Joy Unspeakable

One of the best ways to reduce stress, is to keep your sense of humor! Don’t panic, don’t overreact, and don’t use unnecessary force. If you do people will avoid you.

Happy people get more done than their oh-so-serious counterparts. Actually, being joyful can make you laugh all the way to the bank. Would you rather buy a car from a stressed-out, verbally abusive salesman, or someone whose company you enjoy?

Would you rather work around someone who’s congenial, or someone moaning and groaning about what ought to be done?

“A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Pr 17:22 NIV).

However, keep in mind 2 things when it comes to humor:

(1) Make sure your humor is at no one else’s expense. Avoid jokes about things others might be sensitive about. Weight, and bad hairdos might make some people laugh, but to others it’s not funny. No one likes to be the butt of the joke. Be careful with teasing someone else. Make sure that their personality can handle your humor. It’s always wise to let the joke be on you; you know you’re not going to offend yourself!

(2) Remember that timing is everything. “There is a time for everything…a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecc 3:1, 4 NIV). If people don’t believe you truly care about them, your humor will produce only a shallow and strained response.

Every relationship, every path you cross, every conversation you have can ultimately be used by God to further His purposes. Whether at work, at home or at play, always keep these things in mind.  (By Rick Godwin)

Please join Amy over at the 160 Acre Woods for more Word-filled posts!

So, What Do You Think?

We live in a society that is so often absorbed with its own feelings.  I know for one, I am sometimes guilty of thinking poorly of myself and negatively about the situations that I find myself facing.

My thoughts run rapid. I'm fat; I frustrated: I'm sad; I'm worried; I'm afraid, and the list goes on.  Even though I may not say them aloud, these thoughts and feelings can play like a movie over and over again in my mind. I recently read a quote by a Dr. Leaf that said:

“87% to 95% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think about affects us physically and emotionally. It's an epidemic of toxic emotions.”

Yes, this kind of thinking can become toxic in our lives. Our thoughts become pictures, and those pictures become the basis of how we relate to God and others.

However, thank God we have the ability, through His Spirit and by His Grace, to control the thoughts and the way we think about ourselves. Truly, a picture is worth a 1,000 words, and we need to picture ourselves the same way God pictures us!

Today's quote by Rick Warren is so meaningful:

 

 

The most successful people I know are ones who have learned to control their thoughts.  The goal is to harness them under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Let's face it; many of us suffer from the effects of the toxic thoughts that are out to destroy our future and destiny. We must wage war and take captive those thoughts that many have so accurately called "stinking thinking".

When I read the quote by Pastor Warren, the first scripture that came to mind was the one where Paul gave us a warning about how we think…

"To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6

Here we see a picture of the battle that is raging in the arena of our minds.

Death verses life and peace. 

Which will it be? How do we change the way we think, and how do we take captive those negative and harmful pictures from playing in the theater of our minds?

Paul answers these questions a little further along in the book of Romans where we read:

“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

I once read the quote below and remember thinking how true it was…

“If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted. If you continue to act as you have always acted, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. If you want different results in your life or your work, all you have to do is change your mind."

I don't know about you, but I do not want to continue down the same old path of wrong thinking. God has given us everything that we need to succeed.  His word is full of promises and instructions on how to live a life that brings glory to Him. 

What greater way to honor our God than to,

1) believe all that He says about us is true, and

2) then act upon that truth in the way we live our lives.

This is how we celebrate His victory.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and created in the image of Jesus, God’s perfect Son. May we always see ourselves in the light of this amazing truth.

Please join us over at Heart Choices today as Debbie is our gracious hostess this week.

 

Father forgive me for all the times I’ve believed the lies of the enemy.  You told me I can do all things through you, and that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in your imagine. Teach me what it means to have the mind of Christ.  Thank you for your patience and your great love and mercy towards me.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Friday Funnies!

Medical Chart Bloopers

Real sentences taken from patients' hospital charts:

• Patient lives at home with his mother, father, sister and pet turtle who is enrolled in daycare three days a week.
• On the second day the knee was better, and by the third day it had completely disappeared.
• Discharge status: Alive, but without permission.
• Patient is numb from the toes down.
• Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.
• Patient was alert and unresponsive.
• Skin: somewhat pale, but present.
• Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.
• Patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
• While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and discharged.

Join us over at the Homesteaders Heart for more fun and laughter!

Spiritual Fitness

 

 

When Dallas Cowboys’ coach, Tom Landry, was asked how to build a winning team he said:

“My job is to get men to do what they don’t want to do, in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to achieve.”

 What did those football players want to achieve? Victory at the Super Bowl. What did they not want to do? The hard work necessary to get there!

Achieving greatness requires discipline – determined, deliberate, daily, definable actions with a clear goal in mind.

Paul coached Timothy, saying: “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness.”

Timothy was the Pastor of the Church in Ephesus, a Las Vegas sort of city. It was a busy, rich, sensual place to be a Christian. Paul knew that succeeding there wouldn’t be easy, so he used the Greek term from which we get our word gymnasium.

In other words, becoming Christ-like requires a daily workout. So Paul writes, “Training yourself for spiritual fitness.”

Notice two words:

(1) Training – which calls for repetitive exercises so that your mind and appropriate muscle groups work together reflexively and automatically. It combines endurance and skill. It’s what turns game-winning abilities into habits.

(2) Yourself – Nobody else can do it for you. Look through the telephone directory; you don’t find “Lease-a-Dieter,” or “Rent-a-Runner.” No, it’s up to you!

So, why train yourself? To become like Christ! By living life as He lived it, allowing the Holy Spirit to shape you by His disciplines from the inside out, you’ll become more like Him. In other words, spend time each day in the gymnasium of the soul. (By Rick Godwin)

 

Join us today at the 160 Acre Wood for more Word-filled-Posts!

Extraordinary Women

 

 

This past weekend I attended an incredible conference called “Extraordinary Women”.  The theme for this year’s event was “Free to be Real”.  My body is weary, (not much sleep these last 2 days) but my heart is over-flowing with joy unspeakable after being so saturated in the presence of the Lord.

I was so excited that my niece and her 16-year-old daughter, my friend Cyndy and Amy Bayliss (from Proverbs 31) attended the conference with me. We so enjoyed the opportunity to sit under the anointed worship of New Song, be blessed with a concert by Mandisa, and hear some amazing and powerful testimonies by Chonda Pierce, Angela Thomas, Karen Kingsbury, Stormie Omaratian and finally a sister that I just fell in love with, Thelma Wells.

Each of these women shared their testimonies with no pretense.  They were real, they were raw, and so full of passion as they shared how Christ delivered them from depression, fear, abuse, poverty, and even from the brink of death.

 

Their impact was profound and I will never forget the way they opened up their hearts to us.  We laughed, we cried, and we worshiped God passionately.  We left with the challenge to walk boldly in the liberty that Christ has made available to us, and never again be entangled in the yolk of bondage.

Ladies if this conference ever comes near to your town, I highly encourage you to make plans to attend.

A Masterpiece In His Hands

Hey Ladies,

I’m over at the Cafe today!

God spoke to me recently, I’d love to share some things with you.

Thanks so much for stopping by, see you over there!

Happy 50th Barbie!

 

 

It’s about time this happened to her…

 

Well, there is hope for us, after all!

For more more Friday Funnies join us over at the Homesteaders Heart!

A Living Hope

Jesus conquered death for you!

Mount Auburn, America’s first cemetery, was so beautiful it became the number one tourist attraction in Boston.

When they created Central Park in New York they modeled it after Mount Auburn. The rallying cry was, “Why not have it all, but without the graves?” We keep trying to have it all, but without the graves! But we can’t. We live only a heartbeat from eternity. So here are two truths you must keep in mind:

(1) God put you on this earth for a specific purpose. Have you found yours yet? Are you pouring your life into it and making every moment count? Paul did, and he ended up writing:

“The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2Ti 4:6-8 NKJV).

(2) When you know Christ as your Savior, the best is yet to be. It is said that on his deathbed, D.L. Moody suddenly sat upright, opened his arms as though embracing something wonderful, declared that earth was receding, heaven was near, and that it was his coronation day.

What a way to go!

You don’t need to fear death because Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.(Jn 11:25-26 NKJV). (by Rick Godwin)

Do you believe this?”  Believe it, it’s true!

 

Join us over at Amy’s 160 Acre Woods for more Word Filled Posts!

A Work in Progress

 

I don't know about you, but the older I get the more I’m finding that many of the things I start are not getting completed.  I have all the best of intentions and I'm great at making lists, but sticking with them until they are finished is another story. Many times I'm left feeling a little frustrated and the last thing I want is for this to become a cycle in my life.

I turn to the only one I know that can really help. My prayers are sometimes desperate as I cry out to God for His amazing grace to once again bring the change I need to get back on track.

It's in times like these that I feel so grateful I serve a loving God who is so longsuffering and full of mercy.

One of the first verses I clung to as a young Christian, and was also a scripture chorus we used to sing in church, is found in the book of Philippians chapter 1.

Paul said it this way:

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6)

I think Michael Youssef had it right when he said:

“God’s promises are never affected by our failures. He can use us at any age. ”

So don’t get down on yourself when you feel like you have fallen short, rather get down on your knees and ask God for His grace to get back in the race.

 

Just knowing God's work in us is a continuing process gives me such hope and confidence.  We are all “A work in progress”! Like clay we are being shaped and molded in the Master’s hands.

 

Lord, I praise you and give thanks for the countless times you have picked me up when I have failed.  You are so faithful and your promises are true.  Teach me to trust you more each day, and rely on you to help me to complete all you have called me to do in my life.  Thank you for the hope I have because of you. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

Please Join us over at Karen’s blog, In Love W.I.T.H Jesus for more thoughts on this quote.

Sharing some special memories!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

(please remember to mute my music first!!)

Clothed By His Love

 

The Bible doesn’t say much about what Jesus wore – with a notable exception.

John tells us that at Calvary “They…took his robe…it was seamless, woven in one piece from the top” (Jn 19:23 NLT).

It was traditional for Jewish mothers to make these garments as gifts for their sons who were leaving home. So while we don’t know if Mary actually made Jesus’ robe, it was likely a cherished possession.

It’s also significant because throughout the Bible clothes symbolize behavior and character. Peter writes about being “clothed with humility” (1Pe 5:5 NKJV); Paul says, “Put on [Christ likeness] like…new clothes” (Gal 3:27 NLT).

Like His robe, Jesus’ character was seamless, integrated and perfect. The words “woven from [the] top down” indicate that He was always directed by the mind of God. In fact He said, “The Son can do nothing…only what he sees the Father doing” (Jn 5:19 NRS).

But when Jesus was crucified He set aside His seamless robe, “changed places with us” (Gal 3:13 NCV), and put on robes of sin that had our names on them.

He died like a common criminal for sins He didn’t commit, so that we could wear the garments of His righteousness. So that sinners like us, coming to the cross, could leave wearing the “coat of His…love” (Is 59:17 NCV), the belt of “goodness and fairness” (Is 11:5 NCV), and the “garments of salvation” (Is 61:10 NIV).

( By Rick Godwin)

Just think:

Not only did Jesus prepare a place in heaven for us, He made sure we’d be properly dressed for the occasion.

 

Please join us over at the 160 Acre Woods for more Word-Filled –Posts!

Best Friends!

(My best friend and I in Williamsburg, VA  recently!)

I must admit I was not prepared to do a post for Marriage Monday today.  Last night I had just returned from a company trip I took with my husband to Williamsburg, VA.  There is a pile of laundry waiting and luggage that still needs unpacking, but when I saw the theme I thought, ‘I can't pass up this opportunity to join in and share my thoughts on this topic.’

For those of you who may be reading Marriage Monday for the first time, "E-Mom" over at Chrysalis  started this awesome meme.  Each Monday, once a month a different topic about marriage is chosen for us to write about, discuss, and glean from each other's experiences.

Today's topic is, "Friendship In Marriage". 

We were encouraged to share about things you do together that foster good feelings, and how we celebrate our friendship.  Thanks once again E-mom for a great topic and being such a gracious hostess. 

When I think about spending time with my friends, I get really excited.  After all, these are the ladies you know "intimately" and share many things in common.  They are the ones you trust with your craziest dreams and thoughts, and share your deepest secrets and fears.   True friends are the ones you just enjoy being with, because they bring encouragement, support, and laughter into your life.

All of these are the same ingredients needed for a marriage that will endure the tests and tides of time.

I like to think of marriage as a friendship more then any other kind of relationship. Yes, romance is sweet, and being parents together is probably the most self-less thing you can do, but true friendship in marriage is in a class of its own!

A few of the things that have fostered our friendship in marriage over the last 30 years has been:

♥ Writing notes and sending cards to each other

♥ Taking evening walks together to talk and catch up on our day’s activities

♥ Surprise or an unplanned lunch together

♥ Date nights

♥ Anniversary get-a-way weekends

♥ Just calling each other just to say hi and say I love you

Building a strong friendship in marriage takes time and effort.  It's all about preferring one another above your own self.  It's loving and bearing each other's burdens.  It's dreaming each other's dreams, rejoicing in accomplishments, and being a support when things go wrong. 

I could go on and on, but I think you are getting the picture. 

My very best friend in the whole world is the same man I made a covenant with at an altar 30 years ago.  The same man who gave me five wonderful sons, a beautiful home and security.  A man that loves Jesus, and has been such an example of what sacrificial love really looks like. 

Someone I love being with no matter where we are or what we are doing (except sports sometimes).

I'm so grateful God answered the very first prayer I prayed as a young Christian when I said,

"Lord send me a friend who knows and loves you the same way I do."

And Jesus answered that prayer the very next day when he led me to my precious husband!  I love you Rick!

Please join us today over at Chrysalis for more Marriage Monday stories.