A Life Worth Living

My sister in law passed away this past Thursday.  She fought the fight of metastatic breast cancer.  My family and Kathy's close friends gathered on Saturday to celebrate Kathy's life.  It was at the home of her very dear friend who had taken care of Kathy during her illness.  We had a time where we could say something and remember Kathy. It was very clear how much Kathy was loved and what a great spirit Kathy had for life, fun, joy, and happiness.  She could have played the pitiful victim but chose instead to live life to the fullest and make her life happy and full. 

The other thing that was revealed to me was how much love is in the world.  God brought the right people to Kathy to be by her side and help her through the storm.  So many people who never met Kathy were praying for her daily.  A love that is selfless and Christ like to do what is needed for a person in need.

It can be so easy to focus on the negative world we live in.  But within all of this you find beauty, kindness, joy, hope, and love.  My prayer is that you can focus your life on loving and caring for those around you.  

Peace...

God working through others

My sister Liz is a chaplain at a hospital and is assigned to the neo natal ward.  Today there is a memorial service for the babies who went on to be with God.  She said there are over 400 that die from miscarriage to still births to complications after delivery every year in her hospital. Liz has a special gift to love on these families and pray for them.  What a gift God has given her to use for His purpose.

Life can really stink.  Everyone will experience loss during their lifetime. One of our reasons to be here is to help those who are suffering.  Love on those who are lonely.  Feed those who are hungry.  

Everyone wants to know their purpose in life.  This is no secret.  We were created by God to be used for His purpose and bring glory to God.  We do this by loving God, loving others, and loving yourself.  Don't make it complicated.  Take every moment and use it as an opportunity to help someone. To forgive someone. To love someone.  Take this moment and change your life to live and to love.  Let go of hatred. Stop being scared and mean. Start living for others.  Share your love with everyone.  

Ask God to make you more loving in your heart.

http://youtu.be/dBQqda_YDxw

Why do we pray?

This is taken from www.one place.com by Adrian Rogers

Why do we pray?

It's very important to understand this: we are inviting God into our lives when we pray.

When we pray, we experience —

• Fellowship. 

We become "workers together with Him" (2 Corinthians 6:1). When we pray, God gives us the joy and privilege of administrating His kingdom, His affairs — working together with Him. He could do it without us. We could not do it without Him. But what a glory that God allows us the privilege of doing it with Him!

• Development. 

When we pray, God is growing us. Have you ever prayed and didn't receive immediately what you asked for? What did you do? You kept on praying, but you also began to search your heart and life to see if something was hindering God's answer. Many times there is. God uses prayer to grow us.

• Dependency. 

God never wants us to live lives independent of Him. If God just did everything for us and we never had to pray, soon we would begin to take things for granted. We would cease to depend upon God.

Prayer Binds Us to God

That's why we tell God what He already knows. He knows what we have need of before we ask, but we're definitely, specifically, unqualifiedly told to pray and to ask — not to impress or inform God, but to invite God, so that we might have that fellowship with Him, so that we might grow, and we would learn to depend upon Him.

God Is With You

Back about 15 years ago was what I would call my spiritual transformation. I went deeper into my relationship with God through prayer, meditation, and journaling.  I would wake up around 5 in the morning and just spend some time with God. I wrote phrases and sentences that turned into verse. I borrowed my sisters piano and just started playing around with music and created melodies. 

Around this time, my sister was very sick and several of my friends were dealing with cancer.  I wrote "You Are Not Alone", to express how God is always with us through every storm in our lives. We can find rest, peace, and comfort in God. 

I hope you can find a message of God's love for you in this video. 

Peace

http://flipagram.com/f/HlJTeSPgJW

Chapter 2. Look Around You

Suffering from migraines and prescription drugs

Lonely and suffering from anxiety

Need a job

Cancer

Car accident with neck injury

One month old baby died

Cancer

Depression 

All of these things are people who I work with every day or near me as a friend or relative.  I don't think I am unusual. We have so many people around us and in our day to day lives to reach out and help. 

1. Pray for them

2. Listen to them

3. Give them your gentle spirit

4. Help where you can

5. Encourage them

6. Love them

Peace..........

http://youtu.be/muH70QDnGko

Chapter 2. Becoming Outwardly Focused

Love God.  Love Yourself.  Love Others. 

 It is rather simple.  We make things so complicated. Our issues in our minds fight with the natural creation from God to be made in his image.  God is love.   We are love.  Others are love. 

We need help. Our family, friends, neighbors, leaders, the world needs help.  Imagine a world where everyone is outwardly focused to love one another. We are God's hands and feet.  Anyone reading this should be able to think quickly of someone who needs our help.  Try to help someone today. Show them your love.  Be nice and smile.  Loosen up.  Stop thinking only about you.  Become outwardly focused.

Love and Peace....

Memories

On my drive to work, I tried to go back to my earliest memory.  I got to pre-kindergarten.  My mom would read these stories to me that had words with pictures throughout for me to say.  I remember picking up grasshoppers in our back yard.  Then I remembered an earlier time when I tried to push open the storm door and my wrist went through the glass.  I had to get stitches.  I also remember we lived across from a funeral home. We would go in there from time to time.  I decided most of my memories are creepy.  Except for the stories.  Wait...I remember before kindergarten when we lived in Indiana and my mom and I would ride the bus downtown and eat cinnamon rolls at the dime store counter. So now creepy things and good things.  Other than the above, most of my memories were saved because of photos.  The photos let me relive my life of love, family, and a wonderful, meaningful life.  The photos preserve the time and help keep the memory alive.  The say a picture is worth a thousand words really makes sense to me.  With IPhone and social media we have a great way to share and keep our memories.  

Life is good and we have been given a way to share life with each other.  Make sure when living life you take a pic now and then so if you are like me you will be able to remember.

Good

Do Christians think we are better than non believers?  Apparently that is what some non believers think of us.  They think we consider ourselves the only nice people on earth.  Is it the way we try to convert everyone because of the great commission?  Perhaps it's because we tend to hang together.  Whatever reason, we must embrace the phrase "perception is reality".  

The only reason I'm bringing this up is to challenge you to review your image and perspective to other non believers.  Everything we do or say should be done in love.  We are called to be light in a darkened world.  We are to bring help and hope to anyone in need.  Everyone should be considered precious in God's eyes.  Do we see everyone as precious?  Or do we pick and choose who we want to be invited into the kingdom? Seek to love everyone unconditionally.  Become very humble and remember that we are All Sinners.

In your prayer time, take a moment to ask God how you can be shown how to become more loving towards everyone.  To not pick and choose.  To have your heart opened and lead by the Spirit.

For me, Mother Teresa was the type of person that could love unconditionally.  She lived to help those around her and saw everyone as a child of God.

peace......

In Honor of Cheryl

Cheryl is a inspiring woman from our church who went to be with the Lord yesterday.  My husband and were in several small groups with Cheryl and her husband.  There is a quote, "Be the person that if anyone ever said anything bad about you, no one would believe it." Cheryl was that person.  Her faith in Christ was a living testimony.   Cheryl battled breast cancer for the last 10 years of her life. She was paralyzed from the waste down the last year as the cancer moved into her spine.  In spite of it all Cheryl had a quiet loving spirit.  I would say she was a perfect example of living by the fruit of the spirit as we are to become as Christians. 

I want us to take The Cheryl Challenge.  We can all live like Cheryl.  We can all be an example of Christ.  It doesn't matter how old you are or what you have done in your past or just did a few moments ago.  With Christ, we are a NEW CREATION.  New meaning CHANGED.  Accept this NOW.  We are free.  If you are already a follower of Christ then change from your old ways.  Get rid of hatred, anger, bitterness, selfishness, rage, and unforiveness.  Through the Holy Spirit living in you, live with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control.

If you have never accepted Christ into your life, then I beg you to do it right now.  Christ provides a way for us to have everything above and receive this for eternity.  Our life on earth is but a second.  We can make a choice.  But this choices offers us a chance to live with God forever.  To have the Holy Spirit enter our soul and give us everything in that picture above now.  You can and will experience peace so wonderful, love so amazing,  joy never ending.  No matter what you will endure on this earth, God will never leave you and promises that.  That is why we can suffer and still live by the Fruit of the Spirit.  

Our small group is studying Hebrews.  The book of Hebrews was partly written for Jews who converted to Christianity.  They were persecuted and lived a very hard life.  The Jewish people disowned them. To some it was so hard they wanted to go back to the old ways and give up.  Throughout Hebrews the message is clear.  Turn you eyes to Jesus.  Fix your eyes on Jesus.  Jesus came down to give us a new way and and new life.  When we turn to Christ, we can find rest here on earth.  Cheryl was able to find rest through Christ in spite of her troubles.  

Change today.  Don't be so prideful or embarrassed.  Take the Cheryl Challenge and become the person God intended you to be.

If you want to become a follower of Christ.  Just pray,  Jesus, I sin.  I don't like my life and I want you to be a part of me.  I believe that you were the sacrifice for me.  By dying on the cross you saved me.  I believe in you and want you to be in my life forever. Amen!  

I will leave you with a quote that is on Cheryl's Pinterest board. 

Day ? 2/23214 stillness

I am still here.  Although. The new job and changes with my husbands job have changed my time and schedule.  Things are good.  We have both transitioned well into our new jobs.  I am surrounded by Christians and have a great place to work and utilize my skills.  God is good.  In the midst of all of our lives, and stuff, and issues, and up, and downs God doesn't change.  He is always our loving God.   He says Be Still and know that I am God.  Rest in God and thank him continually for His love.  Our lives are but a moment in the scheme of eternity.  

Peace.....

Day 158 Next

I am not very good at multi-tasking at my personal life.  I am great at work.  Probably because one is expected to multi-task in order to get it all done.  The whole job change thing took a lot of focus and energy.  Leaving not much mentally for me to tackle anything else.  Now that I am settled into the new job, which I really enjoy by the way, I am ready to tackle the next part of my journey.  Hubby and I are keeping God first in our life but will be joining another small group that will work with our schedule.  

My next journey is back on the be healthy journey.  My goal is to take priority of my health through diet and exercise.  I don't have to tell you that health insurance is so expensive.  I have accumulated a few RX drugs that I hope to eliminate by improvement of health.  So.....  What I began earlier this year and got sidetracked will become a focus now.  What does that mean?  Water....treadmill....eating right...and back to weekly pictures!  I know it's cruel but that keeps me focused with mini goals!  Never give up and always keep striving to be your absolute best.  I hope you are becoming your best.  Remember to Love God, love others, and love yourself.  

Live in peace......

Day 151 - Change is good!

Yes, change is good.  Change can be like a breath of fresh air.   It gives us a new attitude.  A chance to begin.  It is like the new year.  We think of it as a way to start over or begin again with a goal or a belief or a task.  I think the one thing we should be ready for is change.  Life is unpredictable.  It can be scary and unknown.  Don't be afraid of this.  

I have three special prayers for you In 2014.

1.  I pray you love God.

The one thing you can always count on is God.  He is the unchangable part of your life.  My prayer for you for 2014 is get to know God.  Yes,  you can know God.  There is a relationship waiting for you.  He can bring you through the changes in your life.  He will guide your path.  He will make a way when you think there is none.  Find like minded people who are God seeking people.

2.  I pray you love others.

We are created to love.  Be nice to your family and love them.  Tell them you love them.  Forgive those who have caused you pain.  Help those around you.

3.  I pray you love yourself.

God created you.  You are special and unique.  Love yourself and become the best you can be.  Break bad habits.  Believe in yourself.  Make yourself better.  Live life to the fullest.  Make 2014 your best year ever.

Love God, love others, love yourself.  Amen