Happy New Year--2016

Lamentations 3:22-23

"22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

2016!  Wow!  How hard is that to believe?  I remember when just thinking about the year 2000 was hard.  I just knew that by now I could go to work in my flying car that folded up to become my briefcase--George Jetson style!  Of course, I'd rather have a Rosie than a flying car to tell the truth!

But here we are--headed into another year.  As we look back over the past 12 months we have good memories and bad memories.  Too many good-byes have been said to friends and family.  I think that is always the hardest part of moving to a new year--realizing all of those who aren't going there with us.  Those who God has called on home leave a big hole in our hearts and in our lives.  Yet, we rejoice that they are no longer suffering or sad or held captive in a body that no longer works.  Yes, we rejoice for them but cry for ourselves.  However, it is important to focus on the good things that 2015 brought us.  The weddings, the births, the graduations, the new friends and family members--those are the positive things we should think about.  I know I've said many times that after Daddy died one of the things Momma said to me over and over was "Let's just think about the good things and let the bad things go."  She was such a smart lady.  I try to remember this more and more.

So moving on to the next year is exciting.  If God allows me to see it to the end I will turn 55, get to meet my first granddaughter, Kenzie Lynn, (and if there is more than one grandchild born in 2016 that will be an extra blessing), celebrate 34 years of marriage to that crazy man I live with, spend time with my J.C. killing more alligators and ghosts, loving on my family and friends and live the life God has planned for me!  Yes, I know there are bound to be some sad times.  I am pretty sure that next year on this date there will be somebody missing from this earth but never from my heart.  And I also know that somewhere over the next year I will hurt someone and be hurt by another; I will say something I shouldn't and not say something I should; I will have days when getting out of bed takes every tiny bit of energy I have and days that I can't sit still.  I will get some "yes" answers, some "no" answers and some "not yet" answers to my prayers.  I will see dreams come true and dreams destroyed.  I know all of this because I've already lived long enough to know that this is the nature of life.  While I enjoy reading fiction where everything turns out perfectly at the end, I know it is just that--fiction.  Life is never everything we think it will be.  People are never everything we think they are.  There will be bad days at work, bad days at home, disagreements with family, friends, co-workers and strangers.  BUT--there will also be good days----days when we go to bed thinking "this has been a wonderful day!"  Days when the people who are most important to us look us in the eye and say "I love you", "I appreciate you", "Thank you for just being you."  (My favorite is when this special little boy wraps his arms around my neck and says "I love you, Nonni."  Nothing better in life!!)

As I move into another year I want to focus more on the positives of life (and no, that doesn't mean things like "I'm POSITIVE this is going to be bad or not work out or whatever!).  I want those closest to me to hold me accountable when I tend to become negative (You know who you are.)  I want to live every day as if it were my last.  I want to work hard when it is time to work, play hard when it is time to play and rest when the opportunity arises without feeling guilty.  I want to be quicker to apologize and slower to be angered.  I want those I love to never doubt how much I love them.  I want to be a shoulder when one is needed to cry on.  I want my arms and my heart to always be open to offer a hug and encouragement.  I guess, for 2016, my goal is to be the person that my Momma and Daddy thought I could be and to be the person God designed me to be.

Happy New Year to you!  May 2016 be good to you and may you be good to yourself in 2016.  I love you all.

Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Mistakes, Misunderstandings and Messages

I don't like it when the preacher has been eavesdropping at my house.  At least that is how it feels.  Maybe you've experienced it also--when the message seems to be directed straight at you.  Like he heard everything that went on.  Really it is because God is the One who knew and He is the One speaking to us.

Let's be honest for a minute.  Have you ever done or said something and immediately regretted it?  Maybe what you did or said wasn't really bad or meant to be harmful but was taken that way by someone else.  Has that ever happened to you? It has to me. And then how did you feel?  If you are like me you felt horrible, broken-hearted, nauseataed and depressed.  You probably had several sleepless nights following the incident as well.  There is no way you can correct the situation or take back the actions or the words.  All you can do is sincerely apologize and hope that God will help them forgive you for your recklessness.

Which leads back to the preacher and his eavesdropping.  Sunday the sermon was on the key word of "consider"  and began with Haggai 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways" and he ended the introductory reading with verse 7, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways."  And all of the in-between verses were good reminders. THEN, he spent what seemed like 2 hours (but I know it really wasn't) on considering your words....  Um, excuse me, is there a way I can get out of here without anybody seeing me? (Doubtful since we sit on the 2nd row.)  Could I slink down in the pew far enough that I could hide?  Nope, that wasn't happening either.  So all I could do was sit and listen as he and He reminded me that words can be harmful even when you don't want them to be.

As I listened, I knew exactly what the point was--that I (we) have to learn to control my (our) tongue and to consider our words BEFORE we just blurt them out--even in jest. I've always had a big mouth.  I've always talked when I should have been listening.  At church camp my nickname was Motor-mouth Mitchell.  You get my drift.  This is an area that I have ALWAYS had trouble with. And something I NEED to get under control.  And even though people say you can't teach a old dog new tricks, maybe an old woman can learn a new way of behaving.  And thankfully, God is forgiving to us over and over and He will be the One to help me get it together.

So over the past few days I've spent some time looking up some Bible verses about words and the tongue and what God has to say about them.  Here are a few:
Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue:..."
Proverbs 13:3 - "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: [but] he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction."
Proverbs 21:23 - "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles."
(Boy, ain't that the truth!)

Then this verse became my prayer, Psalms 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."  Because I, and maybe you, need to be reminded daily that everything we say should only bring glory to God, that we should be encouragers, and let our words be as these: "Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

To all of those who have been hurt or discouraged or angered by my (or someone else's) hapless words, I (on my behalf and theirs) humbly ask for your forgiveness.  And I pray that God will make your hearts tender enough to forgive.  And when I or we mess up again (which I can pretty much guarantee with happen), I hope you will remember that God is still working on each of us and through His grace and mercy we will one day be perfect in Him.

I will close with this verse:  Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

When Bitterness Takes Root

" Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32

This morning as I was reading my devotion I felt God tap me on the shoulder and say, "Are you paying attention to this?"  I didn't want to admit that I was trying to make it be all about somebody else when it was really hitting very close to home with me.  The devotion was about Joseph and that no matter what circumstances he was in--sold by his brothers, falsely accused by his master's wife, put in jail--God still showed favor toward him because Joseph always honored Him.  And if anybody had a reason to be bitter, I believe, Joseph did.  But he never was.  Not once does the Bible tell us that Joseph grew bitter.  

I tend to be more like Jonah.  I am more likely to say, "Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."  Jonah 4:3.    I often feel bitterness toward people or situations because I feel like they got the blessing when I did the work.  I may even be angry at my "gourd".  You may have had moments like this.  You know, when God is blessing somebody else and you are thinking that you should have that blessing.  Even you have not been asking for it.  God was speaking with Jonah and said, "Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?" v4:4.  And Jonah felt he did have the right to be angry.  He grew bitter.  

As we look at these two great men of the Bible, we know that God used them both.  They both were put in difficult circumstances.  But the difference is in their response.  Joseph honored God and prospered; Jonah pouted.  He had literally been saved by God but he didn't want to share that blessing. 

I am often a Jonah; and not because I WANT to be like Jonah.  I would much rather be like Joseph.  I would much rather deal with the circumstances and honor God no matter what.  I would rather believe whole-heartledly, holding nothing back but fully trusting God.  I want to believe that even when I feel mistreated and abused and used and lied about and tossed into an emotional jail that God is still in control and can still bless me.  That is what I WANT to do.  That is what I should strive to do.   

So I had to ask the Lord to forgive me for holding on to the bitterness that I've had in my heart for a few years (yes, YEARS, and I know that is bad).  Did I immediately jump up and make peace with everyone that I felt the bitterness toward? No, mainly because they would have no idea what I was asking forgiveness for anyway.  But God knows.  And while I am sure I will struggle again with these feelings, I know that hour by hour, day by day, if I keep asking the Lord to help me not let the bitterness take root that He will.  

If you are struggling with bitterness that has taken root in your heart, I hope that today you too will ask God to remove that bitterness and help you not to let it take root again.  Let us remember these words daily "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."Romans 12:18

Kicking against the pricks

Yesterday as I was battling with my grandson to take a nap, I thought “Why don’t you just do what I am asking you to do?  It is for your own good and you will feel better.”  I begged, I pleaded, I threatened and finally just held him tightly and rocked and sang until he gave it up.

As I was resting beside him after I put him on the bed I could just hear God speaking to me.  “My child, how many times have you fought against what I wanted you to do?  How many times have I had to tell you over and over what was the best thing, the thing for your own good?  And yet, you still fought against Me until I had to put you in a place where there was nothing you could do but submit.”

Wow!  Talk about an object lesson!  And yes, I had to agree. There have been more times than I want to admit when I KNEW what God wanted from me.  Times when I knew the reasons a decision felt wrong was because the Holy Spirit was saying to me “Don’t do that.  Bad decision.  Turn around.”  But just like that very strong-willed child, I was determined to have my way.  And have it I did. 

 

Thankfully, we serve a God of forgiveness and love.  After I fought Him so hard, He still welcomed me back.  Just like I stayed on the bed and snuggled with that precious grandson, God holds me in His arms and listens as I ask for forgiveness.  And just like that 2-year-old, I’m sure there will be times when I try to do things my way again.  Maybe this time I will remember that I don’t have to “kick against the pricks” like Saul.  Maybe I will just relax into His loving arms and let Him lead me to what He knows is best for me.  

 Acts 9:5-6 

"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."