Last week I've posted an article by Rob Parnell. If you are interested in his tips, go to www.writersecret.com.
This week, I want to give you an opportunity to evaluate a possible business on the side. If you enjoy reading books and writing, you need to see this. The website is: www.bookwise.com/shoualo.
I want you to know, I am working to give you more information than just give you Spiritual encouragements. However, your Spiritual Relationship is more important than anything else. I have so much I want to share with you. But, now I must go and prepare supper for my family, one of my important duties.
Come again.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Revealed - the ROAD MAP by Rob Parnell
There's no secret to success. As the saying goes, success leaves clues. There is a map.
Ask anyone who believes they're successful and they will happily tell you about it - the right moves they made, the deals they struck, whatever. They may have worked hard, they may have been lucky, they may have found a secret of their own.
It's individual.
What's clear is that there are as many ways to become successful as there are people. This is good news. It means that YOUR way may not yet have come to pass. It just needs YOU to do it.
Success in writing is often nebulous. Our friends and families might only regard us as successful if we get on the news or get a mention in Who's Who, but this is wrong.
A successful person is happy, is not hampered by what they can and can't do, and is to some extent in control of their destiny.
How does this apply to writers? Well, a successful writer is a person who makes a living from it, enjoys what they're producing and has some idea where they're going - and feels capable of getting there.
You don't need to be rich and famous to be successful as a writer. You can be a good writer - and successful because you don't have to do anything else to keep yourself afloat.
There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of writers that do this.
To constantly compare yourself to JK Rowling and Dan Brown and feel like you're a failure is ridiculous - and yet writers do it all the time!
Does a bricklayer worry because he hasn't been asked to create another Hadrian's wall?
Does your average engineer worry because they haven't built a bridge as good as one of Brunel's?
Does a doctor feel a failure because he's not Sir Hans Christian Barnard?
Perhaps.
To become a successful writer you need to travel the ROAD. And, in this case, ROAD means:
Read, Observe, Acquire (skills) and Do.
R.O.A.D. Geddit?
Writing is about talent sometimes but most times it's about learning the craft. Reading books and observing people and events will get you a long way into the mindset of a writer. Then, acquiring the skills necessary to put your thoughts on paper is the lifelong task. Knowing grammar, correct punctuation, stylistic elements and developing simple communication skills may be something you learnt at school. But if you want to write for a living, you need to continue that education.
Especially if you want to dedicate your writing to particular areas - be it fiction, non-fiction, article writing or whatever. You need to study those areas to familiarise yourself with the territory and know how to compete.
And what about the map I mentioned?
MAP is an acronym which stands for: Motivation, Application and Persistence.
This map will get you wherever you want to go, whatever your goal.
During the motivation phase you need to come up with lots of reasons why you want to succeed at a particular task. Motivation is not a mood. You can't wait around for it to strike. You can't buy it at the 7-11. It's a force within that is waiting to be unleashed. You have to know what you truly want. You need to think about it and latch on to that special something that makes you excited, gives you pep to continue, get you up in the morning with a fire in your heart.
Too many of us ignore the spark - the thing that will make us special - in favor of the mundane, the workaday, the 9 to 5. Find your spark, your spirit enclosed, and free it.
Application is what you do - your efforts, your sweat, your dedication. Here's a clue. Every day, make a list of five things you need to do to achieve your goals. Then pick the one that will give you the most pleasure, the one that will fill your wings and help you soar. That's application.
Persistence? It speaks for itself. Once you know you're good at what you do - and that means learning the skills and requirements of your chosen field - you have to keep going. Many writers stop or get disheartened too early, before they really know whether they can be successful. Mistake. You have to believe in what you do. If you don't, you need to return to the motivation stage and work out what it is that you want. You can't follow the MAP otherwise. Persistence only works if you believe what you're doing is right.
Rejection and lack of interest will kill you if you don't believe in yourself and your work. The good news is that if you do believe in what you do and persist, that puts you in the top 1% of creative talent. Your work and enthusiasm will carry you forward and onward.
So remember. You may not have the secret. But you do have the ROAD MAP!
Keep writing!
Rob@easywaytowrite.comCreating Better Writershttp://easywaytowrite.com
============================================QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"Writers will happen in the best of families."
Rita Mae Brown
Ask anyone who believes they're successful and they will happily tell you about it - the right moves they made, the deals they struck, whatever. They may have worked hard, they may have been lucky, they may have found a secret of their own.
It's individual.
What's clear is that there are as many ways to become successful as there are people. This is good news. It means that YOUR way may not yet have come to pass. It just needs YOU to do it.
Success in writing is often nebulous. Our friends and families might only regard us as successful if we get on the news or get a mention in Who's Who, but this is wrong.
A successful person is happy, is not hampered by what they can and can't do, and is to some extent in control of their destiny.
How does this apply to writers? Well, a successful writer is a person who makes a living from it, enjoys what they're producing and has some idea where they're going - and feels capable of getting there.
You don't need to be rich and famous to be successful as a writer. You can be a good writer - and successful because you don't have to do anything else to keep yourself afloat.
There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of writers that do this.
To constantly compare yourself to JK Rowling and Dan Brown and feel like you're a failure is ridiculous - and yet writers do it all the time!
Does a bricklayer worry because he hasn't been asked to create another Hadrian's wall?
Does your average engineer worry because they haven't built a bridge as good as one of Brunel's?
Does a doctor feel a failure because he's not Sir Hans Christian Barnard?
Perhaps.
To become a successful writer you need to travel the ROAD. And, in this case, ROAD means:
Read, Observe, Acquire (skills) and Do.
R.O.A.D. Geddit?
Writing is about talent sometimes but most times it's about learning the craft. Reading books and observing people and events will get you a long way into the mindset of a writer. Then, acquiring the skills necessary to put your thoughts on paper is the lifelong task. Knowing grammar, correct punctuation, stylistic elements and developing simple communication skills may be something you learnt at school. But if you want to write for a living, you need to continue that education.
Especially if you want to dedicate your writing to particular areas - be it fiction, non-fiction, article writing or whatever. You need to study those areas to familiarise yourself with the territory and know how to compete.
And what about the map I mentioned?
MAP is an acronym which stands for: Motivation, Application and Persistence.
This map will get you wherever you want to go, whatever your goal.
During the motivation phase you need to come up with lots of reasons why you want to succeed at a particular task. Motivation is not a mood. You can't wait around for it to strike. You can't buy it at the 7-11. It's a force within that is waiting to be unleashed. You have to know what you truly want. You need to think about it and latch on to that special something that makes you excited, gives you pep to continue, get you up in the morning with a fire in your heart.
Too many of us ignore the spark - the thing that will make us special - in favor of the mundane, the workaday, the 9 to 5. Find your spark, your spirit enclosed, and free it.
Application is what you do - your efforts, your sweat, your dedication. Here's a clue. Every day, make a list of five things you need to do to achieve your goals. Then pick the one that will give you the most pleasure, the one that will fill your wings and help you soar. That's application.
Persistence? It speaks for itself. Once you know you're good at what you do - and that means learning the skills and requirements of your chosen field - you have to keep going. Many writers stop or get disheartened too early, before they really know whether they can be successful. Mistake. You have to believe in what you do. If you don't, you need to return to the motivation stage and work out what it is that you want. You can't follow the MAP otherwise. Persistence only works if you believe what you're doing is right.
Rejection and lack of interest will kill you if you don't believe in yourself and your work. The good news is that if you do believe in what you do and persist, that puts you in the top 1% of creative talent. Your work and enthusiasm will carry you forward and onward.
So remember. You may not have the secret. But you do have the ROAD MAP!
Keep writing!
Rob@easywaytowrite.comCreating Better Writershttp://easywaytowrite.com
============================================QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"Writers will happen in the best of families."
Rita Mae Brown
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
You're Not the One
One of the stories that really touched my heart is the story of David, Israel’s king. David had a thought as he was basking in God’s love. He wanted to build a house for God (the ark). So, God revealed His plan for David. 2 Samuel 7:1-17 tells us that as David revealed his plan to Nathan and Nathan blessed David’s decision, God came to Nathan saying “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (vs.12-13).” In other words, God is telling Nathan to tell David he’s not the one to build the house for God.
God is telling David that He has taken good care of him so far and will continue to care for him until he dies. God raised David to be Israel’s king, to unify the nation of His people, but David will not be the one to build His house. He has already had someone else in line to do that job. And for David to build the God’s house would not be His Will.
We each have a specific task which God sent us to complete. However, some of us may not see it as a blessing or that we’ve done enough, so we may want to do more for Him. As you rest in your comfortable home and life, are you thinking as David had? Do you want to do more for God than He has intended for you to do? Are you planning to do something not aligned with God’s will for your life?
I urge you to pray for God to reveal His will for your life today. As He has said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, …” Cling onto His Word and pray for Him to reveal that plan so that you can get on with it.
Father, You are awesome and majestic. We praise you and give you thanks for the many wonderful blessings you have poured upon us. Teach us to align our plans with Your Will for our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.
God is telling David that He has taken good care of him so far and will continue to care for him until he dies. God raised David to be Israel’s king, to unify the nation of His people, but David will not be the one to build His house. He has already had someone else in line to do that job. And for David to build the God’s house would not be His Will.
We each have a specific task which God sent us to complete. However, some of us may not see it as a blessing or that we’ve done enough, so we may want to do more for Him. As you rest in your comfortable home and life, are you thinking as David had? Do you want to do more for God than He has intended for you to do? Are you planning to do something not aligned with God’s will for your life?
I urge you to pray for God to reveal His will for your life today. As He has said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, …” Cling onto His Word and pray for Him to reveal that plan so that you can get on with it.
Father, You are awesome and majestic. We praise you and give you thanks for the many wonderful blessings you have poured upon us. Teach us to align our plans with Your Will for our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
What's on your mind?
I have a little 15 months old girl. And, I am amazed at her awareness of my whereabouts. It doesn't matter where I'm at, she will always find me when she needs me. Today, she came knocking on my bedroom door, calling me. As soon as I opened the door, she giggled and raised up her hands as if she was saying, "pick me up, mommy." I picked her up and she curled up with both of her arms around my neck. "Aaah, you poo poo hah?" I said as I rubbed her back gently. With her on my left side, I grabbed her towel and she gave me a big smile.
Elizabeth is an active child, so she only comes to me when she's hungry, sick, tired, or as in the case above has a dirty diaper. But, as a mother, I know that she comes to me because she knows I know her: I understand her feelings. I can identify the need by the way she cries. And, it got me thinking about how God knows us:
Revelation 2:2 "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance".
Revelation 2:9 "I know your affliction and your poverty-..."
Revelation 3:8 "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,..."
God knows us. He knows what's in our mind before we say anything. Luke 5:22, "Jesus knew what they were thinking..." He knows. He understands us. And, no matter how many passages I provide you with, the fact remains: God knows.
So, I hope as Elizabeth knows when to come to me and for what reason, that you also know God and when you need God that you know how to find Him.
Father, bless all of us women, men and children alike. We are grateful that we can come to you in our greatest desperation and you will comfort us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Elizabeth is an active child, so she only comes to me when she's hungry, sick, tired, or as in the case above has a dirty diaper. But, as a mother, I know that she comes to me because she knows I know her: I understand her feelings. I can identify the need by the way she cries. And, it got me thinking about how God knows us:
Revelation 2:2 "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance".
Revelation 2:9 "I know your affliction and your poverty-..."
Revelation 3:8 "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,..."
God knows us. He knows what's in our mind before we say anything. Luke 5:22, "Jesus knew what they were thinking..." He knows. He understands us. And, no matter how many passages I provide you with, the fact remains: God knows.
So, I hope as Elizabeth knows when to come to me and for what reason, that you also know God and when you need God that you know how to find Him.
Father, bless all of us women, men and children alike. We are grateful that we can come to you in our greatest desperation and you will comfort us. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Pull Your Weeds
Hi everyone,
It's been nearly two months since I blog. I know. I know. Every time I dedicate myself to do better, I ended up doing worse. It's like the Apostle Paul said, I do the things I know I shouldn't do and don't do the things I know I should. It is human nature, but still is no excuse.
Anyway, I've been dreaming away with the "urgencies" and not the "importance", so as I was responding to life's urgencies, I've neglected not only you readers, but I've neglected my garden as well. It had been a week since I stepped outside to look at my garden for two reasons: 1) I was plainly busy, 2) it was raining. I simply couldn't go pull weeds in the rain. When it finally stopped raining, I went out and no longer could I see my veggies. My garden was covered with grass weeds. And, my plants shrank. I couldn't believe my eyes. Has it been that long? I had no idea. I had to register it into my mental box and get out there as soon as possible.
After a few days, I went back outside to pull all the weeds out. I thought to myself, "how in the world am I going to pull all these mess out?" I felt like running my lawn mover over it, but a voice inside said, "pull one at a time, before you know it, you will be finished." So, I began pulling the grass and weeds one handful at a time. And as I was pulling the weeds out, I was bitten by mosquitos and ants. I get bad infections with ant bites and quite itchy with mosquito bites. But, two hours went by and I finished one half of the garden. I was impressed with myself.
I started to wonder about my life's mess. financial debts, depression, children's behavior, house cleaning, etc. I felt out of touch with reality. Sometimes, I would sit there in front of my computer reading my emails, but understood nothing. A few hours later came back to read the same emails over again because I didn't delete them (weed it out). That process ate so much of my time. As much as I wanted to get rid of the mess in my life, I had no clue until I was pulling the weeds out of my garden. So, could I pull my life's weeds one handful at a time? Could I get it finished as quickly as I did my garden? My life was a mess. It still is, but I have peace now: One weed at a time, one day at a time.
Our Spiritual life have weeds, too. If we don't tend our Spiritual life, it will get weedy and choke our energy, time and relationship with God. You know the: "I'll read the Bible when the kids go to bed" or "I'll pray when I'm able to concentrate on the words I want to say to God" or "I can only talk to God when I'm totally in tuned with myself." And, before you know it, you have lost your love for God. You're spiritually thirsty and hungry. Nothing is able to satisfy you. Nothing in life is going the directions you intended. Then, you wonder why God is not attending to your needs. Where is God when you need Him most? Right outside your door, ready to come in just as soon as you open it. Revelation 3:20 says; "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Are you ready to enjoy great meals with God again? Make room for God's Word to grow in your life today. Pull out all those weeds. Get rid of the unnecessary things in your life. And plant God's Word into your life today. When you plant more fruits and vegetables (God's Word), they will choke the weeds to death and your life will be nothing less than fruitful.
Oh, what about the bites? Yes, when you pull out the weeds, there will definitely be painful bites. As I was bitten by the mosquitos and ants, I just kept on focusing on the maturity of the fruits and vegetables in my garden. I couldn't let the weeds or the bites get in the way of my vegetables' growth. So, when you pull the weeds of your life out, know that God has great things in store for you. Jeremiah 29: 11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you, ... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The bites are temporary. God's plan for you is the one to last forever. Listen, hear God, and obey. Spend time to get to know God. It is who you know that will prosper you. Sure, the ants and mosquitos will bite and weeds will come back, that's why the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:15-16 "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." The more reasons to spend time with God. Plant God's Word in your life today. Start small. Memorize a verse for the entire week. And, when you don't know what to say to God in prayer, why don't you just repeat the verse back to God with your heart's participation (claim God's words to be your prayer). And, God will answer you.
May God bless you with His grace and mercy, today.
Shoua
It's been nearly two months since I blog. I know. I know. Every time I dedicate myself to do better, I ended up doing worse. It's like the Apostle Paul said, I do the things I know I shouldn't do and don't do the things I know I should. It is human nature, but still is no excuse.
Anyway, I've been dreaming away with the "urgencies" and not the "importance", so as I was responding to life's urgencies, I've neglected not only you readers, but I've neglected my garden as well. It had been a week since I stepped outside to look at my garden for two reasons: 1) I was plainly busy, 2) it was raining. I simply couldn't go pull weeds in the rain. When it finally stopped raining, I went out and no longer could I see my veggies. My garden was covered with grass weeds. And, my plants shrank. I couldn't believe my eyes. Has it been that long? I had no idea. I had to register it into my mental box and get out there as soon as possible.
After a few days, I went back outside to pull all the weeds out. I thought to myself, "how in the world am I going to pull all these mess out?" I felt like running my lawn mover over it, but a voice inside said, "pull one at a time, before you know it, you will be finished." So, I began pulling the grass and weeds one handful at a time. And as I was pulling the weeds out, I was bitten by mosquitos and ants. I get bad infections with ant bites and quite itchy with mosquito bites. But, two hours went by and I finished one half of the garden. I was impressed with myself.
I started to wonder about my life's mess. financial debts, depression, children's behavior, house cleaning, etc. I felt out of touch with reality. Sometimes, I would sit there in front of my computer reading my emails, but understood nothing. A few hours later came back to read the same emails over again because I didn't delete them (weed it out). That process ate so much of my time. As much as I wanted to get rid of the mess in my life, I had no clue until I was pulling the weeds out of my garden. So, could I pull my life's weeds one handful at a time? Could I get it finished as quickly as I did my garden? My life was a mess. It still is, but I have peace now: One weed at a time, one day at a time.
Our Spiritual life have weeds, too. If we don't tend our Spiritual life, it will get weedy and choke our energy, time and relationship with God. You know the: "I'll read the Bible when the kids go to bed" or "I'll pray when I'm able to concentrate on the words I want to say to God" or "I can only talk to God when I'm totally in tuned with myself." And, before you know it, you have lost your love for God. You're spiritually thirsty and hungry. Nothing is able to satisfy you. Nothing in life is going the directions you intended. Then, you wonder why God is not attending to your needs. Where is God when you need Him most? Right outside your door, ready to come in just as soon as you open it. Revelation 3:20 says; "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Are you ready to enjoy great meals with God again? Make room for God's Word to grow in your life today. Pull out all those weeds. Get rid of the unnecessary things in your life. And plant God's Word into your life today. When you plant more fruits and vegetables (God's Word), they will choke the weeds to death and your life will be nothing less than fruitful.
Oh, what about the bites? Yes, when you pull out the weeds, there will definitely be painful bites. As I was bitten by the mosquitos and ants, I just kept on focusing on the maturity of the fruits and vegetables in my garden. I couldn't let the weeds or the bites get in the way of my vegetables' growth. So, when you pull the weeds of your life out, know that God has great things in store for you. Jeremiah 29: 11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you, ... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The bites are temporary. God's plan for you is the one to last forever. Listen, hear God, and obey. Spend time to get to know God. It is who you know that will prosper you. Sure, the ants and mosquitos will bite and weeds will come back, that's why the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:15-16 "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." The more reasons to spend time with God. Plant God's Word in your life today. Start small. Memorize a verse for the entire week. And, when you don't know what to say to God in prayer, why don't you just repeat the verse back to God with your heart's participation (claim God's words to be your prayer). And, God will answer you.
May God bless you with His grace and mercy, today.
Shoua
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
What to say to God in the midst of trouble
Sometimes life is not fair, but it can be worse. When we think that it is the end of one problem, another one occurs. When we finally pay off one debt, a surprise bill arrives in the mail. When we are healed with one ailment, another health issue appears. So, when does it stop? Let me illustrate it with a couple of experiences of mine before I answer that question.
November of 2004 has got to be one of the worst month of the history of my life. I was driving on the same road, on different days, of course, but in the same month. I was convince that November and St. Andrews Road was cursed with destruction. Anyway, one of the thing was, my husband and I had just picked up some of the furnitures from his aunt who was moving away. So, we drove home with my husband ahead of us in his uncle's Toyota truck while I was driving my Toyota Previa (in case you don't know much about cars like me, that's a van) with my daughter (at the time she was only two years old) sleeping in her carseat. We were fine until we were about two miles away from our home. My husband had passed the light and I had just passed it about 20 ft. when I heard this sqeaking noise-more like ewwwwbonk.
Yep, you guessed it. I was reared ended. My bumper was dented and my china cabinet was broken (without my knowledge), but the lady begged and begged. "What the heck were you in such a hurry for!", I yelled. She acknowledge my anger with "I'm so sorry. I just came from the Kroger pharmacy. I have this terrible allegy. I didn't feel good. I tried to stop, my car just slipped." And, she continued to beg me not to call the police because her insurance would kick her out if they knew that she was involved in another accident. "Please, please, please? I'm begging you. Please." At the time she seemed serious about paying for the damage (no, she didn't pay). So, my husband took down her information, and I was to take my car to the garage she specified and she would than pay for the damage.
Now, before that issue was resolved (It never was, I just decided to forgive her and myself for believing her and went on with my life), I sent my kids to school and came back home on the same road. I remember I was following the bus and a compact car with a sticker saying, "children study better hungry". I also remembered following several cars. I mean the road was busy. I remembered looking at my speedometer and saying to myself, "oops! I'm driving too fast." I was driving 45 mph. So, I slowwwed down. Suddenly, from the time I was aware of my speed to the time the police stopped me, it was just two miles, no more. All the cars in front and behind me disappeared into thin air, except the cop. Aaaaaagh.
Let me tell you, I've never been so afraid. But, waittt! As it wasn't bad enough, my daughter-yes the same two year old daughter-got out of her carseat, came in between the two front seat, stuck her head right beside me and said, "hi", waving her hand at the police. I closed my eyes, tilt my head back (ouch, my neck was stiffed from stress), and said, "Tabitha!". The officer looked at me with sincere acknowledgement and said, "it's alright, I saw her before she got out of her seat." Whew. I was ticketed for violating school speed zone, only.
I was so afraid. I had never been stopped by an officer before. Never, not while I was driving. I was miss perfect. And, oh, I was talking to God before I was caught, too. So, I relunctantly took the ticket from the officer, put my daughter back in her carseat, buckled myself, and shifted the gear onto "D", and continued my conversation with God. "God, how could you allow this to happen to me. I was talking to you. To You. How could you! When will this stop?" Shaking my stiffed neck, "So, is this what you want me to write about? Will this experience help someone someday?" His voice was soft and affirmative, "My grace is sufficient for you."
Just thinking about it right now, stresses me out. But, knowing that God is in control. That He sees all the things that are happening in our lives. That He understands. And, He knows whether or not is our fault. And since, Christ is superior to all things above and below, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", (Philippians 4:13), including the officer who had the audacity to hand me the ticket and wished me to have a good day. I can handle it.
God also gave me Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." God loves us and wants the best for us. The wait may seem long and the troubles may seem like they will never end, but it will. We are commanded to wait patiently and understand that God is God and He has everything under control, including our enemies. This should be music to our ears.
Many years ago, a friend told me that when the evil spirits wrestles with him, he said, "go right ahead, I may die physically by your hand, but I will live in Christ. The sooner I die, the sooner I will be with Christ. Though, you may have my body, Christ has my life." That rings so true.
Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your faith!" Ouch.
Remember Our God is not just any god, He says that He will supply all of our needs. Also, Psalm 16:7 says, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." Wow! What a wonderful promise. That means that when we are obedient to His Word, He will cause our enemies to do things for our benefit. Our enemies will live in peace with us. Aaaaah! How sweet it is that I am a child of God. Remain in the Lord today and experience His grace and mercy, sufficient for all of your needs. Whatever problem(s), you may have right now, don't give up. Trust and expect God to answer you. Someone once said that if you pray for rain, bring an umbrella with you as you're heading out.
Until next time, have a blessed day.
November of 2004 has got to be one of the worst month of the history of my life. I was driving on the same road, on different days, of course, but in the same month. I was convince that November and St. Andrews Road was cursed with destruction. Anyway, one of the thing was, my husband and I had just picked up some of the furnitures from his aunt who was moving away. So, we drove home with my husband ahead of us in his uncle's Toyota truck while I was driving my Toyota Previa (in case you don't know much about cars like me, that's a van) with my daughter (at the time she was only two years old) sleeping in her carseat. We were fine until we were about two miles away from our home. My husband had passed the light and I had just passed it about 20 ft. when I heard this sqeaking noise-more like ewwwwbonk.
Yep, you guessed it. I was reared ended. My bumper was dented and my china cabinet was broken (without my knowledge), but the lady begged and begged. "What the heck were you in such a hurry for!", I yelled. She acknowledge my anger with "I'm so sorry. I just came from the Kroger pharmacy. I have this terrible allegy. I didn't feel good. I tried to stop, my car just slipped." And, she continued to beg me not to call the police because her insurance would kick her out if they knew that she was involved in another accident. "Please, please, please? I'm begging you. Please." At the time she seemed serious about paying for the damage (no, she didn't pay). So, my husband took down her information, and I was to take my car to the garage she specified and she would than pay for the damage.
Now, before that issue was resolved (It never was, I just decided to forgive her and myself for believing her and went on with my life), I sent my kids to school and came back home on the same road. I remember I was following the bus and a compact car with a sticker saying, "children study better hungry". I also remembered following several cars. I mean the road was busy. I remembered looking at my speedometer and saying to myself, "oops! I'm driving too fast." I was driving 45 mph. So, I slowwwed down. Suddenly, from the time I was aware of my speed to the time the police stopped me, it was just two miles, no more. All the cars in front and behind me disappeared into thin air, except the cop. Aaaaaagh.
Let me tell you, I've never been so afraid. But, waittt! As it wasn't bad enough, my daughter-yes the same two year old daughter-got out of her carseat, came in between the two front seat, stuck her head right beside me and said, "hi", waving her hand at the police. I closed my eyes, tilt my head back (ouch, my neck was stiffed from stress), and said, "Tabitha!". The officer looked at me with sincere acknowledgement and said, "it's alright, I saw her before she got out of her seat." Whew. I was ticketed for violating school speed zone, only.
I was so afraid. I had never been stopped by an officer before. Never, not while I was driving. I was miss perfect. And, oh, I was talking to God before I was caught, too. So, I relunctantly took the ticket from the officer, put my daughter back in her carseat, buckled myself, and shifted the gear onto "D", and continued my conversation with God. "God, how could you allow this to happen to me. I was talking to you. To You. How could you! When will this stop?" Shaking my stiffed neck, "So, is this what you want me to write about? Will this experience help someone someday?" His voice was soft and affirmative, "My grace is sufficient for you."
Just thinking about it right now, stresses me out. But, knowing that God is in control. That He sees all the things that are happening in our lives. That He understands. And, He knows whether or not is our fault. And since, Christ is superior to all things above and below, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", (Philippians 4:13), including the officer who had the audacity to hand me the ticket and wished me to have a good day. I can handle it.
God also gave me Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." God loves us and wants the best for us. The wait may seem long and the troubles may seem like they will never end, but it will. We are commanded to wait patiently and understand that God is God and He has everything under control, including our enemies. This should be music to our ears.
Many years ago, a friend told me that when the evil spirits wrestles with him, he said, "go right ahead, I may die physically by your hand, but I will live in Christ. The sooner I die, the sooner I will be with Christ. Though, you may have my body, Christ has my life." That rings so true.
Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your faith!" Ouch.
Remember Our God is not just any god, He says that He will supply all of our needs. Also, Psalm 16:7 says, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." Wow! What a wonderful promise. That means that when we are obedient to His Word, He will cause our enemies to do things for our benefit. Our enemies will live in peace with us. Aaaaah! How sweet it is that I am a child of God. Remain in the Lord today and experience His grace and mercy, sufficient for all of your needs. Whatever problem(s), you may have right now, don't give up. Trust and expect God to answer you. Someone once said that if you pray for rain, bring an umbrella with you as you're heading out.
Until next time, have a blessed day.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Half-full
Good afternoon. I hope that all is well with all of you. I've already broken my promise to blog every week. It has been two weeks since I blogged. And this was only the beginning. I have no reason and no excuse. All I have is the truth: I was struck with depression and numbness. Actually, I began to blog before Mother's day. I had a beautiful peace to dedicate to my mother. I was almost finished when my computer went dead on me and it took all I had put into the blog. I was frustrated, so I stopped. Besides, my family had to eat.
Although, I had not had a chance to sit and put my thought together, one family occasion kept on nagging me. So, let's get on with it. Instead of continuing to justify why I chose Mrs. Proverbs 31, I want to turn your attention to something very familiar. Something that we hear all the time, but never really truly reflect or dwell on it too long or enough to recognize how it plays in our lives.
As I was driving down the highway with my children, my oldest questioned me about herself and how she should handle one of the comment she received from her school mates. I was in a pretty good mood, so I returned her question with a question. I said, "it all depends how you look at it. Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" And, before she could answer me, my son said, "you should always look at it as half-full, that way, you know that you will get more." I was totally awed by his explanation. Until that day, I've never gain the true meaning of that analogy. I congratulated my son for his insight, and my daughter gave him a nasty look. The sibbling war had begun.
The point I want to make here is that we are all love by the Lord. Each time we are given a special opportunity, we are to look at it as half-full so we make an effort to be sure we will receive the rest to fill it up. The Bible says that if we are not faithful to small things, how could he trust us with the bigger things? So, today, if you received something other than what you've expected. Less than you've imagined. Thank Him and believe that there's more where that came from. God loves you and continues to plan your future for you. Trust Him. Act on what you have right now and He will bring more to fill your glass.
I want to challenge you to live your life as though the glass is half-full. Keep it open to receive more. God is not finished with you yet.
See you soon.
Although, I had not had a chance to sit and put my thought together, one family occasion kept on nagging me. So, let's get on with it. Instead of continuing to justify why I chose Mrs. Proverbs 31, I want to turn your attention to something very familiar. Something that we hear all the time, but never really truly reflect or dwell on it too long or enough to recognize how it plays in our lives.
As I was driving down the highway with my children, my oldest questioned me about herself and how she should handle one of the comment she received from her school mates. I was in a pretty good mood, so I returned her question with a question. I said, "it all depends how you look at it. Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" And, before she could answer me, my son said, "you should always look at it as half-full, that way, you know that you will get more." I was totally awed by his explanation. Until that day, I've never gain the true meaning of that analogy. I congratulated my son for his insight, and my daughter gave him a nasty look. The sibbling war had begun.
The point I want to make here is that we are all love by the Lord. Each time we are given a special opportunity, we are to look at it as half-full so we make an effort to be sure we will receive the rest to fill it up. The Bible says that if we are not faithful to small things, how could he trust us with the bigger things? So, today, if you received something other than what you've expected. Less than you've imagined. Thank Him and believe that there's more where that came from. God loves you and continues to plan your future for you. Trust Him. Act on what you have right now and He will bring more to fill your glass.
I want to challenge you to live your life as though the glass is half-full. Keep it open to receive more. God is not finished with you yet.
See you soon.
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