Rough Mornings

Good Morning My Faithful Readers!

I hope your morning has been better than mine so far. As you know, I'm normally up very early, have my coffee, read my Bible, pray and then post whatever God has laid on my heart. Well, yesterday was a very trying day at work and as a result I was still stewing about this morning.

Normally, after some reflection and good night's sleep I am able to let whatever is bothering me go.

But not so this time.

I TRIED to follow my normal routine. I settled in with my coffee and Bible but instead of absorbing what I was reading I kept ruminating about yesterday's issues. So, I ended up talking about my troubles with my sweet, wonderful husband, Buddy.

He listened patiently as he always does and offered me sound advice.

I was thankful for his attention and compassionate understanding but regretted that I had talked away my prayer and devotion time.

I'm sure God understood my need to lean on human shoulders but He'd probably preferred that I'd been able to vent all of my frustrations to Him alone.

 I do try to do this, but it is a challenge sometimes.

So that's all I have to offer to you today, my precious readers.

This is a day where the 'encourager' could use some encouragement of her own. I could have just left the previous post up and 'hidden' the fact that I'm not feeling that upbeat.

But  it's important that you know that living every day with Jesus doesn't mean there won't be down days. But it does mean you always have hope, even on the worst of mornings.

Blessings to all of you!

Debbie

Rats in the Cellar

C.S. Lewis (one of my all time favorite authors) talks about having rats in the cellar of our inner self. This concept of digging deep into ones heart and mind has been weighing heavily on me lately. Who am I really? What kind of Christian woman would I be if my cognitive skills were diminished and I was no longer able to filter my reactions through common sense and the Holy word?

My impassioned goal is to be so full of Jesus Christ and His holy word that even if I didn't know my own name, I would be a sincere and loving Godly woman. I have dreams of being so saturated with scripture that if you were to just touch me, like one would touch a sponge, all that would come out with be Bible verses. Oh God, make it so in me one day!

Time is running out for me this morning, so I will leave you with this excerpt from C. S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity:

" We begin to notic, besides our particular sinful acts, our sinfulness; begin to be alarmed not only about what we do, but about what we are. This may sound rather difficult, so I will try to make it clear from my own case. When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that I was caught off guard, I had not time to collect myself...
On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. Surely, what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light."

MONDAY MUSINGS: Servanthood

Again and again my spirit is pressed upon to become a better servant.

I have to tell you it is not an easy undertaking because in order to be a true servant, all self-will must be squashed.

 Obliterated.

 Completly gone.

A servant has no rights but to meet the needs of their master.

To be honest the whole concept of servanthood grates against the very fiber of my being.

My intellect and strong-willed nature respond with a desperate cry of MUTINY.

Yet, I know it is God's way.

Because somewhere hidden in the torterous dying to self, is an immense blessing.

 One that can only be viewed after all residue of self has disappeared.

Am I there yet?

 NO.

But I know that I must keep trying.

And God, in his loving way keeps presenting me with opportunities to surrender and serve.

Most of the time, I do not like the situations that God orchastrates that challenge me to humble myself and serve. But then again, if it was easy, it wouldn't be a real death of self would it?

Like today, I have to meet with someone who rubs me the wrong way.

 But in God's eyes, this is a great opportunity for me to be CHRIST-LIKE.

 I don't necessarily feel like being Christ like today.

But because I love Jesus, I will do my best.

The Holy Bible says:

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me." (Matthew 18:3-5)

"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2:19-21)

Have you had servant challenges recently?

Who's Side Are You On?

"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested and disapproved and rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again [[a]from death]...

And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him [b]by the hand and led Him aside and then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him...

But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind [c]intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God's side, but that of men]...

And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and [d]lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [[e]joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow [f]with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me]...

For whoever wants to save his [[g]higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the [h]lower, natural, temporal life [i]which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save it [his [j]higher, spiritual life [k]in the eternal kingdom of God]. (Mark 8:30-35 in the Amplified Bible)

This passage of scripture hit me hard this morning as I read it. Especially the part about not having a mind to promote God's will, but mans.
 
Can you imagine how Peter must have felt that day being called 'Satan' by Jesus? This is the man who later would recieve the keys to the kingdom and who would be the first one to bring the message of salvation after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter 2. Yet, at that particular moment, Peter did not have his mind completely sold out to the kingdom.
 
He thought he did, as no doubt many of us think we do. But when the unthinkable happens, or the cross we've been asked to bear gets heavy, or when there seems to be outright injustice occuring in our lives, do we, like Peter try to thwart the very thing that will bring about God's purpose?
 
I've done it. Have you?
 
Time doesn't permit me to share examples of how I have, in the name of God stopped the speeding train so to speak, but if you will share with me your experiences, I promise to do the same in another post.
 
This too, is part of living every day with Jesus.

Jesus and the Job Search

I'm off work today (yea!) so I didn't have to get up at my usual 4:45am (double yea!) which is why I'm posting  later than normal. (My apologies to my readers who are used to reading my posts before work.)

Today, I wanted to tell you about my friend Mallory*.  She is a single mom in her mid 50's who has been out of work for  a year.

Mallory is  smart, attractive, well dressed, personable, a quick study, and has a degree perfectly suited to her career.

Yet, despite her best job search efforts, she's only  been invited to interview a handful of times in the last 12 months.

But last week, Mallory told me she had an interview for this coming Monday morning. She was happy, but also wary. Afterall, she'd gotten excited before only to be told she didn't get the job.

 Dealing with rejection is a tough aspect of trying to find a job in today's market.

I was thinking about Mallory the next day as I prepared for my morning prayer.  I told the Lord Jesus all about Mallory's need. I didn't ask Him to do anything specific, except to help her, and be with her as she went on the interview.

Then I paused for several moments waiting  to see if Jesus wanted to give me any additional guidance concerning my friendship with Mallory.

And He did.  I felt impressed me to anoint a handkerchief for Mallory like they did in Acts 19 and pray for her to have renewed confidence and favor with whomever she meets.

 The next day,  I gave Mallory the anointed handkerchief, and explained to her that in Acts 19 pieces of cloth were given to the sick as an act of faith for healing. I told her that the handkerchief itself didn't have any special powers but that we were  demonstrating our faith  to God and asking Him to respond.

Although, Mallory is not a believer , but she embraced this concept readily, and allowed me to pray for her. I prayed a  simple prayer with her and then we hugged and each went our seperate ways.

The following Monday, the day of the interview, I called Mallory to wish her well. She excitably told me she now had two interviews and that the handkerchief  hadn't left her side. God had honored our simple act of faith, and what's more Mallory's faith was growing!

You see, Mallory is not a believer. But when my friend Jesus told me to offer her the handkerchief, and to pray for her I did. And Jesus did the rest.

I'm not sure what the outcomes of Mallory's interviews will be,  but  I do it's sparked in her a faith in Jesus Christ. Something she'd departed from a long, long time ago.

And that my friends, it just a glimpse of what life is like when you live every day with Jesus.

*NOT HER REAL NAME

MORE LOVE - Less Condemnation

Last week,  I saw a man walking around the mall in a skirt. It turned out he worked at a place at the mall called Massage Envy. I figured this out because he was wearing a t-shirt with the Massage Envy logo. His features were very masculine looking: he had short dark hair, bushy eyebrows, a 5 o-clock shadow and was very muscular looking. But he also had breasts - and of course the seemingly out of place skirt.

Then today, I saw another man standing at a bus stop wearing black short-shorts and a lace camisole.

My first thought was that maybe they were going to some kind of party or something. But after observing them for a minutes it became obvious they were dressed in what was comfortable for them, just as you or I would.

'They are just so confused and they need God' was the thought that kept going over in my mind. Oh God, I prayed, keep reaching for them, keep showing them your way and your love. Give them the power to overcome what has bound them.

Now some who read what I just wrote will be outraged at my suggestion of homosexuality being a bondage. And I don't want to  argue with anyone. But  the Bible does take a very clear stance on homosexuality . (Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, I Corinthians 6:9, I Timothy 1:10)

And yet,  I have  friends who have life partners of the same sex. They know how I feel about it, but then my friends who drink know how I feel about that too.

Surprised? You shouldn't be.

My job is to love whoever the Lord Jesus puts in my path. To be a friend,  and to share Christ as it seems appropiate to do so. Is that not what Jesus meant when he said "And they will know you are my disciples by the love you have one for another."

Loving someone undconditionally does not mean that you agree with all their choices. If we only love when we agree all of someone's lifestyle choices we are loving with conditions - and this is not the kind of love that Christ spoke of at all.

So I challenge you. Look at the people around you and listen to your heart for prejudices and condemnations that need to be surrendered to God. Then put on Christ (Galatians 3:27) and go out into the world and show the true agape love that Jesus intended us to offer.

MONDAY MUSINGS: No Striving

"Do not strive in your own strength; cast yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and wait upon Him in the sure confidence that He is with you, and works win you. Strive in prayer; let faith fill your heart - so will you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." - Andrew Murray.

The above quote was part of my morning devotional reading. So again my heart and mind is focused on NOT STRIVING, not seeking my own, not trying to get ahead of others, and not even trying to make my mark on the world.

It's our human nature to push to the head of the line though isn't it? I've been guilty of this myself . Why is it that to be first, to be the best, to win top honors holds such appeal?

I think because it feeds our hungry sin nature.

Yet, Christ tells us of a very different way. He speaks of being lowly, being humble, preferring others, crucifying this fleshly nature and that he who is the least - the lowest - the most disregarded will be the greatest in heaven. (Mark 10:31)

Philippians 2:3 says, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves."

I plan to take this scripture to work with me today and meditate on it. If you've been reading my posts you know that I need this timely reminder. God is definately working something out in me and in my character.

May the Lord Jesus make us all better servants and teach us to strive less and surrender more.

I pray that your work week is easy and your burdens like. And I further pray that you listen with your heart to all  God is trying to speak to you.

Kindest Regards,


Debbie

Unlikely Prayer Closets

I  slept in later than normal last Saturday, and the first thing on my mind when I woke up was the mountain of clean clothes that was waiting  for me to fold them.

You see, my husband and I each  work full time, so we share the housework. In terms of the laundry, we both gather and sort, he puts them in the washer and dryer, and then I fold and put away.

Let's just say that on this particular Saturday morning, my part of the laundry duty was in arrears.  So I decided to have a brief  devotional time:  one cup of coffee and  one chapter of Bible reading. Then I went downstairs to tackle the mound of clean towels, sheets and t-shirts that awaited me.    

After changing the clothes from the washer to the dryer, and depositing a fresh load into the washing machine, I  began folding. It was quiet in the house, and I found the rythmic tumble of the dryer soothing.  After a little while, my thoughts drifted to the prayer time I'd cut short this morning.

Well, why not pray now? I thought.

 It's quiet and there are no distractions...

But you're folding laundry! You're doing a chore! How can you do something so earthy and try to be spiritual at the same time? 

This kind of internal discussion went on my mind for several minutes, but ultimately I decided to give it a try. 

•  I  folded the hand towels and prayed for my children, their spouses and my grandchildren remembering all the times they'd come for a visit and dried their hands on those very towels.
• And when I got to the washcloths I prayed for the missionaries and wondered how many of them do without such small conveniences as a clean washcloth.
• The freshly dried bedsheets made me think of covers, so I prayed  a covering of protection for all those I come in contact with.
• And as I folded my husband's blue jeans, it made me think of his work, because he mostly wears jeans to work. So I prayed for his job, his employees, and his clients.
• Then as I matched socks, I prayed for the beautiful feet of the ministry because Romans 10:15 says the feet of preachers are beautiful.

And you know what? The sweet presence of the Holy Spirit met with me in a very special way that day. I wept under God's power, and then rejoiced in gladness at the fresh anointing He poured upon me.

It's so nice to know that God will meet with us anywhere. We just have to have a heart turned towards Him. And what about you? Where do you pray? What unusual Prayer Closets have you had? Share with me! Share with all of us!

I'll leave you one to get you started. It's by Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century French monk who knew how to Practice the Presence of God:

"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament."

Random Thoughts

I love this quote:

"There would be no hope for you if you were to pray in your own name. But listen! You are to pray in the name of JESUS. It is for Jesus' sake that you are to recieve what you ask for." - O. Hallesby

It makes me think of the scripture in John 14:13 that says:

"Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

It is so true! The name of Jesus is so powerful. At his name demons tremble and healings happen. But it's important to note that one must have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ and have applied his blood to your life by being "buried with him in baptism". That is where we take on the name of Jesus and have it applied to our lives. Otherwise, we do not have the authority to invoke the name of Jesus. That is why when the sorcerers in the Bible tried to invoke the name of Jesus to earn profits because they saw the powerful works the disciples were doing nothing happened.

So, if you're struggling today to feel like you are on top of things and triumphant then spend some time reading the book of John and/or the book of Acts in the Holy Bible. The book of John will tell you all about the love of Jesus Christ and the book of Acts will explain to you how to recieve the Holy Spirit, the importance of Jesus name baptism and the all about the empowerment that comes and the promise of eternal salvation once you've been baptized in Jesus name and recieved the Holy Spirit.

Those are my random thoughts for today....

Sending you lots of hugs,



Debbie

Monday Musings: FORGIVENESS

It's a Monday Morning and duty calls, but I am thinking of all of you - my faithful readers. I only have a minute but wanted to jump on here and let you know that once again this week I have been drawn to meditating on 1 Corinthians 13. My spirit must need to be convinced of the truths embedded there. Actually, I KNOW my spirit needs to be convinced of this because there are a couple of people in my life who have wounded me deeply that I am still having a hard time feeling all warm and fuzzy about.

Don't get me wrong, I am kind to them. I don't speak ill of them. And I do my best to speak well of them or not at all. So on the surface 'all is well', but deep down, in the core of my being I know that if I ever lost my mental faculties like through Alzheimers or something, there is still that hard place in me towards them.

The hurt was deep that they inflicted and it's ongoing. Therefore  the scab keeps getting ripped off, and I bleed afresh.

Yet I know there is a place in God that can heal all hurts no matter how deep. . I know because I've experienced that kind of healing with someone else who crushed my inner being. So if I know this then why isn't it any easier this time around?

I think the answer is because the process remains the same each time with each hurt. It has been my experience that emotional healing and forgiveness come only by applying large doses of the Holy Writ and determining to obey its truths no matter how one feels. Then eventually your emotions fall into line and suddenly you realize the pain is gone.

I think Mother Theresa put it best. Rumor has it she had the following on her bedroom wall:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY

If you are kind, people may accuse you of Selfish, ulterior motives;
SUCCEED ANYWAY

If you are honest and frank, the truth may be dangerous for you;
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
BE HAPPY ANYWAY

The good you do today, People may criticize you for an will often forget tomorrow;
DO GOOD ANYWAY.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU'VE GOT ANYWAY.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
IT NEVER WAS BETWEEN YOU AND THEM ANYWAY.

Sleepless in Chicago

I can't sleep. It's like 11:30pm and I'm wide awake. This may not be late to some of you, but for me it's painfully late. My normal bedtime is 9pm because my alarm starts making noise at 4:30am. Granted, I had the day off today so I slept until 7:30am this morning which is probably why I'm not tired.

But believe it or not, the point of this post isn't to  ramble about my nocturnal habits. Although a measure of self-pity sounds awfully inviting at the moment. And the point of this post is not to discuss various ways to induce oneself to sleep - although that too entices me. And the point of this post isn't even to just keep writing until I get tired.

So what IS the point you may  not so patiently be asking?

The point is to reflect on what we do when we desperately want something (in my case sleep) and no amount of self-effort can bring it about.

How do we react? How do we cope? What is our first reaction? What is our last ditch attempt?  How long does it take us to come to terms with the fact that we have absolutely no control over certain things? And what does our coping techniques, or lack thereof, really say about us? About our relationship with Christ? With ourselves?

I believe we discover the strength of our faith and trust and in God only when we are in a situation in which we have no control whatsoever of the outcome.

Granted, not being able to sleep is a harmless inconvenience. But what if it was losing a job, or my health, or a loved one? It's how I respond to those type of hurricane-like-events that let me know whether I will recieve a medal of honor on judgement day or not.

And how does one prepare for such calamaties? Scripture provides the answer:

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you...Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:...Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."  (I Peter 5:7-9)

Obedient Faith

I took a couple of days off of work this week because initially I was going to attend a writer's conference. But, as the time for the conference grew closer, my spirit was unsettled. I felt no direction or confirmation from God. Now normally, I feel a deep peace or a clear impression of how to prepare for such an event.  But I felt nothing. No peace. No inkling of what editors to seek out, what classes to take, or which articles I've written to bring with me.

The silence was deafening. And frustrating.

My first inclination was to talk to all my friends about it, ie, 'what do you think I should do?' But, I've learned from past experience that the more opinions I seek, the more confused I   get. So instead, I discussed it with my husband, and we ultimately decided that I'd attend one day of the four day conference.

We made this decision in part because money is a little tight, but also because neither one of us had a sense that this was something God had for me at this time.

But even after we agreed I'd attend the one day I still felt uneasy, unsure, and not excited at all. This type of response was  so out of character for me. Normally the idea of attending such a conference would have had me pinging off the walls with anticpation.

But I wasn't. Instead, I felt anxious and frustrated.

Anxious because I wasn't sensing God's blessing in my decision . And frustrated because God wasn't telling me how to prepare for the one day I planned to attend.

So in the end I chose not to go. Why? For three reasons:

• Because I've learned from past experience that when I push my way for something it never turns out the way I expected it to.

• Because I don't want to attempt anything without feeling God's pleasure, anointing, and favor.

• Because my grandfather always said "If there's a reason to doubt it, there's a reason not to do it."

Pretty good guidelines for making alot of decisions I think. Don't you?

Now, I'm sure when I meet with my writer's critique group this month, and they all tell me about the great things that happened for them at the writer's conference I might feel a twinge of jealousy. But ultimately, I'll be able to rejoice with them for God's goodness to them. And I'll smile to myself knowing that :

"What He does now, I don't know, but someday I will!" (John 13:37)

Sound Advice

Sometimes I come across someone else's post or newsletter that so inspires me I want to share it with all of you. Such is the case today.

I met Cec Murphey a few years ago at writer's conference and found him to be a very genuine, kind, humble individual. And since I already liked his writing, I decided to sign up for his email newsletters.

Each month, Cec Murphey's newsletters grace my inbox. And each month, I look forward to reading them because they always resonate with me, and often speak directly to some issue in my own life I'm dealing with.

For example,  I was telling my husband how overloaded I was starting to feel by being the listening ear to so many different friends. It's not that I don't care, I told him, but so often I feel depleted afterwards like there's not another worthy thought in my brain to offer up.

But after I read Cec Murphey's Newsletter today, the answer to my dilema became clear. Cec says:

"My role is not to solve others' problems;my role is to love them while they solve their problems."

That was it! That was the advice I was looking for! Just because I am a leader, a writer, and a speaker does not mean I need to be able to offer detailed solutions to my friend's problems. Instead, my job - my role - as  Cec puts it, is to continually point them back to the One who has all the answers:
 JESUS CHRIST.

The Apostle Paul gave similar advice in James 1: 4-8. He said:

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. "

And so, from now on, when I talk with friends in need, I will offer very little advice. Instead, I will pray with them and keep pointing them back to Jesus Christ, the one who knows all, sees all and understands all - Thanks Cec for reminding me of this important insight!

WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN: Truth

If you've been following my blog you know that on Wednesdays I post about my weight issues. I started in January of 2010 by posting my wedding picture and proclaiming this was going to be the year that I lost over 100 pounds. Well, here it is 6 months later and I've shed only 20 (pounds). But, I have to admit I have grown more in the last 6 months with regards to my self-image and self-awareness than I ever did during my countless other attempts to lose weight - even when I lost 165 pounds 10 years ago.

So what is the difference?

TRUTH.

Yep, that's it, simple unadulterated TRUTH. For the first time in my recollection I am approaching this baggage called excess weight with the rose colored glasses off. I am facing the TRUTH in the following ways:

• By acknowledging the reality of my girth. 
•  Making conscious note of my dress size.
• Coming to terms with the difficulty of fitting into an airline seat or a booth at a restaurant. 

• By examing what is driving my overeating.  
• Is it anxiety?
• Fear?
• Childhood Trauma?
• Or am I just undiscliplined and enjoy indulging?

• By weighing myself and coming to terms with the number on the scale. (Geneen Roth and others do not recommend this, but for me it is keeping me from deception)

• by sharing my struggle with others.
• With YOU my reader.
• With a few close friends.
• With my family.

I believe that by consistently facing the above truths the stranglehold of obesity will one day lose it's hold on me.

Geneen Roth, in her book Women, Food and God says:

 "Truth, not force, does the work of ending compulsive eating."

And of course she's right because the Bible, our ultimate book of validity says:

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

So for today and in the days to come, I continue to press on towards truth knowing that ultimately it will make me free!

Encouraging Yourself

I'm sitting here staring at the blank screen trying to muster up something refreshing and brilliant to say that will encourage and uplift. But the truth is I'm sleepy and feel like I have about as much to offer today as a dry well in a sandstorm. But then I realize that this too is part of living every day with Jesus.

So what does one do when you feel this way?

I remind myself of all the things  God has done for me. And I quote scripture or sing worship songs. It's amazing how much this helps. The Bible confirms this in Colossians 3:15-17 because it says:

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Keeping a Gratitude Journal is another way to give yourself a spiritual uplift. I haven't done this consistently, but the times I have done it have always made a big difference. The idea is to write down what your thankful for that happened each day. Then, when you are having a down day you review what you wrote and thank God for it. This too has a Biblical foundation because I Thessalonians 5:17 says

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

So, my dear readers who I value so much. Tell me what you do to encourage yourself. I'd really like to know....

Showers & Jacuzzis

There's something very special about early morning prayer. It's a time of quietness and self-reflection.

 On work days, I normally get up by 5am so I can read my Bible as I drink my coffee. By 5:45am I'm usually praying and then start getting dressed  by 6:30am, so I can be out the door by 7am. This morning routine grounds my day and helps me to cope with whatever awaits me. But it's alot like taking a shower: It's brief, but thorough, and it gets the job done.

But on days like today - a day when I'm off work (little happy dance here) I have the luxury of soaking in God's presence like some people soak in a Jacuzzi:

I linger. 

I relax.

I lose all track of time. 

I embrace the whole experience.

And when I'm done, I feel as if I've been treated to the deepest of indulgences.
My soul is refreshed, my spirit feels like a feather, and all seems right with the world.

But as much as I enjoy Jacuzzi Prayers, I often settle for Shower Prayers because life's pressures pile up, and there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

The Apostle Paul knew about Shower Prayers because he instructed the Thessalonian church to "Pray without ceasing". This is not a feasible instruction unless one puts it in the context of maintaining a prayerful attitude while going about one's work etc.

And Jesus himself exampled Jacuzzi Prayers because  Mark 1:35 records:

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

So we can conclude from these passages that both types of prayers are Biblical and therefore accepted by God. And we can also conclude from these passages and others like them that different needs call for different types prayers. For example, the Jacuzzi Prayer that Jesus prayed in the book of Mark was leading up to the greatest test of his life - the Crucifixion. In other words, desperate times called for desperate measures.

But sometimes, Jacuzzi Prayers are enjoyed just because you love the Lord and want to bask in His presence. Such was the case with me today. And the good news is that no matter what else unfolds for me this weekend, I will enjoy it more and be able to handle it better because my entire being was deeply refreshed by the living God because I lingered in His presence.

WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN: Excuses

It's Wednesday and I started the year by promising to blog about my weight loss journey. It's getting difficult to follow through with this promise because I am waffling in general with my food and exercise. The excuses are getting easier and easier. Last week, my excuse was "it's been a bad week emotionally for me as a family member passed away." Now this week my excuse is "it was Memorial Day weekend and we did alot of entertaining."

The good thing about my blog commitment is that the weekly postings are forcing me to take a hard look at my habits and weaknesses. My hope is that the honesty and accountability will pull me through. Plus, I am doing some things to try to feed my inner self in an effort to change my thought processes which is where I believe the core of my weight issue is - in the mind.

Some of things I've been doing are:

• Continuing to seek the Lord's help with this struggle by sincerely praying about it.
• Meditating on Bible verses to try to soak my spirit in God's opinion instead of my own.
• Watching the Biggest Loser episodes online.
• Reading books that strike a chord with me such as Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth.
• Keeping myself honest by weighing in each week and sharing my weight with two or three trusted friends. (I skipped the weigh in last week but will face it today)
• Tracking my food online on the free Livestrong Daily Plate

And my heartfelt hope and prayer is that all of the above will help me not only reach my weight loss goal, but grow and be transformed in my thoughts and personal outlooks.

On my own, I cannot do this. The amount I have to lose is too overwhelming. But through Christ and the love and support of others I believe I can overcome this.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
-Philippians 4:13

Christ's Occupation

Max Lucado puts best what is on my heart today:

"When you say, 'Thy kingdom come', you are inviting the Messiah himself to walk into your world. 'Come, my King! Take your throne in our land. Be present in my heart. Be present in my office. Come into my marriage. Be Lord of my family, my fears, and my doubts.' This is no feeble request; it's a bold appeal for God to occupy every corner of your life."

And it's CHRIST'S OCCUPATION that I am contemplating today.

I'm not that much of a military buff, but I do know that when an army comes in to take over hostile territory they OCCUPY the land. In other words, they station enough troops to maintain an authoritative rule - to govern by force.

Well Christ desires to OCCUPY our lives - all of our lives - but He chooses not to do it by force. He could have. He's certainly powerful enough. But instead, He gives us a choice. In essence He says, 'Let me have all of you. Hold nothing back. Allow me to transform every area of your life to conform to my ways and you will be greatly blessed.'

And although the reward is great, so often we struggle. At least I know I do. For example, I let him OCCUPY my marriage and my family, but not issues with food (see earlier post on the food thing). Oh, I make stabs at surrender in the food area, but I wouldn't say I'm totally surrendered yet. And also there's a few people who have hurt me deeply that I haven't fully surrendered and turned over to God in absolute forgiveness.

You see to allow Christ to fully OCCUPY me, I must allow HIS THOUGHTS, HIS WILL, HIS WORD to dominate all I do. In theory I do this, but when push comes to shove so often I grasp on to my own way and act like a toddler with a coveted toy who's screaming "MINE!"

In my babyish tantrums with whatever I'm not relinquishing I am resisting Christ's occupying all of me.

So for today, my prayer is simply: "Lord not my will, but Yours be done." Today I choose for Christ to occupy all of me.

What about you?