I wrote this to a Sister in the Lord as she shared some health difficulties. I know that everything we go through has a purpose and when we come through it we are stronger than we were before.
James 1:2-8
"2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 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.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
It is not necessarily the healing we always pray for even though that is our first response. It is the strengthening of our character, wisdom and holiness that we seek.
I have had a lot of pain and a lot of surgeries over the years. It seems I become a little less agitated by it with each new thing. LOL!!!
When I am not having pain I rejoice because it feels so good.
Don't know what the next thing is, always hope there are no more.
I remember the days as a child when I fell off my bike or dropped a whole crate of berries I had picked while falling in the dirt. I actually laughed and cried at the same time. I did the same thing just recently when I slipped on some spilled gasoline while I was filling the lawn mower.
Then I found out I had cracked ribs and a small fracture in my foot. I felt silly to have had the accident. I have had two cesarean sections up and down, a hysterechtomy, tonsils removed as a child, gall bladder removed, mashed disk surgery on my neck, severe headaches that caused throwing up for three days, several of those, yep I am very familiar with pain.
I always cry out to God on those terrible headaches. I have asked for God to heal me or take me home. They are like labor pains in my head, only those who have had them can understand it.
Its alright to cry, its alright to tell the truth about our feelings, it gets everything out in the open to be dealt with, Job did it, it brought healing to him to express what was inside. But then we don't remain there, we move on to emotional healing through trusting in Christ as He goes through with us.
I bragged for years that I never had a broken bone, until last summer when I had those pratfalls. I guess God got tired of my bragging about that. I don't brag about anything anymore. LOL
God knows I have had a lot to learn!!!
Hallelujah!!!
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Humility is "Power Under Control"
All those things and people we fear, are not very scary when Christ lives in us. He is far more powerful than any one or anything.
Even if we are not bailed out of our difficult situations we can still live holy, joyful and free within ourselves.
All our trials do not come to harm us but to hone us into the person Christ wants us to be.
James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
Romans 12:12
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
James 1:2-7 "2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Follow the Link to hear more:
Even if we are not bailed out of our difficult situations we can still live holy, joyful and free within ourselves.
All our trials do not come to harm us but to hone us into the person Christ wants us to be.
James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
Romans 12:12
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
James 1:2-7 "2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Follow the Link to hear more:
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
He Holds Our Hand Always
I am so glad that the Lord does not let go of our hand just because we don't measure up yet, or because we fell when we felt weak. We are like little children, we forget to keep holding His hand, but He never forgets us!!!!!
Deuteronomy 31:8
"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
When a brother or sister messes up a little, the last thing they need if for the self righteous ones to come along and give them another kick in the gut.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
"9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."
There can only be this depth of companionship and care when there is no pride involved.
Hallelujah!!!
Deuteronomy 31:8
"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
When a brother or sister messes up a little, the last thing they need if for the self righteous ones to come along and give them another kick in the gut.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
"9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."
There can only be this depth of companionship and care when there is no pride involved.
Hallelujah!!!
"Narcissism: Second Timothy Three is Here" by Gwendolyn Wehage
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Barnesandnoble.com
Don't Fight with Devils Send Them to God to Handle
God said we do not fight against flesh and blood but devils and high places.
Ephesians 6:12
"12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
This is why we should not fight the human beings who are controlled by the devils. We fight the devils by passing them off to God to handle. When we encounter those who are controlled by devils we don't try to reason with them we simply remove ourselves and leave it to God.
Proverbs 26:4-5
"4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes."
We are not to answer a fool according to his folly. In other words we do not allow ourselves to be sucked into their foolish arguments when they try to side track them. The way to answer a fool in a way that he deserves is to not answer them at all. If we do, then it must be merely repeating our boundaries and truth without allowing them to take us down rabbit trails.
When we answer a fool according to their rabbit trails they are able to make us look foolish, even causing arguments.
An example of this might be when we are attempting to bring logic to something and they turn the conversation into "you said that in a mean way", when all we did was speak truth. Ignoring the comment that we said it in a mean way, we simply repeat what we said before and stand our ground. When we discover they are going to attempt the rabbit trail again, we simply calmly excuse ourselves and go to our happy place. LOL
Where is our happy place? Wherever the narcissist is not, that is our happy place.
Proverbs 27: 22 "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his folly will not depart from him."
Proverbs 23:9 "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words."
Proverbs 22:10 "10 Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease."
Ephesians 6:12
"12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
This is why we should not fight the human beings who are controlled by the devils. We fight the devils by passing them off to God to handle. When we encounter those who are controlled by devils we don't try to reason with them we simply remove ourselves and leave it to God.
Proverbs 26:4-5
"4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.
5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves,
That he not be wise in his own eyes."
We are not to answer a fool according to his folly. In other words we do not allow ourselves to be sucked into their foolish arguments when they try to side track them. The way to answer a fool in a way that he deserves is to not answer them at all. If we do, then it must be merely repeating our boundaries and truth without allowing them to take us down rabbit trails.
When we answer a fool according to their rabbit trails they are able to make us look foolish, even causing arguments.
An example of this might be when we are attempting to bring logic to something and they turn the conversation into "you said that in a mean way", when all we did was speak truth. Ignoring the comment that we said it in a mean way, we simply repeat what we said before and stand our ground. When we discover they are going to attempt the rabbit trail again, we simply calmly excuse ourselves and go to our happy place. LOL
Where is our happy place? Wherever the narcissist is not, that is our happy place.
Proverbs 27: 22 "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his folly will not depart from him."
Proverbs 23:9 "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words."
Proverbs 22:10 "10 Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart; even quarreling and insults will cease."
Monday, March 4, 2019
Do You Miss the Narcissist?
If you find yourselves missing the narcissist after a discard. Not to worry.
Perhaps somewhere we can buy a little wind up box that says things like:
"You are stupid."
"Why did you buy that it makes you look fat."
" No one listens to you"
"You don't need to do that, no one will like it"
"You always......anything"
"You never......anything."
"Your too sensitive"
"Your a big baby"
"You seem angry" When you were not angry but they were.
"No one likes you"
Then there is the disapproving grunt, only grunting sounds made whenever we speak truth or are enjoying something.
This way we never have to miss the narcissist, their phrases can be with us always even when they are not there.
Perhaps somewhere we can buy a little wind up box that says things like:
"You are stupid."
"Why did you buy that it makes you look fat."
" No one listens to you"
"You don't need to do that, no one will like it"
"You always......anything"
"You never......anything."
"Your too sensitive"
"Your a big baby"
"You seem angry" When you were not angry but they were.
"No one likes you"
Then there is the disapproving grunt, only grunting sounds made whenever we speak truth or are enjoying something.
This way we never have to miss the narcissist, their phrases can be with us always even when they are not there.
Are There Wrinkles Around Your Eyes?
Remember that a real smile engages the whole face. The eyes light up, there are wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. A fake smile is only around the mouth, the eyes remain unaffected, the face is not engaged with a happy emotion.
There were times in my many interactions with people that I noticed something was off when someone smiled. I couldn't figure out why I was suspect, after all they were smiling.
Our bodies give us away even if we are not aware of it. Genuine smiles involve the entire face and wrinkles around the eyes. A phony smile is only around the mouth itself.
I am convinced that whatever is inside of us, the real us, will reveal itself in our bodies without us even realizing it.
The joy of the Lord can be seen in someone even if they don't know they are presenting a joyous spirit. Their mannerisms exude a demeanor of confidence and joy that if often absent in those who do not know the Lord.
We cannot manufacture in our own flesh joy or happiness.
Strong believers have joy all the time, even in the middle of very difficult times. This is the greatest witness of all to the unbeliever. The ability to remain calm, steady and patient in the face of great trial. It is not wealth, health or miracles that we influence people for Christ, its in our steady life confidence in the face of everything.
Accomplishments do not move the wise person toward pride. These people remain humble all the time. When Christ is the focus, all accomplishment is not ours but His, He gets the credit for our lives, there is no reason to feel superior or proud.
Strong believers feel no need to pretend good things about themselves or their families. Their greatest strength is in truthfully facing things head on while praying for solutions.
Those who do not admit there are problems will never pray for solutions. These people are content to pretend things that are not true as long as they can get others to see their life as perfect and wonderful. Genuine people are able to tell the truth without feeling shame that they or others around them are not perfect.
The people I have known that have grown the most spiritually and emotionally have been those who are genuine, honest and forthright. These people learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others.
It is not important what others think of us, only what God thinks. It is not important that we see ourselves as special or perfect, only that we see our selves in truth. It is the truth that sets us free. Pretense only leave us in bondage. The pretense must be continually presented to feel whole. When we see things in truth and speak truth then is when we grow to be better. The pressure to be seen as wonderful is not there to bind us up.
AND, guess what? We all need to be better, there is no one who has arrived at perfection and no one who becomes holier by pretending they are perfect. Those who pretend never self reflect and they never grow.
Want to grow? Admit the flaws and learn from them to gain spiritual maturity.
Proverbs 21:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. 2 The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.…"
There were times in my many interactions with people that I noticed something was off when someone smiled. I couldn't figure out why I was suspect, after all they were smiling.
Our bodies give us away even if we are not aware of it. Genuine smiles involve the entire face and wrinkles around the eyes. A phony smile is only around the mouth itself.
I am convinced that whatever is inside of us, the real us, will reveal itself in our bodies without us even realizing it.
The joy of the Lord can be seen in someone even if they don't know they are presenting a joyous spirit. Their mannerisms exude a demeanor of confidence and joy that if often absent in those who do not know the Lord.
We cannot manufacture in our own flesh joy or happiness.
Strong believers have joy all the time, even in the middle of very difficult times. This is the greatest witness of all to the unbeliever. The ability to remain calm, steady and patient in the face of great trial. It is not wealth, health or miracles that we influence people for Christ, its in our steady life confidence in the face of everything.
Accomplishments do not move the wise person toward pride. These people remain humble all the time. When Christ is the focus, all accomplishment is not ours but His, He gets the credit for our lives, there is no reason to feel superior or proud.
Strong believers feel no need to pretend good things about themselves or their families. Their greatest strength is in truthfully facing things head on while praying for solutions.
Those who do not admit there are problems will never pray for solutions. These people are content to pretend things that are not true as long as they can get others to see their life as perfect and wonderful. Genuine people are able to tell the truth without feeling shame that they or others around them are not perfect.
The people I have known that have grown the most spiritually and emotionally have been those who are genuine, honest and forthright. These people learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others.
It is not important what others think of us, only what God thinks. It is not important that we see ourselves as special or perfect, only that we see our selves in truth. It is the truth that sets us free. Pretense only leave us in bondage. The pretense must be continually presented to feel whole. When we see things in truth and speak truth then is when we grow to be better. The pressure to be seen as wonderful is not there to bind us up.
AND, guess what? We all need to be better, there is no one who has arrived at perfection and no one who becomes holier by pretending they are perfect. Those who pretend never self reflect and they never grow.
Want to grow? Admit the flaws and learn from them to gain spiritual maturity.
Proverbs 21:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. 2 The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.…"
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