walk, try to undo the pizza fiasco?
     Guilt can be a powerful force.  It can be a good thing tho to show us our need of repentance.  Forgiveness is there waiting for us.  We just have to seek it and ask for it.

What?

     If I had a nickel for every time someone has agreed with me and not known what I said, I'd have a pretty sweet bank account.  I've done it too so don't go all guilty on me.  Just so you know, I usually know when you don't get what I've said. I often try to rephrase it and sometimes that works. It's better for both of us if you just ask me to say it again. I'm telling you here and now, it doesn't hurt my feelings or offend me. If we had a DVR's rewind button for life's conversations, I bet our buttons would be used quite often.
     The Gospels of the Bible often tell of the same parables that Jesus spoke of.  It not only is an accountable record of events written by different people but maybe God knew we needed it said more than once for us to get it.  If we missed the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew, then maybe we'd understand it in Mark.
     'What?' is a fair question so don't be afraid to use it.  God knows whether we hear Him or not and it's a pretty good bet, He'll repeat it till you hear... loud and clear.

Already There

     I found this poem on a friend's facebook page and thought it was good enough to share.
     Isn't it comforting to know that God has already seen and planned for our future?  We can look back on our past and verify this with all the accomodations that were made on our behalf.  I had been on an old type of ventilator at night for 13 years when it stopped meeting my needs.  I ended up in ICU for a week.  My doctor offered a new, different type of machine but wasn't sure if it would be sufficient.  God met my needs with this at just the right time.  Other doctors in the past had told me this type of machine wasn't right for me but I think it just wasn't the right timing in God's plan for me.  I need not worry because it's out of my control but under His.
     When you're driving to Florida from Arkansas, do you worry about Alabama as you leave your driveway?  No, you have a lot of ground to cover first.  That's how believers should consider our journey of life. Know your destination but trust that God and His guidance will get you there.  ''Some thru the waters, some thru the flood. Some thru the fire, but all thru the blood.''

Good Words

     Who doesn't love a compliment?  We all love flattering words that make us feel noticed.  I wore my pink monogrammed jacket this morning to church.  A friend asked me if the 'A' was for Awesome?  I smiled and said yes.  If we all know how good a compliment feels to us personally, and we do, then why isn't our speech filled with them?  Your words can be the difference in somebody having a good day or a bad day.  Compliments can also be good conversation starters.  If you want to talk to someone but aren't sure what to say, start by telling them something you like about them.
     Colossians 3:12  ''Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.''
     Compliments are an act of random kindness, so go on out there and act on it.
    

''Kind words can warm for three winters, while harsh words can chill even in the heat of summer.''

Fear

     Have you ever been told 'you might feel a lil discomfort' before?  Then when they did the procedure, you felt like yelling 'for crying out loud, THAT HURT.'  I used to be extremely fearful of needles.  If I had to give blood for some reason, I'd work myself up into a panic and be halfway to passing out before they even stuck me.  It became such a habit, that I'd warn the nurse that if I didn't lay down then I'd pass out.  When I got older, I had to check my blood every few days for awhile.  I got over the fear of giving blood with that ordeal.
     I'm still needle shy tho.  I went in for my 2nd filling in my life at the dentist's office a couple of years ago.  I noticed the dentist hiding something behind his back.  Then I saw that HUGE needle.  My tooth needed filled but my heart was more filled with fear than anything with the sight of that needle. I said, 'what are you planning on doing with THAT?'  [I'm a pretty outspoken patient]  He said it's just a lil numbing medicine.  NUH-UH. I said 'no, I'm good without it.'  I did do fine with it all and no needles. I hope he wrote that on my chart..lol..'no shots for her.'
    Fear can be a good thing tho.  It can keep us from danger and getting hurt.  Psalm 111:10 ''The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.''  God doesn't sugar-coat the pains of hell.  He clearly warns us and it should stir up a fear in us of an eternal life separated from Him.  Matthew 13:42 ''They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.''
     Put fear in its proper place and you'll be eternally blessed.

What Was I Thinking?

     Before I turned 40 last year, I told my doctor 'they say everything changes when you turn 40.'  He said 'no, it's  60' because he was closing in on that age.  I think something changed because this caption hits a little too close to home and a little more often now.  Has your train gone off track more than you like to admit?  They say to keep your mind healthy and alert, you should do word games or read or do anything thought provoking.  I play scrabble everyday with friends online so would my mind turn to mush without that daily activity?  I hope not.
     Our thoughts can not only disappear on us but can become tainted. Yes, the mind can be both active and mush at the same time. Our thoughts can often turn into our words so we must try to keep them on a positive note and out of the gutter. Philippians 4:8  ''Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.''

Would You?

     These are lyrics to one of my favorite songs, ''Chasing Cars'' by Snow Patrol.  I think its a song about feeling all alone and wanting just one person to care.  It makes me think of alzheimer's patients and their loved one just lying next to them and holding them in their hospital bed.  I don't know of such a display of love by man greater than this.  We don't have to wait for a sick, bed-ridden moment to show someone that we can do without our routines and let go of the noise of the world for a while.  How?  A walk together without ipods, a day off from work and not working on any to-do list, prayer time together or whatever you can think of.  Like the song title says, we are often just chasing cars in our lives with no quiet time.  The world will not stop for you but you can stop your world from spinning out of control.  Hit the pause button, every once in a while.
     No matter whether you feel alone or not, you can take comfort that Jesus is right beside you. He is our Comforter and Counselor above all else.  He cares more than anyone about you and the struggles you face.
    

Way Back Wednesday

    Oh my goodness, I look so short in this picture.  Look at that hair? Sometime shortly before this,  I had a radical moment and chopped my hair off that had grown to the middle of my back.  Actually, my Aunt Robbie did it for me and begged me not to do it.
    I was about 13 here.  This room was a dark room for developing film when we first moved here.  It was attached to a tiny bathroom.  The garage was attached to both and after a year or two?, it became my bedroom. So I was pretty thrilled to not only get my own bathroom for the first time but a jacuzzi too.
    I am wearing my Girl Scout t-shirt that I got at camp a few years earlier. Camp Minnetonka, I think. It took me forever to outgrow clothes.. and still does.
     I share these pictures of the past to show how good God has blessed me thru the years.  I hope you can look back at your own pictures and count it all as blessings too.

Friends

     I love this picture.  My friend, Betsy, gave me a puppy calendar for Christmas and this is one of the  pictures from it.  Friends are so valuable in our lives.  They will listen to our never-ending, sad, pitiful me stories that no one else wants to hear.  They will tag along with you for no reason just so you don't have to go somewhere alone.  They will bring you your favorite snack when you're too sick to go out and get it yourself.  They will pray for you whether you're on a hill or in a valley in your life.  They will know if you say you are 'Fine!', that there's often more to the story.  They will know what you're saying across a room with just a glance of the eyes. 

      King Solomon had written about the value of friends as well. In Ecclesiastes we read, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up” (4:9-10).

     Friends are like family, I can't live without them.  We become to look alike too, don't you think?

Time Traveling Tuesday

     In 1989, we went on a 7 day Carribean cruise.  I think we flew to Puerto Rico and caught the ship there. It could have been one of the stops but I don't remember anything there but the airport.  It's been a few years so my memory is a little faded. 
    We went to several islands but I'll start with Barbados.  We went to Bluebeard's Castle.  I think it was on the beach here that a suspicious guy came up to us trying to sell jewelry.  We suspected he had drugs in the lower drawer of his jewelry box.  We did buy a conch shell somewhere on the island.  Good grief, it stunk in a few days. The lil animal inside had died. yuck.
     Martinique was another island.  I liked the shops here. They looked like storybook shops. French influence I suspect.  Sunbathing here can be a lil shocking.  The women go topless here..yes you read that right..on public beaches. I think this is the same island that our bus tour stopped at a nude beach.  We didn't get off the bus.  We saw more than we wanted from there, lol.
     St. Thomas was the most American of all the islands.  We tried to take a taxi or bus tour on each island to see the 'sites' in the few hours you're given by the ship to be on shore.  We took a bus tour here.  The driver got us up close to the iguanas in the trees as he dared to get as close to the edge of the cliff as possible.Eating, shopping and beach lounging were our main activities.
     St. Marteen was another island.  We went to this beach and needed some shade.  We found this tree and couldn't believe no one was under it.  Well, some people soon told us, it was a poisonous tree that dripped sap.
     The cruise ship itself was nice but the room was the size of a matchbox with bunk beds.  This picture of me was from one of the dress up dinner nights. It was fun and I may have gotten the islands mixed up but that's about all I remember because it was way back when.

Hot Topic

     I'm going to talk about a hot topic with me but I'll try not to get too hot about it.  We are all going to get sick from time to time but some of it's avoidable.
     I don't understand why some people 'think' it's okay to expose others to their or their kid's feverish illness. Love thy neighbor as thyself does not mean make your neighbor feel as bad as you do.  Nor does share the wealth include germs, viruses, or the flu.  This is not just a self centered blog but other people miss work and/or have unexpected doctor bills they can't afford just because of the exposure.  If you think that you're so important, that you can't miss church, school, work, or whatever...then I encourage you to take a moment to humble yourself.
    For all those who do stay home when sick, I thank you and Lord willing, will see you next time.

Ice

     I've lived most of my life in the South but a few years were in the North.  If you watch the news today, you'll see how many people should not be behind the wheel in anything but sun or rain.  I went from driving in Dallas to driving in Chicago and that will make you learn how to drive in bad winter weather quick.
    3 pointers for driving in slick conditions.  1] Slow down. Give yourself extra time to get where you're going.  A ditch is not a short cut.  2] Patience.  Those other drivers are usually more of a danger than your own driving.  Speeding around them because you lost your patience, could make you lose more control than you ever imagined.  3] Stay focused.  People often rubber-neck or gaze off during regular driving conditions but your brakes aren't that fast when it's slick. 
     Snow is the same in the north and south.  You don't have to freak out when driving in it, just take your time.

Aging

     Now I know the real reason why our family has never been a fan of buffet restaurants..lol. It's an aging reminder. Besides the fact that the food has all been touched or sneezed on by everybody.   
      I love Maxine. I think she's wise yet sarcastic enough to tell you the truth like you've never heard it before.  If you know who 'Walter' the puppet of Jeff Dunham is, I think they'd make the perfect couple.  oops, I just checked, he's already married.
     Aging is not easy.  I think we do have to be able to not only laugh about it but to embrace it. I think the recent headlines of Demi Moore's struggles with getting older are sad for her.  I think it shows a lost soul when all you have to cling to is the flesh.  It's going to change, fade, die and return to dust so I think the soul should take priority.
     Gray hair is from the trials God has brought you thru.  Sagging is from all the years you been blessed with being exposed to gravity.  Short term memory loss is so you can remember the old times even better. 
     They say 'only the good die young' but let's keep on aging gracefully and say 'only the best, outlast the rest.'

Which Road?

     Roads take us to where we want to go but we have to be on the right one. Today many people have a GPS in their car to help keep them on the right road to their destination.  My dad and I were in the van the other day with his new GPS.  It was trying to guide us to a cupcake shop in Little Rock.  Well even though I had never been there before, I had in my mind where it was and thought the GPS was wrong.  So we went a different way, which ended up being the long, wrong way..lol.
    Some people say that all roads or paths of religion will get you to heaven. That couldn't be any more wrong. I've heard it explained this way... let's say you're at Verizon arena, just pick a road..any road, and follow it and eventually you'll get home.  Seems pretty silly, doesn't it.  Well, the only road to your eternal home is thru Jesus Christ. John 3;36  '' Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.''
     Are you like Alice or do you know where you want to go?  Doesn't it matter to you?  You are going to need a spiritual GPS to guide you, it's called The Bible.  Your mind may think it knows better but this GPS is never wrong.  Start your journey today.