Decisions Decisions

Decisions,decisions,Every day we have so many to make.What we will eat,where we will go,some days it seems like that is all we do all day long.The most important choice of the day is what mood we will be in.We can choose to be happy and joyful,or down right miserable.Or the in between one,kind of happy but with a side of annoyance.Where our moods are like a ping pong match,happy,miserable,happy,miserable.That is where I am at this time.

Happy, but through out the day the annoying little things poke at me here and there.The pinched nerve in my hip,which with every step causes me to wince.The feeling of not knowing where the Lord wants me at this time.Kids home all week from school.What do you do with 2 children with a large age span between them,who say im bored about every 5 minutes and who seem to eat every 10 minutes and one leaves a trail of everything he eats and does all day long.If he was lost in the wilderness,you would have no trouble finding this one,just follow the trail of stuff.

The fact that we are down to one vehicle and we now have 3 drivers in the house,And on top of all of that I am starting to have hot flashes.One of those can turn the perkiest cheerleader, prom queen, saccharine sweet type of girl, into the wicked witch of the west in seconds.So there you have it.grumble, grumble, grumble.

It is our thoughts that set the tone for the day.The ones that will choose what mood we are in,how we respond to things.Then in turn how people will respond to us.Crabby usually attracts crabby.If we are joyful we can cause others to search and find joy in their lives.We can choose to walk around grumbling ,and miserable. Or we can have the woe is me attitude.Poor poor, me,We can put our hand to our forehead like the women in the old movies,the ones who can't handle what is going on at that moment,they are on the verge of passing out from the heavy burden of woe.The problem is we will find ourselves laying on the ground with no one in sight.Most people have enough aggravating things in their lives,so when they see you coming they will go the other way.Uh oh,here comes the hobbling,broom wielding,crabby woman with two kids,and hot flashes,RUN!

But if we choose joy in the midst of all the pinched nerves,the hot flashes that make us feel like we have a wool sweater on in 100 degree heat.The never endless job of picking up after our children,the endless pile of laundry,the list goes on. We could all probably write a very long list in seconds on things to gripe about.But what good does that do? We now have a list to focus on,reread over and over again,which in turn intensifies our miserable mood.Right? We have the capability of choosing what enters our mind and stays there.Will it be our complaints?our aches and pains? Our lack of whatever it may be.Or will you choose to focus on what the Lord has given you? And that is Life,health,family,His gift of salvation,and all the other blessings He has bestowed upon us.When you wake up tommorrow what will you choose?

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.But only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,that it may benefit those who listen.

2 Corinthians 4:18 So we don't look at the troubles we have right now.rather,we look forward to what we have not seen.For the troubles we see will soon be over,but the joys to come will last forever.

Blessings Dee

Words echo in the canyons of our memories and reflect in the mirrors of our minds.When I hear this I picture the grand canyon,miles and miles of mountains and deep valleys. If you stand and yell,your voice might travel for miles, bouncing off of the mountain sides,back and forth,back and forth.over and over again.


This is how it is when words for some reason stay embedded in our minds.Cruel words that were once spoken to us now stick around,bouncing and ricocheting around and around in our mind.Why is it kind and loving thoughts don't hang around for long?.Why we do think of them occasionally here and there.But the hurtful words seem to stay around way to long,they keep playing over and over again like a scratched record that skips in the same spot.These thoughts can shape us and become part of us.Do you remember the saying "sticks and stones may break my bones,but names will never hurt me?" This is so untrue.We know that broken bones can heal,but the words thrown at us hurt,and they can continue to hurt for years.Even when they are untrue we start to believe they are true.

How many times have you been told you could never accomplish anything? There is a good chance you won't accomplish much.How many people are told each day that they are no good?.How can you believe any different if thats all you have heard?How will you ever become the awesome creation that God made you to be,if all you hear are things that tear you down,and make you feel unloved,and unworthy?

Our minds are constantly bombarded with negative images.We deal with many types of people each day.If they are unhappy negative people,their moods and comments can rub off on us if we allow them too.What we need to remember is that the negative thoughts that tear us down,the ones that make us cringe and replay themselves over and over are not from Jesus.We need to guard our minds.If we keep our focus on Him,on what is good,If we fill our mind with Scripture and the Truth, the negative things don't have much room in our minds to take a hold

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." – Philippians 4:8


Phillipians 4:8 says it all. These are the things we need to be focusing on.We need to remember that we are an amazing creation,that the Lord has a purpose and a plan for our lives.That no matter how you were before.Regardless of what you did or how you lived your life before.If have a relationship with Jesus,you are a new creation.Out with the old,in with the new.So if the thoughts from the past keep popping up,you need to remember that is not who you are.You will never be that person ever again.Keep your mind on Him and He will guard your mind.He can replace the negative thoughts that paralyze you.The ones that cause you to feel unlovable or incapable of doing great things, with positive ones.

Phillipians 4:7 And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

The choice is yours.What you let dwell in your mind.Don't let those unpleasant thoughts echo thru the canyons of your mind.Focus on Him and He will replace the lies with the truth.

Blessings
Dee

Who will you listen to?

As I sit at the computer All I keep hearing over and over and over again is Alfalfa from the Little Rascals singing "I'm the Barber of Seville" coming from the other room. For most of us over 40 we remember that episode.Poor Alfalfa ,we all know He did not become a professional singer.Thank goodness for that.All though they would have put him in the funny out takes on American Idol. He couldn't sing but He sure was cute.

The one thing that amazed me is ,If I was watching the DVD,I would be enjoying it.But the fact is I am in the other room,and his little voice is like listening to fingernails on a blackboard, or like a howling screeching cat outside at night.Why is this I thought? I do the same with the spongebob cartoon. If I am in front of the TV ,he is amusing,but if I am in another room.If I hear that annoying laugh one more time......

This makes me think of our focus on God.If our full attention is on him.If we are praying, reading or listening to someone preach.We are enjoying what we hear,It gets our thoughts going,we think of all the blessings in our life.We see his hand in everything.We want to hear more,we want to see more of what He has in store for us,or what He wants to teach us.

But find us on a day where the last place our attention is on God or when we are not in a good place.Maybe we have kind of pushed him to the side.When He starts to speak to us,it can be like those fingernails on a black board, or the screeching cat,We don't want to hear it. It grates on our nerves.Go bug someone else,we want to say.When we are focusing on things of the world we become stressed and distracted ,we will never be rich enough,thin enough,smart,witty, or creative enough,We are striving to be like the world.And we will not ever be everything it tells us we can be.

I love the commercials or the magazine articles that tell women that they can have it all.Sorry to disappoint you ,but you cannot have it all.Women today strive to have the big beautiful home, filled with beautiful furnishings that they created or crafted,perfect children with 4.0 grade averages,cute as little buttons.the women need to be thin,Botoxed,perfectly dressed,minivan driving,PTA mommies who work a full time job,They must cook each meal including snacks from scratch,preferably from Martha Stewart or Rachel Rays cookbooks.No wonder so many women are on medication for stress.Or some moms choose to run,leave their families and hop on a plane to somewhere,just not where they are now.For good.
Go to your localPublic school PTA meeting and tell me how many joyful ,smiling women you see,You can probably count them on one hand.We cannot be all the world tells us we can,something or someone will suffer.We were not created to be super moms or people.

It is only when we are in tune with Jesus.When we slow down long enough to pay attention to Him,that is when we can hear him.When our focus in on Him,we can enjoy Him.We can enjoy the life He has planned out for us.But when we are focusing on the world and all it says we should be,If we take our eyes off of Jesus and leave them on the world.We become stressed,depressed, and annoyed and we start to think Alfalfa should be on American Idol.We become used to that screechy little voice,the voice of the world that hisses you are not good enough or rich enough.We have a choice to listen to that or the soothing loving voice of the God who loves you.What do your ears want to hear?


1 Timothy 6:11 "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness."

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Blessings
Dee

1-800-Jesus

Today as I was chatting with a woman who was not feeling well, I said to her" would you like me to pray with you?" Her response was" no I don't need that "and proceeded to quickly, I mean quickly walk away from me."You don't want me to pray for you when you don't feel well"? I said.She walked away shaking her head no.The funny thing is this woman is a Christian.I have had this happen other times,with women who had professed to being Christians, who ran bible studies in their homes.And they said no. No to prayer......That is like a woman saying no to a lifetime supply of chocolate. Or to a man, Free cable with all the sports channels for the rest of your life.How can you pass it up? But for some reason so many of us do. We don't understand the power behind it.We don't realize that we have the power to move mountains.Prayer can cause life changing events to start taking place.

This is one area that I just find so hard to believe at times,that people don't want prayer.This is like the Hotline to God.This is huge. We are given the privilege of having a God who is wide awake 24 hours a day ,ready at a moments notice to hear our prayers, our fears,our worries and our cries.This is what He wants us to do.It is like picking up the phone anytime and calling your best friend.The one who you know will be there,who will listen to you,who will say the right thing to comfort you.The one who you can call at any hour.

I think of last spring .My Mother was battling lung cancer. What do you do in that case? Do you sit back,cross your fingers and hope that it turns out ok? No you pray,you pray with all your might.He already knows what you will be praying for,but He wants to hear it come out of your mouth.He wants your full attention.He wants you to pray believing that He does hear your prayers and that He will answer it.We need to believe it and receive it.

I think of every week when I meet with my friend to pray.I look back at my journals that are filled with answers to the prayers that we have prayed.He doesn't want us to hold our breath and hope for the best.He wants us to bring it to him.

As we pray He may not answer our prayers how we want them answered.But He does answer every single one.We do not know why He chose to heal my Mother ,while others have left this earth.But I do know He is using her in a mighty way.And He will continue to do so until her job is finished here.

.We do not know what lies ahead for any of us.But the one thing we do know is we have access to Him twenty four seven.That is 24 hours a day,7 days a week,365 days a year for the rest of your life.We need to stop crossing our fingers and holding our breath,and start praying.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:22-23 (KJV)

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

Blessings
Dee