Taking time to count my blessings

It's been a very busy week for me with a lot to take in. I have to remind myself that I can't take everything so seriously that I neglect to count my blessings. I do have them. Taking the time to count them is something we all should do, myself included in this...but how many times do we forget this? Too many. We rush from here to there putting out "fires" without stopping to think about the one who has given us everything. So my number one thing to be thankful for is the fact that God loves me.

I do have blessings all around me, when I realize that God loves me and that he provides for me. I know that he won't overburden me with situations I can't handle. He knows me better than I know myself. I am blessed when I realize that he is with me always and will never forsake me, even when I sometimes turn my back on him. What a fool I am when I do that! I am blessed when he brings people into my life and shows me how special they are to him. Yes, I do believe that everyone is special in God's eyes. I think we sometimes forget in the heat of battle that God loves us all and wants the best for us. Unfortunately we don't want to hear what God's best is for us. We rather take off on our own. I am guilty of this.

I am blessed because I can turn to God, and ask his forgiveness. Since he forgave me, I can forgive others that have hurt me and let go of the anger. It is a freeing feeling to let go. I am blessed because he has provided me with food and shelter, and tells me not to worry about tomorrow. So I try not to worry, because it doesn't add anything to my life...it only subtracts.

I am blessed by friends both on-line and in person. Having this social media can be a blessing if it is used right. I know that sometimes it isn't used right, and that's a shame.

Taking Time to find the joy in life

I know that sometimes it's difficult to find joy in anything. I've had my moments this week when I felt like crying but didn't. Then I realized that there is still much to be thankful for in this world we live in. I can praise God for all that he has given me to cherish. I think we do forget in the midst of our struggles and pain to look beyond and see the whole picture of God's grace. I know I have. I know that I have to remind myself daily to take time to find that joy before letting the world and its woes suck me in. There is a saying that you don't appreciate things until they are gone from your life. That's sad.

In my present situation, I've had to step back from all the negativity that is constantly being generated about the world in which we live in and how hard it is to get by anymore. I've had to stop worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next day...worrying is a sin and concentrate on the positive aspects of life. It is extremely difficult to do, but I'm doing it.

I praise God for my family and friends who even now support me in many ways. I praise God for food, shelter and opportunities to write. I even praise God for people that disagree with me or try to tear me down. I know who my redeemer is and long for others to know him too. The Lord has richly blessed me. My joy comes from him who has redeemed me with his blood.

Taking Life One Day at a Time

I took the day off yesterday to reflect on all that has happened to me and to our country. There is definitely a spirit of depression and anxiety hovering over us. No, it's not the usual anxiety that always manages to hover during a Presidential election year. All of us have experienced that to one degree or another. This is different and scary. I know I sometimes have a tendency to make things seem harder or scarier than they actually are. That's why I need to take life one day at a time. Once I do that, then I can begin to see that there is a light at the end of this increasingly dark tunnel that this whole country seems to be in now. I can't voice or write what I sense upon my heart as to why I feel this country is in a dark tunnel or what I shudder even now to think about what may happen if things continue down this dark path.

I can tell myself that it will be okay. I can push myself to do something, yet as I reflect on what I have done in the past that brought me and this country to the state where it is today...I wonder if I should step back and analyze what I've done before moving forward. Hence the mantra of taking life one day at a time instead of planning huge blocks of time thinking that everything will fall into place. Something like an outline or a framework that would stabilize me and make me feel secure would be my first step. The Lord is my anchor and my framework....on his foundation I do stand. I will take the scripture that says: "Don't worry about tomorrow.", but will also plan reasonably for what I want to accomplish in this life.

Thinking about labor and what it means

I have a different perspective now of labor due to my current circumstances. I'm learning the hard way that there is labor that leads nowhere and labor that fulfills someone's need. Time is a precious commodity, so if you do labor that doesn't lead anywhere then you are wasting it. If you labor to fulfill someone's need, then you are redeeming it. It sounds pretty simple. We all must labor to help each other out, not accumulate stuff for ourselves or build a barrier between ourselves and others.

So, how do we labor for others? We start by stopping to think about how we can fulfill someone's need. What are their pain points? How can you resolve to fix them? First and foremost you should write down and resolve to do what you can to fix the situation(s) that are causing the pain. Pray and talk to God about the situation. Then you should labor as God directs you, utilizing the talents and abilities he has given you. Not so simple...some of us spend our whole lives trying to figure out where our talents and abilities lie. Yet we all have unique talents and abilities that we can start using and we should start using.

I know what mine are but obstacles get in my way when I start to use them. I forget at times who is in control. I panic without reasoning out the circumstances that led me to where I am. I have to remember and remind myself that God is in control. So, do I wallow in self-pity because of my current circumstances or do I praise God for the resources and support he has given me? I choose to rejoice and praise God for the resources and support I've been given. Now I must utilize that support and those resources to help someone else out, otherwise I'll be wasting both time and energy.

I then come to the conclusion that in everything I do that I should do it for the Lord, not for myself. I realize that labor can be a bitter experience for everyone involved or it can be a blessing to everyone involved. Do I want to be a burden or blessing? I want to be a blessing.

Putting on the whole armor of God-Time to Fight

Yes, I realize all too well what it means to put the whole armor of God on now. It means that I need to bathe myself in God's Word, soaking it up in my mind so I can answer those who come out against me. It means I need to trust God to know what's in front of me, and not my own self. It means that I can't give in to the fears and doubts that assail me.All of this is hard to do. I know. I'm struggling now with fears and doubts that want to tear me apart. I can't let them. I have to remind myself that I'm not alone, even when it seems like I am.

As a country, we too must start to fight against the forces of evil that have prevailed in this land. We can no longer afford to be complacent and pliable. Yes, that's hard too. I know. You say the wrong thing and people judge you for it. Some say it's better not to say anything at all. Yet I can't help hearing in the back of my mind the phrase, "If you stand by and do nothing, it's just the same as if you condoned the action." I can't stand back anymore and watch others suffer for the wrongs that are being perpetrated on the innocent. I'm not foolish enough to think that one person can make a difference. I know that there are many out there that are waiting for the right moment to act. I can understand that too. With all the rhetoric flying around, it's even more difficult to ascertain when to speak out. That's why we all must put the whole armor of God on, not just one piece. We have to be willing and able to speak up against the evil and show others the good. If someone doesn't have the good, then it's a given that they will fall back to the evil.

I believe that is the situation in the world today even with all the great communication. No one understands the good. Their ears are closed to the Word of God, even while prophecy is being fulfilled right before our very eyes! How do we tell them? We tell them through our actions and our words. 

A dark and scary time

I've been living through a dark and scary time. It seems almost like Satan and his minions want to do all they can to extinguish the light. Satan knows that my biggest fear is being out on the streets, especially at night. He fans that fear to the point where with every step I'm looking over my shoulder. Then he places people in front of me that are ready and able to tear me down. I do struggle daily to put that fear aside. Yet when I let my guard down, he pounces. I'm reminded more readily than ever before that I must put on the armor of God and continuously guard against his attacks. If I keep telling myself that God is in control, I can move on.

Both presidential candidates scare me with their vicious verbal attacks and imagery. I can wallow in despair about the state of the economy and my current situation or I can try to do something about it. I can begin to focus on God more and his promises that now seem even more appealing during this dark and scary time. I remind myself that I'm only passing through and hopefully pulling others to follow me. I do believe that only in Christ is there salvation for both soul and body. I pray for everyone who is still in bondage to Satan and his minions who tell you constantly that you are captain of your own ship....or just do it.

I still can't understand that reasoning. Why would you "just do it" without weighing the cost or understanding how it would affect the people around you? Everyone needs someone to come alongside them. I know I do.

Angels of Mercy-Coming in the nick of time

This week has been particularly hard for me. I've had to trust others to do the right thing and wait on the Lord. There have been some angels of mercy around me. I know this. I was at the lowest point of my existence, wondering what in the world I was going to do. Then I heard a voice telling me that I was not alone. I knew that voice. I heard it many times before. I had a choice to make. I could continue to wallow in my self imposed prison or I could reach out. I decided to reach out. Would my situation improve with this reaching out? Yes....just having someone to talk to and who was willing to listen was enough.

I was struggling. Yet I told everyone I wouldn't give up. I couldn't give up. I felt like I was drowning, going down for the last time when someone came and lifted me up. The words of encouragement energized me. I could now laugh at myself, instead of weeping for what was lost.

Maybe you're struggling now. Maybe you feel as if the bottom has dropped out and you're free falling to your doom. There is a lifeline. You just have to believe that it's there and reach out. Yes, I know it's scary to reach out. You don't know what to expect. I know. I've been there. I know that feeling of not wanting anyone to know how scared you are and not being able to do anything at all. It's not a good feeling.

Remember this, God sent his son in the nick of time to save us from ourselves and to make us his children. More than you and I, he knows the innermost part of your being....the part that longs to be whole again. He can make you whole again. He's done it for me many times. I have the assurance that he will continue the work he's doing in me forever. What a comfort that is!...to know that he won't give up on me.