Tuesday, July 8, 2014
LET HIM CARRY YOU
I happened upon a story yesterday on the Internet about a
man and woman who had been married for 10 years. One night the man came home and told his wife
he wanted a divorce. The next morning
the woman presented her husband with her divorce conditions. She asked they stay together for the next
month because their son had exams and she didn’t want to disrupt him. Then she also requested that he carry her out
of the bedroom to the front door every morning just as he had carried her into
their bridal room on their wedding day.
The husband, thinking this was strange, accepted the request. The first day he carried her it was awkward
and clumsy. Everyday got easier, she
would lean on him and he would notice things about her that he hadn’t noticed
in a long time. As the month slipped by
the couple got closer and closer, the carry got to be more comfortable and
normal. It was on this last day as he
held her in his arms that it became very clear.
He was to hold her until “death do us part.”
At times in our lives we need to be carried. Everyone is going to go through turmoil, is
in the midst of turmoil or is leaving turmoil.
The situation may be a loss, may be an illness, may be divorce, may be
stress, or may be a job. We all deal
with tough times. It is during these
times that we need someone to help us carry the load.
In Isaiah 46:3-4 We are reassured that there is someone to
help carry the burden. When we go to God
and let him carry us our load becomes lighter.
At first this may not be easy. It
is much easier for us to go to others to help us instead of turning to
Him. But going to Him will make the
situation much easier. God created us
and cares for us. His love is so
enduring that he will carry us throughout our lifetime and even through death.
Just as the husband carried his wife, letting the Lord carry
us can seem awkward at first. Our
relationship with the Lord will have to grow.
It may not happen over night and we may be clumsy about it, but we must
have patience. The more we allow Him to
lift us, guide us, and carry us our relationship with Him will feel
comfortable. We will notice situations
in our lives changing because of Him. He
will rescue you and carry you over any burden.
The more you learn to lean on Him the lighter your load will
become. God’s arms are outstretched
towards you everyday. He will carry you through
anything. In the end this will all be
very clear.
Isaiah 46:3-4 New International
Version 3 “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all
the remnant of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,
and
have carried since you were born.
4 Even
to your old age and gray hairs
I am
he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will
sustain you and I will rescue you.
To read the complete story go to:
http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Love-Nice-Thought-Provoking-Stories/2182828
Sunday, July 6, 2014
ANYWAY
A friend of mine suggested I read the book “Anyway” (Kent M.
Keith). If you haven’t ever read it you
need to. I loved it and it was a good
short read. It was written in 1968 as
part of a booklet for student leaders.
The Paradoxical Commandments have circled the world for over 30
years. They have been added to speeches,
hung on refrigerators and put on walls.
Mother Teresa used this thought provoking collection of words on the
walls of her children’s home. These
commandments have touched many lives and changed many lives.
As I began to read the very first sentence said, “ The
Paradoxical Commandments are a personal declaration of independence from all
the external factors we can’t control.
We don’t have to depend on the external world for meaning and
happiness. We can find them in our inner
lives.” What a great time to be reading
about the personal declaration of independence during the celebration of
independence of our country.
Just as our country gained its independence we have our own
independence. No matter what others do,
no matter what others say, no matter how others hurt us, love them anyway. We are independent of how others treat us;
others shouldn’t affect the way we feel.
This is what Jesus told us to do with His two great commandments. We should love God and love our
neighbor. We don’t find our independence
through the outside world. We find our
independence by allowing the Lord to live within us and lead our steps.
The last paragraph of the commandments states,
“The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good
anyway.
Give the world your best anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it
is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.”
Even
though we are independent we are and should be dependent on God. Our lives are between Him and us. God helps us find meaning in life. He guides us and enables us to love anyway. He helps us to press on when we feel we can’t
move forward. He does all of this
because no matter what we do He loves us anyway.
God
bless America! No matter what happens give the world the best you have ANYWAY!
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 New International Version (NIV)
12 I
know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good
while they live. 13 That
each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is
the gift of God.
Friday, July 4, 2014
NICK OF TIME
Lauren and Haley have completed nursing school and are now
ready to take the NCLEX-RN. This exam is
necessary to gain your nursing license.
This computer-formatted test is a criterion-referenced exam, which
compares an individual’s knowledge to a predetermined standard. It covers a wide range of material in which
the tester is scored by their ability to think critically about decisions
involving nursing care. One of my friend’s
sons is taking another type of exam for the CPA. He is just as nervous as the girls and has
been studying like crazy. My friend gave
me a scripture, that she had text to her son, to give the girls to help ease
them during this time of anxiety.
2 Corinthians 6:1 “Companions as we are in this work with
you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has
given us. God reminds us, “I heard your
call in the nick of time; the day you needed me, I was there to help.” Well now is the right time to listen the day
to be helped. (The Message)
Just in the nick of time, has God ever rescued you just in
the nick of time? Have you ever been in
urgent need of Christ? You may be
studying for a test, you may be waiting for an outcome, or you may be waiting
for a diagnosis. No matter what you need
or what answer you need, God will be there in the nick of time if you call out
to Him. You may not hear from Him
immediately but your voice is audible to Him.
When we accept Jesus, as our savior the door to communication is wide
open for us. Trusting Him is healthy;
waiting to hear from God is good.
Learn to trust God in situations that you encounter
today. God always has a better way to
deal with situations than we do. God is
at work every minute of every day waiting for the call. Just as emergency rescue teams are on call 24
hours a day so is God. Call 911 for Him
today and He will rescue you just in the nick of time.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
APPRECIATE
I was so excited today to see our mail carrier. She has been gone since May when her husband
was in an accident. I greeted her at the
mailbox, asked how her husband was doing, and let her know that I had missed
seeing her at the mailbox everyday. As I
walked off Rhonda said, “I’m so glad to know that I was missed!” This reminded me of the many other people
that come into our lives that we would miss if they weren’t there.
Take a minute to think of those people in your life that you
would miss if they weren’t around. It
makes me think of Freddie, our tire guy, who was tragically killed. I wonder if he knew how many people cared for
him? I wonder if people took the time to
let him know how much they appreciated him?
God placed our hearts in the middle of our chests. This pump enables our bodies to live, but it
also has another important job. This job
is to allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and care for others. God created all of us in His image. He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to care for each other. He wants us to love as brothers, accept one
another, help one another, and encourage one another. He wants us to appreciate each other.
Feeling appreciated lifts people up. One of my favorite books, “How Full is Your
Bucket” {Tom Rath} discusses how we should lift people up and fill their buckets. When we fill buckets we pass on positive energy,
which in turn others will pass on.
With that being said, open your heart and show those today
that you appreciate them. A brief
interaction of appreciation affect others health. “PASS ON TO PRESS ON” feelings of
appreciation and experience lasting changes in your life and others. Don’t miss the opportunity to let others know
how you feel about them.
John 13:34-35New International
Version (NIV)
34 “A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. 35 By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
“By appreciation, we make excellence in others our own
property.” Voltaire
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the
charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~ Marcel Proust
Great article for extra read:
http://www.discipleshiptools.org/apps/articles/?articleid=37155&columnid=4166
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