Job

5 things to help you when dealing with illness & being thankful for the little things

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I was talking to a co-worker, the other day. I was sharing how many boxes I had to use to store my 2017 files. Normally, I use about 6. This year, I have already filled up 11 boxes & have more to go. We were talking about how blessed we were to have had a lot of work last year.  It also made me think about my mama & how she thought about work.

If you are new here, you may not know, but my mama passed away in 2002. She had multiple sclerosis. She was a wonderful person, not to mention the best mama in the WORLD. She became ill in her early 40s. So when I hit my early 40s guess what I thought was going to happen to me?? Yep. I got past it & thanked the Lord for it.  Looking back, I learned so many lessons while she was sick. It was a terrible time for our family. But we stuck together. One of the things I remember about my mama was that she worked hard. She worked at home & she worked an outside job. Once she got sick, I can remember on many occasions talking to her about work. There were times I would come in after work & be so tired. She would always tell me to be thankful.  She would say,

” Be glad you can go to work. I would just give anything if I could.”

That has really stuck with me through the years. I think of that when I get stressed or aggravated, at work. I am so blessed to have a good job & thankful I am healthy enough to go to work. When you get sick & tired of work & think how hard you must have it, just remember there’s those out there who would love to be healthy & able to hold down a job. Now that I look back on all those times when my mama was sick, I think of lessons I learned. And that’s something I want to say today. If you are going through a sickness of your own or someone else you love, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Keep moving. Oh, it’s ok to stop & have a moment here & there. But look for the opportunities to do good.  You will do no good living on the corner of gloom and doom. Yes, it’s a tough deal, that no one wants to deal with. If you use your time to count your blessings & look ahead, things won’t be so grim. At one time, Mama was on the one at church, that you called to report announcements. She would take them down & give them to my Dad for church. She loved talking to people & letting them know they had our support. Find something you enjoy & keep going.

2. I learned just because you have a pain, doesn’t mean you have to be a pain. The nurses & nurses aids that cared for my mama always loved her. She hated to be in the position she was in. And she deeply appreciated those doing for her what she could no longer do for herself.

3. Never lose sight of God. In times of trials, it is so easy to question God & want to know why. There are no real good reasons why bad things happen to good people except that we live in a fallen world where the bad comes with the good. Accept it. It’s reality. We all deal with things we wish we didn’t have to. Keep your faith in God alive & well. Sometimes it’s all we have. Mama went to church even when my daddy would have to get her ready, pick her up & put her in the van, & push her in with her sitting in a wheelchair. That is true love for God.

Job 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God & shall we not accept adversity? (NKJV)

4. Look for the happy times. Illnesses are awful. But there is good in everything. I got to spend lots of quality time with my precious mama those last few years of her life. We learned to look for the little things, in our day, to help us make it through. Like getting the mail, the nurse coming, an unexpected guest, cooking special dishes, receiving cards from friends & family or ordering out. I can say, most of the time she kept a good attitude. Which I believe her thankfulness helped keep her grounded with her illness.

5. Keep your sense of humor. I can remember a lot of different times when mama would say, “Don’t that beat all?” Then she would laugh about whatever mess we had gotten ourselves into. Because, bless my heart more times than not, every time we tried to do something I would end up making things twice as hard as they really were. Things that were normally easy, was tough, when she was bedfast. Washing her hair was a total mess sometimes. Because how do you wash someone’s hair in the bed? I usually ended up getting her soaking wet. She would laugh & say she never thought she would have to swim with her gown on.  Laughing would help break up the monotony of the reality of what was really going on.

 Ephesians 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.(KJV)

I hope you are having a blessed week. It’s been very rainy the past few days. And cold. We have thankfully been in the house! I hope you are somewhere sunny, with balmy wind hitting you in the face. I won’t be too jealous! Until next time, I should be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Click on the free printable to download scripture memory cards for encouragement.

 

photo credit: http://www.meetpenny.com, pinterest

 

 

If this don’t melt your heart, nothing will

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Recently, I clicked on my local Facebook interweb page & saw a wonderful story I wanted to share.  Click on the picture to read this truly heartwarming story.

teen

Two important lessons I want to bring out of this story.

  1. When the cop found this teenager he did not get all racist on him, he did not brutally attack him, he did not gun him down.  Because he took time to listen to the teenager, the officer was the beginning of a beautiful life changing situation for this young man.
  2. This young man gave God the glory for his newfound situation.

This could just have very well been just another frightening & sad event for the media to hone in on to discourage us.  But because the police officer took the time to listen to the teenager & because the police officer took his job to protect & serve seriously, we are reading a happy ending instead of a terrible one.  I’m not sure how well publicized this story is, however, I bet you it doesn’t get the attention all the negative in the world has been getting.  And you know something I find so heartwarming about this?  After all the money this teenager has gotten on his GoFundMe page, all the donations kind folks have made to him, the free health & dental care that was promised him, the job, the new bike, all the tangibles, you know what he said meant the most to him?

THE RELATIONSHIPS he had made through all this.

It looks like this young man is wise beyond his years.  I know people with much more years & experience on him, that has yet to realize this.  Relationships are everything.  Jesus talks about love for one another as a commandment, not just a good idea.

Mark 12: 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.(NKJV)

Mark 12: 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(NKJV)

I believe the morale to this story should be : God will provide.

God provided for this young man & He will provide for you, as well.  Don’t you just love it when God steps right in & blesses people?  It just give you that deep down good feeling.  Like chocolate gravy & biscuits good.

I hope you are having a blessed day.  We have had a smidge of rain & our little container garden has runneth over.  I’m really enjoying having some fresh summer vegetables.  What are you enjoying this summer?  I want to hear all about it.  But until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

5 things to do when you don’t know what to do

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  • a seek
    Do y’all ever have those days, weeks, years, that you wonder why
    you haven’t given up yet? I’m talking about just a good ol’ throwin’
    your hands up in the air & saying,
    “Y’all can have this, I quit!”
    Sometimes, it just seems like nothing is going right. When there’s
    too much month & not enough money, not enough time in the day
    to do it all, piled up laundry, stacked up dishes, legal problems,
    deteriorating health (whether yours or a loved one), relationship
    problems, or worse- you may feel like you don’t know where to turn.
    It’s sadly a reality that people are hurting & sometimes the grief of
    life can overwhelm us. However, sweet friends, I wanted to share
    with you how you can get through these things in life & oddly
    enough, come out ok.
    Here are my 5 reasons not to go hollaring and screaming into the
    sunset:
    1. Remember that everything in life is temporary. If everything is going good,enjoy it, because it won’t last forever. And if things are going
    bad, don’t worry, that won’t last either.
    James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (NKJV)
    2. Know you have to trust the Lord. When God says you can do this,
    you can. Know that the Lord will not let you go so far, you
    can’t see your way back.
    I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  (NKJV)
    God’s team is the winning team. Be on that team.
    3. Don’t forget the prize. Keep your eye on the prize (heaven). Do
    all you can to be faithful, so that you may be able to have that
    prize. God’s plan for your life, far exceeds the circumstances
    of your day. So, know if you just hang on there, the Lord’s
    going to come right in & take care of it all. But we have to do
    our part, too.  Be sure you don’t forget to continue to be a beautiful Christian like example.  God won’t forget you for it.
    Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take,
    when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. (NKJV)
    4. Be aware that with the good, comes the bad. Hard times are a fact of life.
    How we view them & handle them is up to us.
    Job 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God & shall we not accept
    adversity?(NKJV)

    5. Most of all know you are not in this by yourself. There are billions of people on this ol’ earth. Know when to ask someone for help. I had a dear friend tell me once, “You can get through anything with a lot prayer & a lot of Paxil.” I love her light hearted take on life. It’s reality that sometimes we have to ask our medical care providers for help. Don’t be afraid to do that.  But do know that Jesus is right there waiting to help you no matter what.  If the Lord does not seem close to you, seriously, who moved?  It wasn’t Him. Just seek Him, because He’s there.  Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; (NKJV)

Let me stop here & say something about Job. He lost everything he ever worked hard for.  His wife turned against him. His friends gave him bad advice. He had health & financial problems. In one day his whole world was turned upside down. However, it was in his attitude, his God fearing, God loving, God trusting attitude that helped him make it through. It seemed like sometimes that God had forgotten Job. But He didn’t. It was over years before Job’s life ever turned around. What did he do during the mean time? He was faithful. Don’t get me wrong. He was upset & didn’t like what was going on. However, he never turned his back on God.He knew the Lord would deliver him. And guess what y’all? He did & Job was more blessed in the end, than the beginning.

a seek I

Now that’s a beautiful reason to keep your head up & keep
going. I have been through times in my life, that it was day by
day, minute by minute that I had to try to focus on getting
through something tough. The good news is, I did it. I know I
prayed a lot, stayed faithful to the Lord, & just kept going.
Sometimes that’s all we can do.
I am so glad you came by to visit me today.  It is SUNSHINING here.  Am I really here in NE Mississippi or is this heaven?  So glad to see the sun after all the cold & gloomy days.  I hope you have had a blessed week.  As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.
photo credit: pinterest

God’s Power

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photo credit: fbcoverlovers.com

photo credit: fbcoverlovers.com

I read a very thought provoking statement the other day:

“God’s power to restore is stronger than Satan’s power to destroy.”

 Hmmm…this got the wheels to turning in my head.  I started plugging in all of the problems of my life into that statement.  I thought about some of my relationships that have turned from love to indifference.  I thought of my own child, who has fallen by the wayside, and lives a life not pleasing to God.  I thought of the things that hover over me daily, that try to weaken my faith.  I thought of my family, that is not in church.  I thought of how some people enjoy being critical & judgmental.  I thought about all the material things others have, that I don’t.  Goodness gracious!  It didn’t take me long to really get a list going & to think “what in the world do I have to be happy about?”  Well, let me just tell you.  I am fortunate & blessed to have Jesus in my life. 

I John 4:4 says Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

That means Who I have in my heart is bigger & better than anything in the world!  I then thought about my children who are in church.  I thought about those family members, who are a Godly bunch .  I thought about how there are things & people in life that I cannot, and would not want to, control.  However, I have an avenue of prayer to bring all of that to the Lord.  I thought about how even when those around me are rude or mean, I have the power to not imitate the same behavior.  I thought of the wonderful church family I have & how they share my journey with Christ.  I thought about how life is unfair, but God’s not. I thought about how I pray for my son each & every day that goes by & I believe, with all my heart, God has a plan for him.  I thought about how I am surrounded by good people who really care about me.  I thought of how no matter what comes my way, my God is able to restore anything back better than it was in the beginning. 

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Ephesians 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I also considered King Solomon.  He had all the riches the Earth could give him.  He turned from God, trying to chase his own rabbit, to find happiness.  He involved himself in the lusts of the world.  At one time he had 300 concubines, 700 wives & princesses, & he turned his heart to other gods.  From the world’s view, it might have seemed like he was living the life.  But, his morals went to pot pretty quick.  Without God, he found contentment for a season, but ended up with emptiness inside.  The wisest man of his time, ended up giving this advice about how to really live life:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:                                                      Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

And you cannot even think about a life being changed & restored without mentioning Job.  His latter days were better than the beginning (after he went through some really hard times in his life).

Job 42:12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

God even made Job’s daughters beautiful.  What a wonderful God is that?  Nobody wants ugly kids!  He just slipped that right in there.  That was just icing on the cake.

So, today I ask you, do you dwell on Satan’s power to destroy, much more that the Lord’s power to restore?  It’s so easy to do.  But know that the Lord has plans for our lives that are bigger than anything we can ask or think.  We just have to live by His word & leave Him to do his job.  That’s my problem sometimes.  I try to take on worries & troubles that aren’t mine in the first place.  I get tired of the struggles & troubles of life & want to give in to something easier.  However, my job is to have faith & believe God will take care of it all.  When I do that, I begin to experience the peace & love God promises.  And that feeling is really good.  Like sweet tea & fried chicken good.

Thank you for coming by to spend some time with me.  I enjoy our visits together!  Just know & believe that better things are coming.  We are all going to have trials & heartache.  Isn’t it better to have trials & heartache with Jesus?  I hope you have a wonderful day.  As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

God’s not everywhere

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I Kings 19:11-12

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

I was in total disbelief, as I stood & looked before me at the massive amount of nothingness that stood between 2 sets of tree lines.  On April 27, 2011, a category F5 tornado hit the small rural town of Smithville, Mississippi.  A couple of weeks later, I stood, with a group of church friends, viewing the devastation that was left behind.  From where we were at, we could see across the highway at an area that was hard hit.  Right there, in front of us, it was as if a huge lawn mower had plowed right through a wooded area., leaving an empty spread about ½ a mile wide.  I looked at the places where houses were no longer at.  But most importantly, I got to look into the faces of many of those who were victims of the tornado.  We were set up at a church building, cooking, handing out meals, giving away necessities to those who were left without.  It was amazing the outpouring of love people from all over the country were sending in way of food, clothing, money, home furnishings, anything you can think of.  Folks were helping in the time of need.

You may ask, but what about the tornado?  What about those who lost their lives?  What about those who lost their loved ones & everything they owned?  Why does God let these things happen?  I have an opinion about all of this.  Stay with me, because sometimes, I know what I am trying to say, however, might take a minute to get there. I am not entirely convinced that God has His hand in everything that happens.  There is another entity that is present on this earth besides God.  That would be the devil. Does the devil have influence over anything?  I would say so.  Look at all the sin in the world.  The killings, hunger, theft, drugs, alcohol, and just pure down right meanness.  That’s not from God. The devil was there when God told him he could have his way with his servant Job.  Actually, Satan declared, that he had been going to and fro on the earth walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7)  He caused a load of trouble for Job, including his family being killed, v. 13, his livestock being attacked & killed v. 15, his servants being burned up, v. 16, he himself was struck with painful boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet 2:7.  Where was God?  Did He not love Job?  Yes, but at the time Satan had his way with him. Job endured to the end, with the devil & he was blessed more than tin the beginning.42:12  God was not in all that happened to Job. Satan was in a lot of it.  Could God have intervened?  Yes, if He had of wanted to.  However, He can’t be in cahoots with Satan.  So, when Satan is having his way, God’s not there.  But ladies & gentlemen, be aware, because Satan is among us daily.

So, what happened with these folks in Smithville after the tornado?  I don’t know about all of them, but I do personally know about one family.  This family lost all their material belongings, in that tornado.  Their mobile home, cars, clothes, anything you can think of. They dug their way out of a church basement once the storm passed thorough.  All they had were the clothes on their backs & each other.     But God had a plan for them.   After it was all said & done, they had a better house than they had ever had.  Since the storm, more people had helped them & got them back on their feet in a way they could not have done for themselves.  They came out of this life changing incident much better than they were in the beginning.  The tornado, that was the devil.  The love & compassion, that was God.  God will always triumph over evil.

Thank you for coming by to visit. Right now I have to go, because I should be washing clothes!