When You are Broken and Sinking....

Have you ever felt like your ship was sinking? Like the broken pieces of you could not go on... 

About a week ago, I was that broken, sinking ship. 

The morning that I fell apart, I tried, under my own power, to put my pieces together, just enough to get through the day... But, I was not successful. 

I did reluctantly get out of bed, and I got ready for the day, and I showed up at work, but less than 1 hour later my coworkers gracefully told me to take the day off. You see, I could not stop crying, right there at my desk.  (I thank the Lord for their Grace in telling me to take time for myself.)

Once I had the whole day ahead of me to sort through my broken pieces, I began to try to repair this ship that wants to sail everyday, in glory for my Lord!   But, I was missing something....

I went for a long walk down by the river (seriously, not just a reference of that great hymn).  As I was walking along the riverside praying, with tears streaming down my cheeks, I turned Christian radio on, and this wonderful song was the first to play...

"Eye of the Storm" by Ryan Stevenson

Thank the Lord for that song!  I really needed the reminder, right in that very moment, that I could not fix this on my own!  But through Faith, and with the help of God alone, I would be able to put all of these pieces back together and sail in glory once again!

I kept walking, and the tears began to slow, as I listened to the same song over and over. The words were so reassuring and spoke to me so deeply....

"You Alone are the Anchor, when my Sails are torn" 

"Your Love Surrounds me in the Eye of the Storm" 

"I Find my Peace in Jesus' Name" 

"My Only Hope is to Trust You" 

"When the Storm is Ragging, and my hope is gone; You're still Holding On" 

By the tenth repeat, the tears had stopped. I could feel the Broken Pieces of my soul beginning to plan for rebuilding!  I walked and listened more, not just to the song, but also to God's voice through it. I took pictures of God's beautiful creation, while also forming pictures in my mind of how to move forward; how to rebuild my ship...

In times of Brokenness, it is so important, so extremely VITAL, that we remember Who our Anchor is!  That we know in our hearts that He is the one holding us up and leading us to Restoration; and toward many more days of working/'sailing' for His Glory! 

For several days after my ship nearly sank, the most Peace that I was able to find was in this song combined with prayer.

With each time that I listen and pray, another piece of my brokenness is repaired.  God is right beside me, holding me together and Anchoring me to the truth that He cares for me! 

I now have a picture of a boat, on my desk that says 

"Keep Rowing!   God is Good!  1 Peter 5:7" 

 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

                                1 Peter 5:7

                                                                   Click to Tweet

The Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness.....

Sometimes forgiving is a very difficult thing to do, other times it comes easily.

There are so many different factors in each situation or relationship, that make each and every offense needing forgiveness different than the previous...

No matter what the offense, the stature of the offender, your relation to the individual......no matter the history......     

The #1 reason to forgive is YOU!

                                                      Click To Tweet

Ephesians 4:32, 

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (NIV)

I have seen and lived the power of true forgiveness! The level of freedom and peace that comes through full forgiveness is incomparable.

Take my word for it; taking the time to deeply forgive and let go of grudges is completely worth it, if for no other reason than you and your own well being!

If you'd like to hear more about my struggle with forgiveness and my freedom after forgiveness, here is a link to my interview with the Center for Greatness LLC, about Forgiveness:

Interview on Forgiveness HERE

Enjoy!   And THANK YOU Tandy for having me on your program! 

Consumed

consume

verb, consumed

1.

to destroy or expend by use; use up.

2.

to eat or drink up; devour.

3.

to destroy, as by decomposition or burning:

Fire consumed the forest.

4.

to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.

5.

to absorb; engross:

Consumed...that is a perfect definition of how I often feel!  I am "Used Up" by my children and my household responsibilities.  I am "Spent Wastefully" by the requirements of this life; required work to earn money to live, kids' school requirements, society requirements, family requirements, etc.   I just want to spend all of my energy and all of my time praising God and teaching about God and living always reflected God's love! 

But, that is unrealistic.  Unfortunately, even becoming a Pastor would not take away the many requirements of society, that I feel "waste" my energy and God given gifts.

I would guess that many of you have felt this way at one time or another, or maybe feel CONSUMED by something right now....

Thankfully, our reserves of energy and positivity ARE "New Each Morning"!  I find that in the evenings, as day comes to a close, I often feel sad about the lack of productivity that day, in my Ministry and my writing.  I see all of the ways that my time was used that day, many of which were not utilization of my God given gifts. 

But I know, because of God's promises, that each morning, all things are new! I will have the energy again in the morning, I will have the day ahead of me again in the morning, I will still have my hopes and dreams and focuses, and Can revisit my to do list in the morning!

Thank you Lord that your compassion's are new each morning!

Chaos Calls

I'm listening to a song, and the lyrics say "Chaos calls, but all you really need, is to just breathe".

Isn't that the truth! This lifestyle in America today really is chaos calling us each and every day, to jump right into the chaotic days of this life. 

As the same song says, from the moment our alarm clock goes off in the morning, we are rushing for deadlines and schedules; Kids schedules, work schedules, exercise schedules, prayer schedules, church schedules, hobby schedules, and the list goes on...   And then, there's all the events for extended family. Parties, celebrations, sporting events, music events, and more. Don't get me wrong, I love my extended family, and wouldn't trade time with them for anything, but our event calendars these days are just too chaotic!

So today, as I begin to feel panicky about planning for the trip and traveling to my hometown, the best reminder I could have asked for, came from this song on the radio; just Breathe. 

As good memories came flooding back, so did the bad ones, the unpleasant ones, and my brain feels chaotic about going back to that place. 

"Rest at Jesus feet, and breathe".

"Take it in, fill your lungs, it's the peace of God that overcomes",  that is just what I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnjeMwxFuBA

(Link to "Breathe" by Jonny Diaz) 

Take Several deep breaths, of God's grace as a reminder that we are His, and he's got this!. That no memory good or bad, compares to the love and peace found in Him!

So now, I move forward with another chaotic day, filled with rushing and events and exhaustion and COFFEE.

And through it all, I try to radiate that my life belongs to God, and i hope that others see His glory through me.

Guest Post on "Blossom in Faith"

Check out my Guest Post titled: 
"3 Strikes Doesn't Always Mean You're Out", 
on Kelly's Blog, "Blossom in Faith"! 

Here is the short link - http://wp.me/p45OCW-xT

Enjoy! 

Grey.... to FULL COLOR!

For so many years, I chose the lifestyle of living in the "grey", of not stirring the waters, of trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be.   Often, I felt "Grey" inside, because I was not being true to myself.  I was not living out who I really am inside. 

With many important people in my life, and some not so important, I have acted how I felt they wanted me to act; and discussed what I felt they wanted me to discuss; and socialized in the way that I felt they wanted me to. I have spent many years requiring myself to have the proper energy-level and attitude, based on the crowd or event of each day. 

Lately though, I have been very true to myself!  I am learning to hold tight to my values, my beliefs, my style, etc.   It feels so very good to be ME!!

Another area deep in my heart, that I have had many times/situations, in which I felt the need to hide, is my faith.   I've spent so long "Following the Leader".....but, not fully following THE LEADER (God, my heavenly Father, my everything), rather "the leader", as in society, peers, requirements of others....

www.frommylifetoyourheart.com

Yes!  What a beautiful and true verse!  I have finally found the power to be of sound mind, with who I am! 

I have found the strength to no longer care what society and other people want me to be, but to be true to exactly  who God made and intended me to be! 

What a freeing feeling to no longer  heed external pressures to be someone different that who I was created to be! I even feel more in touch with my faith and with God, because I now feel free to act and speak like a Child of God whenever I want. I now feel free to share my faith, my humanitarianism, my drive and positive outlook on life, with anyone and everyone that I encounter!  I am living life in FULL COLOR! 

I want to share this song with all my readers; it explains the feelings that I wrote about above perfectly! 

I hope it peps up your day too, and reminds you to be comfortable with exactly who God made you to be! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFPHuFnmAds

Blessings to your week! 

Hyper-Sensitive!

As I am writing this, I am standing in a beautiful park. It is named"Peace Park", and peace is what I am seeking...

You see, a few weeks ago, something very personal happened, that has caused me to become hyper sensitive to everything! My senses are heightened in a very cranky, crabby, and negative way, since this event.

I have recently done a few out-of-character things, like running away from someone that I thought was following me (even though now I'm certain they weren't), and like calling local police to report a gunshot near my home, when I now believe it was quite likely the road work up my street.  Ugh! 

These feelings of hypersensitivity; of constantly feeling skeptical, are not healthy. This does not feel good inside.

So here I stand, in Peace Park, near the beautiful water fountain, all alone, asking God to help me find the peace that I know, that He wants for me...

I began purposefully thinking about the places in Scripture where I have heard the word Peace... 
These verses came to mind first:

Isaiah 54:10

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 29:11
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his 

people with peace.

What comfort each and every one of those verses gives me, on this beautiful day, and for every day to come!

Just reading them, refreshes my mind and soul, and helps me recall the beautiful truth, that God wishes nothing less than peacefulness for all his beloved children.

I certainly came to the right place today, and am now reminded that peace is not only found at Peace Park, but within God's promises, and His Holy Word. 

I pray that I go forth from this place and continue my journey away from the hypersensitivity that has been affecting my life, and toward the peace God intends for me.

God intends Peace in Him, for us all! 


Post - note: 
Ok.....I wrote the above words 2 days ago.  Today, as I am sitting down to proof it, prior to posting,  My mind is filled once again, with alarming events....   The worst mass shooting is US history, has taken place early this morning;  a dear woman, wonderful Christian influence, and someone that I could always count on for a smile, kind words, and a hug, passed away yesterday, unexpectedly, and without time to say goodbye.....

Thank God once again, for the time that I had in Peace Park, because without that time of reflection and study, I would not be able to handle today's events as well as I am! 

When looking to social media, for details about the horrible shooting that took place eary this morning, I came across this prayer in my Facebook feed, and wanted to share it with you all: 

Prayers on the Prairie 

(shared here with permission) 

"O Lord our God,

The world overflows with tragedy and pain. Violent shootings, destructive weather, rampant viruses and horrific, nasty words continually rip apart what you have knit together. And then for a moment...the storm is stilled, the world quiets in the hush of a silent respite; written upon the sky is a gentle message of hope and love. Once again, we are reminded of the promised glory in resurrection. One day the trumpet will sound. One day wounded hearts will be healed and whole. One day Your peace will reign. One day the sting of all death will end and Your kingdom will blanket us in the grace of life eternal. ~Amen.
"I have written these things so that in me you have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" - John 16:33.

Wow.... look at that....the same verse from the glorious Bible, that I used to create the above image; the centerpiece of this post....and therefore, I am evermore praising God that He has overcome the World, so that I may have Peace! 

PEACE to your week to come! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel so deeply about hypersensitivity being a major problem in our ever-changing, fast paced world, that I will be holding a one night group study about "Hyper-Sensitivity", at Peace Park.   I pray that all believers gathered may, through listening and conversation, help each other to find Peace!If you live in or near my community, and wish to join a mixed group of beautiful, broken, believers; come to Peace Park, on Front Street, at 7:30 on June 22nd!    Bring a blanket or towel to sit on in the grass.  We will learn together! 

Scars Make Us Beautiful

Scars make us beautiful!

It has taken me 17 yrs. to understand and truly  believe that...

For many years, I hated the external scars on my face and chin from a very bad car accident. I styled my hair in a way to hide the scars on my forehead; I tried every "scar reducer" and "concealer" that exists.

Also, as a mother, I have "scars" (stretch marks) on my stomach, from carrying babies, and for several years after child bearing, I tried every stretch mark cream available for purchase; finding none that worked well. For a while, I had told myself that I would never again wear a swimsuit that showed any of those "scars".

And then there's internal scars... the ones from simply living.  The scars from a broken heart or shattered dreams. The scars from lost friendships and lost loved ones.

Recently I've found a deep new appreciation for all of my scars, both external and internal, as I've realized and admitted to myself that they are what have formed me into who I am today!

The physical scars from my car accident once reminded me each and every morning as I looked in the mirror, of pain, shattered glass, and emotional brokenness. But now, each time I see them, I am reminded how strong I have become, how much my faith has grown as God brought me through that, and of my passion to share my story of faith and perseverance with others!

The scars from carrying babies, now are proud reminders of my greatest blessings!  God has blessed me with 2 wonderful children, and some people never get the chance to experience child birth or motherhood.  I am thankful every day, that I was given the opportunity to bring my children into this world, and to watch a growing belly in anticipation.  

Watching children grow and form into who they are going to be as adults; watching their personality's bloom and their beliefs form, is such an incredible blessing.

The internal scars, of hurt and heartache, of disappointment and lost dreams; these are our scars that no one knows about, unless we share the story. These are the scars that, I believe, form us the most!  

Those internal scars have brought me closer to God, each and every time. They have shaped me into the strong woman that I am today. The internal scars, the trials, teach us things that cannot be taught without living through the traumatic event.  

Today, I can honestly say "I am proud of my Scars!" I am proud of all that I have been through, and of who I have become. And I hope and pray that you too can be very proud of the scars that you have earned! 

Thank you Lord, for the way that you pre-destined our lives and for all the blessings that you have given us, even blessings through trials.  Amen. 

May you all learn to view your scars as blessings too, and value all that you have learned through them!

Here is a beautiful song, that prompted me to write this post: 

"That's What Scars are For" by Mandisa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gvt__r9EU0

Enjoy!  Blessings to you today and always! 

To my child who fears...

To my child who fears:

I wanted you to know that there is no use fearing things you cannot control. 

We can only control our trust in God. God loves us and will protect us!

Last night after sitting next to you, seeing you cry to sleep, full of doubt about safety, and fears of the unknown, I decided to do some scripture searching, and a whole lot of praying.  I searched for scripture verses about trusting God, and I prayed and prayed that He would hold you in His safe arms, and remind you, day after day, that you are His child too, and He will protect you..... 

And, my dear, He WILL protect you, and hold you, even more than I can and do!

The first Christian book that I looked to, in which I indexed "Trusting God", led me to all of Psalm 121, "The Lord My Guardian": 

     I raise my eyes toward the mountains. 

            From whence shall come my help? 

     My help come from the Lord,

            the maker of heaven and earth. 

     He will not allow my foot to slip; 

            or my guardian to sleep.

     Behold, the guardian of Israel

            never slumbers nor sleeps.

     The Lord is your guardian;

            the Lord is your shade

            at your right hand.

     By day the sun will not strike you,

            nor the moon by night.

     The Lord will guard you from all evil;

            He will guard your soul.

     The Lord will guard your coming and going

            both now and forever.

Then the second book I looked to, sited Psalm 121:2-3: 

(a bit different version than above)

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 

I am so deeply touched that God sent me both of these, same portions from the Bible; both from Psalm 121, to help me pray for you tonight, dear child! 

Remember that we must trust the One who writes our futures.  We must constantly turn to God in our times of fear.  Dear child, take the above verses to heart, as if they were written directly for you!  You are a beloved and protected child of God, and He does not rest from watching over you! 

Psalm 121 discusses some possible dangers of this world, but every one is offset by the guarding over us, by God. 

For instance, the last several days of heavy, dreary rain that God has sent to our area, will help prevent unwanted fires.

The technology that God has graced us with, smart phones, television, computers, home alarms; will all serve to help protect us from natural disaster and storms. 

Think about all of the ways that God uses creation, and His power, to protect us every day....

Remember sweet child, that Good triumphs over Evil, and God triumphs over all! Have faith and trust the Lord; He will protect His children! 

All my Love, 

      Mom

I really could...

A few weeks ago, as the worship band that I sing in was rehearsing prior to worship, we began singing "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever" by Hillsong. 

Here's the tune link, in case you'd like to listen to it: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeCwwaciAA8

That certainly is a beautiful song, but I must admit that we have been singing this for so many years, and the chorus part is so repetitious, that I was singing, annoyed, at the familiarity of the tune.....

But as soon as I felt that feeling, I chose to close my eyes, and force myself to 'feel' the music, and internalize the words as I sang them....  By the end of the tune, I had goosebumps, and was swaying involuntarily. 

I was overcome by the amazing love of God! 

As the song says, over all the Earth, His love runs!  It spills out of ever bit of His creation, constantly overflowing.   Overflowing, so much that we should never feel less than completely and entirely covered in His love!  Sometimes though, in the 'repetition' of life, that fact gets lost....

If you really think about it, each one of us has some place to go or something to do, that makes us feel the most connected to God....   For me, that is through music.  Whether listening or singing, Christian music opens up a direct line from my heart, to God's, every time!

I perform worship music at multiple church services, on most weekends, and I can honestly say, I really Will Sing of HIS Love Forever!

So, today, find your personal way of obtaining your deepest connection with God; and then continue it forever!  There nothing greater than feeling the deep love of God and connecting deeply with Him!