tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2375827070734033412024-03-17T12:53:50.442-07:00God's Sufficient GracePreviously entitled, Dear Caregiver, a blog site with the goal of encouraging fellow ChristiansSharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.comBlogger646125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-84428598036278936012024-03-16T17:39:00.000-07:002024-03-16T17:41:22.389-07:00Eternity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJntPEQo5E8NcQzL_UQqf_5ZxkDXRvehunurzqIzqTiy26I_Rzb22C23wZn4nvusniVMSUIVqEWwYiY6fze8V69TxZnK4p3dQ0i7t59_xkzf3q-ItZaS9CSbhbv1cCS5hX5PXpxh5L24VBxW7WNS4dpyCeLL5FeJuRSvUYVYnf8ocpy_5S6AHrqs7-Lk/s1600/Eternity.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1600" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJntPEQo5E8NcQzL_UQqf_5ZxkDXRvehunurzqIzqTiy26I_Rzb22C23wZn4nvusniVMSUIVqEWwYiY6fze8V69TxZnK4p3dQ0i7t59_xkzf3q-ItZaS9CSbhbv1cCS5hX5PXpxh5L24VBxW7WNS4dpyCeLL5FeJuRSvUYVYnf8ocpy_5S6AHrqs7-Lk/s320/Eternity.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Seven years ago in early March my Mom passed away after having suffered a stroke a few days before that. I was with her the last few moments of her life. I wrote about that experience, about care-giving, and my reflections on eternity a few days after her funeral in March of 2017. Bear with me as I bring that post back today. Eternity is really so close to us, just a breath away. Easter which is right around the corner reminds us of that. Just click on the link below to reread that post.</p><br /><br /><a href="http://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2017/03/eternity_11.html">http://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2017/03/eternity_11.html</a>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-16401223815363019192024-03-09T04:28:00.000-08:002024-03-09T04:28:47.926-08:00His Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-Wdl91Y7ftzorWiAKFSW6GYBr5al9QF-4FKHiuwGX3fs8RT3TtInm8kjy0ShwESy9GxjgmGhGGmSLVE8nIQbX5Bg_1S_efY2osFGoEPIKs5lcaZaI67N4qy7R0QN9hv9cKvalJCfFkqccEXpvr07Un3QRt-LKBBDX5hT5O12zi8k1ycJHJCL55T2Ch8/s1600/woman-s-hand-praying-to-god-christian-life-crisis-bless-desire-live-better-249852994.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-Wdl91Y7ftzorWiAKFSW6GYBr5al9QF-4FKHiuwGX3fs8RT3TtInm8kjy0ShwESy9GxjgmGhGGmSLVE8nIQbX5Bg_1S_efY2osFGoEPIKs5lcaZaI67N4qy7R0QN9hv9cKvalJCfFkqccEXpvr07Un3QRt-LKBBDX5hT5O12zi8k1ycJHJCL55T2Ch8/s320/woman-s-hand-praying-to-god-christian-life-crisis-bless-desire-live-better-249852994.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I have heard people say, "I don't think I could handle that." They then proceed to name the set of circumstances which they feel they would never be able to handle, if that set of circumstances would occur in their lives. When I was younger I remember thinking that there were two things I just "knew" I would not be able to handle, if they happened to me. These two things were the death of my husband and the loss of a breast. God asked both of these things of me. My first husband, Wayne, died in early 2011 at the end of a long battle against his neurological disease, and I also lost a breast due to breast cancer in the same time frame that I was my first husband's caregiver.</p><p>After being my first husband's caregiver and then losing him to death I also said that I never wanted to be a caregiver again. Yet God has asked me to be a caregiver once again now to my second husband, Bob. The circumstances are diffierent but the emotions are also so amazinly similiar. I so often have felt in the last months that I couldn't go on. Yet God has always been there with me with His grace and comfort.</p>The truth is that God does not give us grace ahead of time. He gives us His extra grace to handle a difficult and "impossible" situations at the time we need it and not before that time. That does not mean that the difficult situation will be pleasant, and that one is free from negative emotions. It just means that God will give sufficient grace and even a measure of joy and peace in the midst of the situation.<br /><br /><div>In the book of ll Corinthians in the New Testament of the Bible the apostle, Paul, asked the Lord three times for release from "a thorn in the flesh." We do not know for sure what this affliction was that Paul was experiencing, but apparently it was serious enough that Paul cried out to the Lord for relief. The Lord did not choose to take this affliction from him, however.<br /><br />Instead the Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9) The Lord was going to give Paul the grace he needed moment by moment to endure and even prosper in the midst of this affliction. Paul's response in ll Corinthians 12:9b-10 was to say, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.----For when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul was content to feel weak and to suffer his affliction, because in the process the Lord's sufficient strength in Paul would be seen more clearly.<br /><br />How about you dear reader? Are you willing to trust that God's grace is sufficient to get you through any challenge you may face today or in the future? I remember feeling afraid of what the future held while caring for my first husband. How was I going to handle each new decline in his physical functioning? Yet God paved the way and gave me His strength step by step even during the moments when I felt very overwhelmed. I often wonder the same thing in the challenges I now face.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you believe, dear reader, that God's grace will be given to you moment by moment? Do you believe it will be delivered at the right time and that the grace will be sufficient for every scenario? Do you believe His grace will be enough for you to stay firm in your faith and to continue to believe in God's goodness and love?<br /><br />God's grace IS sufficient for all your needs, dear reader. He will equip you for whatever lies ahead. You will not only survive, but you will prosper spiritually through the process. This is a truth that I have to remind myself as well when I feel overwhelmed, confused, alone, or need His comfort. I still often give into fear. It is not easy to walk this life's path. Yet I am reminded that God will give me the sufficient grace at the moment and moments I need it. God is doing it for me and will do the same for you, dear reader!</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-30272697131469183782024-02-25T18:37:00.000-08:002024-03-01T15:23:29.678-08:00Fill My Cup, Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wrXbXyZ3CVHbH5o20jX1C4a-SUGgGA6LciLCi2dZ8187PvzXbYkMtP6kOIE5BubSGw-wElXz_RSsW9hpQOCFPXIf3hq6t81F2JSsvysrCGpv16wHJIpNubU4_Yk5Nw-WHvXsmtLmnsIns09BlnXuiSFytUWTaTB0nNgirjENhc-unhUAO7IpuZcmHDY/s1600/Fill%20My%20Cup,%20Lord.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wrXbXyZ3CVHbH5o20jX1C4a-SUGgGA6LciLCi2dZ8187PvzXbYkMtP6kOIE5BubSGw-wElXz_RSsW9hpQOCFPXIf3hq6t81F2JSsvysrCGpv16wHJIpNubU4_Yk5Nw-WHvXsmtLmnsIns09BlnXuiSFytUWTaTB0nNgirjENhc-unhUAO7IpuZcmHDY/s320/Fill%20My%20Cup,%20Lord.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Have you ever experienced moments of emptiness, longing, or a feeling that this world is not your home? Especially in times of trial I think we can have these feelings crop up. If we try to soothe these feelings with things of this world, it never works. The only One that can soothe and comfort us is the Lord Himself. Looking forward to an eternity with Him is the only ultimate and lasting source of comfort.</p><p>There is another song which has been floating around in my mind lately. It is called, "Fill My Cup, Lord." </p><p>"<span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px;">Like the woman at the well</span></p><p><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px;">I was seeking</span></p><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">For things that could not satisfy</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And then I heard my Savior speaking</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">"Draw from My well that never shall run dry"</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Fill my cup, Lord</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">I lift it up, Lord</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Come and quench this thirsting of my soul</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Bread of Heaven, feed me 'til I want no more</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">There are millions in this world</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Who are craving</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The pleasures, earthly things of gold</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">But none can match the wondrous treasure</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord</span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Fill my cup, Lord</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">I lift it up, Lord</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Come and quench this thirsting of my soul</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Bread of Heaven, feed me 'til I want no more</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Here's my cup, fill it up and make me whole."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 22px; text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 22px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 22px; text-wrap: nowrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-wrap: wrap;"> Here is a link to the song, "Fill My Cup, Lord" being sung: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzDDv3wEuA&list=RD-bzDDv3wEuA&start_radio=1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-wrap: wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzDDv3wEuA&list=RD-bzDDv3wEuA&start_radio=1</a></span></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-85520285928942339932024-02-13T09:10:00.000-08:002024-02-18T04:43:17.587-08:00Press On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv_mkWFteR89qMk5uafpM3J1YPkHdgyk7g2WQheDYTLaWLLXQhn2UxpZsePnIWVLW0Us53gx82wzthg4VjSYx-eFv2i2-aeWCp7oMqFT9utHNYNjrFB7QWYjZZmpxglUeIcUj8CakEd6pk5CZsz9uUihOLFgmkF4GcdEmx-ArA-Z-PYEiq3kBbvrcOho/s1600/Press%20On.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv_mkWFteR89qMk5uafpM3J1YPkHdgyk7g2WQheDYTLaWLLXQhn2UxpZsePnIWVLW0Us53gx82wzthg4VjSYx-eFv2i2-aeWCp7oMqFT9utHNYNjrFB7QWYjZZmpxglUeIcUj8CakEd6pk5CZsz9uUihOLFgmkF4GcdEmx-ArA-Z-PYEiq3kBbvrcOho/s320/Press%20On.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>This week has been a difficult week for this writer. It was the anniversary of my sisters' death on the 13th. My husband is struggling in his acceptance of his assited living situation. My back issues have been worse again the last few days. Life feels like it is on hold. One song has come to my mind through all this. That song is the song, Press On. Here are the lyrics for that song: </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 28px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Press On</span></p><p><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Song by Selah</span></p><div class="XqFnDf" data-hveid="CAMQGA" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; flex: 0 1 auto; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: var(--center-abs-margin); width: calc(var(--center-width) + var(--rhs-margin) + var(--rhs-width));"><div data-hveid="CAMQGQ"><div class="kp-wholepage-osrp" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQqPUHegQIDxAA" jsaction="rcuQ6b:npT2md" jscontroller="I2A9n"><div class="GCSyeb iNlBQe" style="background: rgb(218, 220, 224); height: 1px; left: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px;"></div><div class="uzfIAc" style="height: 25px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="s6JM6d" id="center_col" style="background-color: white; flex: 0 1 auto; margin-left: var(--center-abs-margin); position: relative; width: var(--center-width);"><div class="eqAnXb" id="res" role="main"><div id="topstuff" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></div><div id="search"><div data-hveid="CAMQGw" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQGnoECAMQGw"><h1 class="bNg8Rb OhScic zsYMMe BBwThe" style="clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-wrap: nowrap; user-select: none; width: 1px; z-index: -1000;">Search Results</h1><div class="dURPMd" data-async-context="query:lyrics%20for%20the%20song%2C%20press%20on" eid="hJ3LZe_VMv7fp84PkfuB0As" id="rso" style="margin-top: 6px;"><div class="ULSxyf" style="margin-bottom: 44px;"><div class="MjjYud"><div jsaction="DuGcz:zaQPLb;wjeEFe:zaQPLb;i2Tjcd:zaQPLb" jscontroller="sG005c"><div class="kp-wholepage pEZBSb kp-wholepage-osrp Jb0Zif Ub31p" data-hveid="CCAQAA" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQ_-ABKAB6BAggEAA" jsmodel="HX2tLd" jsname="TlEBqd"><div class="fKw1wf osrp-blk" data-dep="1" data-eprs="1" data-esos="1" data-sosm="24" data-tfts="300" id="_hJ3LZe_VMv7fp84PkfuB0As_47" jsaction="rcuQ6b:npT2md;ZAPqle:OZ0lMc;DbzZ8e:R9zItb;jeZwFd:VimORe;DuGcz:f20zue;wjeEFe:f20zue;MpH3lc:QS7jMc;wGAPfc:xAMCof;VC04sf:gu6R4e" jscontroller="fREC7d" jsdata="rj6Pjf;_;CMnOnk" style="margin: 0px 0px 8px; opacity: 1;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="color: #202124;"><wholepage-tab-history-helper></wholepage-tab-history-helper></span><div class="V734yf eXEBMb Znsfnf" data-ii="1" data-mcei="cubic-bezier(0.1,1,0.2,1)" data-mcsi="cubic-bezier(0.2,0.6,0.2,1)" data-mcso="cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,0.8)" data-md="300" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQztoBKAB6BAggEAE" id="_hJ3LZe_VMv7fp84PkfuB0As_48" jsaction="EormBc:HFYvKc" jscontroller="SrMpob" jsdata="bBCFHd;_;CMnOns" style="position: relative;"><div class="GhpATe pttBJc" jsname="ibnC6b"><div data-hveid="CCAQAw" data-lopri="1" data-rcov="1" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQydoBKAF6BAggEAM" id="kp-wp-tab-cont-default_tab:kc:/music/recording_cluster:lyrics" jsaction="rcuQ6b:npT2md;u16dZe:h1apBe;lgrA4c:LZRHNc;sQFYsc:J0vfUe;Vituk:iBD8fc;VWEuHf:Hh7WQb" jscontroller="etGP4c" jsdata="gsRMGb;_;CMnOn0" role="tabpanel" style="min-height: 300px;"><h1 class="bNg8Rb OhScic zsYMMe BBwThe" style="clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; height: 1px; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-wrap: nowrap; user-select: none; width: 1px; z-index: -1000;">Main Results</h1><div class="xDKLO"><div jsaction="TenKae:BQOpGc;rcuQ6b:npT2md" jscontroller="m1Ro8b" jsdata="Qbxzod;_;CMnOoo"><div data-hveid="CEwQAw" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQkt4BKAB6BAhMEAM" id="kp-wp-tab-default_tab:kc:/music/recording_cluster:lyrics" jsname="QvTDgf"><span data-csim="" face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" id="fld_1" lta="1707842949212" style="color: #202124;"></span><div class="TzHB6b cLjAic LMRCfc" data-hveid="CE0QAA" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQy9oBKAB6BAhNEAA" jsdata="PhoHd;_;CMnOng" style="margin: 0px 0px 44px;"><div jsname="xQjRM"><div class="sATSHe"><div class="JNkvid gsrt wp-ms" style="align-items: flex-start; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><div class="HnYYW" style="flex: 1 1 0%; font-size: 22px; line-height: 24px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;"><div aria-level="2" role="heading">Lyrics</div></div></div><div><div class="wDYxhc NFQFxe" data-attrid="kc:/music/recording_cluster:lyrics" data-md="113" style="clear: none;"><div class="wGduib" data-hveid="CCQQAA" data-ved="2ahUKEwjvp7Di4qiEAxX-78kDHZF9ALoQsEx6BAgkEAA"><div class="Z1hOCe"><div class="PZPZlf zloOqf" data-lyricid="Musixmatch1708033" style="margin-top: 7px;"><div class="xaAUmb" style="line-height: 20px; margin: 16px 0px;"><div jsname="Vinbg" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></div><div jsname="WbKHeb"><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">When the valley is deep</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">When the mountain is steep</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">When the body is weary</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">When we stumble and fall</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">When the choices are hard</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">When we're battered and scarred</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">When we've spent our resources</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">When we've given our all</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">In Jesus' name, we press on</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">In Jesus' name, we press on</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Dear Lord, with the prize</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Clear before our eyes</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">We find the strength to press on</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">Dear Lord, with the prize</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Clear before our eyes</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">We find the strength to press on</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">In Jesus' name, we press on</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">In Jesus' name, we press on</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Dear Lord, with the prize</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Clear before our eyes</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">We find the strength to press on</span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">We find the strength to press on</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">To press on</span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">You can also listen to it being sung by clicking on the link below:</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="margin-bottom: 0px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DVJve79e4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DVJve79e4</a><br /></div></div></div><div class="f41I7 ai4HXb j04ED" style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 16px 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-72128545572061398352024-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:002024-02-09T13:27:15.904-08:00God's Presence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwZtCzCmZq8I1l81GS9nd-2Fop8U23jnT_RAm0h_nUQ0e4t9QPlrYbD39sTGIfGIGlPZOwkQpJoaPLqXCJxzWuY1GuxbQJi-FfzM9kRSyJn3zISPIgMrIVnAqhxAO7fzBheEOg0uu8MEBVQmZECMT83ruMkIn2ZrxFMPHsER9pbmUvnKjA03YuE-GjMQ/s1690/God's%20Presence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1690" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwZtCzCmZq8I1l81GS9nd-2Fop8U23jnT_RAm0h_nUQ0e4t9QPlrYbD39sTGIfGIGlPZOwkQpJoaPLqXCJxzWuY1GuxbQJi-FfzM9kRSyJn3zISPIgMrIVnAqhxAO7fzBheEOg0uu8MEBVQmZECMT83ruMkIn2ZrxFMPHsER9pbmUvnKjA03YuE-GjMQ/s320/God's%20Presence.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br /><p>The Lord desires that we hide ourselves in the peace that only He can give, in the peace of His presence. We need to do this in in everything we do, be it in the quiet moments or when we face difficult challenges. We all need to do this, as we walk the path God has assigned us. As we do this remember the Lord's presence is in us and beside us. He also walks in front of us and behind us.</p>Dear Reader, I know the burdens of life can become heavy and challenging at times. We can walk with joy in our hearts, however, if we remember that the Lord is our burden-carrier. The Lord says in John 16:33 of the New Testament of the Bible that in this world we will have burdens and trouble, but He goes on to say, "But take heart! I have overcome the world!"<br /><br /><div>I don't know about you, dear reader, but for me it is good to know that the Lord is with me and has already overcome the world! 2023 and early 2024 has had some difficult challenges for me, but God never failed me. He will not fail you either, dear Reader. Psalm 31:19 says, "How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You." We don't need to fear outside circumstances. We need to stand in fear and awe of the Lord and to hunger and thirst for His presence. The psalmist in Psalm 63:7 of the Old Testament of the Bible says, "Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings."<br /><br /></div><div>This is the pathway to peace no matter what the circumstances. May we all endeavor to rest in that peace. May we resolve to walk in His presence throughout this coming year. <br /></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-9143943232183144822024-02-02T06:26:00.000-08:002024-02-02T06:26:13.664-08:00The Face of Dementia<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVmBcqeZBjSfXqgE4TGj_A4D1Z9CX3xoITf4lFYbq1w295C_C80xwKuqHX8ZwQ_S5p8_PV27LLbdQHOlZCsNkm4xchb1Q5ql-aLk-VNCGYglX_KdA6UDZvjp08QM5p_EG2iBa7YsZc7wK5kXLM5KzH2CmADMuQCC4DHackiAntbG42mqOMScEOIYwPV8/s768/Face%20of%20dementia.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVmBcqeZBjSfXqgE4TGj_A4D1Z9CX3xoITf4lFYbq1w295C_C80xwKuqHX8ZwQ_S5p8_PV27LLbdQHOlZCsNkm4xchb1Q5ql-aLk-VNCGYglX_KdA6UDZvjp08QM5p_EG2iBa7YsZc7wK5kXLM5KzH2CmADMuQCC4DHackiAntbG42mqOMScEOIYwPV8/s320/Face%20of%20dementia.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As our population is aging we hear the word dementia used more often. According to the internet, "Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing daily activities--- It is a condition characterized by progressive or persistent loss of intellectual functioning especially with impairment of memory and abstract thinking, and often with personality change, resulting from organic disease of the brain."</p><p>Dementia is also defined as "a group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with daily functioning." It often involves memory loss, poor judgment, and impaired social skills. It can cause fear, confusion, and combativeness in the person with dementia. This in turn can cause heartache and negative emotions for the loved ones of people who are experiencing dementia. Dementia can be managed, but there is no known cure at this time. </p><p>Loved ones are often scrambling for or searching out the best possible resources and answers for their loved ones with dementia. There never seems to be a perfect answer or solution, and loved ones are left with feelings of guilt, frustration and fatigue because of not being able to do more for their loved ones. </p><p>If you know someone with dementia, you can pray for that individual and his or her family. You can visit the person with dementia and shower love and respect on him or her. God has made us in His image, and even people with dementia are reflectors of His image. Sin has tainted the world with diseases of various kinds which can cause havoc. Yet the Lord is still in control. We also can do our part, however, in this world affected by disease. We can pray for those affected, and we can do our part to honor and help them and their loved ones.</p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-67053965740139650422024-01-27T04:56:00.000-08:002024-01-27T04:56:09.345-08:00Things Too Wonderful for Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4hljo20wl1uQekMg899-s8JkxOVXKVrl3-ZqEptMiVZlZS-_BmulyQaFEQmNlVXs3PY3DLHmfmndp4AS7sPMyBdexzAkBJwY-1yVJ14PEJqbHXxatyVUoKhlPKUY2JUjXScEPnFef0T3r1Emc8u5po47AeUZw_58aeo-SD7tsZgKSAyy56rI39h6RUI/s320/quieted%20and%20stilled%20my%20soul.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4hljo20wl1uQekMg899-s8JkxOVXKVrl3-ZqEptMiVZlZS-_BmulyQaFEQmNlVXs3PY3DLHmfmndp4AS7sPMyBdexzAkBJwY-1yVJ14PEJqbHXxatyVUoKhlPKUY2JUjXScEPnFef0T3r1Emc8u5po47AeUZw_58aeo-SD7tsZgKSAyy56rI39h6RUI/s1600/quieted%20and%20stilled%20my%20soul.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Psalm 131 is a beautiful Psalm in the Bible which speaks of humbly trusting in the Lord. So often we try to figure out and manage life and it's struggles on our own. We employ and seek out our own devices and solutions to try to solve life's problems and trials. If we do pray to God for answers, we sometimes ask God to solve our problems and heartaches the way we think is best.</p><p></p><p>Instead, in Psalm 131 the psalmist says, "I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me." We can't understand God's ways. We can not fully understand what He has in mind in the issues and trials of life, but He is so much wiser than us. We can rest in His wisdom. The psalmist goes on to say, "But I have stilled and quieted my soul."</p><p>The psalmist has stilled and quieted his soul "like a weaned child with His mother." He is content to just be in and enjoy the presence of the Lord. An unweaned child wants something from the mother. The child wants the mother's milk. The weaned child only wants and desires to be in the presence and company of his mom. He is not looking for what the mother can give him, but he just finds solace and comfort and joy in who the mom is as a person.</p><p>So it is with God. We can find joy in His presence alone and in who He is as our loving and faithful God. Psalm 131 tell us, "We can find "hope in the Lord both now and forevermore." </p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-80568971831196126772024-01-19T15:57:00.000-08:002024-01-19T15:57:57.794-08:00Other Life Lessons Taught<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2iOrdSU4KCtW5USwjAEbebxHcEjZZncCUL9m2-hmFrlBdScnQsZryzs2LuHKk73sfCU92-QKojMVbXOz6D0cGhWFoZJ5NJgbfl63KIDVzsZ3GrxZ6-0FpiCtYDJyK7bPPwczlHrSu7YMi6BAPazQskWZGdfJUfrC5WlGsgFqSZuYwOXeU0wRnqjr88g/s1600/multi-generation-family-wheelchair-grandpa-vector-illustration-77782328.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2iOrdSU4KCtW5USwjAEbebxHcEjZZncCUL9m2-hmFrlBdScnQsZryzs2LuHKk73sfCU92-QKojMVbXOz6D0cGhWFoZJ5NJgbfl63KIDVzsZ3GrxZ6-0FpiCtYDJyK7bPPwczlHrSu7YMi6BAPazQskWZGdfJUfrC5WlGsgFqSZuYwOXeU0wRnqjr88g/s320/multi-generation-family-wheelchair-grandpa-vector-illustration-77782328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>(Below is another chapter from my book, <u>Dear Caregiver Reflections for Family Caregivers</u>. This book was written after caring for my first husband, Wayne, for four and a half years. Recently my second husband, Bob entered an assisted living care facility. Even with that, the care and concerns for one's loved ones do not stop. So I still have and always will have a heart for family caregivers.)</p><br />"In my last meditation we talked about some of the life lessons taught by care-giving. There are so many lessons a caregiver can learn through his or her experience with care-giving that it can not be contained in just one entry, however. I am sure we could fill many pages talking about life lessons learned while being a caregiver.<br /><br />Care-giving by its nature teaches what is important and what is not important. It teaches that frivolous material things are NOT important. Family and relationships ARE important. As a caregiver, I was also reminded that my treasures did not lie in earthly things but it heavenly things. My faith in my Lord God and my relationship with Him was and is alone of supreme value. Care-giving, because of its challenges and sometimes heartaches, further often tested my beliefs between what I said I believed and what I really believed in regards to my faith in my Lord.<br /><br />Another important truth learned from care-giving is that God is good. Circumstances may be bad, but God is good. God is the very definition and essence of goodness. He proved that by sending His son on the cross. Thus, He can help and guide caregivers who are struggling to make their way through the maze of making impossible and confusing decisions about their loves one’s care. He can help caregivers who are struggling to keep emotional and spiritual equilibrium in the midst of the heartaches of seeing their loved ones decline in their health.<br /><br />Care-giving further teaches that joy can coexist in the midst of the heartaches and grief that often accompany care-giving. This is because joy is not based on circumstances which are favorable or perfect. Rather it is based on a relationship with the Lord.<br /><br />Finally, care-giving teaches that God is sovereign and in control. Nothing happens to a Christian caregiver (or his or her loved one) that is not filtered through God's love. This is true even in the heartbreaking events which often accompany care-giving. When this truth is accepted, it a soft place to land when overwhelmed with care-giving difficulties or life’s difficulties in general.<br /><br />Knowing I could trust that God loved me and was in control in the midst of the confusion and grief of my husband's disease and eventual death made and continues to make all the difference in the world. Dear christian caregiver, never forget that the Lord loves you; and He is good. He is in control."<br /><br />Here is the link to the order page for my book on Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Caregiver-Sharon-Vander-Waal/dp/1629524263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482027543&sr=1-1&keywords=Dear+Caregiver">https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Caregiver-Sharon-Vander-Waal/dp/1629524263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482027543&sr=1-1&keywords=Dear+Caregiver</a> It is also found at Barnes and Noble and elsewhere online. Finally, you can contact me personally for a signed copy. Email me for specifics at jesuschild54@hotmail.com<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-69148828721866731062024-01-11T16:51:00.000-08:002024-01-12T09:36:06.980-08:00Valuable Lessons Taught<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqeVw5srDLgJLJlqVMGivJNidRHqZjkoa_gi4KvYvmOD69OYShZAm2s2pFQ0pf37ureNEn_X04nC90yHaPEC-MhRZbbyl2BL9hgCl4zsXV5eI_cJUUFvIeED8iETyJI1kjjTUtUWIcEHne6oHcOePGP0-4Y99iUXc0vVHWVQkals8y20XPrFklQoY0A2c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="320" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqeVw5srDLgJLJlqVMGivJNidRHqZjkoa_gi4KvYvmOD69OYShZAm2s2pFQ0pf37ureNEn_X04nC90yHaPEC-MhRZbbyl2BL9hgCl4zsXV5eI_cJUUFvIeED8iETyJI1kjjTUtUWIcEHne6oHcOePGP0-4Y99iUXc0vVHWVQkals8y20XPrFklQoY0A2c" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><p>(On January 10th my huband, Bob, entered an assisted living home. It was both sad and joyful at the same time, because we could see God's fingerprints all over His working in this. We also deeply felt the prayers of those who were praying for us </p><p>The following post is a chapter from my book, <u>Dear Caregiver Reflections for Family Caregivers.</u> I published that book in 2014 after being a caregiver for my first husband, Wayne. Since I now find myself in a family care-giving situation again,my heart is still with family caregivers. I think I will always have a heart for family caregivers).</p>"Care-giving by its very nature, tends to teach valuable life lessons. In many ways, care-giving is a grief process for caregivers, as they see their loved ones continue to decline. As a caregiver for my husband for over four and one half years I also found the care-giving experience to be a great teacher, however.<br /><br />I think care-giving and its challenges teach us that God uses even the difficulties and heartbreak of care-giving for ultimate good. Care-giving (and life in general) is often difficult. Yet we know that God does not waste our sorrows. When we think of Jesus on the cross we know that eternal life came from that death on the cross. From something as awful as Christ’s crucifixion came the best thing that could possibly happen, namely our salvation. So very good things come from very bad things. The cross illustrates that to us. In the same way, God brings ultimate good out of the heartbreak of care-giving. He uses care-giving to build our characters and draw us closer to Himself. God never wastes our sorrows.<br /><br />I think care-giving also teaches us that life is always out of our control. Hence, seeking self-sufficiency is a terrible place to be. Delusions of strength and self-sufficiency will, in fact, hurt us. Caregivers soon realize that the role of care-giving is too big for them in their own strength. Realizing their need for their dependence on the Lord is essential. Acknowledging one’s weakness and dependence on the Lord is a good thing. It is a valuable lesson to learn. Care-giving often teaches that lesson.<br /><br />For a variety of reasons sometimes others will let us down and not be there when we need them. The Lord, however, will never let us down or betray us. He alone is the One to whom we can go and pour out our hearts, and also allow Him to speak to us. The Christian caregiver can speak to the Lord all through the day, at any moment. Care-giving and it’s difficulties allows the caregiver an opportunity to pray like never before. I do not know what I would have done without the presence of the Lord in my life during those difficult care-giving years. So care-giving teaches us the value of prayer<br /><br />Finally, care-giving teaches the need for the promises of the Bible to sustain us. As a caregiver, I found that it was essential to try to begin every day in God’s Word. God’s Word contains so many awesome promises of His care, guidance, and presence. Hence, I found the promises of the Bible comforting and necessary in my duties as a caregiver. Care-giving is so very emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining. Without the promises of God’s Word I do not think I could have survived my care-giving days.<br /><br />Dear Christian caregiver, read God’s Word. Study it, meditate on it, memorize it, and internalize it. Christian caregiver, lean on the Lord and on His promises in the Bible; and trust that He will bring good out of the chaos of care-giving."<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><br />(Here is the link to the order page for my book on Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Caregiver-Sharon-Vander-Waal/dp/1629524263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482027543&sr=1-1&keywords=Dear+Caregiver">https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Caregiver-Sharon-Vander-Waal/dp/1629524263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482027543&sr=1-1&keywords=Dear+Caregiver</a> It is also found at Barnes and Noble and elsewhere online. Finally, you can contact me personally for a signed copy. Email me for specifics at jesuschild54@hotmail.com)</div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-27067773625726241102024-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:002024-01-05T17:59:55.066-08:00The New Year<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2huHzZnhyphenhyphen5ASuwQP68LPup3X-Vh5caub2ciCtlkukmllq-HdtvjyjkLjUwfxYHonyuj2aMol1S_kMQgay6GrK9UTld-_1YPbr2YTn98b3ZLeu8yBR3y0QiKr3gJY1X8RIwlnbUygjEeQnOTaF_vUPWvoF64XQ458HeAjPs6jfDHB_s2Y0rAfQ6cDRr0/s800/new-year-s-clock-christmas-decorations-snow-new-year-s-clock-christmas-decorations-snow-christmas-card-132602130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2huHzZnhyphenhyphen5ASuwQP68LPup3X-Vh5caub2ciCtlkukmllq-HdtvjyjkLjUwfxYHonyuj2aMol1S_kMQgay6GrK9UTld-_1YPbr2YTn98b3ZLeu8yBR3y0QiKr3gJY1X8RIwlnbUygjEeQnOTaF_vUPWvoF64XQ458HeAjPs6jfDHB_s2Y0rAfQ6cDRr0/s320/new-year-s-clock-christmas-decorations-snow-new-year-s-clock-christmas-decorations-snow-christmas-card-132602130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As we enter yet a new year, the Lord desires that we hide ourselves in the peace that only He can give, in the peace of His presence. We need to do this in everything we do, be it in the quiet moments or when we face difficult challenges. We must do this when we face the day to day duties of care-giving for a love one, our own illness, a job loss, or a host of other possible trials. We all need to do this, as we walk the path God has assigned to us. As we do this, remember the Lord's presence is in us and beside us. He also walks in front of us and behind us.</p>Dear Reader, I know the burdens of life at times can become heavy. Life can become challenging at times. We can walk with joy in our hearts, however, if we remember that the Lord is our burden-carrier. The Lord says in John 16:33 of the New Testament of the Bible that in this world we will have burdens and trouble, but He goes on to say, "But take heart! I have overcome the world!"<br /><br /> 2023 had some difficult challenges for me, as I found and contine to find myself once again in a family caregiving situation. 2024 is also beginning to prove challenging. Yet God has never failed me. In fact, He never will fail me. He will not fail you either, dear Reader. Psalm 31:19 says, "How great is Your goodness which You have stored up for those who fear You." We don't need to fear outside circumstances. Instead we need to stand in fear and awe of the Lord and to hunger and thirst for His presence. The psalmist in Psalm 63:7 of the Old Testament of the Bible says, "Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings."<br /><br />This is the pathway to peace no matter what the circumstances. May we all endeavor to rest in that peace. May we resolve to walk in His presence throughout this coming year. <br /><br />Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-89424684002812161682023-12-29T12:57:00.000-08:002023-12-29T12:57:12.048-08:00Christmas Blessings Reviewed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AzQTss4MSIr6jEbg7Q57BZF5wfGIhALcKwSYnw7dTfoHEUQ9wmgY9atGMKHENsBGWMRPWFcvleZDKspINqAvRPgTbG4PmCQbB1GFj4SPb7EmvlpsJA7pu-zEYP5mlGTCZkkMV9_Jg1VI2IH9-fPPC-cFsPOPtlPrAkc10J5_mlbdXG8OJXL782WCmTk/s768/Christmas%20Blessings.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="768" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AzQTss4MSIr6jEbg7Q57BZF5wfGIhALcKwSYnw7dTfoHEUQ9wmgY9atGMKHENsBGWMRPWFcvleZDKspINqAvRPgTbG4PmCQbB1GFj4SPb7EmvlpsJA7pu-zEYP5mlGTCZkkMV9_Jg1VI2IH9-fPPC-cFsPOPtlPrAkc10J5_mlbdXG8OJXL782WCmTk/s320/Christmas%20Blessings.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Christmas is past. The new year is around the corner. Let's sit back and reflect on all that we have talked about this month concerning Christmas and Jesus' birth. We talked about Jesus' mother and the surrender she made to become Jesus' Mom. We also talked about how we also have to surrender ourselves to the Lord in trust. That post is found here: <a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-surrendered-life.html">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-surrendered-life.html</a> </p><p>In another week in December we discussed the wonderful gifts of Christmas, gifts which are more wonderful than the ones that our under the tree. That post is found here: <a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/12/gifts.html">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/12/gifts.html</a> </p><p>Finally in yet another post we exalted in the wonderful truth that Jesus' birth brought light into a world of darkness and sin. It brought light into our lives as His children as well. Also someday because of what Jesus did for us, there will be no more tears, heartaches and trials. There will one day be no more night. You can find that post here: <a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/12/no-more-night.html">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/12/no-more-night.html</a></p><p><br /></p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-10719516605889638342023-12-23T08:38:00.000-08:002023-12-23T08:39:18.122-08:00No More Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6W_iTa9sqqMhFBxSYTHLXcRgTBFGKmU-BYEGT7zAd93Ql5uo-4UuyOf53Yfjv2CbLFCrqp0KoopZ7AxEEdoppgng3IZkEK-u8cmQCqbdTvXS1WcD3a9n4RFox6nhyoX2fKwcs0wx6icZ_F4rJvCzGTuRa5RU72sWQYGfTteeM91M-AyUkU_u6tC2aaM/s1600/no%20more%20Night%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6W_iTa9sqqMhFBxSYTHLXcRgTBFGKmU-BYEGT7zAd93Ql5uo-4UuyOf53Yfjv2CbLFCrqp0KoopZ7AxEEdoppgng3IZkEK-u8cmQCqbdTvXS1WcD3a9n4RFox6nhyoX2fKwcs0wx6icZ_F4rJvCzGTuRa5RU72sWQYGfTteeM91M-AyUkU_u6tC2aaM/s320/no%20more%20Night%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Shepherds were in the field watching over their sheep. It was night, so darkness pervaded the atmosphere. Perhaps there were stars in the sky, but because it was nighttime it was still very dark. Suddenly an angel appeared in the sky saying to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior had been born to you, He is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10) Then to the shepherd's astonished eyes the sky was filled with a host of angels praising and glorifying God! The darkness had been turned to light! </p><p>Because of our Savior's birth, His perfect life lived for us, and His death on the cross to pay for our sins; our darkness has been turned to light as well! If we have accepted the free gift of His salvation, we stand forgiven. We are then children of the Light. The Lord Jesus is then living in us through His Spirit. His light is in us! We have a spiritual inheritance and the promise of eternal life! </p><p>Some day the Lord Jesus will return on the clouds of glory for a second time. He will not return to this earth as a baby again, but as our glorious and victorious Lord. Until the day that He returns, however, we have not yet received our full inheritance as His children. Although we experience joy in Him already; we still encounter trials, suffering, tears, and heartaches at times in this life. When He returns Revelation 21 in the Bible tells us that He will erase all our fears, heartahces, and tears. On that day there will be no more night. All will be perfect joy in His presence!</p><p>As children of the light we need to tell others about this wonderful gift of light and life that we have received from the Lord. We need to tell others this good news because of our appreciation to Him for what He has done for us and given to us. We need to tell others so that they too can accept and experience this gift of light. </p><p>Below I have posted a link to the song, "No More Night." Just click on the link to enjoy and experience this song. </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPIi7sunEU&list=RD4iPIi7sunEU&start_radio=1">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPIi7sunEU&list=RD4iPIi7sunEU&start_radio=1</a></p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-47796679521023648332023-12-15T17:37:00.000-08:002023-12-15T17:37:47.930-08:00Gifts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2N8OJQDHjCHFLGgJeiXRIK5CWkgS6SVdwcJfNMi4kFV0yCVx15YkzR5Wyi1TTK5KEPYzGMnGVXICWRVLeVMa6ZxaLQFHaYuEBNGktoFAo8wm5VYOIpMN-tMKwDpamgsKX8niII6v9O01mZVKzNJZwqCoElXVksSYyA0_OAETb79yRzniILr96xTAX-xE/s1600/gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2N8OJQDHjCHFLGgJeiXRIK5CWkgS6SVdwcJfNMi4kFV0yCVx15YkzR5Wyi1TTK5KEPYzGMnGVXICWRVLeVMa6ZxaLQFHaYuEBNGktoFAo8wm5VYOIpMN-tMKwDpamgsKX8niII6v9O01mZVKzNJZwqCoElXVksSYyA0_OAETb79yRzniILr96xTAX-xE/s320/gifts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>What kind of Christmas do you anticipate this year? Perhaps your Christmas will involve a lot of extra work for you in addition to the challenges and responsibilities of other life activities, or perhaps you are feeling isolated and ignored and all alone this Christmas in your daily burdens. Instead, however, perhaps you will experience Christmas this year as a reminder of your blessings and as a blessed respite from the drama of life's challenges.</p><span style="font-size: small;">Whatever we experience this Christmas and with every gift we receive at Christmas or at any time of year we have to open our hands to receive the gift; or the gift does not benefit us or give us any joy. The gifts we receive which are eternally precious, however, are the gifts which God wants to give us.<br /><br />The Lord first offers us the gift of salvation which is what Christmas and walking with the Lord is all about. He further offers us the accompanying gifts of joy, peace, and hope. They are ours for the taking; and yes, they can coexist with the pain and heartache which often are present in life. Further, the Lord promises us a happy ending. That happy ending is eternal life. Christian reader, the heartaches that sometimes come in life are but a comma in your life story. They are not the end of your life’s story. They are not the end of your loved ones' life stories either.<br /><br />We also can all receive other gifts. We can receive the gift of trust in God and letting Him control our lives. We receive this gift by resting in Him and by letting go of anything which we are holding onto too tightly or trying to control.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">We further all have to let go of feelings of unforgiveness for people who have not been there for us. We further have to receive the gift of forgiveness for ourselves. We have to bring to the Lord any true wrongs, and ask for His forgiveness. Further, we often carry around a lot of false guilt about things beyond our control. So whether false guilt or true guilt, we need to let it go. We need to give it to the Lord. Trust and letting go are great gifts to have in our lives. R</span>eceive the gift of releasing it to the Lord.<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br />One great gift we can give ourselves is the gift of acceptance of our situation. We often waste so much energy wishing circumstances were different, but we can rest assured that we are right where we are supposed to be in our lives. Dear Reader, your responsibilities may be emotionally overwhelming at times, but in the measure that you can accept where God has placed you now in your life you will find joy. It is a great gift you can give yourself.<br /><br />Yet another wonderful gift we can give ourselves is the gift of being still in the presence of God. (Psalm 46:10) Doing this helps us grow in peace, wisdom, and insights. Finally, we can give ourselves the gift of gratitude. When we are grateful in spite of our circumstances our joy and blessings will multiply and resentments will flee.<br /><br />Would not these be wonderful gifts to have in your life? These are wonderful gifts not just for Christmas but all year long!</span>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-81172132629720355092023-12-08T17:59:00.000-08:002023-12-08T17:59:10.542-08:00A Surrendered Life <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcYXRUHM8pZkqqbTOV2Apvi5Euo0vml8JNi6TjPj3KS1KaFAYGmnEWA1CWMbuHLcGWlE-vq1pTcrFfQGik4POhZy1xx06gy7fFhoTu3r8NWwWg2yNOLnNVu44PkhSjqeEnRrwHXaBG3wej7EL8Aua5ay0_fXJ3tgYTgjHzQIyGDVvzAdkeHPEr_IiGW8/s992/Surrenered%20Life.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="992" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcYXRUHM8pZkqqbTOV2Apvi5Euo0vml8JNi6TjPj3KS1KaFAYGmnEWA1CWMbuHLcGWlE-vq1pTcrFfQGik4POhZy1xx06gy7fFhoTu3r8NWwWg2yNOLnNVu44PkhSjqeEnRrwHXaBG3wej7EL8Aua5ay0_fXJ3tgYTgjHzQIyGDVvzAdkeHPEr_IiGW8/s320/Surrenered%20Life.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>"I am the Lord's servant." Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." These were the words of Mary after the angel told her that she would become the earthly mother of the Savior, Jesus. These were words of surrender on her part. It was a great honor for her to be chosen for this job. Yet it would involve sacrifice. Would her family and friends think she had committed an act of adultery? Would Joseph think that? Would she be ostracized by the people of her town and culture? Mary's surrender would also involve great sorrow, as she saw Jesus hang on the cross. </p><p>Mary was willingly surrendering from a heart full of love for her God. She was not serving God just so she would be blessed, or because she was hoping the Lord would meet and fulfill her secret desires and agenda. She was also not seeking to serve the Lord out of sense of obligation. She was serving the Lord out of a heart filled with gratitude, praise, and love for Him. Her heart was a heart that was truly surrendered to the Lord's will, purpose, and agenda. Wherever the Lord placed her in her life or wanted her to do, she wanted to be there wholeheartedly serving Him.</p><p>Obstacles to full surrender to the Lord in our lives include doubt concerning His sovereignty and love for us, a desire to control circumstances ourselves instead of leaving them in God's hands, not focusing on the Lord, and a lack of thankfulness. Other obstacles include fear, lack of true intimacy with the Lord, and no experience of the Lord's joy in one's life.</p><p>Like Mary, however we can experience the love of God and willingness to surrender to Him in our lives. Mary Tutterrow says the following in her book, <u>The heart of the Caregiver from Overwhelmed to</u> <u>Overjoyed</u>, "We will EXPERIENCE the love of God when we are willing to do whatever He asks us to do, however, He want us to do it trusting Him completely for the outcome. That is surrender! It's only when we are doing things His way, for His reasons, according to His timing-not according to our own plans or will-that we can do things we never thought we could do, love people we never thought we could love, overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable, and experience His love and power working in and through us." </p><p>This is the surrendered life that Mary and a host of other Biblical people lived. All failed and faltered at times, but they also experienced the joy of a surrendered life throughout their lives. We can experience that joy as well. </p><p><br /></p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-46772098255056465612023-11-24T18:31:00.000-08:002023-11-26T05:43:30.655-08:00Blessings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXnMyZbbAxU_HtQxKUmmGmHH-rnY2cWHAc0AEOOH9Tfz_eCIycm96Y-AqkwiY47kNolfn9YOUEqfzc1nLZFF8gWW85ZDra-fpBWm5iFFoOVmo4UuZE9GeWUnvrEfJuXmUiJ2zSkm7RdzmJGVWzzO7dXP_-bxeF0qILY43HnETgDmPt0wCxOhEamHrInE/s992/Blessings.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="992" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXnMyZbbAxU_HtQxKUmmGmHH-rnY2cWHAc0AEOOH9Tfz_eCIycm96Y-AqkwiY47kNolfn9YOUEqfzc1nLZFF8gWW85ZDra-fpBWm5iFFoOVmo4UuZE9GeWUnvrEfJuXmUiJ2zSkm7RdzmJGVWzzO7dXP_-bxeF0qILY43HnETgDmPt0wCxOhEamHrInE/s320/Blessings.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We just celebrated Thanksgiving Day in the United States. We are also entering the Christmas season. It is a time of year when we think of God's blessings. God's greatest blessing to us is that He sent Jesus into the world to pay for our sins and to pave the way for us to have a wonderful and intimate relationship with Him.</p>We also experience many other blessings from the Lord. There are material blessings, and there are emotional and spiritual blessings. Every day God provides good and wonderful blessings to our lives. We just need to open our eyes to these blessings and to look for them.<br /><br /><div>In a book called <u>The One Year Book of Hope</u> by Nancy Gutherie Nancy points out, however, that blessings do not always come in the form of things we consider good. Sometimes blessings come in the form of hardship. This is because trials and hardships can grant us perspective on what is important and meaningful in a way nothing else can do. This is because they often lead us on a pathway to the Lord. As we surrender to the Lord in times of hardship, we find God in a new and vibrant way. In times of trial God often reveals Himself to us. He also often gives us a peace that we can find in no other way,<br /><br />In times of hardship and trial God bends down to us. He enters into our lives and meets our needs in a personal way. He not only does that, but He reveals Himself and gives Himself to us in unique ways in those times. It is because of this, in those times we receive God's blessings. We receive God's blessings in and because of the trials. We find the blessing in the Lord Himself and not in material outward things or in our own perceived achievements. Let's thank God for our blessings.<div><br /></div><div>(You may enjoy Laura Story's song "Blessings." You can listen to it by clicking on the following link: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc</a><br /><br /></div><div>Also there will be no new post next week. Use this time to read some of my older posts. I hope to post again on or around December 10th.)</div></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-32047530980048546712023-11-17T18:51:00.000-08:002023-11-17T18:51:37.362-08:00Thanksgivng<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11siIR39fPAgGupguktn08qWDk8b4GsIvxetT44ns-1RkZuhCQP8RYRiLQ2ojhRuA_YltsfzoZg_Ej-ulJ9I7tVzxeOqXalCYRMbWsIHR56LezCs9bYP4Iwc_8yC3wjhFmAzPnl0pccu1R-mJQ5vaQDQqOKfxnr40HNfBFVMd8yKUsA-DkLaKh87Bifk/s992/thankful,%20greateful%20blessed.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="992" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11siIR39fPAgGupguktn08qWDk8b4GsIvxetT44ns-1RkZuhCQP8RYRiLQ2ojhRuA_YltsfzoZg_Ej-ulJ9I7tVzxeOqXalCYRMbWsIHR56LezCs9bYP4Iwc_8yC3wjhFmAzPnl0pccu1R-mJQ5vaQDQqOKfxnr40HNfBFVMd8yKUsA-DkLaKh87Bifk/s320/thankful,%20greateful%20blessed.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p>All of us have so many things for which we can be thankful. The Lord provides us with our daily needs which often involves things that we just take for granted, like health, safety, daily food, sunshine, warm homes and beds, loving families and a host of other good things. We also can thank the Lord for church, His Word, and above all that we know Jesus as our personal Savior and the spiritual riches which come from knowing Him in a personal relationship.</p><p></p><p>Yet perhaps for many of you the holidays can be a discouraging time, if you or your family are going through difficult circumstances. It may be difficult to find things for which to be thankful in such a scenario. Yet a thankful heart opens up blessings from heaven and foretastes of heaven that cannot be attained in any other way. A thankful heart further revives hope and allows us to communicate on a more intimate level with the Lord. A thankful heart does not deny the reality of life's challenges, and life certainly presents a host of problems and heartaches. A thankful heart does, however, recognize the Lord's presence and joy in the midst of those problems.</p><p>So perhaps the best place to start is to thank the Lord each day for His presence and peace. Also as you go through the day look for even the Lord's tiny treasures which He has placed on your path. Look with spiritual eyes for His wonders in your life. Some years back I remember being challenged to write down each day at least three things for which I was thankful that day. That helped me immensely in persevering during a very difficult time in my life.<br /><br />It is said that a thankful heart takes the sting out of trials and adversity, Life often facilitates many challenges and trials. Yet we are commanded in the Bible to give thanks in everything. We may not always FEEL like giving thanks, but when we offer a SACRIFICE of thanks in spite of our feelings, God gives us joy in spite of our circumstances.<br /><br />That does not mean we always feel happy. Happiness and joy are not the same thing, but joy in the Lord and grief can coexist. It may seem nonsensical to thank God in and for difficult circumstances. Yet in the measure that we do so we will be blessed, even though the adversities may remain. Thank the Lord for His blessings even while going through trials. </p><div>A few years back I read the following thoughts from some correspondence I received in the mail: If you are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, it is not the bump which caused you to spill coffee. This is because if you had tea in your cup, you would spill tea instead. Whatever is in your cup will spill out, when you are bumped and shaken. So it is with life. When you face circumstances that shake you in life, what is inside your heart will spill out. What will spill out of you and I in such times? Will it be peace, joy, gratitude, and humility that will spill out? Or will it be bitterness and anger? Again thank the Lord today for His blessings from a heart full of love for Him because of His grace!</div><div><div><br /></div><div>In the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day in a few days. It is a day when we especially try to remember to thank and praise God for the blessings of the past year. Life is often challenging and difficult. Yet there are many blessings in our lives even in the most difficult of moments, Thank the Lord for your blessings daily and not just on special occasions. It will lift your burdens and add joy to your life.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(If you missed last week's blog post you can read it by clicking on the link below: </div><div><a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/11/it-was-good-for-me-to-be-afflicted.html">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/11/it-was-good-for-me-to-be-afflicted.html</a> )<br /></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-18492620341683094932023-11-10T15:37:00.001-08:002023-11-10T18:01:08.787-08:00"It Was Good for Me to be Afflicted"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09AvJ-XBfhsCugiooukOPRmI1gBQgsVN_-xxewf3Uf0uj2pz_OtKGP_e2h7GK2Cf9AQEP4Tp_c-paDwcU5-anwEPv0BNp-WQ9ANQRlh909H9KsGovotYHHUyAFKI6LVdE8pmhnzEjVwGK5e-gxG-ukkDl2ITsn0rJoEzAYbKwkojOJniRix8j74vGZuQ/s768/trials%20and%20afflictions.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09AvJ-XBfhsCugiooukOPRmI1gBQgsVN_-xxewf3Uf0uj2pz_OtKGP_e2h7GK2Cf9AQEP4Tp_c-paDwcU5-anwEPv0BNp-WQ9ANQRlh909H9KsGovotYHHUyAFKI6LVdE8pmhnzEjVwGK5e-gxG-ukkDl2ITsn0rJoEzAYbKwkojOJniRix8j74vGZuQ/s320/trials%20and%20afflictions.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees. The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold," (Psalm 119:71-72) Really, Lord, it is good to be afflicted? How does that work, Lord? Perhaps you as a reader join me at times in the sentiments I just expressed. Trials and challenges are never pleasant.</p><p>So how can afflictions ever be good? I think the Scripture passage begins to give us an answer to that question. Afflictions makes God's Word more precious to us. In times of challenge we run to God's Word for comfort and direction, and His Word becomes more precious to us than gold or anything else in this life in the process. If one clings to the Lord in times like these, one's faith and relationship with Him aso becomes so much sweeter. It is also a time when we begin to learn sweet surrender to the Lord's perfect timing and will. This in turn leads to His peace.</p><p>How do I know this? I know this because I have experienced this myself in my life in many ways. I begin to experience this when my first husband developed a neurological disease which grandually made him more and more physically disabled until finally he became totally dependent on me and a wheel chair and lift. I experienced it when I also developed breast cancer during that same time period and endured eight months of treatment. I experienced it when my first husband died after four and a half years of decline, and I became a widow. God's promises in His Word and His presence in my life were so very precious during those years of caring for my husband, and they still are in the years since.</p><p>I am also experiencing all these blessings, now as I face more pronounced ongoing back issues. It is further something I am experiencing now as my second husband has been diagnosed with a different kind of neurological disease. Does this mean that I always feel joyful all the time about the circumstances? No, sometimes it is a struggle and a cause for sadness. Becoming a family caregiver a second time never was something I wanted to do. </p><p>Yet thesse struggles have once again laid on my heart the need for sweet surrender to the Lord and the need to NOT try to "fix" things" in my own way and on my own terms. It has impressed on me the need to surrender to the Lord and to trust His way and timing. I fall so far short in this surrender to the Lord, but God is working on me.</p><p>I think afflictions and trials can also make us more thankful for all the wonderful gifts we have in our life like sunrises and sunsets, the changing of the seasons, and a host of other things. It further opens our eyes to how God is using our difficult circumstances to help others and encourge others and for them to encourage us. I saw that in my experiences with my first husband, and I am seeing it now in my present situation. Finally, lessons learned in times of affliction and wilderness tend to be remembered the best and the longest. So yes, as difficult as it can be at times, it is good to be afflicted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-66oZi01tKXf5U5Ro8YmYrB_xSCSF2Ft8ZdNAEuiSq5JifdKyq75O5z6ftsWIsIaunz9z7pqUoNk9ry3azjs9q_LFpJqMML5syLEmVoa6E-j13fSE7qDZMhOjfwzNcAk35dlHdkU5NwXY6FkkvQl5Qa7jU6OgjAR_I0iFR7MV3Qm-LHdkY_3Po9gkyw8/s843/God%20Loves%20me%20too%20much.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="843" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-66oZi01tKXf5U5Ro8YmYrB_xSCSF2Ft8ZdNAEuiSq5JifdKyq75O5z6ftsWIsIaunz9z7pqUoNk9ry3azjs9q_LFpJqMML5syLEmVoa6E-j13fSE7qDZMhOjfwzNcAk35dlHdkU5NwXY6FkkvQl5Qa7jU6OgjAR_I0iFR7MV3Qm-LHdkY_3Po9gkyw8/s320/God%20Loves%20me%20too%20much.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-62602257158139166922023-11-03T14:53:00.000-07:002023-11-03T14:53:40.043-07:00Pray, Wait, Trust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sHRX6E2c0NJubCEYKJ_KcwYnQgOzcpcaX2H0Psh6VMweOH6l1P1Jk_MgNdwKBELyca7QEXokY8CqVXr2aya9lNTiDGZsQelCL-AyIdKnB7k2_h8WpTT_biKJNsW1UBwRP0udxNSUJwIha7JFRyg8xugT3e2DlKJFBNO1goyiP72ZM06mrB0sXm3SaVc/s992/Pray,%20Wait,%20Trust.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="992" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sHRX6E2c0NJubCEYKJ_KcwYnQgOzcpcaX2H0Psh6VMweOH6l1P1Jk_MgNdwKBELyca7QEXokY8CqVXr2aya9lNTiDGZsQelCL-AyIdKnB7k2_h8WpTT_biKJNsW1UBwRP0udxNSUJwIha7JFRyg8xugT3e2DlKJFBNO1goyiP72ZM06mrB0sXm3SaVc/s320/Pray,%20Wait,%20Trust.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Pray, wait, trust. Such are the words that I found on a small plaque that I purchased a few mouths back. Then I found these same words on a gratitude journal I recently purchased. These are three simple words. They are simple words yet often difficult to live, or we make them difficult to live by not surrendering all our worries and problems to the Lord.</p><p>Pray, just talk to the Lord when afraid. The Lord invites us to do so. I Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you." Yet we so often try all own resources first before turning to the Lord and before surrendering to Him. The Lord does not want us running around fretting and trying to come up with human solutions. God tells us instead to "not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanskgiving present your requests to God And the peace of God which transcends all understanidng will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) Barb Roose says this in her book, <u>Surrendered</u>, "When Fear tempts me to flee, fix, or force my way, I will choose to stop and pray."</p><p>Sometimes when we pray God does not give us exactly what we want. He is much wiser than us. So sometimes He may say, "No." to our prayers. He also may say, "Wait." If there is something of value for us to to learn by not answering our prayers immediately, God will make us wait. This can be a difficult but valuable time of learning to depend on the Lord and grow spiritually. <span>"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put put my hope." </span> (Psalm130:5)</p><p>Pray, wait, and the third word is trust. The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament says this, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." (Priverbs 3:5-6) Trusting in God's leading and following His leading will bring joy and blessing in our lives. Life may have may obtacles and trials, but leaning on the Lord for direction and strength is always the way to blessing and a life of purpose. Psalm 29:7 says, "The Lord is my stregth and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him with song."</p><p>PRAY. WAIT. TRUST.</p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-81080194679853786262023-10-27T14:47:00.000-07:002023-10-27T14:47:59.390-07:00Do Not Fear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchJUiZ4rgNoL6Q4HCBM0diHqEz1EtEWd4GnF55hy2DtWJJJQbk1mkew1Suj3zuz45SFl6bUesJUaKvM-gqtSa0MFTiY7UDoWNzQi6NM65P8fAa0W7eB2_5fpPUeYnucalPnNvmBFw2MlC8Ul5IHu6gqqok2yUfCg8_o4j4ggFyEm4EFE8s0I_d-wcxBI/s1600/Do%20not%20fear.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchJUiZ4rgNoL6Q4HCBM0diHqEz1EtEWd4GnF55hy2DtWJJJQbk1mkew1Suj3zuz45SFl6bUesJUaKvM-gqtSa0MFTiY7UDoWNzQi6NM65P8fAa0W7eB2_5fpPUeYnucalPnNvmBFw2MlC8Ul5IHu6gqqok2yUfCg8_o4j4ggFyEm4EFE8s0I_d-wcxBI/s320/Do%20not%20fear.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">Being a caregiver for my first husband, Wayne, waltching him decline in health over a four and a half year period, losing him to death in the end, and my own battle against breast cancer during that time were difficult trials in my past life. Current very difficult trials are also a challenge. Knowing I can trust that God loved and loves me and was and is in control in the midst of the confusion and grief of it all made and continues to make all the difference in the world.</span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en">God is sovereign and in control. Nothing happens to a Christian or his or her loved ones that is not filtered through His love. This is true even in the most difficult and heartbreaking events of life. This is a difficult truth to accept. When this truth is accepted, however, it a soft place to land when </span><span lang="en">one is</span><span lang="en"> overwhelmed with life’s difficulties.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en">God is good. Circumstances may be bad, but God is good. God is the very definition and essence of goodness. He proved that by sending His son on the cross. He can help Christians who are struggling to keep emotional and spiritual equilibrium in the midst of the heartaches of life. He can also slowly emotionally heal Christians, when life has handed them the unthinkable.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en">Joy can coexist in the midst of the deep heartaches and grief of life. This is because joy is not based on circumstances which are favorable or perfect</span><span lang="en"> Sometimes life's trials involve a process that takes much time and deep crying out to the Lord and depending on Him. At times there is a scar that never goes completely away. Yet, the Lord's faithfulness will be with us all the way, and the joy of the Lord will always return. </span><span lang="en">Do not live in fear of the future, dear Christian. N</span><span lang="en">ever forget that the Lord loves you, and He is good. He is in control.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-28449439922270546622023-10-21T12:28:00.002-07:002023-10-21T12:33:26.492-07:00Unexpected Storms<p>About five years ago our area was inundated with an unexpected storm. Television reports and the blowing of the sirens alerted us to it's imminent arrival. Yet the intensity of the winds and the torrential downpour of rain left me in awe. I should have been in the basement, as the weather reporters advised. Yet then I would have missed seeing the power of this storm.</p>As it turns out this storm uprooted some big old trees and broke off many, many big branches in our village. (I posted one picture of an uprooted tree by the village park below.) It caused many people to lose electrical power-some for thirty-six hours or more. I never lost power, but I lost internet and phone service for awhile. Evidence of the storm were still evident on my village streets a few days later, although some towns and counties around us fared worse because of the storm.<br /><br />Life is filled with other kinds of storms as well. I remember the storm of caring for my first husband and watching as his body became more and more disabled over a period of about four and a half years. The care-giving storm is a difficult storm. I remember the storm of grief after losing my husband and becoming a widow. I remember the storm of all the secondary losses as well, and of having to build an entirely new life.<br /><br />I also remember other storms since those days and I am currently facing storms in my current life. Sometimes the storms have been very intense and painful emotionally and physically. Sometimes they have been minor storms which can collectively wear on an individual. Storms of one degree of intensity or another continue to seem to come.<br /><br /><div> Nancy Guthrie from her book, <u>The One Year Book of HOPE.,</u> said this in one of her devotions, "Perhaps you find yourself watching the storm clouds gather in the distance, or maybe you are swirling in the center of a storm. Or perhaps the storm has come and gone and you are picking up the pieces of your life. God often speaks to us through the storms of our lives.---if we listen, in the midst of the most violent storm we can detect the still, small voice of God, calling us to greater faith in Him."<br /><br />Often it takes a storm for us to see our need for the Lord and to cry out to Him. It is often in the storms that our complacency is replaced with a sense of His presence. We then hear His still small voice. We recognize that He is with us in the storm. Having the Lord with us in the storm makes all the difference, no matter how tumultuous the storm.<br /><br />When I was watching that storm of a few years ago from my living room window I felt remarkably calm in the moment. I was relatively safe in the "ark" of my home. Imagine how Noah in the Old Testament of the Bible felt when he was in that ark in the great flood, however. Imagine how fearful the disciples in the New Testament felt when they were in their boat in very stormy weather. Yet the Lord Jesus is our ark of safety in all the kinds of storms that God allows in our lives. We may not like the storms, but He is always our place of safety.<br /><br />Sometimes it is easy to tire of the storms that keep coming and to dread the next one which perhaps can not yet be seen on the horizon. It is easy to also imagine storms that never will occur. That only uses up emotional energy unnecessarily. Instead of looking at the waves in current storms, reliving regrets about past storms, or imagining future storms; the Lord wants us to look to Him. He wants us to focus on Him and embrace Him, and when storms do come he wants us to step out faith. He wants us to trust His sustaining power and love.<br /><br />The only way we can prepare for unexpected storms in our lives is by living close to the Lord and by immersing God's Word into our lives. We need to obediently build our lives on the foundation of obedience to God's Word and on His precious promises to always be with us. Yes, we will falter and become afraid at times, but the Lord and the promises of His Word will see us through.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmm29Xj8I3Hh2aWat7d8W_9en0BWfH3PZqIjYpr9ywyHZoIyefRv6lQWkpbiMCY1oLv-Uwchmq8ZmbtHjMm7Mmm5LgTGrDKxRvLziiBFrA5XiPRTqJucUS6MLOSgPwETqyUPDGssnzw4/s1600/002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmm29Xj8I3Hh2aWat7d8W_9en0BWfH3PZqIjYpr9ywyHZoIyefRv6lQWkpbiMCY1oLv-Uwchmq8ZmbtHjMm7Mmm5LgTGrDKxRvLziiBFrA5XiPRTqJucUS6MLOSgPwETqyUPDGssnzw4/s320/002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-70346595023986623562023-10-06T16:54:00.000-07:002023-10-06T16:54:27.678-07:00Never Separated From His Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7wrAuqDS0e-VucqCli5tdCc4EhtmuDZd9KAS5e-iPB98Jb0Qua6qzJDGAkHJCl0ZdHN6zDJ5d4RTZDBuRsUT6oQf1rWDE9mmbvnJjIrxFFI-qD0zSmneJd8Ti1sZekN91_EUqRc58I6EBRHbDEQj9H86MRG9SkrU0sMjWEPYn_kuiqAqXFQD5O44jKI/s992/Never%20Separated%20from%20His%20love.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="992" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7wrAuqDS0e-VucqCli5tdCc4EhtmuDZd9KAS5e-iPB98Jb0Qua6qzJDGAkHJCl0ZdHN6zDJ5d4RTZDBuRsUT6oQf1rWDE9mmbvnJjIrxFFI-qD0zSmneJd8Ti1sZekN91_EUqRc58I6EBRHbDEQj9H86MRG9SkrU0sMjWEPYn_kuiqAqXFQD5O44jKI/s320/Never%20Separated%20from%20His%20love.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Sometimes the future can seem so uncertain and fearful. As children of God, however, we have victory in Christ Jesus, our Lord! We need to fear nothing, for the Lord is on our side! Nothing can separate us from the love of God! What an awesome thought, and what an awesome promise! In light of all this there can be overflowing joy in our hearts!</p><p><span style="color: black;">We are secure in Christ for time and for eternity. Sometimes we may feel as if everything is against us, but the Word of God teaches us that the great God of the universe is always for us and is always with us! (Romans 8:31-32) God proved His love for us by sending His only Son to die for our sins. Surely we can trust Him to provide us with everything we need for time and eternity. In the uncertainties of life Christians can rest in the Lord. They have the Lord God on their side, and they are victors in Him!</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: black;">Nothing will happen to us that is not in God's plan for our lives, so we need not fear. In fact, Christ is always interceding for His children before God the Father! He is interceding for you also, dear Christian! He knows your heartaches, your challenges, and your fears; and He is praying for you! What a blessed promise!</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: black;">In light of all this, what set of circumstances can ever separate you from the love of Christ, dear, Christian? (Romans 8:35a) The answer is that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! No matter what hardship, trials or heartaches you or I may be experiencing in our lives at the moment; we are never separated from the love of Christ.</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: black;">In fact, trials in our lives are part of God's plan and purpose for our lives to mold us to become more like Jesus in our character and attitudes. We are not separated from God’s love by the heartaches of life. Rather, the Lord is with us in a special way guiding and comforting us.</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: black;">What is more Romans 8:37 teaches us that we are more than a conqueror! One becomes a conqueror through the trials of life by patiently enduring these trials and by being submissive to the Lord's will. One becomes more than a conqueror by using these experiences to grow in our love and service for the Lord.</span><br /><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: black;">God always see us through difficult times and brings us to ultimate victory. Victory is always assured for the Christian-if not in this life, then in eternity. There will be ultimate victory for you too, dear Christian. At times</span> you may feel as if your life has been shattered in a million pieces, but God will bring ultimate victory and peace for you.</p><p>Absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and the victory we have in the Lord Jesus Christ! (Romans 8:38-39) Praise the name of the Lord for our victory in Him!</p><p><br /></p><div align="JUSTIFY">(There will not be a new blog post next week. Use this time to reread some of my older posts. <a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/</a></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-78573428902989157512023-09-29T16:37:00.000-07:002023-09-29T16:37:30.841-07:00The Tapestry of our Lives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_S_Q5ZS9Hzcg1iAnTA0Ueb2ZGChQH-puRGOo9ePrbAOtClYXLo6cgglSwYTUcfuLulcbqiUFHKN8rZqKpJEyyY0EPbMWHDXGJ5RC7hTpIC8cmnD25mddNfFdWoeiCdL-fvxW4Tj0neHepmd03nQmNzzFINzEoNyYV_b1qtDvXHTHu_tgrBMwG8tILNA/s992/tapestry.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="992" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_S_Q5ZS9Hzcg1iAnTA0Ueb2ZGChQH-puRGOo9ePrbAOtClYXLo6cgglSwYTUcfuLulcbqiUFHKN8rZqKpJEyyY0EPbMWHDXGJ5RC7hTpIC8cmnD25mddNfFdWoeiCdL-fvxW4Tj0neHepmd03nQmNzzFINzEoNyYV_b1qtDvXHTHu_tgrBMwG8tILNA/s320/tapestry.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Romans 8:28 in the Bible promises us that in both the pleasant circumstances and in the tragic circumstances of life, God is working for our good. It is a blessed promise. We can rest in that promise and trust in it when the world around us seems to be falling apart, but it is also a promise with which we may at times struggle.</p><span style="font-size: small;">I remember first struggling with the promise of Romans 8:28 when my dad was suffering the excruciating pain of cancer and radiation. I wondered how "all things" could possibly be working for good in this case? It is also something I pondered when my first husband was diagnosed with a devastating neurological disease. It was something I thought about when I was struggling with the challenges of care-giving, and I saw the effects my husband’s disease was having on his body. It was something I was confused about when my husband passed away four and a half years later. It is still something I wonder about as I go through some very difficult trials in my present life.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The key to understanding this verse is to realize that not all things are good in themselves. Sin has wracked havoc with our world, and there are many experiences in this world that are not good or pleasant in themselves. God, however, works both the "good" and the "bad" events of our lives together for our ultimate good. We also must remember that even though God is sovereign and the victor through Jesus's death and resurrection, the final victory when all creation will be made perfect and whole again has not yet occurred.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">It has been said that life is like a tapestry. When you look at the backside of a tapestry it does not look beautiful. There are knotted-off ends and threads that seem to have no meaning or beauty. When one turns the tapestry over, however, one sees a beautiful picture or design.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Dear reader, when you see the difficulties and heartaches of your life, you are seeing only the backside of the tapestry of life. God, however, is bringing all the threads or events of our lives together-both the good and bad, into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord already sees the top part of our tapestry of life. The Lord already sees the beautiful end result of what He is accomplishing in our lives. When we do not understand the reason for the difficult circumstances in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones, we must simply trust that the Lord is working out all things in our lives for His glory and to accomplish His plan. He is also working out all things for our ultimate spiritual good.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The ultimate spiritual good that the Lord God is seeking to accomplish in our lives is that we might become more like Jesus in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions (Romans 8:29). In order for this to happen, there must be a conforming process taking place in our lives. This conforming process often can only occur during times of trial and difficulty in our lives. Gelatin is only able to be conformed or shaped to the mold into which it is placed after it has been dissolved in hot water. So we often have to go through the heat of trials and difficulties to become more conformed to the likeness of Jesus. </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">God has the pattern for our lives all figured out. He knows and understands the beautiful tapestry that He is weaving for our lives. He knows the beginning from the end. We must trust the Lord to do His beautiful work in our lives, even in times when life's events and circumstances seem very difficult and overwhelming!</span><div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">If you missed last week's blog post, "His Grace will Lead Us Through" you can read it bt clicking on the following link: <a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/09/his-grace-will-lead-us-through.html">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/09/his-grace-will-lead-us-through.html</a></span></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-29962677867880995992023-09-22T15:07:00.000-07:002023-09-22T15:07:59.494-07:00His Grace Will Lead us Through<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFQsptfIwTEXdTFI-EjbF99PN8f8dXYfpy3_qjazX3c1ONX5UArTFVk0bDSS1s4KGRcfV0MrUCm6uJ_tr8xaiCGROracit6gIrJaN9Gyw3xPZDGYelk63pyDgf9XlgXyfUjTS5gRckYBIizTklO4He1Bp38Z87Cb9y_ewDLFEl7tammhedD4YIgXLPjc/s992/Grace.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="992" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFQsptfIwTEXdTFI-EjbF99PN8f8dXYfpy3_qjazX3c1ONX5UArTFVk0bDSS1s4KGRcfV0MrUCm6uJ_tr8xaiCGROracit6gIrJaN9Gyw3xPZDGYelk63pyDgf9XlgXyfUjTS5gRckYBIizTklO4He1Bp38Z87Cb9y_ewDLFEl7tammhedD4YIgXLPjc/s320/Grace.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I have been going through some issues and trials lately that makes me realize that I need to depend on God's grace and strength alone. He alone is sufficient. Through a book I'm reading and in other formats I have been reminded that I need to depend on the Lord to work His plan whatever it may be. I need to surrender to Him; and I need to let go of all my fears, anxieties, and my tendency to try to fix things and control things. That only wears one down to a frazzle. I further need to put my arms up with open hands each day and surrender to Him anew each day. He alone can fill me with His living waters of comfort, satisfaction, strength, and joy. His grace alone can carry me through this life with all it's trials and challenges.</p><p>Below is the words to a song we are practicing in our church choir. I think it says it all. </p><p>"Though the trials come, though the road seems long, it is in the valley His arms are strong. When we lean on Jesus in all that we do, His grace will lead us through! His grace is sufficient; He's merciful and true. Till all have heard, we will stand on His Word! His grace will lead us through, God's grace will lead us through.</p><p>Come with grateful hearts to the throne of grace and see our Savior face to face! Our help through the ages; our hope to come; His grace will lead us through. His grace is sufficient; He's merciful and true. Till all have heard, we will stand on His Word! His grace will lead us through.</p><p>O-grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within; O grace, grace, infinite grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin. Till all have heard, we will stand on His Word! His grace will lead us through, God's grace will lead us through, God's grace!" (words and music by Mary McDonald)</p><p><br /></p><p>You can hear the the song above by clicking on the following link. On this link it is sung by a group of young people (not our church choir). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11gxFTlKWw0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11gxFTlKWw0</a></p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-8272379672772401172023-09-15T17:01:00.000-07:002023-09-15T17:01:11.956-07:00The Valiant Rose<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTmYhh4wHBRZ21wQteTVwbS5b7aZj9XVK3qWj_uoktfN0-CmZubKfETap9ZGlLB1A-4he6YOOGl4zLXN2_jHXtGYxWMkea9WcRRQMpDY6WaJioMij7mlTSfnf-x_mHqvChica4yIhDPd-Q33vHpNF-tFKUkOddbwpGLfcpZ-OcGyad4rs5MXOZLTfpJQ/s4096/valiant%20rose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTmYhh4wHBRZ21wQteTVwbS5b7aZj9XVK3qWj_uoktfN0-CmZubKfETap9ZGlLB1A-4he6YOOGl4zLXN2_jHXtGYxWMkea9WcRRQMpDY6WaJioMij7mlTSfnf-x_mHqvChica4yIhDPd-Q33vHpNF-tFKUkOddbwpGLfcpZ-OcGyad4rs5MXOZLTfpJQ/s320/valiant%20rose.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; text-align: left;">possessing or showing courage or determination.</span></div><br /> <div><br /></div><div>The dictionary defines the word valiant, as possessing or showing courage or determination. Our rose bush arbor along the side our deck was full of roses in June. Right now the roses have all but disappeared for the season anticipating fall's arrival right around the corner. Until a few days ago, however, there was one persevering and valiant big rose, which greeted me every morning when I sat in my sun room looking out on my deck having my devotions. This rose was there in spite of the other roses' disappearance for the season. <p></p></div><div>This rose reminded me that I need to persevere and be valiant in the Lord. Life can be and is often difficult. Yet there is blessing in perseverance (James 5:11). Whatever you or I are experiencing in this life, let us trust and rest in the Lord and persevere in the faith.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(If you missed my blog post of last week on trusting God's timing and plan you can read it by clicking on the link below.) </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">c</span></span></div><div><div><a href="https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/09/trusting-gods-plan-and-timing.html">https://christiancaregiving.blogspot.com/2023/09/trusting-gods-plan-and-timing.html</a> </div></div>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237582707073403341.post-83310768603818531732023-09-09T05:47:00.000-07:002023-09-09T05:47:26.438-07:00Trusting God's Plan and Timing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFig4_7J4ShRNvdheO5ndmmlgRVB0BB_8guKiNv1mdtWQRDnfjPKHS7Vl6Qo3Q8LvVERXkbHLn9qh5lLOmBqaassDdT3rBerJz4RRGVjcvvHa84bFm8uffh3C88VOfRf1ZXB8JXYlSDdk32w6erT-As3ep2TDlKGIiwTdTwSN7GLFnBdr6bhhOXWyJWyw/s992/God's%20Pla%20n.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="992" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFig4_7J4ShRNvdheO5ndmmlgRVB0BB_8guKiNv1mdtWQRDnfjPKHS7Vl6Qo3Q8LvVERXkbHLn9qh5lLOmBqaassDdT3rBerJz4RRGVjcvvHa84bFm8uffh3C88VOfRf1ZXB8JXYlSDdk32w6erT-As3ep2TDlKGIiwTdTwSN7GLFnBdr6bhhOXWyJWyw/s320/God's%20Pla%20n.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>God is good. We can depend on that no matter what is going on around us in our world. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. That is easy to see when we think about all our blessings and good gifts that the Lord gives us. It is easy for me to see when I look around at God's creation when I am taking my daily walks. It is less easy for all of us to see when our worlds become shaken and when our expectations are not met the way we hoped they would be met. It is difficult to see when our lives are shattered and even ground to dust. Lysa Ter Keurst talks about this in her book, <u>It's Not Supposed</u> <u>to Be This Way</u>. Following is a rather lengthy quote from her book. It is worthy of our meditation and contemplation when we have difficulty understanding God's timing and plan:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>"When His timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention seems hurtful, and His promises seem doubtful, I get afraid. I get confused. And left alone with those feelings, I can't help but feel disappointed that God isn't doing what I assume a good God should do.</b></p><p><b>There isn't any timing that seems like the right timing to be shattered into dust. There isn't any plan God could present where I would willingly agree to be broken into unglueable pieces, I just wouldn't.</b></p><p><b>And what a tragedy that would be. My controlling things would prevent the dust required for God to make the new He desperately desires for me. And isn't that what all His promises hinge on? Old becoming new. Dead things coming to life. Good from evil. Darkness turning to light. </b></p><p><b>If I want His promises, I have to trust His process. I have to trust that first comes the dust, and then comes the making of something even better with us. God isn't going to forsake you, but He will go to great lengths to remake you.</b></p><p><b>What if disappointment is really the exact appointment your soul needs to radically encounter God?"</b></p><p><br /></p><p>And yet in the here and now before God has finished His work in us, His recreating in us, life can be painful. What are we supposed to do in the extremely painful emotional and physical moments, in the here and now? What if it seems as if God is not answering our prayers? Perhaps a family member has been diagnosed with a terrible disease in this past year. Perhaps someone you love or you yourself have experienced physical pain of some sort this year. Perhaps you have found yourself estranged from a family member in recent months. Perhaps you have lost a family member to death in the recent past. Perhaps some other difficult circumstance or all the circumstances above have hit your family this year. All these things are very painful. </p><p>In all these things, we need to consider that God sees the big picture which we can not see. We need to trust God beyond what our physical eyes can see. The pain will still be there, even if we trust Him. It makes no sense to pretend that we do not feel pain, but in trusting Him we will feel much less fear and frustration. In trusting Him we will find comfort in His love even when we do not always understand His ways.</p><p>We need to let go of our own rationalizations of why God does not always answer our prayers when and how we think He should do so. We do not have to figure out the whys and wherefores of what occurs in our lives. We just need to trust that God always acts at the right time and in the right way. </p><p>Instead of trying to explain things and understand things in our own mind, we need to turn to Him. We need to look to Jesus and fix our eyes on Him and not the circumstances. That is how we endure the suffering in the here and now. Also Jesus knew the ultimate in suffering and pain, so He does understand our pain. Nothing we suffer compares to the suffering He experienced. </p><p>In the process of suffering and trials the Lord is drawing us closer to Himself and into a sweeter relationship with Himself. In this process He is helping us to see the Lord with spiritual eyes and not just knowing about Him on a superficial intellectual level. The pain process is also preparing us for Heaven. To quote Lysa Ter Keurst once again, "God is powerfully at work in your life and situation. What would it look like for you to rest in that truth today?" </p>Sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568042340327963480noreply@blogger.com0