People, Links In Our Lives

     When I was young I believed I stood alone, or at least that my actions had no effect on anyone except me. I've lived long enough now to know that is not true. 

     In my life I have been a daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, wife, mother, neighbor, co-worker, friend and that's just the ones I can think of quickly. All of those titles are given when you are in a relationship to someone else and by thinking a little about it we can know that when we're in a relationship we do have an effect on others! The definition of "Relationship" is: the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

     My thoughts in this are are brought on by my mother's health. My mother is 89 and has been under Hospice care for awhile now. She is not currently doing well and it has a large effect on me. I am connected to her...

     I know in our world we see only in the physical, so we don't see what all there is beyond the physical, but there is a lot more to life than just the seen. 

     Just today I am aware of a connection between people that makes us all a link in a chain. We are simply one link...we cannot ignore the connection to others without leaving part of our life lacking.

     Some of the links we are born with and some we add as we go through life...some are strong and some are weak...but a link I have to my mother is one that has been in place since before my birth, it has been a loving, caring relationship between two people, can you imagine the strength of that part of the chain in my life? Take time to think of yourself in a chain and the links you have made. Are you a strong link for others or a weak link? Have you appreciated the strength of the connection they have with you? If that link was gone...how much weaker is your chain?

     I am writing this to encourage each person to value and treat with love and respect the people that have been linked to us. Life is short and in the end the people that we have touched will be what is of value. Do you touch with love and respect?   

     

Are You A Slave?

     Do you feel like a slave? Most people are in a position that they work daily for the food they eat and to keep a roof over their heads. That's a subject that deserves attention on it's own but for now I want to share a verse that speaks to our attitude in this situation.
     We are not actually slaves even though at times it feels like we are. We choose where we live, how we spend our money and who we associate with, those are not options for true slaves.
     There actually is still slavery in the world we currently live in. It's title is "Human Trafficking" and this is something that as a follower of Christ you should want to learn about and pray against.
     So even though you may think of your job as slavery it is not, you have choices and it is your choice. With that said, even if you just feel like a slave, God has given direction for you in that position~
     Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
     With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men/ knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. Ephesians 6:5-8

lkcm

Random Observations About Society and Women

These are a few random observations about our society.
     Men always say women are "crazy", but they are allowing them to raise their children!
     In our entertainment world women are becoming the heroes in place of most men. In books, movies, games, television shows always show women as superior to men.
     We have lowered standards of military, police and fire departments so that women are able to compete with men. Face it, men are mostly stronger than women! Except the ones that women have turned into cats~  =)
     Our government and public opinion hold women as poor and defenseless and in need of protection at the same time as holding them up as heroes. Women are not saints and often are the creators of their own disasters.
     Our government has created laws that are biased towards women and actually interfere with men who try to be involved in the lives of their children.
     There are actually stories of fathers being punished for spanking their children for bad behaviour.
     Women, without husbands, are rewarded by the government and welfare systems for having babies.
     Women are taught that being a stay at home mother is not "enough", they also need a job to be fulfilled and not controlled by society.
     I have lived in a time when women stayed at home and took care of their families, they were homemakers and now I live in a time where women are pushed to have jobs outside of their homes and I believe the homemakers were happier women than the women of today that are working a job and still having to go home and take care of everything else.
     On any given television program, news, documentaries, etc it is rare to find a white, straight man. Although they are a majority in our nation, they are being removed from our collective vision.

Cats Raising Dogs

     Recently I have had an article "percolating" that I was not excited to write. It's a subject that is not going to be currently popular, in other words not "politically correct".
     In our society in 2016 there are groups of people that are allowed to say and do whatever they want unquestioned, but because it is my nature, I question almost everything, even the people that are supposed to be "unquestioned"! In this case the group of people is "women".
     I really hope I can keep this contained and I pray the Holy Spirit will share wisdom and not let this be written in my "opinion". I'll start with the true story that I heard that is the seed of this article.
     My son and daughter-in-law adopted a lost puppy after they had tried to find it's owner and were unable to find anyone that claimed the little orphan.
     The little orphan now lives in a house with it's new owners and 2 adult cats and actually after 6 months or so is no longer very little! In visiting with my son and daughter-in-law they told us the puppy is starting to adopt cat habits. It rubs along against their legs and in laying down it pulls it's legs up underneath himself. I don't believe it purrs yet!
     In the rest of the nation, outside of the home of the dog who thinks he's a cat, we're seeing women who are raising their sons without teaching them to be men. Much like cats raising a dog!
     This is where we get to the "Politically Incorrect" part. If a dog that grows up around cats doesn't know how to act like a dog, then how much more so a young man that grows up raised by women!
     Men and women are different, no matter how much we try to pretend that they are the same. Society needs the diversity of letting the men be who they were designed to be, not a hairier version of women!
     Women by nature are the nurturers of the home and men are the protectors and providers, in raising sons to be more sensitive and nurturing then we are creating a lopsided society (we can also add that by teaching our daughters that they are no different than men then we are setting them up for failure and a life of unfulfillment).
     I do not have the magic vitamin to make everything right, this has taken years to get to this point, as many years as women's lib has been in operation. It is an observation that was put on my heart to share and to bring some attention to that we are trying to change the fabric of society by letting our future generation of men be   shaped by women.
     I do believe that God is calling men out, it is time for the men to rise up and protect, to be the covering for families and even the nation as they were called to be. Even if society believes their is no difference, that does not let men off of the hook where God holds them accountable for what they allow to happen.
   

Words, Life or Death?

Recently on a social media site I shared a quote from the site of an author that I enjoy reading. The quote, paraphrased, was about our prayers, if we knew how much good our prayers did, we would spend more time on our knees lifting each other up.

     This morning I believe the Holy Spirit is having me look at the other side of that particular coin. If we knew how much we hurt other people by the negative things we say to them and about them then maybe we would quit hurting each other?

     I grew up hearing an old phrase, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". I'm saying now that just isn't true. 

     In our world today there are young people bullying each other on social platforms that are driving young people to suicide. If words can't hurt then what is the explanation? 

     If words don't hurt, then why did God tell us so many times to guard our words? Tame our tongue, death and life are in the power of the tongue, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, rash words are like sword thrusts, if you do not bridle your tongue your religion is worthless, perverseness in the tongue breaks the spirit, bless and do not curse, the tongue is set on fire by hell....so, is that enough?

     I have lived with scoliosis and I have wondered if it was brought about by words, words that prevented my growth from being strong and straight. 

     This is not to say that every person that has scoliosis has it for the same reason, but it is something that I have wondered about for myself for years. 

     I was brought up to be tough so I could stand in a tough world. This teaching was done in love and for my own good, but while some may respond to this teaching by growing strong and tough, I bent, I was not designed to be strong and tough, I was designed to be tender and loving. This is a different subject than I really want to pursue now, but it is an example of the effect words can have on a young person as I was told over and over to not wear my feelings on my sleeves and to toughen up. 

     The purpose of this article is to say that while words can bring life or death, we throw them around like they have no effect. According to scripture the idea that they have no effect simply is not true. Our words do impact others and ourselves too. God did not give us mouths and words to hurt each other but to build each other up, to love each other, to encourage and teach.

     Even when we speak words privately we are discharging them into the atmosphere and as God's word does not return void, our words are not sent out without repercussions also. There is a scripture that says we will be held accountable for every careless word we speak(Matt 12:36)....do you want to stand in front of God and explain why you sat in your living room and said something unloving about your neighbor, your friend, your family member, your co-worker, your political leader, someone in your town, in your country, someone you know, someone you don't even know?

     Yes, God's word tells us we are forgiven when we are under Jesus' blood, but it also says we will stand and give account. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that will be? Me either, His word advises to bridle our tongues and I challenge you to join me in eliminating the negative things from our conversations that do not need to be there. Let's switch gears to thinking on whatever things are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute. Let's speak words of excellence and praise. (Philippians 4:8) And go back to the good advice of mothers of days gone by...if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!

No More Theft!

     I want to share something that I need to implement in my life and I thought others may gain by it also. At first I thought this might be for women but then I realized it could benefit everyone!
     This weekend my wonderful husband has gone on a camp out with a group of Godly men that he meets with to grow deeper into God.
     Being the wonderful, sweet, loving man that he is, he left a couple of surprises for me to find while he is gone. The first surprise was a bag of chocolate kisses wrapped in purple foil. You have to realize that kisses are different from other candy just by their name alone and then to find ones wrapped in purple shows he really took his time to think about this.
     The second surprise was a loving, handwritten note I found when I went to bed. He told me in great detail the things my heart needed to hear, the things I need to know that shows he was tuned into "me" and that he was speaking to "me". It was so beautiful that tears filled my eyes. I sat it aside so I could read it again in the morning!
     But in the morning as I read it, the voice of the enemy started speaking, that horrible, ugly enemy that wants to suck the joy and love out of your life! The enemy started saying things like "he didn't really mean it, he's just being nice", you know the lies the enemy tells you to try to keep  you from truly enjoying your loved ones?
     Love, especially in a covenant relationship like marriage, is one of life's most satisfying, secure places people can rest in. Of course it cannot and does not replace our place with God, but it enhances our place with God when we are loved and secure and trusting with the people our Heavenly Father has brought into our lives.
     That shows us why the enemy spends so much time and energy trying to destroy our relationships! He comes to kill, steal and destroy and what better thing to work on than a loving relationship? We are his accessories when we are always wondering or asking ourselves "what did they mean by that?" or "why didn't they do this?". We are always second guessing what the other person really meant.
     Next time the enemy comes to steal the assurance of our loving relationships, let's just tell him to be quiet and leave! Bind and rebuke! Accept and settle in to the truth of the words you hear from your husband, wife, parent, child, friend, sister, brother....if they say they love you, then they do! If they say you look great, then you do!
     No more lies from the enemy! No more theft of our happiness and enjoyment of each other!
     "My beloved is mine and I am his" Song of Solomon 2:16
   

LA Cann Memorial Garden

We went to the LA Cann Memorial Park for a stroll through all of the beautiful plants. I love this garden and really enjoy taking pictures of everything~ 

The Vital Spark

     In a book I read there was a retired school teacher that had lived longer than her friends and relatives. She explained to a young woman that had befriended her that she had lived as long as she had because she was "always curious to see what was going to happen next".
     Lately I have felt "stopped at a red light in life" and I keep thinking of that woman's attitude. How do you maintain a curiosity about life when things don't change? How do you continue to have a zest when it is the same day in and day out?
     My mother has been in assisted living facilities for a very long time now. During her time in these establishments I have met a lot of elderly people. Some have the spark of life and some do not...what makes the difference?
     Is it the curiosity that was spoken of? I don't really have an answer for these questions, I guess I'm looking for it myself. I know I feel like Paul did when he said that to die is gain in Philippians 1:21. But the other side is to live is Christ!
     Sometimes we have to stir our spirits to find the excitement of life. Sometimes our spirit needs a boost.~~~~

~~~~I've been considering this for awhile, I've talked to people and talked to God about it. I asked Lane to pray over me and when he asked what I wanted to have prayed I asked him to pray for me to have the spark of life and for it to never leave.
     Lane has told me that I am the most optimistic person that he's ever met, but sometimes even optimistic people need to get stirred up.
     Yesterday God impressed on me (after Lane had prayed for me) that the spark of life for me is in creating. I make jewelry, I crochet, embroidery, I bake, I write blogs, I enjoy photography, I grow a garden... all of these are in the creating realm and that is where the spark of life is for me!
     I do believe that each person is responsible to find their own spark, and now that I understand it more I can tell you that it's what makes you feel alive! When I walk into a bead store, my happy factor rises like crazy! Or when I see something beautiful to take a picture of I can't get my camera ready fast enough!
     Find what makes you feel alive, it may be spending time with other people, it may be hearing beautiful music, it may be in creating art...there are many, many sparks that God has put in our world and to enjoy the sparks that He has given us is to bring Him glory!
     I know it's a weird concept, we think we have to be praying, reading scripture or something "church like" to glorify God, but that's not true. He made us, He created us as individuals and if we enjoy His creation we are bringing Him pleasure and honor! Not to say that we let our passion overtake all that we are, everything in moderation!
      How often do you see a cook watching people enjoy the meal they have prepared, or how often do you see an artist watching people respond to their art? Everyone wants their creation to be enjoyed and God wants us to enjoy what He has created and He has created you and whatever it is that you're passionate about.
     When you find your passion and follow it, the spark of life will always stay alive in you.

Are you able? Are you willing?

     I had a dream last night about a person in my life. In my dream they died and I was distraught. I grieved for this person terribly. This dream helped me understand something that I was dealing with in my life. I have a person that has "disassociated" themselves from me for their own reasons, which would be a whole different blog subject.
     In my waking world I have been struggling with emotions that I didn't understand and this dream is actually a gift from God to me. Because of the dream I can understand the depressive thoughts that have filled my days, and now, I will be able to control the emotions or at least understand them and order the rest of my life to have a form that can operate around the sadness!
     We are such complex beings that we are not even able to fully understand ourselves. We are made in God's image, except God is way more complex than we are. We believe we understand ourselves so we should be able to understand God also....we are deluding ourselves. We don't even really understand ourselves, much less God!
     I didn't understand myself enough to know why I was so sad until I had a dream to show me. How can we understand God until we live with Him long enough for Him to reveal Himself? Are you able to sojourn with Him? Are you willing?

Repentance

Just thinking~
     How many of us don't do what God has given us to do because it seems too small? Or if we don't see the reward in it? God gave me something to do and it fits in that question, He told me to write something in my blog daily......DAILY! I have not been faithful to that.
     I have a lot of excuses but they don't really matter, what matters is that I have not been faithful to do what I was given to do.
     I regret my lack of obedience...more than regret, I repent! I will write something daily and I will spend time with God seeking His forgiveness for my neglect, for my rebelliousness and lack of obedience!
     What will you do about what He has given you to do?

Repentance ~ literally means to turn, is the activity of reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs. It generally involves a commitment to personal change and the resolve to live a more responsible and humane life.

Mrs Mouse

     There once was a sweet little mouse, everyone that met her loved her! Mrs Mouse was older now but she had had a very full life and a full house! She had loved Mr Mouse until he was taken away by a big, ugly owl! During their lives together Mr and Mrs Mouse had raised four little mice until they were able to move into their own homes and have their own families. Mrs Mouse worked so hard taking care of her family. She worked to bring in food for their meals, she prepared the meals and then cleaned up after the meals! Mrs Mouse kept her family safe, clean and healthy! 
     All of the things she did for her family never bothered Mrs Mouse, she was a hard worker and happy to take care of her little Mouse family. As the years went by and her little family grew older and had their own lives they saw less of Mrs Mouse and she tried to not be too sad by that, it is the way of life. However Mrs Mouse had to move to a smaller home because she was no longer able to work so hard and not able to take care of her bigger home....Mrs Mouse adjusted to that and then she was moved by her family to an even smaller home. Mrs Mouse adjusted over and over as she tried to do and be what everyone else wanted her to do.
     Through the years Mrs Mouse gave up most of her possessions and freedom and was left with little of the things that most of her friends and family took for granted. She came to be isolated in her little home as she was not able to be out and about like many others in her community. 
     Mrs Mouse had 2 chairs in her home, one chair she kept especially for her only son that would return to visit her and she always wanted him to be comfortable, she also had 2 little beds so when her youngest daughter returned from a great distance there would be somewhere for her to rest and stay. 
     Mrs Mouse's kitchen wasn't used now because Mrs Mouse was too weak to prepare her own food, her world had become her bed, her wheelchair and her recliner where she could sit and read for hours, or occasionally drift off in a nap. She kept her phone close by but it seldom rang, life is lonely when everyone else has moved on from this life and you have not had an opportunity to make new acquaintances because you're confined by health issues. 
     If you know a Mrs Mouse, or even a Mr Mouse...try to reach out to them, one day it may be you that has a phone that never rings~ 

No Energy!

Sometimes  I wonder why God made us the way we are...why do I not even have the energy that people 10 years older than me do? Why can I not go and do all of the things I want to or need to?
     I can wonder, but what good does that do? I am what I am and it is what it is, to quote a popular saying.
     So yes, I have to pull back and rest sometimes when I'd rather be active but I am not in control so I work and live in the boundaries that I've been given, and try to learn to not grumble about it!
     I know some look at me and think I'm holding back or something, I'm not sure why they would think I wouldn't want to be active and I'm sorry if that causes others to judge me unkindly but I can't change it, if I could I definitely would!

Only Today~

Today only happens once, it will not repeat itself and the windows of opportunities that are open now are not guaranteed to ever be available to you again. So make your choices carefully! 

What are you going to do with this day?