God Smiled Upon Me!

This weekend I get the pleasure of spending time with some of the best friends a girl could ask for. I am so very blessed to have them in my life. God smiled upon me when he gave me friends such as these. 🙂

Day 42 of 365

The Golden Rule, Have You Mastered It?

Today something happened that just didn’t set well with me. I was supposed to meet someone and I didn’t see them for two hours after the meeting time. She’s a young, fly by the seat of your pants kind of gal which is fun… most of the time. Instead of getting mad or taking my frustrations out on my friend, it made me take inventory on my own actions.

• Do I let people down by my actions?
• Do I do what I say I’m going to do?
• Are people often disappointed by me because I’m too busy worrying about my own self to notice their wants or needs?
• When I am with someone do I give them my undivided attention or do I only talk about me and what I want?
• Do I treat others with kindness, love and respect regardless if they’ve earned it or not?

It is appropriate to think about your day and take from it any lessons that are there waiting to be learned. We need to learn from our mistakes and not be a repeat offender.  I realize I am not perfect, therefore it’s important for me to glean lessons from all of life’s situations and apply them to my own life.

What it really comes down to is this.

The golden rule, Have you mastered it?

Day 41 of 365

Dealing With Difficult People (God’s Way)

We all have people in our lives that are difficult, annoying or just down right rude. How do you handle these people? I read an article that I really enjoyed. As a Christian I am called to love, and that means love even the ones that rub me the wrong way. Here is a paragraph from the article “Dealing with difficult people (God’s way)” at http://www.mtlmagazine.com/mtlmagazine/departments/articles.php?cat=my_relationships&id=9

“As difficult as it was for me to hear, Scripture is clear. As Christians, in light of all we have received in Christ, we are bound to a different standard when it comes to relating with unpleasant people. The world may say, “He hurt you, so hurt him back.” But God’s Word says that we are to “destroy them” with love. In my case, this meant that although I wanted to use my verbal skills to defend myself and prove him wrong, I was instead called to consider diligently the truth in his accusations and respond in humility and love. I also looked for ways to encourage him through emails and calls, even though my preference would have been to avoid him. God’s grace enabled me to speak carefully of him to others, even though in my pride I would have wanted to slander him and bring disrespect on him.”

Please follow the link above to read the full article, you won’t regret it. 😉

It’s through love that they see Jesus with-in. Do they see Jesus in you?

Day 40 of 365

Hope Starts Here

Lately my eyes and heart have been opened to those less fortunate.

Homeless, hungry and hopeless.

My heart cries out for these individuals to know the hope that Christ can give. To take them under my wing and make everything okay. If I could just stop the hurting, even if it’s just for a little bit.

To make a difference.

Every month I put together my church’s newsletter, I was approached by the board asking if I could write-up a little article about Project Rescue. When I got to looking at the pamphlet it was no different, it too tugged on my heartstrings.

Project Rescue is a ministry with a goal to rescue women and children who have been sold into human sex trafficking. Restore them to health physically, mentally and spiritually by taking them in and nurturing them. Loving them with the love of Christ, making hope come alive in their hearts once again.

Everyday Women and children are sold into sex slavery. Valued only for the price she can bring in the red-light district. Sold into prostitution and used only for selfish acts and then thrown away until the next person comes along to take yet another little piece of her identity. Suffering everyday through abuse and exploitation. There is no safe place. No place for hope.

That’s where Project Rescue steps in. They rescue these women and children, taking them to a safe long-term shelter where their journey to restoration can begin. Project rescue provides:

• Night care shelters (child care during their mother’s working hours in the brothels)
• Aftercare safe homes
• HIV clinic
• Red-light district church
• Red light district sunday schools
• Vocational training programs
• Awareness & prevention programs.

Project Rescue is currently ministering through affiliated sites in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Moldova with the goal to expand their ministries even further.

There are so many hurting people out there that need our help. My church will be taking up a special offering for Project Rescue on March 18th. If you don’t attend my church and would like to read more information and help in some way here is their website. http://www.projectrescue.com/

Besides being sold into prostitution there are many other types of human trafficking all over the world.

People being sold into modern-day slavery, held in conditions of slavery in a variety of jobs. Men, women and children are engaged in agricultural and construction work, domestic servitude and other labour-intensive jobs.

Trafficking Organs, In many countries the waiting list for transplants are very long. Criminals have taken this opportunity to exploit the desperation of patients and potential donors. These procedures are often done undercover with no medical follow-up, putting their very lives in danger.

Commercial Sexual exploitation of children in tourism, The phenomenon is promoted by the growth of inexpensive air travel and the relatively low risk of prohibition and prosecution in these destinations for engaging in sexual relations with minors.

Please pray that human trafficking will be stopped.

Pray about what and how you can help.

 

 

 

 

Day 35 of 365

I’m good at being me.

Someone posted this on facebook tonight and I love it. It is so me! I have never been one to pretend to be someone who I’m not.

“I am what I am and there ain’t no more”

“What you see is what you get”

“If you can’t see my worth, then you are not “the one”

I truly am proud of who I am today and I’m proud of who I will become.

Day 28 of 365

I Need Love

We all have a longing deep inside. The longing to be loved unconditionally, knowing that no matter what we do or say that love will never disappear. People search their whole life through for this love. unfortunately spouses, friends and family let us down in some aspect or other. Human interaction isn’t perfect and never will be. Due to the fact that we are human and no matter how hard we try we fail sometimes.

Growing up in church I often would hear that Jesus fills that need. Even though I’m a Christian this is a hard concept for me. I love Jesus with all of my heart, I believe in him with all of my being. However I struggle with this. I’m 38 and single, I get lonely. I tell myself I shouldn’t feel this way, I have Jesus. He is all I need. I am confident and comfortable in my singleness most of the time but there is still a little bit of that woe is me syndrome hanging on tight to bum me out once in a while.

Why is that?

Do I put the desire for marriage ahead of God? I don’t think so… I try hard not to.

Do I spend enough time with Jesus so he has a chance to fill that void in my life? Uh…. well… maybe… possibly that could be it.

It’s so easy to get busy and out of the habit of spending time in prayer and devotion daily. Taking the time to open my heart and mind to take him in. To receive all he has for me.

Including the unconditional love we all desire.

                                                                                                   Day 12 of 365

Day 7: Do They See Jesus In Me?

Today I heard something that made me stop in my tracks, crawl up on my rocking horse and take off. Some of it verbal but most of it silently to myself.

I really do not like when I hear that someone who claims the title “Christian” not only thinks of themselves above others but makes it obvious to them and everyone around that they are not worthy to be in their presence. To treat someone with complete disrespect just because they are of a different class, different race, have different beliefs or a different lifestyle is NOT OK!

What happened to …

“Love them like Jesus”

“Preach the gospel when necessary use words”

“…with humility think of others as being better than yourselves.”  (Philippians 2:3)

As a Christian the goal should be to live according to the bible and to share the Gospel. Tell me how it possible to meet someone and immediately tell them whats wrong with them, throw scripture at them or just plain treat them with disdain and expect them to jump on the God wagon of Love?

Jesus would never treat someone in such a way, why is it that some of us think we have the right to be so rude?

To love like Jesus is to treat someone with respect, accept them for who they are and let them know they are important.

So what if they are a sinner, so are you AND so am I!!!!

People who know me are aware that I’m a Christian. I do not hide the fact that I go to church and that I believe in God. I know they watch me. I know they watch me to see what I do when I get mad, when I get hurt or when I’m having a bad day. In my experience living my life the best way I know how and by giving everyone I come into contact with the attention and respect they deserve has been effective in spreading the gospel. How do I know? Because eventually they come to me and ask me to pray for so-n-so or they ask me a question about the bible. They come to me with problems and ask me my opinion, wondering how I would handle it or what God would think.

It’s simple.

Love & Respect opens the doors when people are ready to walk through them. Crashing through the door and trying to drag them to the light is a waste of everyone’s time and energy.

My prayer is that people who know me and even people whom I’ve just met will see Jesus in me, in my words and by my actions.

 

 

 

 

Handle With Care

I have been thinking about relationships lately. All kinds of relationships marriage, dating, parent/child, friendship. They all need to be handled with care.

Do we show respect to complete strangers and treat the ones we love with lack there of?

Do we go beyond loving them by actually showing them love?

Relationships need to be worked on, nurtured, cultivated to grow and to be healthy.

Say “I love you” to those who need to hear it. Encourage them to expand their wings and reach for the their dreams. You don’t have to understand or agree, just love and support them.

Did they do a good job? Give them a hug, a pat on the back. Anything to show them that you are there and are proud.

Are they upset about something that you don’t understand or seems like nothing to you? Listen to them and support them with gentle words anyway.

Did they make you supper, Did they take the garbage out? Simple everyday things still deserve a thank you.

A gentle touch, a soft word, a smile in the midst of the storm. Love with all you have, don’t hold back.

http://safe.unc.edu/get-info/healthy-relationships/

We all deserve and need healthy relationships,

wouldn’t you agree?

In a Flash

This morning as I got ready for work I was listening to the news, what I heard made me think. They reported about two young people who died in a car accident. They were driving in the winter weather, slid, and got hit by a semi. Just like that they were taken from their families. The families they said “see ya later!” to. Never knowing that they wouldn’t.
With more winter weather coming our way on top of the normal everyday possibilities of tragedy I realize that could be anyone. I go through the list of people I know and love, making a mental note to cherish and appreciate each and everyone. Reminding myself to make an effort to spend time with those I can and touch base with the others. Telling them all that I love them and am glad they are a part of my life.