God Has Promised...series "Are Your Burdens Too Great to Bear?"

Are Your Burdens Too Great to Bear?

 

Through all our trials we have a never-failing Helper. He does not leave us alone to struggle with temptation, to battle with evil, and be finally crushed with burdens and sorrow.

The Desire of Ages, p. 483

 

Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. "The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest.

Steps to Christ, p. 100

 

Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer.

The Desire of Ages, p. 329

 

It is true that disappointments will come; tribulations we must expect; but we are to commit everything, great and small, to God. He does not become perplexed by the multiplicity of our grievances nor overpowered by the weight of our burdens. His watchcare extends to every household and encircles every individual; He is concerned in all our business and our sorrows. He marks every tear; He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. All the afflictions and trials that befall us here are permitted, to work out His purpose of love towards us. ~ Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 742

 

We need to trust in Jesus daily, hourly, He has promised that as our day is, our strength shall be. By His grace we may bear all the burdens of the present and perform its duties. But many are weighed down by the anticipation of future troubles. They are constantly seeking to bring tomorrow's burdens into today. Thus a large share of all their trials are imaginary. For these, Jesus has made no provision. He promises grace only for the day. - Ibid.. p. 200.



Don't Join The Bandwagon

There is a new diet craze going around. I have at least one of my friends on facebook that is passionate about it and it seems has joined in on it - to maybe even make money selling some of the products for this special diet. I am not even going to say the name of the diet - because I do not want to encourage any of you to look into it or to try it.

One of her friends had seen a blurb about it on a morning show- and asked her if she thought it was "safe, even for the short term?" That question tells me that there must have been some safety issues for using this diet.

It seems to me ever so often a new diet craze comes out. And when it does many people jump on the band wagon - of using that diet. And it seems that most of the time these new diets - have you stay away from the foods that God created for us to eat. What is wrong with that picture?

Many people try diet after diet - losing some weight, gaining some weight, and losing weight again. And this is NOT good for your body. It is probably better for your over all health to maintain a weight - no matter what weight - than it is to yo-yo diet.

My advice to anyone needing/wanting to lose weight - please do NOT be swept away with the latest diet craze. And especially if in order to follow that diet you have to do away with or extremely limit things that God created for us to eat. God created us - He knows what we need. And if we were to eat the foods that He provided for us to eat - we would be a lot more healthy.
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 Just checking in to say- thankfully I live in a part of Texas not directly affected by hurricane Harvey. But I have family and friends that have gone to that area to help. Please keep them and all those affected by this devastation in your prayers. Thank you so much! 🙏

A little Health Tip

In order to lose weight- you really don't have to starve yourself. It comes down to making healthy decisions. It is eating more fruit and veggies.

And if you could get something raw with every meal that would be awesome! Try to eat at least one fruit or veggie serving at each meal that has not been processed. There are nutrients that our bodies need in those fruits and veggies. Please don't bypass a piece of fruit or a veggie because you are watching calories. The calories in fruit and veggies are of better quality than the calories in processed foods.

So please don't starve yourselves- you may lose weight faster but your metabolism slows down as well making it harder to lose weight. And we don't want that. It's much better to make good, healthy choices and eat a good amount to keep your metabolism working well.

It's the little choices here and there throughout your day that will determine which direction you are going. You may be seeing this sentence a lot in the future - because it can really be talking about all sorts of things. It truly is about the small choices - the things that you may think are small and no big deal. But when you add up all those choices - you end up with a mess- or if you have made good choices - you will end up blessed! :O)

A Good Deal Turned Great

Last week at my favorite little thrift store to buy books - I found this gem!!

 

It is Daily Devotions ~ A prayer journal - from the brand "Write It Down"

It was brand new! I paid $2.00 and thought I got a good deal till

I looked it up on the internet and found that I would have had to pay 19.95-21.95 had I bought it brand new! So I got a great deal!

 

I like now this prayer journal - has writing prompts.

• The weather today.....
• Today I feel.....
• Today I am grateful for.....
• Inspiration; prayer, scriptures, quotes....
• I said a special prayer for....
• Prayer(s) answered(comfort, peace, love and miracles.) ...
• Donations of the Heart (acts of kindness, sharing, caring, and forgiveness)....
• What I would like to see happen tomorrow (Goals, ideas, etc.) ...

 

on the back side of the page - it gives and entire pages for "Reflection/Notes"

 

I have another prayer journal that I set up in a different format and I enjoy it - but I think this one will give me something to do at the end of the day or maybe even through out the day to keep myself focused on God and prayer.

Beloved Names of God ....series

 

The Branch

"Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou,

and they fellows that sit before thee;

for they are men wondered at; for, behold,

I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH."

Zechariah 3:8 KJV

 

• Name of God the Son
• "The Branch" appears six times in the KJV.
• Jesus is a branch- as in the most important branch of the family tree of King David.
• In Zechariah's vision, Joshua (the successor to Moses) is standing in front of God having his earthly clothes replaced by heavenly robes and God introduces him to Jesus.

In a park built on the grounds of what was once an imposing Scottish castle, a tree fell down. The gardeners came along and cut off most of the branches. But wise men that they were, they realized that a few of the tree's roots were still in the ground, and one new branch with fresh green leaves had sprouted since the tree had fallen. They left that little branch, and it grew while the trunk decomposed.

 

As it reached for the sky, the little branch began to look more and more like a tree in its own right. Eventually roots began to appear from the sides of the trunk, and from the nourishment provided by its fallen parent, a new tree came to be. Now birds live in it, children climb it, and families picnic in its shade.

The lineage of Jesus as recorded in the Bible might be seen as a tree- a family tree.

 

Adam, Abraham, David, and the others all fell eventually, but from their "trunk" grew a branch that became more than just a branch. And in His shelter we can all rest.

 

 

The Attitude of Gratitude..series...

Day 2

Before we can express our gratitude, we must take time to recognize and identify the specific blessings that we have received from God and others.

Make a list of all the material and spiritual blessings you can think of that you have received from the Lord. Then stop and thank God for each item on your list.

(If you need help getting started, try reading the first chapter of Ephesians!)

Their Mission Statements in Black and White

Are you going through some really difficult things? Does it seem like there is no peace on either side of you? Does it seem like before you are even through one difficulty another one is quickly approaching? Are you trying to live for Jesus, but just don't seem to get a break?
(Please don't stop reading if Jesus is not a part of your life because I have some important information for you as well. I think you will be glad you stuck around)
Well you are not alone. Today I have some thoughts to share with you that might just encourage your soul.

Let's consider the story of Job for a moment.

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan ^a also came among them.

7 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?"

Job 1:6-8

What Satan was saying is that he was from earth and that he was in charge. But God responded - you are not in charge of everyone. That is what he asked about Job. 

Satan's argument was that Job only served God because of the blessings that he got from serving God. That is what God had to allow Job to prove himself. God said that Satan could do what ever as long as he did not touch Job.

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

2 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."

3 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause."

4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!"

6 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Job 2:1-7

As we know Job stayed true to God through all his hardships and he came out as gold.

Satan didn't care anything about Job- he wanted to destroy Job in order to prove his point - which was that he was in charge here on earth.

How many times has he put that same charge against others - the charge that they only serve you because you bless them?

The following verses tell us the mission statement, if you will, of God and Satan. It's important for us ALL to know this. Especially since it affects us all.

¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
John 10:10-12

In order to do more research on this verse - I recommend this site: John 10:10

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walks about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8
(~going to this link will allow you to look up verses related to the message of this verse. Very interesting!)

And just a little personal story to bring this altogether.

Every since I was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemo and lost my hair(I always mention this because it was SO hard on me) I have struggled with the question, "Why did God allow me to not only get cancer, but it to found at a late enough time period that I had to have chemo and go through losing my hair?"

One day a couple of weeks ago - I was sharing some of these feelings with a good friend and she said - Maybe Satan was trying to kill you, but God said, "No." What an awesome thought!! I wrote this down so that I can remember it. And I am hoping that each time the questions flood my mind - that this thought will take over and help me see the blessing of the situation. That God said, "No!"

God Has Promised...series "Do You Need Strength?"

"Do You Need Strength?"

God does not ask us to do in own strength the work before us. HE has provided divine assistance for all the emergencies to which our human resources are unequal.

Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 19

When you rise in the morning, do you feel your helplessness and your need of strength from God/ and do you humbly, heartily make known your wants to your heavenly Father? If so, angels mark your prayers, and if these prayers have not gone forth out of feigned lips, when you are in danger of unconsciously doing wrong an exerting n influence which will lead others to do wrong, your guardian angel will be by your side, prompting you to better course, choosing your words for you, and influencing your actions.

Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 363,364

Words cannot describe the peace and joy possessed by him who takes God at His word. Trials do not disturb him, slights do not vex him. Self is crucified. Day by day his duties may become more taxing, his temptations stronger, his trials more severe; but he does not falter, for he receives strength equal to his need. 

Messages to Young People, p. 98

In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, have faith in God. He is working out His will, doing all things well in behalf of His people. The strength of those who love and serve Him will be renewed day by day.

~The Ministry of Healing, p. 482

If we encounter difficulties, and in Christ's strength overcome them; if we meet enemies, and in Christ's strength put them to flight; if we accept responsibilities, and in Christ's strength discharge them faithfully, we are gaining a precious experience. We learn, as we could not otherwise have learned, that our Saviour is a present help in every time of need.

Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 34.

You can do nothing in your own strength, but in the strength of Jesus you can do all things. Testimonies, vol 4, p. 259

The promises of God are full and abundant, and there is no need for anyone to depend upon humanity for strength. To all that call upon Him, God is near to help and succor.

Testimonies to Ministers, p. 381

Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought b y ministering angels to every believing soul.

Steps to Christ, p. 53

It is obstacles that make men strong. It is ...difficulties, conflicts, rebuffs, that make men of moral sinew. Too much ease and avoiding responsibility have made weaklings and dwarfs of those who ought to be responsible men of moral power and strong spiritual muscle.

Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 495

  







Food Journal

So last week I started my food journal. I just choose a spiral notebook- that way I can have plenty of room to record stuff for quite some time. My food journal includes more information that just what I ate that day. I also have been recording what I have done for exercise for that day. I am trying to remember to write down how much water I drank that day and if I had lemon water that morning or not. 

 

 Some of the questions you may want to answer in your journal are:

 

What are you eating?

What time are you eating?

Why you ate?

How your day went?

Are you proud of how you did?

What did you do right?
What did you do wrong?

How can you improve tomorrow?

 

When writing in your journal - be real with yourself. The journal will not do you any good at all if you aren't honest. If you ate because of emotional reasons- write it down. If you know the emotion that you were experiencing - write that down. You may find some correlations with how your feeling and what you are eating. And by being open and honest - you may be able to learn better coping skills in order to deal with those negative emotions than by eating. But as long as you are in denial - growth and healing will not be found.

 

I think a really good thing to do when we are working on our journals is to pray about them and to also list the times we were tempted and were able to overcome because we called on Jesus for help.

 

Maybe a Bible verse will come to mind to help you that day - write it down. It may help you on another day as well - because you wrote it down.

 

My story about the pause - and being given help in my temptation would be a good story to list. Knowing God has helped in the past helps remind us that He is willing to help in the future as well.

 

Maybe you have some more suggestions of what needs to be in our food journals- I would love for you to leave a comment and share your suggestions. I am sure there are other things that could be included.

 

With all of this information maybe we might need one page - front and back to record everything that we want to - and that is fine. It will give us plenty of room.

 

I have just started my journal last week - so I am sure that I will make a few changes to it as time goes by and as I learn the things I want to include in my journal.

 

If you have any suggestions - I would love to hear them! :O)

The Pause

In June I discovered a very useful tool for my journey to lose weight., but July got here and I was so busy that I forgot about this tool. This is the reason I have decided that I will be including these weight lose tools in my "Health and Wellness" journal so I can be reminded of them when a tool gets lost in the hustle and bustle of life.

One day I had a fudge bar for desert and it was Oh SO delicious that I had a second on. No big deal with only 1 gram of fat - 2 won't really hurt me was my thinking. And on this day - when I finished the second bar I was OH SO temped to get another one.

A still, small voice guided me to just pause a second and think this through. Did I really need another desert? No - I did not. I had the ultimate tool- to pause and pray and ask for deliverance from the temptation. And because I paused and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me - that strong desire slowly began to fade. But time was required.

A temptation is exactly what it was and many ties we think because it's just food and it won't hurt anyone - what difference does it make if we fall for the temptation or not? But it does matter, each time we fall for temptation it is harder and harder to resist temptation. And this is the reason that at the beginning of the second week of August I found myself in the situation in which I needed to say "No deserts" until I could get back into the habit of pausing and praying and asking for guidance. When I began the week of no deserts - I did not remember this important tool. I did not remember that the Holy Spirit was there when ever I needed help with a temptation but as the week went by - I was reminded of the previous lesson.

We can be sure that any time we are up against a temptation that all we have to do is call for help and we can count on help! It may not come instantly - when I wanted that 3rd fudge bar - trust me that strong desire was there - but as I sat there slowly the urge dissipated and I was set free.

Next time you have a temptation - call for help - it will be there. You can depend on Him!!!

Putting Rules into Action

Last week I talked about how it's important for us to learn the importance of setting rules for ourselves. During the same time that I was coming to the conclusion that rules were important, I had the opportunity to put this tool into action.

Although I am working towards losing weight, I still have tried to keep low fat treats around to help me through the process. Pearson's Peppermint Patties and fudge bars have been my treats of choice. Because one fudge bar has only 1 gram of fat and four peppermint patties have 1.5 grams of fat, they are very reasonable desserts to have while trying to lose weight.

However, I had gotten careless and had let getting a desserts get out of control. I realized that I needed to do a reset. In order to do this, I needed to set a temporary rule of no desserts for a week in place. Well actually not to eat the patties or fudge bars during this time.

Since I knew it would be challenging for me - especially at the first, I decided to replace my normal deserts with other options. If I had to have something sweet - it needed to be a piece of fruit, fruit cup, yogurt, or yogurt with granola. I also got some gum to have as an option if needed.

During this break from sweets I was reminded me of a tool I had discovered, but had forgotten. And this tool is called - "The Pause." And this is a whole post of it's own so be sure and check back, I will share of this new tool soon. I think it might help you as well.

Beloved Names of God...series..."Rain Upon Mown Grass"

 

Rain upon Mown Grass

"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass."

Psalm 72:6 kjv

 

• Name of God the Son
• Jesus is referred to as "rain upon the mown grass" once in the KJV.
• Rain upon mown grass is an allusion to a natural, life-giving event, as well as the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
• King David, the probable writer of this psalm, was advanced in age as he wrote. He recalled the times God has visited trials on him but rejoiced in the fact that God always raised him up again, in this psalm, he referred to a King who would come and bless the earth like life- restoring rain, bringing on a time of peace and abundance for the righteous.

Our lives are like grass. We grow and are cut down in season. But there is something in us that need not die with our bodies. Just as the fallen stalks aren't the entirety of the grass, so our bodies are not all there is to us. Through His sacrifice on the cross Jesus became the gentle rain that, after our bodies have succumbed to the "mower," brings us back to a more lush, vibrant life.

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Come back next week when we will look at the beloved name of God ~ "The Branch"

 

 



The Attitude of Gratitude...series.. first assignment

Sorry I missed last week -maybe if I learn to have more gratitude in my life it will help me with some of the struggling I have been having lately. It is worth a try. :O)

 

Making It Personal

 

Thankfulness ought to be a way of life. But in the reality of our daily lives it is easy for discontent, murmuring, complaining, criticizing, or even bitterness to displace the "attitude of gratitude."

 

Cultivating a thankful heart will result in speaking thankful words. However, developing the habit of thankfulness may require some practice!

 

Why not start that habit by devoting an entire week to practicing thankfulness? Listed below are some practical suggestions for a "week of giving thanks." You may even want to include the whole family in this project!

 

~Day 1~

Every chapter in the book of Colossians has at least one reference to thankfulness. Read the following verses and jot down a thought that stands out to you:

Colossians 1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 17; 4:2

 

 

 

Someone has defined gratitude as "learning to recognize and express appreciation for the benefits which I have received from God and others."

 

Try to memorize this definition today, and review it at least once each day this week.

 

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See you again next week for Day 2 of our assignments :O)



The Importance of Rules and Boundaries

Slowly, very slowly over the last year I am learning new things that are helping me along the road to better health. I am hoping as I share with you, what I am learning, that the information will help you as well. There is a good chance that many of you have already figured a lot of this stuff out - and if you have that is great! But it seems in some areas I am a late bloomer. Instead of beating myself up about that - I will look at the positive side and be happy for finally figure these things out.

Today I am going to share with you one of the concepts that I have learned this year. It is the importance of setting rules for yourself. Like setting boundaries, it is important. But too often our rebellious selves don't want rules.

When we are kids we have plenty of rules. Don't do this, Do that...etc. And many, if not all, of us get tired of rules. We think, "Oh, I can't wait till I grow up and don't have any more rules." And that is basically what happens - we allow ourselves to do what ever we want to do. What ever we want - goes. And for a while this works, but over the long haul - we start reaping the consequences of our actions. And many times they are not pleasant at all.

Each time in the past, when I have fallen off the wagon it has been in order to do as I please. I am tired of the rules. In the past I didn't realize that the rules are there as boundaries to keep me going in the direction that I want to go. So I have thrown the rules and restrictions out the window, only to gain the weight back. Does this make me happy in the long run? No...of course not. So do I really want to live a live without rules and without boundaries? No.

Once we figure out that in order to live a healthy lifestyle we need to set rules and boundaries for ourselves, we have finally moved a giant step in the direction towards better health. And we are not as likely to fall off the wagon when we respect the fact that in life there will be rules. And that the rules are there to help us achieve our goals.

Are there rules or boundaries that you need to set for yourself? Many times I think we know that we need to - but we keep pushing that urge out of the way - rebellious...not wanting to have restrictions on ourselves. But you may want to reconsider- think of some things in your life that you have felt a tug that you need to get under control. If you will pray and ask God to guide you - I am sure He will give you wisdom in what areas you need to set some rules and guidelines for yourself. When the rules are God led- you are bound to be headed in the right direction. And as an added bonus - He will help you along the way.

Next week - I will be sharing another lesson I have learned in a blog post titled - "The Pause" and you will see how the rules are very helpful in this lesson as well. See you then.

God Has Promised.....series

God Has Promised

~God stands back of every promise He has made.

"For any gift HE has promised, we may ask; then we are to believe that e receive, and return thanks to God that we have received." Education, p. 258

"God stands back of every promise He has made." ~Christ Object Lessons, p. 147

"Can you not trust in your heavenly Father? Can you not rest upon His gracious promise? ....
Can we not have implicit trust, knowing that He is faithful who has promised? I entreat you to let your trembling faith again grasp the promises of God. Bear your how weight upon them with unwavering faith; for they will not, they cannot, fail." ~Testimonies, vol. 2. p. 497

"Let these blessed promises, set in the framework of faith, be placed in memory's halls. Not one of them will fail. All that God hath spoken He will do. 'He is faithful that promised.' " Testimonies, col. 5, p. 680

"We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving HIs promises. Angels record every prayer that is earnest and sincere. We should rather dispense with selfish gratification than neglect communion wit God." The Great Controversy, p. 622

"Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing." The Desire of Ages, p. 330

"Think of Christ. Look to Him in faith, believing His promises. Keep your mind trustful. He will be your stay. Lean on Him, depend on Him....Put your trust in One whose arm will never fail....Looking to Jesus you will find encouragement." Selected Messages, book 2, p. 265

"The Comforter that Christ promised to send in His name abides with us. In the way that leads to the City of God there are no difficulties which those who trust in Him may not overcome. There are no dangers which they may not escape. There is not a sorrow, not a grievance, not a human weakness, for which He has not provided a remedy." The Ministry of Healing, p. 249

"All things are possible to him that believeth; and whatsoever things we desire when we pray, if w believe that we receive them we shall have them. This faith will penetrate the darkest cloud and bring rays of light and hope to the drooping, desponding soul. It is the absence of this faith and trust which brings perplexity, distressing fears, and surmising of evil. God will do great things for His people when they put their entire trust in Him." Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 140

"All His (God's) gifts are promised on condition of obedience." Christ Object Lessons, p. 145

"The enemy never can take out of the hand of Christ the one who is simply trusting in His promises." The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Revelation 3:3, p. 959

"If you have...given yourself to Christ you are a member of the family of God, and everything in the Father's house is for you. All the treasures of God are opened to you, both the world that now is and that which is to come. The ministry of angels, the fit of His Spirit, the labors of His servants--all are for you. The world, with evertying in it, is yours so far as it can do you good. Even the enmity of the wicked will prove a blessing by disciplining you for heaven. If  'ye are Christ's,' 'all things are yours.' " Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 110

"To him who is content to receive without deserving, who feels that he can never recompense such love, who lays all doubt and unbeliefs aside, and comes as a little child to the feet of Jesus, all the treasures of eternal love are a free, everlasting gift." ~Ellen G. White letter 19E, 1892

"It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing. Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah's goodness. Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; there is not a stay that beautifies the heavens which HE did not make. There is not an article of food upon our tables that HE had not provided for our sustenance. The superscription of Christ is upon it all." Testimonies, vol. 8, pp. 287,288

"The Saviour has not promised HIs followers the luxuries of the world, their fare may be plain, and even scanty; but His word is pledged that their need shall be supplied, and He has promised that which is far better than worldly good- the abiding comfort of His presence." The Desire of Ages, p. 367

"He(Christ) is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way." Steps to Christ, p. 69

"It is possible even for a parent to turn away from his hungry child, but God can never reject the cry of the needy and longing heart." Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 132



If you would like to check out any of these quotes - you will find most of the books at Ellen G. White Estate
You won't find the quotes from letters or the Testimonies at the site above but you would be able to find the rest.

For those of you with DIRECTV

Ok - so I have shared several times how I like to work out with Jennifer at Rise Up Ministries.
Well I have some great news for anyone who has DIRECTV - you can now find her exercise programs on the NRB Station which is channel 378 at 9:00am Monday - Friday. The awesome thing about this is that you can set it to be recorded and then do the workouts when you have time! I love this- because I have had to use my ipad to do the workouts and the volume doesn't get very loud and I am limited to the 6 workouts they have on her site. I have really enjoyed doing these - but I look forward to getting to do new workouts. It will mix things up a bit and be more enjoyable for sure!!!

There is an exercise program on after Rise Up - called "Faithful Workouts" I have recorded a couple of these and may try one soon. I will say this - she is in great shape and I don't know if I can keep up with her or not- I might have to do my own slower pace workout with her. So if you are fit or up to a challenge I recommend you checking her program out as well. Good luck!! :O)

Health and Wellness Journal

Last week at a local GW store - I found this great journal. It is an 8x10 sized journal with great lined pages. Only problem is that it had a pretty good sized sticker on the front cover. When I removed the sticker - that area was very sticky. So I decided to make my own pretty cover for it. I put down the first piece of tape before I realized that I needed to get my stickers and all on it, that is why there is no writing on this label. If I had have written a title for it - I would have named it Health and Wellness.

 

I have come across some great health information in the past and I continue to learn more awesome health tips. And I thought it would be a great idea to gather my information to one area - so I could always refer back to this journal when needed. It could help inspire me when I am have a rough time. It could be a great tool to keep me on the path to wellness and health.

And the best part - it was less than $3.00!!

 

Now I can't wait to come across healthy information so I can add it to my book.

Would you like to know the first information add to my Health and Wellness Journal?

 

Last week I caught the tail end of a program about health. I found out that exercising helps the body produce two substances that really help with wellness- one of the substances is an anti - hypertension substance and the other one helps with diabetes prevention. Isn't that exciting information?!

 

I also heard it said that laughter is really good for your health - even forced laughter can do you good. Just 15 seconds of laughter can help with cardio health. So especially on days that you are not going to be able to get your exercising in - be sure and laugh at least 15 seconds- even if it is forced it will do you good.

 

One of the last things said on the show - and I think he went over it more during the show and I am SO hoping to catch this show again because I would love to learn more about this - but he said drinking water helps with dopamine. If I am able to catch the program again - I will write a post more in depth about this. It sure sounds interesting. Drinking water is excellent for us - so whether we know all the details about what all drinking water can do for us - or not - it is just best to drink the water and enjoy the benefits!! :O)

 

This will actually be another series I will be doing here on my blog. When I come across great health and wellness information - I will share the information with you guys - so we all will benefit from my journal. Also just in case you would like to start your own journal.

 

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Soon I will be sharing about another journal I am actually going to began yesterday, but I would like to see how it goes before I write up a post about it. So be watching for that.

Come back tomorrow when our new series on "God Has Promised" will begin - you won't want to miss this one. :O)

 

Pausing at the Wall

In our journeys to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle any of us have things that derail us. It can be different things for different people and some of us can have more than one wall that we will face.

So last I spoke of a wall- I shared of making it passed the wall of time. In the past, I have attempted to lose weight only to fall off the wagon at about the one year mark. Thankfully I have made it passed that wall.

I also hinted about making it passed another wall and I would share of it soon. Now, a couple of weeks later and no post sharing about this mysterious wall. Well I have a very good reason for that, I really do...Stick around and I will explain.

The wall I was talking about is overwhelming emotions. Many eat for emotional reasons to help soothe the pain. I also struggle with emotional eating.

In 2009(I think it was) my husband was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's. Actually this was the main reason why I started this blog. I waned to connect with others going through the same things - this did not work out how I wanted it too. In fact, a fellow blogger, who I had highly respected actually left me comments that basically told me to suck it up buttercup. Not in those exact words, but that was the message. I was so disappointed because I thought I would connect with others- not that I would be chastised for sharing our pain and disappointment with this diagnosis.

Anyway, so my husband was on meds for a while till he had a back surgery, they didn't give him meds at the hospital, and he did not want to start taking them again - so he didn't and for a few years was able to go without hem. Until earlier this year, when the shaking began to make it challenging for him to do his job, so he make an appointment.

While he was off his meds, I had thought that I had come to a place of acceptance of the situation but going to this Dr appointment and being reminded of some of the unpleasant side effects stirred up the emotions; apparently I had just tucked that pain neatly away. Going to this appointment and my husband having to go back on meds brought a lot of those negative emotions up. The first two weeks after the appointment were a big of a challenge. I was still caring for my granddaughter and I wanted to spend quality time with her, but I feel that with putting so much energy into trying not to break down- distracted me from what I had wanted my time with her to look like.

Once the end of July came and it was time for SweetPea to go to her Mom- that's when I broke down - not just because of my husband, but also because my granddaughter did not want to go back and my heart broke for her. She shouldn't have to be away from either parent- divorce stinks for everyone involved....

For the next two weeks, I struggled like I hadn't struggled, well since going through chemo and losing my hair. A lot of tears were shed. yesterday was the first day in two weeks where at the end of the day my mascara was actually still on. I noticed this fact by chance, I was fixing to wash my face and looked in the mirror and thought something was different- a closer look revealed my mascara still in tact. To be honest though - there were a few times through the day where I almost started to cry but was able to distract myself by getting busy or reading an encouraging quote or two. ~(which by the way I will be sharing a little gem of a book with you all named "God Has Promised~ God stand back of every promise He has made," beginning on Wednesday- I know of others who are hurting and need encouragement as well- and I am sure there are other reader who need it as well.)~

So all of the previous information to help you understand that over whelming emotions that I was talking about and these emotions hurt and because they hurt we want to find relief- food is one of the many vises that people turn to in order to soothe themselves and in some ways I have done this. And because of this I did not feel right talking about making it past a wall that I had actually paused at.

Thankfully, I have not allowed the overwhelming emotions to cause me to give up on my goals and my choice for a healthier lifestyle, but it has caused me to allow myself a few more deserts here and there which has stopped the weight loss and has added a couple of pounds to the scales. So right now I can't brag about making it past this wall- all I can do is tell you where I am at - a pause by this wall. I hope the next time I am able to tell of the success of making it past this wall. This week I will be working towards getting the extra couple of pounds off and my hope is that soon, I will be able to report on the success of this mission.

I am not beating myself up for this pause. Many years are spent developing habits of how to cope and we can't expect to change these unhealthy coping skills to healthy ones overnight - it takes time and practice.

I maybe pausing at this wall but I don't expect to stay here. The painful things that I am dealing with in my life are hard and don't seem to be going away, but I am putting my trust and my hope in my heavenly Father - that He will get us through. And that He will help me develop healthier coping skills.

Be sure to come back for my new series on Wednesday. This booklet has helped me not fall into the pit of depression and I think it will be of encouragement to you as well.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,

that He may exalt you in due time,

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about

 like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings

are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,

after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

1 Peter 5:6-11                            

Still Here, Still Struggling

So this week has been another challenging week for me. In fact, probably more challenging in some ways than last week was. I have done my best to keep myself busy- keeping myself busy kept me from crying- at least helped distract me for a bit. I have really felt like I am struggling to not fall into a pit of depression. God has brought a very helpful little booklet to my attention and I will probably share some of the quotes that have really helped me slowly get to a better state of mind.

My sewing room seems to be a good therapy place to be and things to do.

This first project that I finished this week - has been a project on my mind for about a year. I have a friend who has had breast cancer and so I decided to make this "HOPE" banner for her. This week I finally finished it - I am hoping to be able to give it to her tomorrow - if not hoping it will work to give it to her next week.

 

I actually finished the current BOM - when I finish it early in the month - it just seems to make it easier for me to work on other projects- it's like Ok, I have my assignment done - now I can work on what ever project I want to.

 Which led me to being able to get this BOM from a past year - cut out and put together. And I have started a third red/white/black block- good news is I only have 2 more blocks to finish and I will have my blocks done for that quilt. I will need to get the fabric to put this quilt together though.

I also spent time in the kitchen. I needed to make up bread - so I did! I just have to say,

I love home made bread!!  

I also made up a batch of granola! I actually ended up cooking it a bit longer than this photo shows- so it was a bit more golden brown. When it is more golden brown - you have a better chance of getting delicious crunchy granola. And I have found a great way to have granola without over doing it. When I have yogurt - I will add some granola to it - and it is delicious!! I LOVE it! This way I get to enjoy the granola without eating a bunch at a time!

I had a couple of appointments to take my MIL to this week. Oh and the "Check Engine" light came on in my car at the beginning of the week - so I have been without a car most days. I did get to drive my husband's car today so I could go get groceries - that was really nice. I am hoping it will be able to be fixed this week end, but if not at least we have a plan.

 

I am sorry I have not had a chance to get posts done up for this week end. They would have been easy and not taken much effort other than typing them up, but just didn't get around to it. Hopefully I will be able to get some more therapy in my sewing room this week end and hopefully I can get back to myself. I really need to get some blog posts written up - I have some great ideas, I just haven't gotten them typed up yet.

It is still quite warm here in Texas! But sadly, that is normal for August - which is most of the time the hottest time of the year. This year has not been all that bad - I think yesterday was day 8-9 of triple digit temps for the summer- and I am about sure we hit the century mark today as well.

Ya'll stay warm.

Asking again....

 I'd love to ask for prayers for my family and myself. For the last few weeks I've been bogged down by some unpleasant realities. And to be honest I feel alone. I feel like too often I have to ask for prayers, but some of these burdens that I'm carrying are so heavy. And right now I'm not feeling very strong. As I write this~ Bible verses are coming to me ~ like Matthew 11 28 "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls."
And as I read I really want to take Him up on that, but I just don't know how.

The other verse that comes to mind is found in the book of Joshua. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

 These verses are encouraging to the soul but boy, these burdens are SO heavy. Trust me when I say we need prayers. Thank you so much.

Remember a couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about getting passed one "wall" and that I had another one? Well that other wall is part of what is really concerning me right now and I'm hoping to get a chance to get on here and write about it soon. Until then if you could remember us in prayer, I would really appreciate it.

The Attitude of Gratitude... series...

Today I am sharing a little poem so that Friday we can start on our assignments. See you then :O)

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Thou that hast given so much to me

Give me one thing more, a grateful heart;

Not thankful when it pleaseth me,

As if Thy blessings had spare days,

But such a heart whose pulse may be

Thy praise.

 

~ George Herbert

Beloved Names of God...series ...Abba

 

"And he said, Abba, Father, all things at possible unto thee;

take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

Mark 14:36 kjv

 

• Name of God the Father
• God is referred to as "Abba" three times in the kjv.
• Abba, in Aramaic, is the familiar version of "Father," the equivalent to the modern "Daddy."
• Jesus was facing His imminent crucifixion and in possibly His most intimate conversation with God, He asked if there was any way He might avoid His fate- before submitting His will completely.

 

In the early New Testament books, God is the mighty Creator; addressed with reverence, awe, and more than a little fear. And in the time just before Jesus, the title of Abba, or Father, came into popular use, implying a more familiar; loving relationship.

 

 

Jesus is the bridge between the older, more formal relationship between man and God and the closer, one-to-one relationship we now have with Him. In Mark 14:36, Jesus addresses God in the most familiar of terms, like a scared child asking his daddy for help. God remained silent and watched as His son was taken away to His trial and execution. Callous? Hard-hearted? Or weeping silently? No longer Jehovah "the smiter," we now recognize God as a generous Father who suffered for our sake.

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Next week we will look at the name ~ "Rain upon the Mown Grass" this is one I am not familiar with- are you?

 

 



The Attitude of Gratitude....series

Today we will resume our series where I share this great little book with you all. I think we all need more gratitude in our lives and I think this book will help us all. Keep coming back on Friday's because coming soon we have some life application assignments to do to help us in this area of gratitude.
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In 1989, news photographer Tony O'Brien, a U.S. citizen, took an assignment from LIFE magazine to cover the fall of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, after the Soviets pulled out. He found himself caught in the midst of a brutal civil war, and was thrown into an Afghan prison by Soviet-backed security forces.

During the traumatic experience, O'Brien shared a cell with a Shiite Muslim, named Nader Ali. The two men struck up a remarkable friendship and, throughout their incarceration, Ali proved to be a vital source of encouragement and hope to O'Brien.

In time, various diplomats and colleagues succeeded in securing O'Brien's release, and he returned to his home in New Mexico.

Three years later, O'Brien found himself once again, on a plane bound for Kabul. He explained his purpose for returning, in an article in the August 1992 issue of LIFE:

The last time I saw Nader Ali, he was behind bars, watching me walk to freedom.

I never thought I would see him again, never thought I would go back to Afghanistan.

But now I am on a plan, returning to the place I spent the most terrifying weeks of my life.

He is a man I need to thank...I have thanked everyone else- those who got me out of prison,

 who called my mother every day. Yet I never thanked the person who gave me the strength to live, Afghanistan is free now, but I am not.

 

 

For days, O'Brien traipsed through a city of 1.5 million people, with few telephones, addresses, or street signs, unsure of whether or not Ali was even still alive, until his search was finally rewarded, and he was able to fulfill the obligation he felt to thank the man who had meant so much to him.

 

As I read O'Brien's moving account, I could not help but think of the infinitely greater debt that you and I owe to the One who came to us when we were in the prison of our sinful, selfish ways, and brought to us hope, deliverance, and life.

O'Brien felt that he could not be free until he had paid his debt of gratitude. In much the same way, I believe that you and I cannot be truly free, though we have been released from bondage, if our hearts and tongues have ceases to give thanks.

Tony O'Brien traveled half way around the world, to say "thank you" to one man who had shown him kindness. Perhaps right now would be a great time to take a trip to Calvary, to kneel before our incredible Savior, to look into His loving face, and to say, "Oh, Lord Jesus, thank You! Thank You! Thank You!"
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Be sure to come back next week :O)

Don' get sucked into the counterfeits...

 I have mentioned, probably too many times, about the newest diet craze out there....the one that says not a weight loss pill, but weight loss is a side effect....It is really amazing me how many people are jumping on board with using this. And it's not cheap. In fact, it seems like you have to sell it to be able to afford to use it...kind of like crack cocaine... yes, I know I have said that before and if not I have been thinking it for a couple of weeks now. Not only have I been thinking that but I had also been having a scene in the Bible come to mind when I think of those that are jumping on board. Here let me share with you.

 

 

"Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' "

 Gen. 3:4-5

 "The serpent's bold challenge of the divine order is tempered with the insinuation of an ulterior divine motive. Eve is still listening. The promise of knowledge ("eyes will be opened") is alluring. In the Scriptures, God opens eyes (Gen. 21:19; 2 Kings 6:17,20) to see the real balance of power in the cosmic conflict." Andrews Study Bible notes

We need to be careful of the lies we are being told today. The adversary hasn't changed his approach. There are counterfeits for every good thing God intends for us. Let us not get sucked into the counterfeits.

Needed a New Perspective

During the couple of months leading up to July, I had a lot of extra things going on making it seem very difficult to get my exercising in. I did the best I could during that time.

Then July got here. And all my responsibility. The responsibilities that limited what I could do even more. I had to be ready for the day and at my son's house by 6:45am. Doing things with my granddaughter and trying to keep up with at least the basics around here- making meals for her and I and then supper for everyone every night. There was a lot of things on my plate - but I ended up doing very well when it came to exercising, better than I expected.

Now that my granddaughter has gone back to her Mom, I have a new perspective. I now realize that I have more time than I realized I had. I have time to exercise. It just took having other things pulling for my attention and me knowing that exercising was important to me, for me to find the time to exercise. So maybe the lesson here is if you really want to do something - you will make time for it. Things that are important for you to do will find a place in your schedule. You will find creative ways to fit them in. It just takes a new perspective sometimes.

Key Limeade...and Making Things Last and Prayers Requested

 So yesterday we had to say goodbye to our sweet granddaughter. About 30 minutes or so before she left - I noticed that her eyes were watering- she was tearing up. It about broke my heart. I know from what she told me last week that she doesn't want to leave her Daddy and it made me start tearing up. I try so hard not to cry when she leaves because I am a sensitive person and I feel she could be as well. And I don't want to make her sadder by knowing how very much we all will miss her. I think she has enough sadness to deal with than to deal with her Grammie crying. Anyway so I have been emotional every since - we all are missing her. So I would sure appreciate prayers for her and for us. We all need them. Thank you so much :O)

 

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Anyway - on to what I wanted to post about today.

 

I basically just drink water now. Its so much better for you than a lot of the other things out there. It's not good to drink with your meals and it isn't really good to snack in between meals so there really isn't a good time to drink stuff. Plus there is a lot of sugar and carbs in drinks and those things are not really good for you either.

 

While my granddaughter is here - she loves Key Limeade! And she always asks for it when she comes to visit. In order to provide something that she likes to drink with less of the bad stuff - I try to make it when I can, this summer was no exception.

 

I process and squeeze the juice out of the limes and put the juice for one pitcher full into these small Tupperware containers and put them into my fridge - that way I can get some made up quickly when needed.

This morning I noticed that I had several of my container left.-She will have to go back to her Mom tomorrow night, so I decided to freeze the juice so that I could have it for the next time she comes. It will not be made up and kept in fridge while she is not here.

 

So I pulled out my small ice cube containers - that cost me a quarter a piece and froze up the juice.

Then I put them in the freezer. Several hours later - I have these two batches ready to go. This takes care of a need later and also saves money by using what I have.

Just in case you are interested in how I make key limeade I had added the recipe. 

You will need:

 6-8 key limes

1 Cup Sugar 

6 1/4 Cups Water 

We used 7 limes and it was delicious! 

Squeeze the juice out of your limes and put the juice into your pitcher. 

Next add 1 cup of sugar. 

Then pour in 6 1/4 cups of water. 

Stir well. 

I would suggest serving with ice. And you can always add some maraschino cherries along with some of the juice. 

This is such a refreshing drink.

Also remember that key limes last longer when you store them in the fridge. The price of them have gone up - since I have posted about this in the past- but I still feel that it is a pretty good deal - consider you know what you and your children are drinking when you make this up.

Hope you all are staying cool. It has "cooled" off here in Texas - temps are still in the mid 90's and with the heat index it feels warmer than that. But we were having temps in the upper 90's and 100's with heat indexes in the mid 100's or a bit higher. So you don't have to pull out the sweaters just yet... lol. They probably won't be needed here till mid Oct or later....sad but true.