Feb 18, 2015 |
Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) reads
“Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.”
I’ve always believed, because God is outside of space and time, that He has already heard the prayers the future me will pray.
For quite a few months last year, I struggled with morning anxiety. Waking up was painful as I was faced with so many unknowns: the deteriorating health of loved ones, incomplete projects, financial instability, family schedules . . . the list goes on and on.
I was unable to really write or even blog. I struggled with what to share and who to share it with.
I continued to pray in moans that only the Holy Spirit could interpret for me, knowing that God had a plan and even though I may not see it, it is good.
My Life Verse ~ Jeremiah 29:11
In retrospect, I can see how everything happens for a reason. In retrospect, I understand that I was getting in my own way.
I found this reminder note in my desk drawer at work and posted it to my private Facebook page, but I want to share it here, too, because, well, quite frankly, it needs to be shared.
December 8, 2014
On the morning of December 8th, 2014…
When I was waking every morning with anxiety
When I had writers block
Before Rick finally went to his heavenly home
Before Alex asked for my blessing to marry Hannah
Before I was blessed with finances for TWO important writers conferences
Before I started grocery shopping for one
Before I had health insurance
Before I picked up a paying client for media/marketing
Before our lives were shaken, stirred, pressed but not crushed, running over …
Before all these great and glorious moments, on the morning of December 8, 2014, I had a Heavenly dream. God put His calming hand on my shoulder and spoke to my soul and said, “It’s going to be all right. I hear you, and I’m already working on it.”
I am reminded every moment that God is a personal God, that He cares about every part of my being, that He is making me whole.
He cares about you, too. He’s already heard your prayers. And He’s already working on it.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
But I’m not good enough to attend a Christian writers conference . . .
2015: HOPE
It’s Complicated, Part Two: Christianity
More or Less: 29 Words
“As Long As You Love Me”
Aug 14, 2013 |
Last week, a friend sent me a wonderful email.
She’s been reading my Housing Project posts and came upon this story that she said reminded her of me. I’d read versions of this before, but none quite as detailed.
A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun-up to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might! Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind. (He will do it every time!) “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good enough.”
That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.”
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him.
By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God Who moves the mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong………………Just P.U.S.H.
When the job gets you down………………Just P.U.S.H.
When people don’t do as you think they should…………Just P.U.S.H.
When your money is “gone” and the bills are due…………..Just P.U.S.H.
When people just don’t understand you……….Just P.U.S.H.
P = Pray U = Until S = Something H = Happens
Her timing is absolutely perfect. As much as I am a faith-based person, I’m also a person. I fail. A lot. I stumble, I cry, and very often want to give up or give in.
Now and then, I forget to P.U.S.H. Now and then, I’m lost at sea without the means to row myself back in. And now and then, I do feel like I’m drowning.
When will my writings help pay the bills? How can I justify buying this when we also need that? How can I authentically be there for my friends when I need someone else to be here for me? How do I keep on keeping on?
Mary’s email reminded me to do just that. And it came at just the right time. As often as I remind people of God’s love and His providence, sometimes they’re the ones that remind me.
So often I tell people, “I’m waiting for the rest of the world to realize how great a writer I am.” It’s not meant to be arrogant. But I know ~ absolutely know to the core of my being ~ that this is what I’m supposed to do with my life. It’s just not paying the bills. Yet.
But that’s not my job right now. My job right now is to write. And write well. My job right now is to put forth the effort and attempts to be a better writer.
My job right now is also to put forth the effort and attempts to be a better friend. To be there for people always, not just through the hard times.
A friend called me last night to see how I’m doing. He called because I didn’t answer his text last week. He called because he was concerned. And I love him for that. I hadn’t talked to him for a few months. But there he was, ready to help. And he did, just by calling.
I didn’t prattle of my list of worries to him. We’re more than just fair weather friends, he and I. And he gets it. We don’t talk. But when we do, it’s real. I could go years without hearing from him, and know he’s still there for me.
God is like that, too. He can feel distant, be a tad forgotten. But He’s always there for me. I can ignore Him as I keep myself too busy. I can set Him aside as I struggle to accomplish what I think are my goals. But my plans aren’t always His plans. And He is always there, whether I turn to Him or not.
At a moment when I was tired of spinning the wheel, Mary’s email reminded me of that.
My job right now is to keep the Faith. In whatever form that takes. I may not move mountains on my own. But I can start. I can keep writing. I can keep calling. I can keep reaching out to my world. In whatever form that takes. And I can keep praying.
Pray as if it all depends on God.
Work as if it all depends on you.
Mary’s email came at just the right time.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 8, 2013 |
Usually I like to write longer, thought-out posts. But tonight, there’s just a few little things that I want to share, so I thought I’d put them together in a short nonsensical collection of what my day has been.
Yesterday’s blog post My Housing Project: A New Leaf was very well received, and I thank each and every one of you who liked, linked, clicked, commented, Pinned, tweeted and otherwise shared. It’s my most popular post since Winco shared Too Hot to Cook (June’s Meal Plan) two months ago.
I woke up early this morning to make sure it posted and that I had time to spread the word to Shell’s link up and other social media sites. As I was hummingly “working”, there was a Bible verse in the back of my mind. In that confirming, most overwhelmingly see-look-I-know-you way that God has, I later checked my emails and discovered this was today’s Bible verse as shared by Air1, the Christian radio station I listen to and receive daily emails from.
Philippians 4:6
What a beautiful confirmation that my Blog post was perfectly timed. I have God-bumps just recalling how He orchestrated this message to be heard and affirmed.
[By the way, if you missed today’s other blog post, my eBook, A Study on the Ten Commandments, is free for Kindle download today and tomorrow.]
After work, Dot and I decided to go to the Dollar Movies. We now have a new favorite Worst Movie Ever. It was so bad, it was fantastic. And we thought nothing could be worse than Avatar. And for four years, nothing was. Until now. It was a huge disappointment because we’ve been so enamored with both the actor and the director for years. But there’s just some things not worth the hype.
When we came home, I immediately went to water the shrubs. I was greeted by this little fellow, whom I affectionately now call Fred.
Fred the Lizard
After a few attempts, he let me hold him and Dot got this great photo of us:
A Lizard in the Hand
Do me a favor? This is already one of my more popular photos on Instagram, and I’d love to see my phone explode with notifications and bump it up. Would you care to help me out? If you have an Instagram account, just click here to “like” my photo. Thanks!
I haven’t done my monthly newsletter or a Meal Plan for August yet. The meal plan delay is because rather than grocery shopping, we’re saving our pennies and clearing out the freezer and pantry. I haven’t bought fast food in two weeks. Although tomorrow is pay day so I’m betting there’s a Starbucks in my very near future. That excites me because it’s also almost time for my fall favorite, Pumpkin Spice Latte. Last year, Dot introduced me to the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. And Instagram. And photo filters. This was my first filtered photo (say that five times fast!).
Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Creme Frappuccino
I’m already in holiday mode. I’ve been in conversations with a few sponsors to see what goodies I might be able to offer for this year’s blog giveaways. I’m pretty much driving Dot and Obadiah (my coworker) a tad crazy with the holiday chatter.
But you appreciate my efforts, don’t you?
At least, once some delicious new recipes get posted, I’m sure you will.
Speaking of recipes, here’s a special shout-out to Kat and her blog, Kat eats. She found my Potato Chip Casserole recipe via Pinterest and shared the recipe, and my blog link, on her Blog post. Check out her delicious recipe photos and how she changed it up by clicking here. The Potato Chip Casserole pin is pretty popular lately, but Kat is the first to give me original credit, so Awesome Sauce to her! Thanks for keeping it authentic, Kat, and as I often like to say, happy eating!
The weather has been cooling down and it’s barely 90 degrees during the day, which means I haven’t turned the air on for 36 hours. Sleeping with a nice breeze and cooling temperatures have made the cats all snuggly, of course. And sleepy. I posted this adorable video of our furfamily on Vine last week.
Do you Vine? I’m getting the hang of video making, but I’m still a newbie. So if you have any tips, follow me on Vine and Instagram and let me know!
And now we’ve come to the end of this post. Because I just emptied a can of Raid on the fireplace wall in pursuit of a fast-moving spider that I finally squished with the Teddy Bear Stool. Seriously. Where’s Team One when you need them?!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 7, 2013 |
A Study on the Ten Commandments
A few months ago, I proudly yet humbly debuted A STUDY ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS as my first eBook. It’s available for Kindle download through Amazon (click here) for only $2.99.
This past week, regardless of topic, my posts have each held the elements of Faith and Prayer.
I have been abundantly blessed by God and those He’s placed around me.
It’s with joy and honor that I’m paying it forward and offering A STUDY ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS for free on August 8th and 9th.
Just click on the photo above to be taken to the Amazon page where you can download your own copy direct to your Kindle.
Please spread the word and share this with your people. If you already have a copy, please leave a review on the Amazon Product page. If you don’t yet have a copy, now’s a great time to download it.
I pray that He will continue to bless you abundantly.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
The Penny Parable – Part I
The Penny Parable – Part II
What I Learned on Women’s Retreat (The Big Whammy!)
More or Less: 29 Words
Aug 6, 2013 |
The Penny Parable
Just over a month ago, I posted The Penny Parable – Part I. To be honest, I was nervous. This is a Parable that is so very near, dear and personal to me. I’ve told it a hundred times to anyone who would listen, but I wasn’t sure I could do justice writing it out for the Blog. God has a remarkable way of using people to reach others, and I have been blessed with wonderful stories of how this Parable has helped others see the Little Things that God is blessing them with.
A few months ago, I was asked to speak at my friend Patty’s ministry group. She was very instrumental in helping me raise my goal for printing The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition. Her daughter, Genny, is the mastermind behind Apron Armor: a ministry for moms. I immediately knew I would present the story behind the Cookbook, and share the Penny Parable. As I knew it.
But was it enough? Could God speak through me enough to push me to the back so that others would see and hear only Him and not me or my Cookbook? Yes. Yes. YES!
As I prayed in preparation of the meeting, the week that led up to it was filled with pennies. And from that week was bourne The Penny Parable – Part II.
Tarnished
I keep a handful of pennies in a small tin in my desk at work. When I’m having a particularly difficult day, when the world doesn’t seem nice or pleasant or peaceful, when stress is nearly overwhelming, I pull a penny out and keep it on my desktop.
On those terrible, difficult days, I hold it. Right there between my forefinger and thumb is a tangible, gentle reminder that God sees everything. He knows everything. And even if things don’t go the way I want, even when my people are hurting and I’m helpless for them, even when I want to turn my back on God because His blessings seem to be invisible to the world at large… holding that penny grounds me. That penny tells me He knows I’m here. And it let’s me know He is, too.
Although fully conscious of the penny in my hand and what it stood for, why I kept it, I was unaware of another message God was calling into my heart. While I was dealing with a particularly difficult work situation, I found myself rubbing the penny. Soon enough, the situation was resolved. And I was left with a bit of dirt on my hand that had rubbed off from the penny. I washed my hands and returned to my desk to realize the penny was now shiny. Almost new.
John 10:28-29 tells us that not only does Jesus have us safely in His grip, but our Father (Abba-Daddy) God is also holding us. That’s a double dose of spiritual strength right there!
Imagine how valuable we, as invaluable as a single penny, must truly be if both the Father and the Son are holding us so very tightly.
Now, imagine the care and concern God must have for us as He rubs off the dirt and grime, taking it unto Himself and away from us. The Bible is full of passages of the Lord cleansing us from ourselves and the world around us. Our failings, our sins, our humanness is removed and, by His rubbing, we are brought back to the Glory He created us to be. Once the world’s deposits are removed from us, we can shine! We are made new!
Sometimes it’s a gentle, affection touch to let us know He’s there. Sometimes it’s a harder scrubbing, a lesson learned and a discipline deserved. But always, always, always it is with the Love of a Savior!
There may be scars He can’t remove. Nicks and spots that will remain with you, a part of your very being. That doesn’t alter your contribution to His pocket or His penny jar.
My Penny Jar
He will continue to collect you. He will continue to spiff you up and take the damages upon Himself. He will add you to His collection, and show you, You Are Not Alone.
We’re all part of something bigger. You are a foundational contribution to God’s household. Whether you believe it or not. When you think your worth is nonexistent. When you wonder what it’s all about. Without your penny, He’s short of a dollar. Without your shine, the world is dull. Without your scars, there are no lessons to learn. And without you to hold, His hands are empty.
You. Are. Important.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
The Penny Parable – Part I
My Housing Project: Back to the Beginning
Dear God, I Owe You An Apology (Quit Helping Me!)
