my tears

You have kept a record of my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. They are already in your book.

- Psalm 56:8 (NOG)

 

This is a new translation for me, Names of God Bible (NOG), but I liked the way the verse is translated in this version.

I know that I have cried a hundred thousand tears over my life thus far and I sure there will be a hundred thousand more while I finish this journey.

So many times we wander the paths we are on, our hearts crying out.

It is reassuring to know that we do not mourn alone, that God sees our pain and He comforts us.

We may be sad, we may cry, just know that our Father in Heaven does not ignore us, but He is holding us up through our storms.

 

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not abandoned

For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love.

- Lamentations 3:31-32

 

Many times we feel alone.

Personally I have walked that road often, where I felt no one was with me, no one understood, and I had been abandoned by everyone.

My sadness can become overwhelming sometimes and there are many things that trigger the crushing emotions that can paralyze my mind and body.

Some days even getting out of bed is a challenge.

I believe that I am not the only one that feels this way.

It is difficult to remember this, but we are not on our own out here.

We have a huge network of support in our Father, all we have to do is open His word.

We are going to have pain, “Though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes with the morning” but there is healing in the Lord.

 

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all of me

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

- Romans 12:4-5 (NIV)

 

When you were in grade school, I’m sure you learned about parts of the body and why each are important.

The brain runs all the body’s systems, the blood circulates oxygen, the stomach processes food for energy, the kidneys filter bad stuff from your blood.

The list goes on as you can imagine until all parts have been acknowledged.

The heart could never control how we take our every breath, the kidneys could not provide energy, all the parts together form one body - our body that we are given to get us through life. 

We can function without some of our organs and body parts by adapting but it isn’t the same.

Just like we all have a body with many parts, we are part of a larger body, a body of Christ followers.

We each play a role in living as Christ taught and just like the brain supports the functions of the human body, our spiritual body is supported by one another.

OHHHHHHH Song reference: If We Are The Body performed by Casting Crowns – here is the chorus:

… But if we are the body

Why aren't his arms reaching?

Why aren't his hands healing?

Why aren't his words teaching?

… And if we are the body

Why aren't his feet going?

Why is his love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price

For us to pick and choose who should come

And we are the body of Christ

Food for thought?

Let’s support one another.   

 

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pierced with many griefs

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

- 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)

 

This again?

Yes, because it cannot be stressed enough.

Money is not evil, but the love of money is.

The love of money can make people do horrible things like lie, cheat and steal.

If you didn’t earn it, you don’t deserve it no matter what ideas of entitlement you have swirling around your brain.

Some people won’t stop though, they continue to fight for what they perceive as their rights, and they fight dirty.

Just because you were born doesn’t mean that you should be eligible to things that don’t belong to you.   

 

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caregivers

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

- 1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV)

 

At the end of next week comes a day I have been dreading for the last 8 months.

September 3^rd would have been my mother’s 92^ndbirthday.

Even though I really lost her when Alzheimer’s took over her memory, her death last December was devastating to me.

Mother’s day, my birthday, my adoption day, all of these have brought memories flooding back and breaking my heart all over again.

I had spent the better part of the last nine years ensuring that she was cared for and had everything that she needed.

Mom spent her whole life taking care of her kids, some of the neighbor kids and even some grandkids, she sacrificed a lot for us.

Here is a quote from the internet that I’d like to share with you:

To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors. – Tia Walker.

And this one:

If your parents cared for you, care for them.  Even if they didn’t care for you, if you have the opportunity to do so, care for them.  One day you will be older.  Once again, unable to care for yourself.  Who will care for you?  What goes around comes back around. – thegoodvibe.co

I could go on for days as the tears fall, there are a lot of quotes about caring for elderly parents the last one I’ll post today is this:

Love your parents and treat them with loving care.  For you will only know their value when you see their empty chair. - Anonymous  

You don’t know what you are losing until their chair is empty.

 

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money for nothing

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

- 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (ESV)

 

Back in 1985 there was a song released called “Money For Nothing” by the band Dire Straits.

Today the lyrics are considered offensive, so I won’t quote them here, but the song was written after overhearing delivery men complain about their jobs.

The song indicates that the delivery men are frustrated with the hard work that they put in compared to the “easy life” of rock stars and the perception that the rock stars get everything without having to work for it. 

There seems to be a lot of laziness in the world today, people trying to work the system to get a lot of everything with no effort.

It is sad to see people not lifting a finger to help themselves or anyone else, yet the same people expect and sometimes receive compensation for time and activity in which they had no participation. 
For those who do work hard (even rock stars don’t have it as easy as you’d think), just keep on doing your work.

God knows the truth.

 

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don’t be deceived

They will tell lies and false stories so they can use you to get things for themselves. But God judged them long ago and their death is on the way.

- 2 Peter 2:3 (NLV)

 

One of the “life lessons” we should learn while on earth is not to believe everything that we read or hear.

Especially since the inception of the internet, there are so many mistruths it becomes difficult to discern what is real and what is fabricated.

People will tell stories to make themselves feel better including everything you did wrong, very quickly forgetting the good things that you did when it no longer benefits them.

Some people spend their entire lives convincing themselves that they deserve the things others have when those others dedicated their lives to working for those things.  

Listen carefully to what you are being told about someone else.

If someone talks badly about you, remember that normal people don’t go around trying to destroy other people.

 

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earn your keep

Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.

- Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)

 

It’s a funny thing really, that most people work very hard to get what they want, yet others sit around waiting for it to land in their lap.

Pretty much everyone wants the best of everything, but very few are willing to work for it.

There are those that think they are entitled to receive it all without lifting a finger.

I feel sorry for the people who will never understand the satisfaction of seeing a job completed or well done.

It’s very sad when someone thinks that they deserve a reward for having done nothing.

 

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good news

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

- Romans 5:10

 

How about a verse to make you go “hmmmm”?

I think this one does just that.

No matter what we do God loves us.

Always.

And no matter what we do we have the option to ask forgiveness and repent, and God still loves us.

If we can still be forgiven as non-believers, imagine how much better things are as believers!

You see God loves us so much, even in all our sin, that He sent His Son to die for us, so that we could be forgiven and so that we could go to Heaven to live forever.

He didn’t have to do that.

He did it for love.

That’s really good news.

 

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I made a mistake

Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.

- Proverbs 17:9 (TLB)

 

Part of the reason that I like the internet is that I can look up different translations of Bible verses.

This verse in the NIV version didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

But when I started researching, I found other translations that made it clear.

We all make mistakes – that is the joy of being human.  

It is probably accurate to say that a lot of the mistakes we make are related to sin.

This verse talks about friends and loved ones knowing about the sin and they ignore it, hate us for it, or constantly belittle us for it.

See, we can love someone while we don’t love their sins, but ignoring their sin isn’t right and it is certainly wrong to hold a grudge over that person because of a sin they have committed. 
Make your mistakes, own up to them and make amends. 

If you love someone that has messed up, don’t stop loving them but instead love them through their mistake and help them along their way.

Proverbs 17 is a good chapter in any translation.

Twenty-eight verses reminding us that there is a good way to respond and a bad way to respond.

Let’s choose good.

 

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take charge

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

- Ephesians 4:22-24

 

Social media is such a challenge to maneuver.

People get all up in the trees over half-truths and false information and boy howdy if you try to point out facts to some people, they completely shred you.

Then there are the folks out there that consistently post the “woe is me” stories and if you don’t offer to help them (usually financially) you are an unfeeling person.

Lest we forget the ones that post things that are sensitive in nature looking to start a fight, I cannot count the number of times I have seen “silence is acceptance” or “if you aren’t speaking out against this you are a supporter of all that is wrong”. 

Give me a break.

We are corrupted into believing everything that is reported whether it is right or wrong.

There are people out there who truly believe that they don’t have to follow the rules, that they deserve to have everything given to them.

And there are those that won’t lift a finger to help someone in need.

Listen up – it is time we take control of our lives back.

We do not need to listen to the masses when they say that we can’t pray.

We can ignore the ones who tell us that we are wrong for believing.

We have the right to teach our children our history, no matter how painful it is to maybe keep them from making the same mistakes that we did.

We are in control of our own circumstances.

Hate your job? Find a new one!  It takes time and perseverance, but it can be done.

Can’t pay your bills?  Take a hard look at your spending habits, if you get a $7 cup of coffee every day that is $210 in a month – I bet that would pay one of your bills.

Put on your new self, be the change, take charge of your circumstances instead of letting your circumstances control you.

 

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here’s to new beginnings!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

 

Greetings!

There is nothing like a new beginning, right?

My amazing husband and I just returned from two glorious weeks of vacation, we spent time with family and friends, and we rode our motorcycles in some of God’s most beautiful creations. 

Today we return to our every day lives.

After ten years in the same role in corporate America, today I officially start a new job and a new adventure.

Am I scared?

Absolutely!  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified!

I have waited a long time to start something new, I even looked outside of the company I have been with for the last 19 ½ years.

I would get through sometimes three rounds of interviews only to be told that the hiring managers had chosen someone else.

It was heartbreaking, I felt like I would never be able to change my circumstances.

We often feel trapped in situations, but God really does have a plan, we just need to learn to trust His faithfulness. 
He will deliver us and bless us.
We have hope and a bright future because of His faithfulness and our trust in His son Jesus. 

 

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