What IS a blessing? Well, the kind of blessings we’re talking about today are theinvokingofGod’sfavoruponaperson. While I’m not big on the luck of the Irish, I love Irish blessings! No country invokes God’s favor upon others quite like the Irish!
Since it’s just one day past St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to take this opportunity to invoke God’s favor upon you! Fasten your seat belt… here we go!
28May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.
29May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed. – Genesis 27:28-29
Isn’t that a beautiful photograph? It was taken by our friend and fellow poet, David Catherwood.
Is there a wedding in your future? Here’s a beautiful marriage blessing:
OH… written in the key of E… ugh. Good for a guitar player – difficult for a piano player. LOL! I could play it… but I wouldn’t LIKE it.
Here’s a beautiful poem by Lucinda Berry Hill:
We are blessed by God and in turn we bless others.
Near Powerscourt Castle in Ireland
And last, but certainly not least – this beautiful Irish prayer. I pray this for each of you!
I hope and pray you have a wonderful, blessed week! 🙂
What God-given tasks are done every day? Do you know a doctor or a nurse? Certainly, what they do is very important to their patients – and praise God, He gave them the intelligence to take good care of sick people! Do you know a clown? What a unique gift to be given by God – the ability to make others forget their problems for just a little while – and make them laugh. The list goes on and on… do you know a pastor? I couldn’t be a pastor – pastor’s are definitely called by God. They are special people and are much more patient than me.
We call our jobs vocations or careers – but in reality, we choose to do what the Lord has given us to do – that’s why we enjoy what we do. I’ve had jobs in my lifetime – and believe me, they were jobs – just a way to make a little extra money. Now that I’m retired and writing… I am so much more happy because this is what God wants me to do. I don’t get paid – but payment comes in different forms. Money really isn’t everything – we just need it to buy things.
It’s a wonderful feeling to submit to God’s will in your life and have a sense of accomplishment in the bargain. Success isn’t always wrapped around a dollar amount. Sometimes it comes in the form of encouragement or a simple “Amen” in the comments of your blog. Bloggers need encouragement like everyone else.
Does the task you perform to make a living also make God smile? If you’re just doing a job to make a little extra money, I want to encourage you to re-think the way you spend your time. Is there more you want to do with your life? I remember thinking that the time I spent sitting in a cubicle at the office was time I was never going to get back. I decided my time is worth more to me than the money they paid me to spend it there.
Speaking of tasks… with some help from my friends, Lucinda Berry HIll and Marian Poppy Ballestero – there will be a very special blog post on April 9th, Palm Sunday. Please pray for this project, for I hope it is the first of many. I won’t spoil the surprise – you’ll just have to wait.
To rejoice in the goodness of God and do good in life is what it’s all about. I want to do tasks that use my God-given gifts, don’t you? 🙂
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; … – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Today is the 63rd day of the year. Can you believe how quickly this year is going? Wasn’t it just yesterday we were celebrating New Year’s Day? Did you make resolutions? How are they going? Maybe you just want to go to sleep. Yes… that sounds nice, doesn’t it?
This portion of Scripture reminds us that there is a season and a purpose for everything that happens in life. It’s not really about the day you’re born or the day you die, but it is about the time in-between. That dash on the tombstone really speaks volumes.
How do you spend your time, or more to the point, who do you spend it with? People are here for each other and spending time with another person is never a waste of your time.
We were put here to be a source of encouragement and support for one another. I think it makes God smile when we are kind and loving – even when we’re funny. Does God have a sense of humor? Hmm… well, I think He does! How would we recognize a sense of humor if He had not instilled it in us?
Today’s post is to remind us (yes, me too) – we have 302 more days left in 2017, and we need to be more mindful of how we manage our time and who we spend time with – and how uplifting we are for others. You’re welcome! 🙂
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. – 1 John 3:1
Maybe you’re like me and this verse makes a familiar song pop into your mind. It happens to me all the time – not just Scripture songs – but I get earworms about secular stuff too. In this case, I’m thinking about this sweet little song:
If you have to get an earworm – that’s not a bad one to have. I’ll probably walk around humming this all day long. It’s good to stay focused on the love that God has for us, isn’t it? There are so many negative forces at work in our world – and they seem to be everywhere, don’t they? God wants us to think about HIM – think about HIS GOODNESS. Oh wow… another earworm:
Great is the measure of our Father’s love. Not kinda sorta might be okay – but GREAT! When the situations and circumstances in day-to-day living get overwhelming and stressful and negative… think about the GREATNESS of God’s love for you! He’s so happy when we think about His goodness and His mercy and grace. Another earworm to think about:
Nothing injects a note of positivity into your day like taking a moment among all the burdensome situations in life to just meditate and concentrate on God’s love and goodness in our lives. God gives His great and wonderful love in Jesus Christ, and all the gifts and powers which live in Him like fragrance in the rose. He has not failed you and He will never fail you – remember that. One more earworm – I promise it’s the last one – well, it probably is – maybe:
God’s love is measureless and strong!!! Keep your mind focused on His love for you today! 🙂
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:10
There are two kinds of people – and I’ve known and loved both kinds. Some people walk into a room and say…
HERE I AM!
Some people walk into a room and say…
THERE YOU ARE!!!
There are two ways you can display a basket. It’s true – and you can tell a lot about a person by looking at the way they display their baskets.
I’ve been to the Longaberger Homestead 3 times and we’re planning another trip soon. While there, I’ve made a couple of baskets and learned a bit about basket weaving. The baskets are made from the bottom up. The one helping starts the base – so it will have a stable foundation to set on. When you get to the top, the person helping usually pretty much takes over because making the collar of the basket is tricky. When the final piece of wood is put on the collar, they give it a haircut. They snip it on each side and on the end.
When you display your basket, you can put the side of it with the haircut where you see it or where others see it. It’s not the prettiest part of the basket, but it has to be there. See what I mean? Those who display the haircut side where they see it more than others do – well, they put more importance on what others see than on what they see.
It may seem like a small thing – but it’s a bit of basket psychology to tuck away in the back of your mind. Oh yeah… it’s a thing!
Of course it’s about more than baskets – it’s about how we treat others on a daily basis. Meeting needs, first of all in our own households – then out from there. Showing honor and esteem to others more than ourselves is not about punishing ourselves – it’s just about being more kind to others. Simple nice actions and random acts of kindness can go a long way toward making others feel honored.
For example, let me challenge you to thank a person in uniform for their service the next time you see them. Any uniform – no matter what the job is. Ah… you’re realizing how many people wear uniforms in their jobs now, aren’t you? Good!
Seriously… so many people in uniforms wonder why they bother some days because they don’t feel honored – heck, they don’t even feel wanted most days. A simple “Thank you for your service” goes a long way. People need to be recognized for what they contribute to the world.
Law enforcement officers need our encouragement more now than ever. Our military needs encouragement more now than ever. If your trash man wears a uniform – go out next week and thank him for doing such a good job! Even if he doesn’t – do it anyway. I wouldn’t do that job – eeeeewwww. Bugs and stuff. Ugh – no.
HONOR is not a word we hear much these days – and certainly not a concept we’re familiar with. That needs to change – and it can change one person at a time. Will you be part of the change for the better? 🙂
When I say “domestic violence”, what pops into your mind? Husbands or wives being abusive to their partner, right? Well, you may be surprised to know – that’s not always the dynamic. Domestic violence is one family member abusing another family member, regardless of what that relationship is. These wonderful SURVIVORS of domestic violence shared with me what most encouraged them in their journey. It’s my prayer that anyone reading this will find hope for the future if they’re experiencing domestic violence.
Barb says a portion of Scripture boosted her self-esteem:
One sister in Christ quoted this Scripture to me one day and ever since then I clung unto it and wow, my self-esteem boosted. – Barb
Lucinda recalls:
I remember crying to my mom one day, ‘Why won’t God get me away from him?’ And my mom gave me the best answer ever, ‘He’ll help you but you have to do it.’ – Lucinda
Love is not physical abuse. Love is not expressed with fists. There are constructive ways to channel anger. Go to the gym. Take a drive. If you feel the need to hit something – leave. Walk out the door and hit something. No person deserves to be beat by another person.
Love is not emotional or mental abuse. Putting a significant other down verbally does not make you better than them. People expect to see outward signs.
Linda’s lesson:
It’s literally been decades since my abuser was around, but I didn’t wear scars on the outside. My scars are all emotional and live inside. Even after all these years I still second guess so many things. There’s a voice inside my head – and it’s not my voice – it’s his voice… telling me I’m stupid, ignorant, fat, or some other derogatory name. Nothing’s ever right about me and he tells me I screwed something up again. Love that again thrown in there… don’t you? When I hear it these days, I call it what it is… the voice that lied to me. I call it by its name and I tell the Lord to make it go away in Jesus’ Name. God is good because He makes the voice leave. It doesn’t stay gone, but when I ask God to make it leave – it has to go! – Linda
Although this poem was written for a wacky holiday in March, my mind was on a day long ago when I finally got away from a person who abused me. It’s amazing, but the situation seems “normal” until you get away from it. It’s like waking up from a nightmare. While you’re in it, you cope the best you can. Once you wake up, you realize that your situation can be so much better – if only you have the courage to stay awake and trust God for the next step. Today, I love the color purple and I embrace these rules in my house and will not settle for less because God loves me and lets me know I’m worth loving.
As we walk this land of broken promises and dreams we have visions of better things in our lives that have yet to come. Keeping your eyes and heart on God and His plan for your life will keep you focused. – Linda
Samantha reminds us of this truth that helped her:
People cry, not because they are weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long. – Johnny Depp
The tears we cry for them are real. Sometimes all we can do is cry and pray – the prayers are not always words either. God hears those prayers too. Aren’t we thankful?
Every time I prayed and asked God to show me the way, He would put my abuser in jail. And every time I cried for weeks afterward. Took 3 times of him being locked up before I finally understood what was being said to me. It’s time to let go. – Samantha
Christina adds:
The abusers never blame themselves, they always blame the victims and try to make them feel deserving of the bad treatment. One thing I learned is never to blame myself for the abuse. And to forgive myself for any choices of a poor relationship that leads to such. I blamed myself for years for having the wrong dad for my kids and even though, we got free from him in 2000, and my kids thankfully by God’s intervening did NOT have visitation with him, still there are hereditary traits, especially in my son! The behavior and addiction problems and anguish is there.
You can raise kids up in church and feed them God’s Word; however, they do come to an age of accountability where they choose to follow or deny God.
For awhile I questioned where I went wrong. God showed me in His Word, the sins of the child are no longer held against the parent, nor the sins of the parent held against the children. That was comforting to me, as it gave me a sense of freedom.
One thing people experience though, is many places of shelter can be cruel or stressful – and some charge. I’ve had some literally make me wonder what the difference was in the abuse. This is one reason many victims go back – because of no sense of real freedom. Many are financially bounded. Many get misjudged for keeping the people or person in their lives but each situation is different.
For instance… although my son does not know my location, he is still my son. He will remain on my friend list. I let him know that I love and forgive him no matter what. But, I cannot trust him. It actually helps to be honest if there’s a safe way to do so.
As far as the guy I tried dating – that had many problems and red flags. He was a greedy, angry soul who didn’t know how to treat women. At first, he put on an act of this Godly person.
He wanted to rush things… I’d warn anyone to be careful about someone rushing. He wanted me isolated. It was as if he was working together with my son to keep me from my doctor appointments – and I wasn’t allowed to use his truck – yet he wanted me to marry him. Um… NOPE. I made up my mind years ago to never be treated like property and never be controlled again by anyone.
The day I was moving out is the day he pushed a heavy TV on me and also took back my stove he got me for a gift. An $800 stove for a $300 balance on the car, which by the way, needs four tires, an alignment, has no heat, no air, etc… yet he drives a brand-new truck.
He couldn’t take no for an answer when I told him I would not marry him nor date anymore. He even has his profile as “engaged”! His best friend tried to sabotage the car the morning I was moving out. And my sister witnessed the ugly words he had to say as well. I may be sleeping on a blanket in a floor with no air, no heat, barely any food, but I’m free and grateful for everything.
My therapy dog is right beside me.
God is my stronghold. I have smoke allergies and the lady that’s letting me use her floor is a chain smoker. It’s not easy, but I keep a towel under the door and my window wide open. We need electrical work. There’s no hot water here, but a cold bath is still a bath.
My son is living on the streets. I pray daily for him to turn to God and be safe and get another job. He was fired thrice this year.
I also have to listen to a worldly TV playing at night. It’s hard to sleep. I don’t want to be fed filth, but I have no choice. Actually, the shelter was worse…
At least I do have my therapy dog and I have my Christian music I can play on my phone. – Christina
I will throw this bit of advice in. Never let anyone, even your most trusted friends, know where you are if you get away. I’ve actually got a P.O. Box in a different county, plus I have people mail to another address and then that person sends it to me – to the out-of -town box! Never leave paper trails if possible! And go where least expected. – Christina
Ann’s story:
All the bad, all the hurt, all the pain, all the struggle, all the hopelessness my children and I had after being abused (including my ex molesting my children) has been turned around and we now help others who have been or are being abused. If you are being abused, please seek help and leave because life is better and you can survive on your own. – Ann
Here’s the Scripture verse that helps Ann:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28
We can make a choice to never give up. We can decide to keep our focus and faith in God, trusting and depending on Him for all of our needs. We don’t have to accept defeat, failure or hopelessness; we can choose faith, hope, and to keep running the race of life with patience and perseverance. God is always with us. Sometimes He is standing by our side, sometimes He is holding our hand, sometimes He is whispering words of wisdom, and sometimes He is carrying us through the storm. You can choose to never give up hope! Hope can keep you alive! I know this from personal experience! – Brooke
And this from Mara:
Safe Horizon’s PSA for 2016:
To show your support, give to Safe Horizon & paint your left ring fingernail PURPLE.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians3:13&14
Once you are on the other side of domestic violence, you can finally experience the true freedom that God intends for you. It’s worth what it takes to break free and find a better life.
If you see signs of abuse of any kind among your friends or family, don’t stay silent. Say something to someone. Staying silent has never worked. 🙂
Sometimes the choices we make are irreversible. Once we begin walking forward, we just have to keep going and never turn around. Those decisions are made slowly and methodically. Make sure you give it much thought, because you know there’s no going back. Nothing in your life will ever be the same again. You have to ask yourself if there may be a time in the future when you’d like for things to be the way they are. If the answer is no, then there’s no reason to stay where you are. That’s the only time it’s okay to take action and keep walking forward.
I’ve only done that once. I don’t care to ever do anything that painful again for the rest of my life.
I’ve learned that there are things that go wrong that don’t always get fixed or get put back together the way they were before. I’ve learned that some broken things stay broken, and I’ve learned that you can get through bad times and keep looking for better ones, as long as you have people who love you. – Bobby Fulks
Sometimes decisions are made for us. Things happen in life that are completely out of our control. Life-altering experiences occur and that’s when we are left with our faith in God. We hopefully have people in our lives who love us, but we know without a doubt that we have God… and yes – He loves us. He cares and He wants to hear what our hearts are feeling. Even if what has happened leaves us frightened and angry and alone – He still wants to hear from us.
Life is a little like on the job training. We are born into this world – expected to perform at a certain level through school and receive a diploma which magically leads us to the pursuit of happiness. Right? Hang on, Sloopy… let’s back this truck up.
Stuff happens in life because not only are we just human, but the people around us are… you guessed it… human. We all have dreams and expectations once we graduate. We’re going to meet the right person to spend a lifetime with – we’re going to have this wonderful family together and we’ll fly off into fluffy white clouds in a classic car – like Danny and Sandy did at the end of the movie GREASE.
Have you ever seen a classic car fly??? I rest my case. Just as a classic car most definitely will not fly, no woman could possibly fit into that leather outfit that Sandy wears toward the end of the movie. I’m convinced that’s why most men want to watch that movie so many times. Sigh. I dunno – maybe it is to see the classic cars…
Yes, life is like on the job training; however, most jobs are dull compared to the twists and turns that life takes. When it seems your life is a rollercoaster ride, just keep in mind that Jesus sits at your side. He doesn’t need a barf bag… but there are times when you might need one. Jus’ sayin’…
The common thread throughout this topsy turvy ride of life is LOVE. Find LOVE – a connection that makes it all worthwhile. Love here on earth, of course… but know that you are loved completely by your LORD. He knows you better than anyone, and He loves you more than anyone here ever will. We need human love to hang in there. We need God’s love to make us whole and give us purpose.
Finding love on this earth is so difficult. Finding love from Heaven is so simple. 🙂
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. – Luke 9:26
If I had a nickel for every time I heard, “I believe in God, but I choose to keep my religion private and to myself”, I’d be so rich! Yet – strangely enough, if I choose to share Christ with others, the target on my back gets shot at. Oh, you haven’t noticed that target on my back? Trust me – it’s there.
The most recent situation took place on facebook. Most of my friends there are aware of my stance about faith. I’m not ashamed to share it with anyone, and although I hope and pray it’s not annoying, I don’t apologize for my facebook posts or my blog posts. I write Christian poetry – although I have written poems that are not particularly religious, I’m not going to apologize for writing what God has inspired me to write.
Apparently one of my friends didn’t get the memo. This person ripped me a new halo about going overboard with my Christianity. Well, long story short, it ended with unfriending and blocking. Isn’t it sad when people can’t just let people post whatever they want on their own facebook wall? Last time I checked, it was still a free country – so far.
It’s my belief that some encouragement is not a bad thing in our upside-down world. Call me crazy, but a positive message of hope and love should be welcome on facebook. Oh well… I wonder who will be the next one to endure this person’s anti-religious rant? I dunno – not my circus, not my monkeys. That’s a Polish proverb – it means that it’s not my problem anymore.
I’ll just say it – nothing a human being says or does to me is going to change what I say or do. When I’m being criticized, I know it’s really my Savior being criticized. And by the way, this portion of Scripture has about 20 cross-references. You know what that tells me? It tells me that the Lord wants His children to share their faith along the way – it’s not to be held silently and hugged to yourself. My favorite portion of Scripture on the subject is Romans 1:16. Look it up – I’m too lazy to type it out. 😉
Oh alright – here’s a hint: this happens to be my favorite song too.
I joined a gym. I didn’t want to go to a gym where Barbie and Ken dolls strut their stuff all over the place and make people like me feel like a fat speed bump. After careful and prayerful consideration, my husband and I landed at Planet Fitness. I like the NO CRITICS signs and especially the LUNK sign that says if you drop weights or judge another person, you are a LUNK. There are also signs around that say THIS IS A NO JUDGMENT ZONE. Other signs say YOU BELONG. Please LIKE their facebook page!
Even though I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin quite yet, I feel comfortable there – I know I will reach my goals in that kind of environment.
We have been consistent so far, and I’ve not gotten discouraged at all, so I plan to continue this lifestyle for the long haul. For the first time in such a long time, I feel hopeful about weight loss and finally FINALLY getting my health back! I have hit the wall… I have no choice. It’s either get healthy or pay over $400 a month for the rest of my life to take insulin. I’d rather pay the gym and do the work. I can do this – I WILL do this! I have to do this.
I have to share what happened on June 3rd. As I said, there are signs all over the place. They also have TV’s mounted in the center of the gym so you can watch any station you choose. There is a PF TV that shows music videos and the PF advertisements in-between videos.
As I was walking on the treadmill I looked up at a sign on the PF TV that I knew should have said, DON’T FORGET TO SPRAY DOWN THE EQUIPMENT. I know you’re going to think I’m off my rocker, but I promise you, when I looked up at it today, it said, DON’T FORGET TO PRAY. That’s all – the “S” was too far to the left of the screen to be seen, and the rest of the message was too far down and off the screen completely.
Did anyone else see it? I don’t know. Did God mean for anyone to see it but me? I don’t know. I saw it though and obviously He meant for me to see it. All I know for sure is my God is so good and so creative! If He wants to remind you to pray, He’s gonna find a way and do it.
Tears came to my eyes. If I had been among my own kind – my own “tribe”, I would have said, “HEY, LOOK YOU GUYS!!!” Obviously, I was not among my own kind, so I showed great restraint and kept walking, wiping tears that rolled down my face (maybe others thought it was sweat). I had to look up and smile, because for whatever reason, my God cared enough for me to remind me to talk with Him today.
It’s not a hassle, it’s not too time-consuming, it’s not a problem to converse with Him. Call me crazy (go ahead, I’ve been called worse, believe me) – but at the moment I saw that sign, it was like God was letting me know He really looked forward to our daily conversation, and He would miss me if I didn’t show up. I love that He loves me and wants my company! Remember the song that Larnelle Harris sang called “I Miss My Time With You” – ??? Yeah – like that. ❤
I’m loved, I’m protected and I’m heard by Him! How many people on this ol’ earth can you say that about? Most people just wanna talk and never listen. God hears me – He always listens because He is a gentleman. When I’m done talking, it’s His turn to talk to me. I gladly listen, study His Word and look for signs everywhere I go – even the signs at the gym! 🙂
What an interesting experience we had at our local McDonald’s restaurant the other day! As you know, my husband and I are both type 2 diabetics. We had been shopping at Walmart and I began to have symptoms of low blood sugar, which is very unusual for me. I’m not a disciplined patient – that is to say, I don’t typically carry candy or glucose tablets in my purse. I know… I know – I should.
We quickly checked our stuff out and loaded it in the truck – then made a beeline for the McDonald’s across the parking lot. To our surprise, there was some sort of meeting going on with goodies that each person brought from home! I’m so impressed that the management of McDonald’s would allow folks to do that. You’d think they would insist that they buy the food there, wouldn’t you?
There were all sorts of cakes and cookies and assorted things of that nature. I was busy with my oatmeal and coffee (4 points, yep – I counted it)… and a sweet little lady came to our booth and said,
It’s April birthday month and we have all kinds of goodies if you kids would like to have some birthday cake or cookies, help yourself!
Two things hit me simultaneously… first – the term YOU KIDS is one I have not heard in such a long time; in fact, not since my sweet mama passed. Secondly – the sheer sweetness she showed. We were not a part of their organization or group or whatever, yet she showed such a kindness to us!
I didn’t know her, but she was inclusive by inviting us to be a part of their celebration. She had no way of knowing that I had a birthday in April – but how very sweet it was of her to ask if we may want to help them celebrate another year of life for those in their group – whatever it was. I have no idea, but I am so impressed with the manager of that McDonald’s for letting these sweet seniors gather there with their homemade birthday goodies.
As we left the restaurant, I made a little detour to the counter and let the manager know that I thought it was very kind of him to let them gather every month for a birthday celebration. He just grinned and gave me two thumbs up. He told me they’d been doing that since the restaurant opened and he doesn’t mind a bit. I didn’t ask what organization they represent – I’m not sure he even knew to be honest.
Some things happen on some days that just restore your faith in human nature. This was a good day – a very, very good day. Thank You, Lord for good days and good folks. 🙂
What God-given tasks are done every day? Do you know a doctor or a nurse? Certainly, what they do is very important to their patients – and praise God, He gave them the intelligence to take good care of sick people! Do you know a clown? What a unique gift to be given by God – the ability to make others forget their problems for just a little while – and make them laugh. The list goes on and on… do you know a pastor? I couldn’t be a pastor – pastor’s are definitely called by God. They are special people and are much more patient than me.
Love is not physical abuse. Love is not expressed with fists. There are constructive ways to channel anger. Go to the gym. Take a drive. If you feel the need to hit something – leave. Walk out the door and hit something. No person deserves to be beat by another person.
Although this poem was written for a wacky holiday in March, my mind was on a day long ago when I finally got away from a person who abused me. It’s amazing, but the situation seems “normal” until you get away from it. It’s like waking up from a nightmare. While you’re in it, you cope the best you can. Once you wake up, you realize that your situation can be so much better – if only you have the courage to stay awake and trust God for the next step. Today, I love the color purple and I embrace these rules in my house and will not settle for less because God loves me and lets me know I’m worth loving. 
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. – Luke 9:26
I joined a gym. I didn’t want to go to a gym where Barbie and Ken dolls strut their stuff all over the place and make people like me feel like a fat speed bump. After careful and prayerful consideration, my husband and I landed at Planet Fitness. I like the NO CRITICS signs and especially the LUNK sign that says if you drop weights or judge another person, you are a LUNK. There are also signs around that say THIS IS A NO JUDGMENT ZONE. Other signs say YOU BELONG. Please LIKE their facebook page!
What an interesting experience we had at our local McDonald’s restaurant the other day! As you know, my husband and I are both type 2 diabetics. We had been shopping at Walmart and I began to have symptoms of low blood sugar, which is very unusual for me. I’m not a disciplined patient – that is to say, I don’t typically carry candy or glucose tablets in my purse. I know… I know – I should.
HEART HUNGER 