Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not depend on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3
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Month: November 2013
thanksgiving.
Not feeling much like being thankful? I know. When you’re hurting, being thankful is not in your mind. And even if you think about being thankful, the fact is you don’t want to be.
And a picture of a sunset or snowflake or flower won’t do a thing for you. Not when you’re feeling some deep loss or despair.
Feel the pain. It’s okay.
But lift your tear stained face off that pillow for a minute and breathe. You see the now. But there is a tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Don’t let the sorrow consume you to the point of not wanting to live. Just as quickly as that pain stormed down the door and pounced on you – it can leave just as quickly.
There is something to be thankful for. Something.
Abraham Lincoln gave a proclamation to the American people during the Civil War. Despite a time of severe sorrow and loss, he leads the country in establishing our national holiday on the last Thursday of November, and called it Thanksgiving. What? How can this be?
Finding something to be thankful for is not avoiding or ignoring the pain. But it will help you through it. Abraham Lincoln must have known that.
panic attacks (part 2)
The world is not perfect.
Our bodies are not perfect.
Things wear out. Things go wrong.
That should go without saying. But often, we are surprised when it happens to us.
The Bible says God works all things out for our good. That’s very comforting. Especially when you have experienced God doing this for you.
Having panic attacks disrupted my rhythm. But they caused me to see life in a new way. Not only was I sincerely grateful for medication that helped (which caused gratefulness to be extended in other areas), but I found areas in my life where I needed to slow down, manage stress, and most of all, feeling empathy, sympathy, and compassion for others. This wasn’t a lesson, but God’s desire to free us from things that we do not realize hinder us. He just doesn’t think the way we do. He takes the ashes and gives us beauty.
Whatever you are going through, it’s not the end of the story. I know it seems like it, but just like the rainbow after a storm, we have hope.
Nature reveals the heart of God for humanity. Even if you don’t believe in God, or are not sure there is a God, all you have to do is look around and you will see him everywhere.
And even if your situation doesn’t change, God gives us the comfort and strength to endure.
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scripture friday.
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8
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rest.
panic attacks.
Since the loss of my son, I began having panic attacks.
If you have them, you know what they are. They’re scary!
After the 3rd visit at the ER, a very kind doctor asked me, “Why won’t you take the medicine your doctor recommended? What are you afraid of?”
I wanted to cry out, “Because I’m a Christian and we don’t take stuff like that!”
But I didn’t. I was silent.
“If you had diabetes, you would be taking insulin, true?”
“Yes.”
The light went on. I’m not weak in my faith. I had misdirected faith. Would I have the faith to trust God to do something I didn’t understand? That I didn’t want to do?
I filled the prescription and it took less than a week to get straightened around.
The scary part of panic attacks was my mind racing. I felt like I was losing control. But the truth was, I wasn’t.
Truth is a wonderful thing. Perhaps difficult to admit to at first, but it really does set you free.
~to be continued~
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scripture friday.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14
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thank-you!
Thank-you to all who read and/or follow me! I have people from all over the world reading and it makes me happy to be able to plant a seed of encouragement in someone’s life. Most of the time it’s just taking a step back and looking at something from a different angle that makes all the difference.
Most of my posts have been short and reflective since most people do not take the time to read long blog posts. I’m big at seeing what can come from a small seed.
That said, I’m going to change things a bit.
Mondays will be a bit more up close and personal. Sharing our burdens is meant to be.
Wednesdays will be short and sweet.
Fridays will continue to be “Scripture Friday”, since without that guidance in my life, I would be confused and aimless.
Also, watch for my December 2nd post to enter a drawing for a book gift from me! Details will be included in the post!
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beauty.
Sometimes, we aren’t prepared.
Sometimes, we aren’t expecting.
But beauty will always come through.
And the light is always greater than the darkness.
thankful.
I was thinking about the time during my formative years when I didn’t have a good foundation. Many times I felt like a lost soul.
But I did have structure.
We know a building is only as good as its foundation. But there’s something to be said for a tent.
The tent is a structure that can provide protection. The structure I did have in my life was to be accepted for what it was and to be thankful.
Whether your house is a mansion or modest farm house, the results are the same. You have a place to go. There is food, water, and heat.
Humans are more resilient than we think. We can really make it on very little. We have expectations that aren’t necessary for survival. I know what you’re thinking. Who wants to merely survive?
If you can make life better, do it! But if you can’t, accept it and find the good in it.
Everyone’s life is different for many reasons. Some things you have control over. Some things you do not.
Being thankful for what you do have will give you joy. Joy is being content with what you have. It is not dependent upon circumstances. It’s a constant, steady glow that doesn’t burn too hot or too cold. Joy gives you the proper outlook on life. It opens your heart to seeing life at all angles.
It would be later in life when I would have a good foundation. But I am thankful for the structure I had which gave me something to be thankful for.
A 3 course meal or bread and water….both satisfy hunger and thirst.
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when it hurts 
