Be Positive

I have read countless times over and over these verses from the Bible but it wasn’t until I read them in context in a book (The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom) did I realize that this was one of the keys to staying positive for me. I have a copy of this pinned up on the wall beside my desk so I can glance at it during the day at work…

1 Thessalonians 5:14-24 (ESV)

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

In the book Corrie and her sister Betsie had just been moved to new barracks in the concentration camp and found it was infested with fleas. It was Betsie who discovered God’s answer: ‘”Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.” That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. “Give thanks in all circumstances!” That’s what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!”

They thanked God for the fact they were together. They thanked God they had a Bible. They even thanked God for the horrible crowds of prisoners, that more people would be able to hear God’s Word. And then, Betsie thanked God for the fleas.
“The fleas! This was too much. ‘Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” Corrie said… “Give thanks in all circumstances,” she (Betsie) quoted. ‘It doesn’t say, “in pleasant circumstances.” Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.”

You may not know why you are going through what seems to be hard to handle. God knows why. It may seem unfair or unjust. God will help you thought it and then use it to reach others and to help others. In the past I used to be very negative about everything. What does that really accomplish? Now that I have accepted Jesus in my heart I can’t afford to be negative… He has a plan for me that includes me being thankful in all circumstances no matter how unpleasant I think they are… by showing a positive attitude through a difficult situation you may help someone else who needed help. Might even bring someone to know Jesus through your positive attitude and the faith that it will work out how God wants it to… I may not know where I am headed but I trust that God knows what is best for me. I have seen it by just looking back at the past. I can see God guiding me even when I was running as far as I could get from Him but with his love He drew me back.

Just remember – “Not all those who wander are lost.”  J.R.R. Tolkien

My Art…

This is a selection of recent drawings I have done. I did some while recovering from surgery and some like the turtle I drew today. Drawing helps me relax in a focused way but forget about my day while creating something from nothing but a paper and pencil. I also hope to start learning other mediums as well as just pencil drawings… maybe soon! 🙂

Turn to Jesus

So last night I was just watching a movie and felt blue out of no where. While I know that this is just all my emotions and hormones going whack it still sucks. Tears flooded not only my eyes but the shirt I wore… then I prayed to find a silver lining. See it’s hard to adjust to changes that are so major even if you have no other choice but now deal with the cold hard fact that no matter what you will never have a child of your own. I mean if I wanted to I could find a surrogate and have one…but that will probably never happen. You feel like no one might ever want to choose you verses another woman who can give them children of their own. So with all those thoughts and more flooding my mind I kept praying to Jesus to help give me a glimpse at hope. I started looking at different channels on my Roku player and found my Vimeo channel. I set it up quickly and then looked up some videos. I came across one by DeVon Franklin giving his testimony. Jesus answered my prayer and gave me back my hope. DeVon told this story of a friend who lost his job. Later on that same friend wrote a screenplay called Jumping the Broom which Devon’s studio made into a movie. It was the first time his friend had a movie produced. If he had simply given up there never would have been a movie. It did take 10 years after getting fired. It happened in Jesus’ timing which is perfect. It gave me hope. Don’t give up because what you think you are going through today is too difficult to handle… give it up to Jesus who may use what you find to be discouraging as a blessing to you instead. That is how I am looking at this situation that I find myself in. It is too big for my mind to handle or figure out so I am turning to Jesus… lead me to where I should go from here!

Amen

Isaiah 54 (The Message)

Spread Out! Think Big!

54 ^1-6 “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth! You’re ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women.” God says so! “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back—you’re not going to come up short. You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory. For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and God welcomed you back, Like a woman married young and then left,” says your God.

^7-8 Your Redeemer God says:

“I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I’m bringing you back. In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you—but only for a moment. It’s with lasting love that I’m tenderly caring for you.

^9-10 “This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth. I’m promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won’t walk away from you,     my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.” The God who has compassion on you says so.

^11-17 “Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I’m about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, Lay your foundations with  sapphires, construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. All your children will have God for their teacher— what a mentor for your children! You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble—nothing to fear! far from terror—it won’t even come close! If anyone attacks you, don’t for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer— but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best.”

God’s Decree.

Life after surgery

So what is life like after a major surgery? It is a three day stay in a wonderful 4 star getaway hotel, I think not. It is being in a place where you take naps not really sleep through the night. Makes for a cool movie all nighter with my mom and her boyfriend! I don’t know why some people take out their pain or frustration of being in the hospital on the ones who are there to help them get better…even if sometimes the night staff makes you question whether they barely passed their schooling to become a nurse.

Anywho back on topic… so after a difficult surgery with a late start time, complications, and the doc who originally started working on you plus 3 other docs in surgery working on you… makes for a long day for them but a nice long sleep for me! That is where my recovery journey started. First hurdle that I found some what challenging getting out of bed the 1st time. Next hurdle came in transporting me back to my parents house. Next to last hurdle getting the staples out (didn’t hurt at all… Praise the Lord). Last hurdle was today and getting the catheter out. Now I finally feel like a woman on the mend…! The more I get up and moving about the better I feel. Now for a marathon…who’s with me? JUST KIDDING!!!! I do plan on getting back up on my feet and maybe walking for exercise and eating better. Other things are on the horizon for me…the only reason I felt better so soon was keeping a positive attitude!  And why not be positive? God had everything that happened to me (even the hiccup in surgery) under control and it is going according to HIS plan. I just am following his lead and continuing feeling better and better with each day!

Hallelujah