A Dose of Sugar and an Ounce of Pain

For those who know me, you know how much I love chocolate in any form.  I am a little embarrassed to tell you this but I am such a chocoholic that I have resorted to turning the Hershey’s chocolate syrup bottle up and letting the sweetness pour into my mouth.   Oh but with every piece of chocolate I put in my body, I must push myself to exercise to get rid of those calories.

Our heavenly Father is always pouring the sweetness of His blessings in our lives.  Every day brings new sweetness from a glorious sunrise to a call from someone telling us that they are praying for us.  Yes, God blesses us daily.

However, we sometimes do not see those blessings.  Sometimes God in his wisdom wants us to learn a lesson.  I am one person who often takes God for granted.  I call on Him when I am hurting but in the good times, the sweet times of life; I all too often forget that the Lord is with me then as well.  This is when the Lord allows me to walk through a trial and exercise my faith.

Now if you are like me, exercise is just one of evils of life.  I am not an athletic person.  I hate to run, jog, and lift weights.  It just hurts!  I do love a good brisk walk outdoors but I hate exercising on machines.  Well girlfriends, I hate the fact that my faith must be exercised.  Sometimes faith exercises can be painful and hurt too.

However, with the pain in the exercise come great results.  When I physically exercise daily, I feel better, my health improves, and I can fit into my clothes comfortably.  When my faith is exercised, I grow more confident in the Lord.  I stand firmer on solid ground and I can weather the next storm of life a little more soundly. 

Remember girlfriends, that with every sweet blessing God showers upon us, we need to savor it and thank Him for it.  We do not need to take our Lord for granted because at some point there will be a painful trial that comes along that will help us grow stronger in our faith.

Our Personal Hills

Whew!  I just returned from a walk around my neighborhood.  It is not a leisurely walk.  On my chosen route there is a steep hill.  It is a hill that at times I want to stop, about-face, and run down.  However, I am determined to get my pudgy, chocolate indulged body fit again.  As I huff and puff I put one foot in front of the other and slowly trudge uphill.

After I accomplished my hill obstacle today, I had an epiphany.  As families in the ministry-and as Christians- we must daily face our personal “hills.”  They are steep.  They are rugged.  We stumble and sometimes loose our footing and fall.  At times on our hills, there are other obstacles such as hidden sins which we must climb over.  There are even times when we stop, turn around and run back down the “hill” because it is overwhelming.  However, when we quit, we miss the lessons and blessings God has for us when we reach the top of our hill.

Ladies, let me encourage you.  I-along with you- must face our ministry/life “hill” daily.  We are in a battle that rages in the spiritual realms.  Satan’s greatest desire for us is to throw in the towel and quit.

Just like the hill in my neighborhood makes me cringe each time I attempt to climb it, sometimes life’s hills wear us down and make us grow weary in our ministry and in our Christian walk.  However, we have a great God that is our trainer and motivator.  He is walking right beside us.  He is encouraging us.  When we reach the top of the hill we are climbing today, our Lord reveals His lesson He wanted us to learn and showers us with His blessings that await us.

T H A N K F U L

Well, ladies, can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!  It’s hard to fathom that another holiday season is upon us, and that we are only weeks away from a brand new year---2013!

During this time of year we tend to meditate on the things in our lives that we are most thankful for---families, homes, jobs, health, basic necessities such as food and clothing, and the list could go on.  Also, thankfulness and gratitude are attitudes of the heart, that really should be cultivated 365 days of the year.

I try to have a heart of thanksgiving every day, but there are times when I fail to acknowledge how the Lord has bestowed on me blessing after blessing!  Truly, the Lord has been good to all of us; we serve a GOOD GOD who is worthy of praise!  

So in this blog I wanted to honor our Lord and Savior with an acronym for the word.......

T   H   A   N   K   F   U   L

T=Our God is Truth

“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.” Psalm 86:15

H=Our God is Holy

“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44

 A=Our God is Almighty

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.”  Revelation 19:6

N=Our God is Never going to leave us!

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5

K=Our God is King

“For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2

F=Our God is Faithful

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:9

U=Our God is Unique

“But He is unique and who can turn Him?  And what His soul desires, that He does.” Job 23:13

L=Our God is Love

“God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

The Lord is all these things, and soooooooo many more!  Yes, God has given us so many wonderful blessings, too numerous to count, and He is able to work in our lives “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).   So, I just want to thank Him for being the great “I AM”, the everlasting Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Election Day!

Well, today is the day when millions across our nation will cast a vote for the next president, as well as cast votes for other individuals running for various political offices.   As we participate in this long standing democratic tradition, I am reminded of two very important truths: God has established government and He is sovereign over the outcome of all elections.

(1)   God has established government.   According to Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”  Whatever God creates is good; man is the one who taints God’s original design.

(2)   God is sovereign, totally in control of all things. The psalmist says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”  (Psalm 103:19).   And I love David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:12, ”……You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.”

My sisters,  please go out and exercise your right to vote. And remember whoever is elected in the various political races is allowed to be placed in office by the Lord, for such a time as this.   Pray, vote, and watch how God is always on His throne, and always in control!!

My Lifeline

When you hear the word “lifeline”, what comes to your mind?

To different people it can have a wide variety of meanings.  For some it may mean a special friend to confide in, or a much desired “comfort” food to help temporarily ease away the pains of life, or a little “retail therapy” to fulfill a void, or for those of you who have ever watched “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire”, it brings to mind making a request for assistance to figure out the answer to a difficult question.

This is how Webster’s Dictionary defines lifeline:   a line to which persons may cling for safety; something considered vital for survival.   Wow!  A lifeline involves safety and survival.   Those two attributes most definitely describe the lifeline in my life:  my quiet time with the LORD!  I do indeed feel safe in His presence, and I need His power in my life to survive!

Words really cannot express the extreme value and utmost importance my time with Him has made in my life.  Over the last several years, I have come to cherish and appreciate those moments when I talk with my Savior, read His Word, enjoy His presence, and simply invite Him to be in my day.  When I think about it, all my days belong to Him, so I desire for the Lord to guide my days.

Not wanting to be legalistic, but I seem to have a much better grasp of my days when I spend time with my Lord early in the day, before my time gets filled with schedules, tasks, and a host of other activities.  Some mornings when I awake, my heart is burdened with things that I need to talk with Him about…..things concerning my family, my plans for the day, church issues, having someone on my heart who is emotionally hurting or is physically sick. It’s amazing that after these consecrated times with Him, I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.   Also, some days are more “mountain top” experiences than other days, but every time I get blessed! There is absolutely nothing like that special time intentionally spent alone in His presence!

So, my dear sisters, what about you?  Do you have a lifeline?  Do you have a spiritual discipline that has helped you to grow in Christ?  I would love to hear from you.

As for my lifeline……..I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IT!!

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”  Psalm 34:8

THANKFUL MONTH

November is the 'Thankful Month", so I have been reflecting on the things I am thankful for.  I took the "Month Challenge" on facebook to post something I am thankful for each day.

1. It was a year ago that our daughter and her husband were told that since "none of the fertility tricks" that the specialist had tried worked, that they had a very low chance of ever conceiving.  Today, I am thankful for our unborn grandson, who the specialists say is healthy and rather large.  His due date is Dec. 5th, but they are going to take him sometimes in November......so that makes this even more of a thankful month.  Mom's pre-pregnancy size was extra small and little Cameron has broad shoulders so they are planning a c-section.  After the ultrasound next week we will find out if he gets to stay in the shelter of mom's belly until the week of the 26th or if he will make an early appearance.
2. I am thankful for Salvation and the love of Christ.
3. I am thankful for a Christian Home.
4. I am thankful for my husband, a Godly man; he has been my best friend for over 40 years, the father of my children and my pastor for the past 16 years.
5. I am thankful for our Christian daughter and her husband who is a spiritual leader of their home.
6. I am thankful for our Christian son and his Christian wife who are newlyweds.
7. I am thankful for health.
8. I am thankful for a church that loves God and loves each other.
9. I am thankful for a job where I can minister to others and be myself.
10. I am thankful for great friends.
11. I am thankful for the opportunity to vent and bore all of my Blog Friends.

I could go on and on with the things I am thankful for...........we all have things to be thankful for.  What are you thankful for?  I would love to hear from you.

WARNING:  When you hear from me next, I will be a brand new "Mimi" for the very first time.  (Our daughter has named us "Mimi" and "Grandaddy" but little Cameron may change all of that.  Smile.)  We were married 6 1/2 year before we had our daughter.........she has been married 5 1/2 year.............so I have waited a very long time for this.  I am warning you....I will be the most annoying new "Mimi" around.  I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!! 

HELP LADIES

I have two prayer requests and a HELP.......

Please continue to pray for my daughter and our upcoming grandson.  She had a difficult time getting pregnant and has had a difficult pregnancy.  The high-risk doctor has already told her she has to have a c-section.  His due date is December 5th, but they are taking him as soon as it is safe to take him.  We had a scare last Monday....she was having contractions.  PRAY for her and him and their safety and health.

ATTENTION NASHVILLE LADIES and surrounding areas:  Our daughter-in-law lives in Gallatin.  She is looking for a job.  Her major is Nutrition.  They are newlyweds........and if you are from the area, you know the cost of living there.....so they really need for her to find a job.  She interviewed at a bank, which she was excited about and they were very encouraging, but the lady from HR called her back yesterday and said that the position was no longer available because the girl that had it was originally trying to transfer and then changed her mind.  They told her that if an opening came available, they would call her and pick up where they left off.  BUT.....she needs a job.  SO....if ANYONE knows of somewhere that is hiring, that does not require a Sunday commitment, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP.  She would love something in her field of student such as WIC but is open to ANY JOB that still allows her to attend church regularly.  Help us pray that God will guide her to the job he wants her to have.  Thanks Bunches!!!