Devoting A Year

"The discipline of daily devotion to God undergirds decisions." Edwin Louis Cole

This year has been one marked with various mountains and valleys. A year that has tested my faith, my strength, my compassion, and my heart. It would not be a small venture to say that I have grown as an individual, as a Christian, as a wife, and as a daughter. The path that I have chosen proved that following your own desires often causes a harder travel. As I realized that my footsteps were not aligned with Christ, my desire to follow Him closer grew stronger. That is why this year I have decided to make some changes in my life. They are as followed...

1. Stay Devoted to Christ Daily. "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

2. Embrace Relationships. There are individuals in my life that I know I take for granted. I pray that this upcoming year, God sheds lights on those relationships and I learn how to enrich them.

3. Live a Healthier Life. This encompasses physically, emotional, spiritual, and mental health. I hope to surround myself with those who love the Lord and will help build me up when I fall.

I think that every desire for this new year would fit into one of the above categories. Now I have a challenge for each and every one of you. I pray that you help me stay focus and that those who feel compelled to help do so. If your desire for this year is to do the same, I will support you the best way I know how to: prayer.

Dear Gracious Heavenly Father, I pray that as this new year approaches that I may start it off correctly. I ask that You guide my steps, my heart, and my head. For those Lord who may be doing the same, please be with them as well. In Your Sons name I pray, AMEN!

Thanksgiving

John F Kennedy once said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

Throughout the month of November, I participated in the the Thankfulness of November. Each day, I wrote about things that makes me thankful. I will be honest, this has been hard. It was challenging some days to find something thankful. This is when I realized that I am human and that there are days that are greyer than others.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

One of God's will for our lives is to be thankful. Like I mentioned earlier, I know this is always not easy. It is hard to go through a trying time and stop to praise God for the trails.

There are times that I feel that thanksgivings is a blessing. Why? God blesses us far beyond what we deserve (I will be the first to admit this). We should honor His will by our actions, humility, and thanksgiving. The holiday's are just around the corner. God gave us a precious gift, His Son. How are we going to honor Him for that? Like JFK said, we should not only express our thankfulness but demonstrate it as well.

Dear Heavenly Father, Your love is more abundant than anything. I come to you bowing my head and heart thank you for the many blessings You have bestowed upon me. I know that I do not deserve them. May I lead my life as an example of humility and thankfulness. In Jesus' name, Amen.

How will they know you?

How do people recognize you? More so, what will they think/say about you? Listening to a popular Christian radio show, a recent topic has been showing your Christianity. Do your facebook status', twitter post, and daily living reflect that of being a Christian? These questions remind me about The Fruit of the Spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other." Galatians 5:22-26

The scripture list the different characteristics of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is that of the Trinity. The last part of the scripture is what stands out to me the most. If we live by the Holy Spirit (that which we as Christians are called to do), then we should have these characteristics as well. So do our lives demonstrate this? Do our status'/post reflect Fruit of the Spirit?

I know, we are human right? We all have our shortcomings. However, we are not to far from God's forgiving grace. We simply need to fall to our knees and come closer to God.

Dear Lord and Savior, we come bow our heads and surrendering our hearts. We ask that You daily remind us of the Fruit of the Spirit. Thank you for the grace You show us daily. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Becoming a Role Model

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Mark Twain

To be a great role model means you must make a lot of sacrifices and hold true to commitments. To be a role model means that you take on a strong responsibility. The greatest role model I know was a man. He was flawless, courageous, and stood for what he believed in. He was Jesus.

There have been plenty of other individuals who have been inspiring to me and model the lifestyle I wish to lead (Christianity of course!). Majority of those individuals who have been/are role models to me include: My parents, Grandparents, Pastors, my former youth minister and her husband, and my friends.

But what does it take be come a role model? To be a role model means to live your life like Christ on a daily basis. That alone is probably one of the great attributes of a role model.

1st - It takes commitment. Throughout the Bible we can find those who have committed themselves to Christ. This is the form of commitment I mean. Paul suffered imprisonment, flogging, hatred, and death.

2nd- It takes daily devotion in God's word. Seek out God's will through scripture for your life.

3rd- Seek out your own role models and learn from them. Hebrew 13:7 "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."

4th- Be in constant prayer. Jesus role modeled prayer for us in Luke 6:12, "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spend the night praying to God."

Dear Heavenly Father, as I go out and walk in this world full of sin, I pray for your guidance. There are many individuals Lord who seek out the wrong role models. Lord, guide my step and protect my heart so that I may be the role model to other that You have asked me to be. Amen

Nurturing our Relationships

I believe that one of our greatest duty while on this earth is to nurture relationships. (When I write this blog, please know that this one is strongly directed towards myself!) As humans, we seek affirmation from others and search for companionship. For most individuals, there is never a day that goes by where we are not interacting with someone. Here are my thoughts on our top relationships as Christians:

1. Jesus Christ

2. Spouse

3. Family

4. Friends

5. Unbelievers / Unsaved / Unchurched

What's the best way to nurture relationships? Here's a start:

1. Spend time with that person. Our most important relationship is with Christ. While He knows everything about us, we should spend time getting to know HIM!

2. Listen. There are times when God may whisper words of encouragement and direction. However, if you are like me, (and it's something I'm working on) God may have to SHOUT OUT His instructions. Listening to instructions, the yearning for help from others, or being there matters.

3. Be compassionate. This is something that God wants us to be. He has shown compassion to us in the ultimate way, dying on the cross. We need to show Him compassion through giving up our time to Him and being compassionate to others.

4. Love them. God calls us to not only love Him, but to love others as well. He did show the ultimate love for us anyways. "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." John 3:16 Loving others may not always be easy, but it is warranted in nurturing the relationship.

5. Honor and Respect the Relationship. God laid out very specific rules/guidelines in the Bible. Though we are human and not expected to be perfect (hence God's amazing and unfailing forgiveness), we are to honor His will. When we can honor and respect our most important relationship, there seems to be a trickle down effect onto others.

6. Cherish the time. Sounds funny right? Not really. When you stop and think about it, you cherish the memories that you have or make. This is the same concept. Cherishing the forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love that we have makes us want to nurture the relationship further.

7. Give of Yourself. This aspect probably encompasses many other aspects. But when you give of yourself, truly give of yourself, you lay everything out. Giving God your time, energy, dedication, and heart is what He wants. He yearns for a relationship with you! Matt Hammitt has a song called All of Me. The lyrics are: Your gonna have all of me, Your gonna have all of me, Cause you're worth every fallen tear, You're worth facing every fear, You're gonna know all my love, even if it's not enough, Enough to mend our broken hearts, Giving all of Me is where I start. This pretty well sums it up. Giving of yourself, time and energy, is what it takes to nurture many relationships.

There are definitely other components to nurturing a relationship. I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and additions to any of my blogs.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for wanting a relationship with me. Thank you Lord for your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. I pray Lord, that as I continue to nurture my relationship with you, that I am able to nurture a relationship with other around me. In your Precious Son's name, Amen.

The Power of...

In my psychology of religion, we had to think of a topic to present. My topic was about the power of positive thinking. Positive thinking is something, at one point or another, struggle with. There are times that it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there is!

"If you think in negative terms you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms you will get positive results. That is the simple fact...of an astonishing law of prosperity and success." Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking, 1952.

There were 4 areas of the presentation that were covered. There's not a lot of depth to this (it has been over 3 years since I did the presentation), so bare with me! Below are the reasons it is important to have positive thinking.
Optimism vs Pessimism: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Winston Churchill
It's hard to follow up with the comparing optimism to pessimism after Winston Churchill's quote. Positive thinking can result in less stress, positive emotions, and a healthier lifestyle.
Attitudes: "Your attitudes should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5
A theorist, Plotnik (2005), stated that "we first observe or perceive our own behavior and then, as a result, change our attitudes." This was the central concept for the self-perception theory.
Health Factors: To simply put it, our attitude/beliefs/thoughts, can alter our physical state. The more calm we are, the lower our blood pressure may be. Other factors can be affected as well, our mental health (depression, anxiety) and even stress level.
Church Application: (I hope to not step on people's toes here.) First, we must take off our own blinders or become more open minded to God's will. Thinking positively about God's will can allow us to reach more loss souls. God does not provide everyone with the same talent. We should be open to being blessed with different talents.

Ways to think more positively:
1. Focus on what you are thinking about. "Finally, brothers, 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." Philippians 4:8
2. Stop letting other's negative thoughts influence yours.
3. Focus on areas you want to change. - Start small. Gradually make a change.
4. Take the time to write down positive statements, then reflect on them. Post them at work, home, wherever you are the most.
5. Pray about areas that need strengthening. Listen to God's direction and be accepting of the changes that may need to be made.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon me. I come to you asking you to search our my heart. Help me to rid myself of negative thoughts/feelings/behaviors. Just like tools Lord, we all need ot be sharpened. I pray Your will may be done in my life. Amen.

Out of my Mind?

Has any one ever asked you, "Are you crazy?" or, "Have you lost your mind?" I wouldn't even began to guess the number of times I have been asked one of those questions. Most of the time I have done something silly or dangerous. However, this is a questions Christians should be faced with daily. Here's my logic....

Colossians 3:1 says, "If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." v3, "For you died, and your life is hidden in Christ God."

When we take the biggest step of faith, asking Christ to come into our hearts, minds, and soul, we should look different. Our family and friends should wonder what happened to the person that you once were. See Christ calls us to get rid of our past life, the life of sin. Christ wants to cloth us in His grace and mercy, which then entails us to put on our new self. Those who are non-believers will probably think that you have gone "crazy". And just maybe, you have gone "crazy" for God.

Galatians 5:20 states, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith."

Just about ever Sunday morning, Pastor Wayne asked us, "Have you died to self?" This is a daily struggle to me, however, a daily purpose. But I must remember that to live as Christ has called me to. I must put away my old self, my old behaviors, my old attitude. Then I must take on His ways and His attitude. Christ calls us to Daily Die to Self.

Dear Gracious Heavenly Father, please forgive me when I mess up. Help me to remember that I must give up my old ways in order to follow Your way. Guide my steps on this bumpy road. Let Your light shine bright in me so that other's may come to know you. In your Precious and Holy Son's name, Amen.

Overcoming Your Downcast Spirit

This blog comes from Brother Wayne Spivey's sermon today. Brother Wayne has been doing a sermon series called 54 Biblical Ways to Become a Better Person, and this week was sermon number 7. There has been a underlying theme with most of my blogs, emotional wellness and spirituality. I thought his sermon fits right with my blogs...here are his points. (My additional notes/thoughts are in purple.)

1. Rejoice and be glad. ("This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24)

2. Focus on the positive and count your blessings. (Psalms 103:1-5)

3. Get proper rest. (We, as humans, can often get too much sleep which alters our ability to regulate our emotional healthy. The same is true if we get too little sleep.)

4. Do something for someone else. (Often times when we do something good for someone else, our spirits are lifted.)

5. Listen to upbeat, happy music. (KLOVE is probably one of the most uplifting station I listen to in the car. Their slogan is Positive and Encourage: KLOVE. I would have to highly agree, God is definitely at work with KLOVE.)

6. Exercise (or find a hobby that gets you moving). (Your brain does amazing things like when you exercise it sends endorphins through your brain that lift your spirits.)

7. Make up your mind to be happy and enthusiastic. (Abraham Lincoln once said, A man is about as happy as he makes his mind up to be.")

8. Take a little break and do something for yourself. (Taking time to take care of yourself is important. This can be as simple as take a relaxing hot bath, scrapbooking, or playing a round of golf.)

9. Claim the promises of God.

10. Cast your troubles on the Lord. ("Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7)

11. Immerse yourself in the word of God.

Going through the valleys is difficult and often challenging. However, if we cling the the eleven concepts covered above, we can pull out of the valley with God's help! Remember F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God)!!!

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you laying all of my burdens at your feet. You know my heart and my heartache. I pray that through the difficult times, I can learn to lean ever more on you. Thank you Lord for the many blessings in my life, and may I always remember to stop and count them. In your Sons name, Amen.

Edmund Burke once said,"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little."

This quote is one that closely relates to our lives as Christians. We are not called to sit down and do nothing. On the contrary. We are called to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19.

One of my new favorite songs is by a group called Anthem Lights. The song is called I Wanna Know You Like That. ( I encourage you to check it out on youtube.) The song talks about how Christians want to know the Lord like those who have an on fire love and relationship with God. The lyrics are: I wanna know you like that, to live, to love. With everything I am, to give it all. I wanna know you like that, To become a man after your heart, and not look back. I wanna know you like that.

In order to know God like that, I feel we must not passively live our lives. We should want to service God, the Church, and the Community. We should not hesitate to give our time, especially since we ask God to give so much of His time to us. Like the lyrics say, we should love so much and give everything back because our passion is to be Christ-like.

Dear Lord, I come to you asking to open my eyes to your servant hood. I pray that everyday I continue to shed my old self and put on Your armor. Help me to be the person you designed me to be and love others. I pray Lord, that you help me to be a witness to others so that they may come to know you as well. In your Precious and Holy Son's name, Amen.

Enduring Pain to find Blessings

  Over the last week, God has really been working on my heart.  He has opened up my eyes and softened my heart to the trials I have been enduring.  When I think that I am unable to withstand the hurt/disappointment/pain, I simply reflect upon the challenges that many individuals in the Bible withstood. 

The Book of Job has to be one of the most humbling books about suffering and finding blessings.  Job was tempted by Satan, losing his health, wealth, and family.  In the mist of his trials, Job somehow remained faithful to God. 

As humans, we must accept the fact that we will face hardships and trials.  Jesus did not go without hardships; He faced and conquered the cross.  What we need to remember though, that in times of pain we need to draw closer to God.  "He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety." Job 5:11  God sincerely cares for those who are hurting.

In seeking counsel through Christian family members and friends, God has been opening up my eyes.  Admitting one's faults are not always easy, but that is one of the things God calls us to do.  During the storm of heartache, we do not always know why we are suffering.  But if we ask for wisdom, God will provide: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

Dear Heavenly and Merciful Father, I humbly come to you bowing my head.  I lift up this heavy heart and pain that has been weighing me down.  I ask that you wrap your arms around me.  I pray Lord for wisdom and understanding.  I know, Lord, that you will continue to provide for my needs.  Thank you Lord for the blessings I receive.  In Your Precious and Holy Name, Amen.

Lighthouse

One of my joys and determinations of a vacation location is by lighthouses. I love everything that they stand for.

There are two songs I think of that remind me of lighthouses. First, This Little Light of Mine, a childhood song. The lyrics are:

This little light of mine,

I'm gonna let it shine,

This little light of mine,

I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Growing up I never really thought about what the lyrics meant. But we are called as Christians to let the light in us, Jesus Christ, shine bright so that others may come to know it.

The purpose of the light how is to guide ships/captains. It stands tall and firm the trying storms and beautiful days. The light notifies the ships when they are approaching danger (sand dunes, low tide, rocks, etc). Our light is meant to shine to guide non-believers to a safe voyage of finding Christ.

The second song is by Anthem Lights, a new contemporary Christian group that I have come to enjoy. Their message is the same. The songs says that we need to stand and shine bright so that non-believers know that they are not alone. They don't have to walk this earth feeling lost, confused, or hopeless. They can find the One who created them, the One who longs after their hearts--and there find peace.

SO LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BRIGHT!

(Side Note) I apologize for not being more consistent with my blogs. I have been seeking and searching for God's will in my life. Without airing out my dirty laundry, I simply ask that you simply think of me when you are praying. God is faith and just, I feel that I must simply wait on His timing.

The Great Fall...

C.S. Lewis once said, "A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."

I recently had a talk with a good and wise friend about some struggles in my life. As we were talking about this particular struggle something was pointed out to me, PRIDE. The conversation continued and my friend stated, "Is this something that you are letting your pride come between?" WOW...what a simple question filled with complex thoughts.

The more I began to think about things, the more I realized, I have problems with pride. I believe we live in a world where pride means everything. Think about it, would there be as many gangs, murders, crimes, etc., if pride was not involved? Would Cain have killed his brother had pride not been an issue?

Throughout the Bible there are many individuals who we can closely relate to because of pride. Sampson was prideful of his hair, Goliath boasted about his strength, kings bragged about their gods. But throughout the Bible a reoccurring theme develops along side pride...grace. Grace that was not earned nor deserved but given.

When I think about who I have hurt because of my pride, I am so ashamed. When I think of the grace that has been shown upon me because of my pride but others, I want to bury my head in the sand. But as Christians, we are called to be like-Christ. We are to be servants to others, and servants do not let their pride get in the way of their duties. Just like God showed grace to me through the spilling of His sons blood, I must show grace to family/friends/foes.

C.S. Lewis makes a strong point with the quote mentioned above. If we are being proud and always looking down upon others, we cannot see the grace flowing from God!

Strong Enough?

Life is tough and who ever said that it was easy...well they are/were wrong. Life doesn't always hand us lemons to make lemonade out of. Sometimes life hands us tomatoes so we make salsa. But the beauty of life handing us things to deal with means that we must step up to the plate and show our strength. Whether or not we have enough strength should never cross our minds. What is so amazing about our Heavenly Father? HE has the strength we need to get through the trails, temptations, or valleys we are experiencing.

Matthew West wrote a song called: Strong Enough. He talks about how he understands that he does not possess all of the strength he needs to get through life. At times, we may feel defeated and just want to throw our hands up and say, "I give up". However, God is God and God will provide. If we go to God and ask him for the strength that we need, or for Him to cover us with his mercy, God will prevail.

There has been a saying that goes around that says, "If it doesn't kill me it will only make me stronger." If we are wise, we learn through the struggles how to embrace our strength. Mandisa has a song called: Stronger. The lyrics talk about how what we are going through will make us stronger. But as Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." We don't have to go to battle alone. We don't have to be foolish enough to say, I can do it all by myself.

We may not learn about why we go through trails on earth. One day, we will meet our Heavenly Father face to face and will be able to say "Thank you". Lean on God, embrace His mercy, and ask Him for strength!!

Silently....

I wrote this on January 4th, 2008:

Silently I sit here,

thoughts frantically moving at a

slow and endless pace,

What do I do?

What should I say?

Motionless I sit here

calm and still by my heart races

I pray and talk,

then I sit quietly,

listening to God.

Some days are easy and other days seem to filled with all types of struggles. In times of trouble, I take pride into my own hands and want to fix the problem myself. With the last plan of action starting to fail, I begin to realize my first mistake. I had neglected to God first. What ever our struggles and heartaches are, we need to go to God.

When I think about the concept of going to God in my troubles, I realize how depressing it must be for God to just hear our problems. It is easy to forget to praise God for everything that HE has done for us. Maybe He has helped you conquer a fear or brought joyous results to a test. I try to praise God for HIS GLORY, MERCY, GRACE, AND HEALING. However, once the pain is gone, our end of the communication line begins to "lose connection".

Talking about our problems can be easy for most of us. Some are eager to relinquish the weight of their heart while other search for the perfect words to summarize their pain. Whether you are quick to gab or slow to stammer, listening is what counts. Sitting silently in daily prayer is difficult...but think about the reward at the end.

When I blog, I hope it is clear that this is a therapeutic way for me to open the flood gates of my heart. But most importantly, I share messages with you that I need to hear and listen as well. If I can help one person understand that I have been there and there is light at the end of the tunnel with God walking by your side....I have succeed. If my blogs bring joy, happiness, or maybe a good laugh...I'm satisfied. Just know that when you read my blogs, you are reading what God has laid on my heart...that is all that counts to me!

It's amazing how something that you do in your day works into upcoming scripture. Jason and I worked in our flowerbeds, weeding out the unwanted and adding mulch. (Needless to say...I got a little burnt doing it) I began to read our Sunday School scripture for tomorrow to prepare for our class and to get a little inspiration for my next blog. Here is what God calls us to do with...

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthening in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7

We as Christians need to let our roots grown deep in the love of God. We need to be like the great oak trees in the south....ready to withstand the storms of life and the temptations of Satan. There are days when the clouds never seem to part and there is little light at the end of the tunnel. But God has given us the tools to conquer the storms that await us.

The more time and energy we invest in our relationship with our Heavenly Father, the deeper the roots penetrate the earth. This is one thing that I continue to learn as I grow older. It is important to build our relationship with God on a daily basis so that we acquire more tools to faithfully serve him.

God is faithful and just...we have to show Him our dedication. With our dedication our roots learn to grow. I pray that we all continue to learn and grow in God. I pray that we seek out His will in our lives that we can be faithful servants who have roots that can withstand anything.

Eating Humble Pie

This morning in Sunday School our Sunday School teacher taught from Ephesians 4:1-5 & 15-16. During the first couple of verses I realized that God was truly speaking to me. With recent events, as recent as Saturday, some drama continues to unfold. I have prayed to our Sovereign God about guidance and peace. I have asked many prayer warriors to send up prayers for struggles I have been facing. But this morning, God served me a BIG portion of HUMBLE PIE.

The title of the scripture is "Unity in the Body of Christ". To uncap or recall the events during Sunday School, I opened my Bible to the verses and began to read them to myself quietly. I began to realize that this was going to be an eye opener event. (A side note....I watched Soul Surfer and in one scene, a Youth Minister talked about getting a different perspective on life. This to me was God setting the stage and preparing the ingredients for my Humble Pie.)

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (vs 2-3) Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (vs 15-16)"

Without going in to much detail, there has been some family drama for a while. I have unfortunately been caught in the middle of it for some reason or another. I have tried to take different perspectives, bite my tongue, and let God's will unfold. However, as the verses tell us, I have not been humble, gentle, or patient. I wrote a simple note to my husband during Sunday School and said, "God is speaking to me through this lesson." My husband, knowing everything that has been going on, shook his head as if to tell me, God has been listening.

Our God is AMAZING and gracious to serve his children their own dose of Humble Pie. This weekend, I realize, I have not been patient, humble, or bearing with one another in love. I have been thinking primarily of myself. I have been complaining of the pain that has been pressed upon me, I have wept at times because the pain has become unbearable. I have attempted to "die to self" and let God's will preside over mine.

Humble Pie leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, a taste that will linger and often present itself once again when situations arise that led to the Humble Pie. I have thought that this lesson had come a little to late for me, and probably should have been spoken to me earlier. But God in His awesome timing, will prove to me that I heard the message just at the right moment. The anger and bitterness that is stored up in me with slowly disappear. The time will present itself when I have the opportunity to once again live by God's word. In those moments, I will remember the taste of this Humble Pie and remember Ephesians 4:2-3.

There are times when I feel that God is not listening or I am not receiving the message I want to hear. Today, that was not the case. God has been listening to my prayers and clearly outlined my next approach to situations through Ephesians. All though He does not tell us we should not address specific individuals about hardships or what have you, He does give us guidelines. God wants us to be patient with those indiviudals, be gentle with them when they are not gentle to you, humble yourself before them as Christ humbled himself on the cross. and speak the truth in love.

Go...take this message and gain something from it. We all deserve Humble Pie at times...today was my portion. May God bless you!!

7 X 70

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sings against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'" Matthew 18:21 & 22

Chris August sings a song called "7 X 70" that relates to the verses in Matthew. Chris talks about writing his song and how it was a very personal song. You can go on to youtube and find Chris talking about his song and the story behind it. To simply put it, Chris grew up in a broken home. And I think that when children are subdued to broken homes that they have to learn many life lessons early. I can testify to this.

Growing up for me was not life behind a white picket fence. My parents tried to give my sister and I the best childhood that we could ask for, but that was not easy. I can honestly remember for the longest time being the only child who had divorced parents. I can remember thinking, why do I have to be shuttled back and forth to my parents house. Then came denial for me. I had convinced myself that for about the first 6 months after my parents divorced that they would get back together. I quickly realized that this would not happen. I give credit to both of my parents.

Being from a blended family, I had to learn to forgive at a young age. I was honestly hurt by my parents when they got a divorce. (Hindsight...it was for the best then!!) But before I had to learn to forgive and even what the concept meant, Jesus Christ had long paid for my sins.

Throughout the Bible we learn about forgiveness and what it means. We learn that we must forgive those who hurt us so that we can be forgive. As a child, this was not an easy concept. Even as an adult, the task of forgiving someone does not come easy. I believe a lot of times we are either blind to our faults or we let pride get in the way.

77 times we are to forgive our brothers of their sins. WOW!!! Can you think of all the little sins that we have probably committed against our siblings. Each time we are suppose to forgive them as they have forgiven us. We as Christians should be showing the most grace and forgiveness. I know, we are human, how are we suppose to do this? My question then, how do come we continue to sin? Each time we sin, do we not ask God to forgive us? Each time we ask for forgiveness, does He not show us mercy?

I know I have mentioned a long time ago about the illustration of being in Heaven and at the dinner table. The person sitting to our left is the person that has forgiven us the most. The person to our right, well they are the person we have had to forgive the most. Sometimes they are the same person. Who do you need to show grace and mercy to today? Who do you need to go to and say, I'm sorry for the hard times I have caused and I want to say thank you for showing mercy and grace upon me.

"Who is God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy." Micah 7:18

Love Is...

"Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffering, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. Love never fails...but now faith, hope, and love, abide these three things; but the greatest of the three is love." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13

I have done several devotions on this verse and find that each time I read it, I find another application for the message. There have been times when friendships become hard, then I simply think, what does it mean to love a friend. To love a friend is the what 1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love is about. I have had to eat my humble pie several times.

Since Jason and I have been married for almost 2 years now, loving each other is easy. Living with each other and accepting the faults of the other is hard. But when I think of the love it takes to love me and accept me, I find that overlooking flaws becomes easier. Jason has been a wonderful man and have dealt with my heartache, hurt, and excitement right be side me. He has had to lead our marriage several times and then has walked beside me holding me hand. What a blessing from God he has been.

Love is four letters put together but it goes way beyond that. Love is beautiful, heart-felt, emotional, sacred, and easily misplaced. Love can be abused and often buried beneath jealousy, confusion, and frustration. But when we think of the LOVE it took for God to send HIS son to die for me, it is a concept that has to be taken with great humility. God has shown us what love means and takes as His children. We need to embrace the dedication from God and translate it to our daily lives.

Art in Life

"Made a wrong turn, once or twice. Dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions, that alright. Welcome to my silly life. Mistreated, Misplace, Misunderstood, Miss knowing it's all good, It didn't slow me down. Mistaken, always second guessing, Underestimated, look I'm still around. "

These are lyrics to Pink's song "Perfect". I am constantly amazed at how some individuals can possess this beautiful talent of art. Whether they take their art and paint, sculpt, or simply write lyrics that sum up your life....the talent is raw. Someone told me this week that the beauty of art is that it's based on the artist's ability to manipulate their thoughts into something that can translate differently by the viewer.

With that comment, I think about God's ability to create us. He took something so raw as dirt and created human life. He created us to be perfect, and we are in His eyes. We may look different and appear different to others, but to God, he loves us. He love us for our inner beauty, for the simplest components of our lives and the most complex. He took the sinner in me and created an individual that wants to rejoice for His amazing capabilities.

Art is not just lyrics or paint on a canvas. Art is what WE do with our lives. We can create a masterpiece with the talents that God has given us. I thank my parents daily for encouraging me to be me. If I grew up to be someone else that my true self, my artwork would not be so true. My dad taught me to be tough/strong/disciplined. My mother taught me to see beauty/embrace creativity/and settle for nothing less than my best. PRAISE GOD for parents who are willing to embrace who their children are. PRAISE GOD that he embraces who we are and forgives us for our sings.

National Women's History Month

March is considered a month out of the year to pay tribute to all of the women in the world who have fought for something they believed in, made a difference in how we think/act/do, and those who have contributed their life to making the world a better place. So in honor of all of the many women, I want to recognize those who I strongly appreciate. (I know that I will leave out some women who you may think are/is/was important, so please leave a comment explaining.) These women are in no particular order....

First: Alice Paul 1885-1977

Alice Paul fought for women's right to have a voice in the political arena. During President Woodrow Wilson's reign, women were not allowed to vote. Alice formed a group of women who later became known as the National Women's Party. The women developed peaceful marches to protest the unequal rights, had picket's in front of the White House--holding banners that spoke of women's suffrage and the need for women voters, and many were force-fed through feeding tubes when they went on a hunger strike in prison but continued to speak out about women's rights. Alice and the National Women's Party ultimately won the fight and now women in American have the right to vote based on the 19th Amendment that developed from Alice Paul's hopes and dreams.

Second: Eleanor Roosevelt 1884-1962

Eleanor Roosevelt stood by her husbands side through the Great Depression and WWII. She became a political activist speaking out about women's rights in the workforce. Eleanor was a humanitarian speaking out on the importance of education, realities of poverty, and women's role in society. Eleanor once stated, "A woman is like a tea bag- you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."

Third: Harriet Tubman 1822-1913

Many of you may know that slavery is a big part of the history of the United States. It was once a cultural norm until Abraham Lincoln came a long and changed history. Most individuals would be able to say that their ancestors were slaves in either the US or in other countries. One woman wanted to help free slaves. She help construct what was known as the Underground Railroad. Many slaves took this path, from house to house, hiding place to hiding place, until they reached some of the most northern states. Harriet Tubman was a woman with great compassion for human being....to her....I tip my hat.

Forth: Mother Theresa 1910-1977

Mother Theresa is the true definition of humanitarian. She put her faith in God and worked to better the world. Ministering to those who were poor, sickly, orphaned, and dying became her life work. Mother Theresa endured hardships and criticism but continued to show the world compassion.

Like I mentioned earlier....I have not covered all of the women. There are many more such as: Helen Keller, Jane Austen, Jane Addams, Marie Antoinette, Princess Diana, Rosa Parks, and many others. Who do you admire for their ambitions, dedications, and service to the world? This month, lets pay tribute to those who have gone before us to pave the way.

Overwhelmed? Give it to God!

The last several days have been extremely long for me (not to mention the fact that I have been fighting a lovely sinus cold). Its seems as though work makes for a long day when you work 8-5 and don't leave until 5:30pm at times. I give credit to those individuals who work 12 hours days....I don't see how you all do it!

My day yesterday was BUSY, get off work, go to the grocery, put groceries away, start working on the never ending homework that seems to just keep piling up on me. I looked at Jason and thought, "I'm overwhelmed. I don't know how I am going to be able to do all." Then Jason simply looked at me and said, "Just do one assignment at a time. Focus on what is do first and finish that assignment."

WOW! Makes sense right? More like common sense. I did just that. Before I knew it, I had completed one assignment and had a good start to another accomplished. Sometimes starting a paper can be a slow process, trying to think about what to write, how to structure the paper, etc. Shew...it is kind of overwhelming to think about it now. However, we get so busy in life that is is hard to stop and put our thoughts and days in perspectives. Have you ever been there? I sent my mom a text saying, "I'm stressed out today." Her response--"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts." That is all I need to do...eat my problems away. No, that is not the answer.

So what are we to do? What are we as Christians suppose to do when we are stressed about a big decision, stressed due to our work load, or stressed because everything seems to be going wrong that day. David tells us in Psalms 18:6, "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."

AMAZING right? All we need to do is pray to God about our stress or distress. Pray to God about our worries and asking him for guidance and clarity. There is a reason we go through trying times...God is working even in the darkest times. We have to pray to Him, rely on Him, and focus on Him. It is also important to focus on the here and now. Focus on one day, one assignment, or one moment. Cherish the moments you have with those around, you never know what might happen. But giving God our problems is the most important thing...having the relationship with Him is crucial. I hope that you all can find rest in your times of distress with God!

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!!!

Standing Up

So I was addressed the other day that my blogs have hurt some people's feelings. My intent is not to hurt people but to encourage them, to give them words that have been laid on my heart from God. If there has been a problem with a post, there is a comment section where you can simply leave a comment about that post.

Now that that is out of the way, the title of my post this time is relatively simple: Standing Up. Have you heard of the country song that says: "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything....Never compromise whats right and uphold your family name."? Aaron Tippin sung the song, as far as who composed it--I'm not sure.

There is a lot of truth to this song. I have learned that I have got to stand for something or else I will get walked all over by family, friends, and those who I simply meet for a small portion in life. If I hold value in life about faith and knowing the difference in what is right or wrong, then I need to stand up for those values. There have been times that this has happened. I have defended my family (all of them--some individuals may feel different about this) and friends to outsiders or those who simply want to cause an argument. Yet lately, I have not defended myself until recently.

Within the last month, certain emotions have been eating at me. I try to bury them deep within so that they hopefully won't surface. Being a therapist---I DO NOT encourage to avoid your emotions or feelings. Through burying my feelings and emotions God has shown me that being the doormat in life that everyone dumps their problems on is not always healthy. Because what happens when doormats get dusty and dirty, you have to shake them out. Unfortunately, I have fallen into this trap for most of my life.

I have talked with individuals about what has been laying heavy on my heart. And through this process God has opened my eyes. Sometimes as believers in Christianity we want God to fix our problems right here and now. That is not the case. We can be very impatience individuals. However, God does have a plan for us. His plan might be to go through difficult times so that we come out closer to Him. He might want us to lay our burdens down and give them over to Him. There are times though that we need to take actions of our burdens after laying them down. We cannot avoid dealing with them, God might show us how to though!

I feel like God is saying, enough is enough Hannah. You have to stand up for yourself and hold tight to your values. I can't let individuals push me around emotionally, letting them blame me for decisions that they have made or continue to bury my thoughts. My 5th grade picture looks horrible because I went to the hospital to see if I had ulcers. Thankfully I did not have an ulcer.

If you take anything away from this blog it should be: First, turn your worries and troubles to God, ask Him to help you sort out your emotions, Secondly, don't bury your feelings and emotions so deep that you avoid them---you have got to work through them. This might mean going to a close family/friend or a therapist to help sort things out. Lastly, God loves us all. He has sent HIS son to die for us....we need to love ourselves enough to STAND UP for what we believe in!!!! Sometimes we need an accountability partner to help us remain standing: mine are my husband and my best friend!

Being Stuck in the Middle

So it has been a while since I have made a blog. My apologizes to those who follow. I think that this topic, "Being Stuck in the Middle", has been a topic that I am now forced to deal with. So lets dive right into it:

Have you ever felt like you are stuck in the middle? Stuck between a hard place and a rock? Maybe you are struggling with right and wrong, deciding between the two. Or maybe you have been put in the middle of some type of drama, yet you don't know what to do. I have been in some of these situations. So what does God call us, as Christians, to do?

First and foremost, we are to give our troubles over to God. He is bigger than any problem that we are facing and He can handle the problem. For me, this is one of my biggest struggles. I have handed over my struggles/problems to God, but because I am not seeing immediate results, I feel that He is not taking care of them. Psalms 37:34 says, "Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it." . The Bible says in Isaiah 49:8 "This is what the LORD says: 'In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people...'".

Secondly, if your struggle/problem stems from a family decision. Remember that one of the Ten Commandments calls us to "Honor our father and mother". This too can be difficult, however, this is pleasing to God. As humans, we seek to please people and seek the reward from pleasing.

Thirdly, we need to pray. We are to be in constant prayer with God, our life should be a daily to God. David said in Psalms 18:6, "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." God hears and listens to our prayers. Pray for understanding, insight, or maybe you need patients. Pray for the people who are stuck in the middle with you. And pray for those who maybe have stuck you in the middle. They too might be facing some type of struggle and need your prayer as well. He is constantly right there beside us.

At times there are only 1 set of footprints in the sand. But as the poem goes, that is when he was carrying us. He lifts us up out of our trials and relieves us from temptations. So when you feel like the best thing to do is to lash out, remember, God has a bigger plan. When we don't understand the plan, like me right now, we need to patiently wait on God's timing. God's timing has and always will be the best.

This is my prayer and devotion for the day. This is my Letter to God. For those who are reading and need the prayer, let me know. Maybe you are stuck in the middle of something. That something can be family struggles, a decision, health problems, or simply confusion. But whatever you are facing and where ever you are, God is bigger than the problem. Please be in prayer for those you might know who are stuck in the middle. And I ask that you pray for me as well. Post a comment if you would like me to pray for you.

With lots of love in Christ!