1. Only by total surrender can we achieve total victory. Rom 8:37
2. Less is more: You can live better on 90% than 100% Malachi 3:10
3. To become great, become less. Matt 23:11
4. In weakness, strength. 2 Cor 12:19
5. Putting God 1st , husband 2nd, children 3rd, and yourself last benefits your family more than putting your family 1st. Ex 20:3, Mt 10:37
(This does not mean selfishly using God as an excuse to avoid family obligations, but diligently seeking His will in everything first and foremost)
Friday, February 4, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
I Placed My Hope
I placed my hope in others,
and I was disappointed.
I placed my hope in myself,
and the result was the same.
I tried religion, politics, science and education,
all left me empty and wanting.
Then I placed my hope in Jesus,
and the hole in my heart became whole.
and I was disappointed.
I placed my hope in myself,
and the result was the same.
I tried religion, politics, science and education,
all left me empty and wanting.
Then I placed my hope in Jesus,
and the hole in my heart became whole.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Limitations or Opportunities
Last summer, I began experiencing pain in my hands, especially when I had to grip anything. The middle finger of my right hand was the first to hurt. (And no, it was not from making ugly gestures in traffic as my dear husband sarcastically suggested.) Slowly, it progressed to both hands, then to elbows, shoulders, neck, and ankles. Monday, I finally received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is what I have, not who I am.
Fibromyalgia is real and elusive. No cause is known. No cure is known. It occurs more often in women than men. The best explanation is that the nerve endings that report pain, just keep firing for no reason. Your body reacts as if there is a real pain stimulus, causing the muscles to contract. This results in widespread pain and fatigue. The great news is it is not life threatening. Living with fibromyalgia appears to be an ongoing learning curve of pain management. The goal is to maximize the good days and minimize the bad ones. Accept. Adapt. Adjust.
Personally, I blame the Keebler elves. After being cooped up in that tree all day, forced to make cookies with out union benefits, they want a little down time. So at night, they sneak out and whack me with little elf size baseball bats. That aggression has to go somewhere. I haven't caught them yet, but I am sure that is how the cookie crumbs got in my bed. Surely, my husband wouldn't eat cookies in bed and leave crumbs? I didn't think so. I digress. Back to the elves, elves are mean! That cute image is a facade. If I could just catch 'em, I think I could take 'em. This is my theory and I am sticking to it. HHHHmmmmm, maybe it is a good thing I left the medical research field!
Due to the attacks of rogue elves, pain of various intensity greets me most mornings. Fatigue awaits me many evenings. Many hours in between are normal. The variability and unpredictability are frustrating, making it difficult to plan my days. Yet, life is good. Christ is with me every minute of every day. He is teaching me how to ask for help, from Him, my family and others, something I am not very good at. Self-sufficiency comes much more naturally to me.
I tend to live by the "It's just easier to do it yourself than to ask for help." philosophy. Humility, it is a good thing, but painful in its own way to learn. My good days give me hope. My bad days build my faith and teach me to lean hard on my Savior. I am blessed to have an amazingly supportive, loving husband, two wonderful daughters and great Christian friends who pray for me. Life IS good. God IS great, even on my worst day. Everybody has something! This is just my something.
Regardless of whether my pain is Keebler elf-induced or stems from overzealous nerve endings firing indescriminately, I have a choice to make. I can let my symptoms define and control me or I can walk day by day with Christ. I choose door number two. I have no desire to sit around and "what if" myself into depression or worry. Instead of mourning what I can't do, I choose to focus on what I can. God is teaching me something about Him and about me. How good a pupil will I choose to be? The truth is God was sovereign before I was diagnosed and last I checked that hadn't changed. His grace is sufficient.
I will not let a disorder define me or my life. It may alter how I live it, but it doesn't define me. I chose to define myself as Christ defines me since I turned my life completely over to Him: I am a beloved daughter of my King, a royal princess, the apple of His eye. If His eye is on the sparrow, I know He has not lost sight of me. I am a victor, not a victim. How can you win a victory without an opponent?
Fibromyalgia is my opponent. It is also an opportunity for God's strength and grace to shine through in my life. I am blessed. How are you defining yourself today? By your limitations or by your opportunities? What if your limitation is your opportunity? Think about it.
Fibromyalgia is real and elusive. No cause is known. No cure is known. It occurs more often in women than men. The best explanation is that the nerve endings that report pain, just keep firing for no reason. Your body reacts as if there is a real pain stimulus, causing the muscles to contract. This results in widespread pain and fatigue. The great news is it is not life threatening. Living with fibromyalgia appears to be an ongoing learning curve of pain management. The goal is to maximize the good days and minimize the bad ones. Accept. Adapt. Adjust.
Personally, I blame the Keebler elves. After being cooped up in that tree all day, forced to make cookies with out union benefits, they want a little down time. So at night, they sneak out and whack me with little elf size baseball bats. That aggression has to go somewhere. I haven't caught them yet, but I am sure that is how the cookie crumbs got in my bed. Surely, my husband wouldn't eat cookies in bed and leave crumbs? I didn't think so. I digress. Back to the elves, elves are mean! That cute image is a facade. If I could just catch 'em, I think I could take 'em. This is my theory and I am sticking to it. HHHHmmmmm, maybe it is a good thing I left the medical research field!
Due to the attacks of rogue elves, pain of various intensity greets me most mornings. Fatigue awaits me many evenings. Many hours in between are normal. The variability and unpredictability are frustrating, making it difficult to plan my days. Yet, life is good. Christ is with me every minute of every day. He is teaching me how to ask for help, from Him, my family and others, something I am not very good at. Self-sufficiency comes much more naturally to me.
I tend to live by the "It's just easier to do it yourself than to ask for help." philosophy. Humility, it is a good thing, but painful in its own way to learn. My good days give me hope. My bad days build my faith and teach me to lean hard on my Savior. I am blessed to have an amazingly supportive, loving husband, two wonderful daughters and great Christian friends who pray for me. Life IS good. God IS great, even on my worst day. Everybody has something! This is just my something.
Regardless of whether my pain is Keebler elf-induced or stems from overzealous nerve endings firing indescriminately, I have a choice to make. I can let my symptoms define and control me or I can walk day by day with Christ. I choose door number two. I have no desire to sit around and "what if" myself into depression or worry. Instead of mourning what I can't do, I choose to focus on what I can. God is teaching me something about Him and about me. How good a pupil will I choose to be? The truth is God was sovereign before I was diagnosed and last I checked that hadn't changed. His grace is sufficient.
I will not let a disorder define me or my life. It may alter how I live it, but it doesn't define me. I chose to define myself as Christ defines me since I turned my life completely over to Him: I am a beloved daughter of my King, a royal princess, the apple of His eye. If His eye is on the sparrow, I know He has not lost sight of me. I am a victor, not a victim. How can you win a victory without an opponent?
Fibromyalgia is my opponent. It is also an opportunity for God's strength and grace to shine through in my life. I am blessed. How are you defining yourself today? By your limitations or by your opportunities? What if your limitation is your opportunity? Think about it.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Three Piercing Cries
A piercing cry splits the dawn
On that first Christmas morn.
Salvation draws its first ragged breath
in infant flesh, forlorn.
A piercing cry splits the sky
As demons and darkness rejoice.
Christ crucified; God glorified.
He stayed on the cross, His choice.
A piercing cry splits the dawn
On that first Easter morn.
An empty tomb; promised heavenly rooms
humanity's hope, reborn.
On that first Christmas morn.
Salvation draws its first ragged breath
in infant flesh, forlorn.
A piercing cry splits the sky
As demons and darkness rejoice.
Christ crucified; God glorified.
He stayed on the cross, His choice.
A piercing cry splits the dawn
On that first Easter morn.
An empty tomb; promised heavenly rooms
humanity's hope, reborn.
The Cross
The C.R.O.S.S. stands for:
Compassion not condemnation.
Resurrection not resignation.
Obedience not obstinance.
Salvation not survival.
Sanctification not sanctimony.
Compassion not condemnation.
Resurrection not resignation.
Obedience not obstinance.
Salvation not survival.
Sanctification not sanctimony.
A Heart from which Gratitude Springs
Thank you for the dreary days of winter
and the starkness of bare trees.
Thank you for the green of new grass
and of freshly budding leaves.
Thank you for the blackest night
and the light daybreak brings.
Thank you for the rain and storms
and the growth that from them springs.
Thank you for the daffodil
and the rose with its thorns.
Thank you for the trilling bird
that helps to greet the morn.
Crashing waves and bubbling brook
both from your hand come.
Shall we thank you only when all is well
and not in the midst of the storms?
Thank you Jesus, please grant me a heart
from which gratitude always springs.
Thank you Jesus for all that transpires,
may I thank you in everything.
and the starkness of bare trees.
Thank you for the green of new grass
and of freshly budding leaves.
Thank you for the blackest night
and the light daybreak brings.
Thank you for the rain and storms
and the growth that from them springs.
Thank you for the daffodil
and the rose with its thorns.
Thank you for the trilling bird
that helps to greet the morn.
Crashing waves and bubbling brook
both from your hand come.
Shall we thank you only when all is well
and not in the midst of the storms?
Thank you Jesus, please grant me a heart
from which gratitude always springs.
Thank you Jesus for all that transpires,
may I thank you in everything.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Bits and Pieces
If God the Father did not swoop down and spare His innocent son from the suffering of the cross, He will not always swoop down and deliver us from our suffering either. But He will be with us through it all and work it all for good. This is where the rubber hits the road--will you believe as you and your loved ones suffer and no relief seems to be on the horizon?
Unbelief is seeing one set of footprints in the sand and thinking they are yours.
Self-focus leads to self-pity which leads to self-reliance which leads to self-destruction.
Faith is the bridge between our ever-changing emotions and the unchanging truth of God's word. Which side of the bridge will I stand on today?
Sin promises what it cannot deliver and delivers what it cannot promise. Sin promises a short cut to happiness at little to no cost and delivers long-term misery at great expense to yourself and others.
Unbelief is seeing one set of footprints in the sand and thinking they are yours.
Self-focus leads to self-pity which leads to self-reliance which leads to self-destruction.
Faith is the bridge between our ever-changing emotions and the unchanging truth of God's word. Which side of the bridge will I stand on today?
Sin promises what it cannot deliver and delivers what it cannot promise. Sin promises a short cut to happiness at little to no cost and delivers long-term misery at great expense to yourself and others.
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