Trading My Sorrows..

We sang one of my favorite upbeat happy songs in church yesterday, and I was looking for a good version of it on You tube to share with you. I discovered a new artist that I have not heard of yet called Coffey Anderson who has an amazing ability to play guitar, and what I thought was a good voice.

This song reminds me of the fact that I can choose Joy no matter what I am going through, and what I am up against. Yesterday I asked for prayer after church as I was still feeling really quite sick. Today I feel better, praise God! I am not totally there yet, but getting better today.

Lights Out..

I love listening to Old Time Radio Plays, and I remember listening to a few episodes of  a show called “Lights Out”. I used to love listening to it in the dark, but it usually scared me a bit and I would have to turn a nightlight on to listen to it.

Today in church we had a bit of a lights out thing, because Fortis was doing an upgrade in the area, and had to turn the power off from 6am till about 1:30pm. Our Pastor being the techie that he is got a generator so that we could run the Powerpoint and screens, and a few lights so that we were not completely in the dark. It made for a very interesting morning, as most of us were out of our comfort zones. My husband couldn’t even get a shower because there was no hot water, and he had to make instant coffee with lukewarm tap-water.

I think God had arranged everything this week, because our Pastor was speaking from 1 Corinthians chapter 9:19-27. Pastor Jessie talked to us about how Paul wanted to go out of his comfort zone to be able to reach people for Christ, even if that meant having to change the way he usually did things. Paul talked about being all things to all people, and being relevant to the different cultures he was living in, but not changing the Gospel. I thought it was a really thought-provoking service, because I was reminded of how little we as Christians are willing to change in order for us to reach out to different cultures, even the ones around us.

We are living in an area where there are only about 5% Christian, and the large majority of people believe in Wicca, Paganism, and New Age beliefs. Most people  here are very concerned about creating a better environment, healthy living, getting back to nature, and sustainable living. We go to a church where for the most part, people have not grown up in church, and have very little knowledge of the Bible. It is a challenge to reach out to our culture here, for sure. It really got me thinking of how I could adapt to be able to reach out to others, and not seem as if I was out of touch with people, but still share the gospel.

I think the power outage was a good way of reminding me about my comfort level, and how I  get a little bothered when things are not like I am used to. Am I like that when it comes to the people around me? Do I try to make an effort to become like the people out here in order for the Gospel to be shared? Of course that does not mean I will be taking up pot anytime soon ( that’s the running  joke if you come from the Nelson area)!! I know there are ways that I could improve in how I reach out to people, and I am praying that God will show me how to be a better witness for him. Today I enjoyed the message very much, but not because it tickled me ears. It really made me think… I will leave you with the scriptures that we read today. Maybe it will inspire you to become more of a witness for Jesus to your neighbors.

¹⁹Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

New Perspective

Today I am looking at my daughter with a new perspective. She is one brave young lady who has been through a lot physically when she was younger. I think when she was about 3 she got croup three times in about 6 months. It was very scary for her, and also for me the first time we took her into emergency. When she was in kindergarten her Grandma passed away, and she picked up Pneumonia from visiting the hospital and ended up there  herself about a month later in the isolation room of the children’s ward. She has been scared of needles ever since, poor kid. I also suspected something else was up with her, but couldn’t figure out what it was until she had a horrendous coughing episode when we visited the scented candle aisle of Linen’s and Things. She coughed to the point of vomiting outside the store, and I decided to get her into the doctor’s immediately. We had a visiting doctor that day, and God’s hand was upon us because that doctor asked us lots of questions about her symptoms. She told us that she thought Brianna had Asthma, and wanted to get her tested. The doctor was right, and Brianna went through several years where her Asthma was bad in the fall to spring time, or after she got a cold. She is now doing better, and only has very slight symptoms every once in a while.

Why am I amazed at how well she handled that? I can really sympathize with her because these  last couple weeks, I have had this cough that went from a productive one to a dry cough that kept me awake at night. The doctor told me that it was the remainder of the virus that I had. After several nights of having to cough for hours on end at night, and feeling like my chest was so tight, I decided to try her puffer. Amazingly it worked. I could breathe and I stopped coughing. Tonight I just had one of the worst coughing episodes of my life. I ran outside because it felt like my throat was seizing up, and I could not catch my breath. It was so scary, because I thought I was choking to death. Whew, glad that is over. I guess I will be visiting my doctor next week to see if he has any advice. I can’t keep coughing like that. I think I coughed so hard I heard my back crack.

Well, since I don’t want to whine about me, let me say this. I can’t believe how well she handled herself as a little kid. When I think back, I was probably not as compassionate as I should have been towards her. I just did not understand what she was going through.

The same goes for people going through the struggle to regain their lives after addictions destroy them. If you have not gone through it, you just do not understand how bad it really is. It sucks the very marrow out of your bones, and leaves you feeling like a corpse of a family, and completely sapped of all energy. There are some days when I used to get very depressed because of what we were going through. Praise God those days are becoming less and less.

Now I look at what we have gone through as a blessing, because I can relate to others who are struggling, and offer hope and encouragement when there seems to be none. I know what it is like to be so desperate, crying out to God for mercy  to rescue our little family, as I wander aimlessly down the streets of town sobbing uncontrollably. If I had never gone through this, I would never be able to comfort and encourage those who need help so desperately as I did. I am thanking God for my new perspective on addiction, and how God can use the ugly things of our lives and bring good out of them.  Not for my glory, but for His alone!

Dreams..

Dreams…we all have them. No, not the kind that you have when you fall asleep. The kind of dreams when you are awake, and wish for things that you would like to see happen, or things you could buy one day, or plans you made that have become fulfilled.

I was thinking yesterday about our dreams, as some friends of mine at Ladies Bible Study were discussing this topic. One of my friends Shannon talked about the different kinds of dreams. The unrealistic kind like becoming famous, or becoming rich like Donald Trump. Those middle of the road dreams where you drive by a particular house or piece of property and plan how you can get it. It could happen if the right things fell into place. The last being the everyday dreams like planning what you could do if you get all the laundry, dishes, and food prep done.

I think these kinds of dreams are important. Those big dreams are fun to think about. Those middle of the road dreams are ones you long for, and might one day meet if you work hard enough, or if God moves mountains for you. Those everyday dreams are what keeps you focused in the day-to-day drudgery.

I have had dreams for so long about my family situation, dreams about my husband stopping the drinking, about us becoming a family unit, about our being able to get out of debt. To me for many years they were just pipe dreams, as I prayed and prayed and prayed, but nothing ever seemed to change. Somewhere around the 5 year mark into our marriage I realized I was not going to change my husband. I realized that I needed to change, and work on areas of my life, and that began a 7 year process of uphill struggles. I didn’t stop dreaming my big dreams that seemed impossible, but thought that maybe God did not want to change our lives for whatever reason, and I was going to have to let that dream be put on the back burner of life.

Then when we moved up here to the Kootenays, God began to work slowly but surely to bring about a miracle in our lives. It all started with my husband losing his job after just three months, and then another job in the spring, and then last fall being sent harassing letters from an unknown source accusing us of terrible things, and then an estrangement from his parents, and then the DUI. What Mike never knew is that I never gave up praying, but that I was now fasting and praying for a miracle. God moved mountains for us! God also worked a miracle by arranging all the details for Mike to get into a treatment program. My dreams had come true! Now that doesn’t mean everything is going perfectly, because we are a family still working out the process of recovery, but God has been faithful to answer my prayers and I am very thankful for that!

So all that being said, I want to encourage you with some scriptures that has been meaningful to me.

(Psa 37:4-6) Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. {5} Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. {6} He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

I love these verses not because God is like a magic genie lamp that you rub to get whatever you want, but that it reminds us to delight in Him, trust in Him, and he will honor you with those Godly desires he places in our hearts. God may not always give us every big dream, but we should never stop dreaming big!

We serve a God that specializes in miracles. If we honor Him and delight in Him, we don’t need to be afraid to ask!

My dad use to end his sermons with this scripture from Ephesians 3:20 that speaks volumes for me.

King James Bible
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Prayers For Healing…

Today I am asking for prayers for my health, as I came down with another sore throat and it is a wicked one…again. I think I have been sick since some time in March off and on, and I am getting really tired of it. For those of you who don’t know me, I work in a coffee shop, and I have to talk in order to work. A sore throat makes it extremely difficult to do my job. All I wanted to do today was curl up on the couch with my kitty, take some Neo Citron and knock myself out.

On top of that, when I got home Mike wasn’t able to make it to the AA meeting tonight, as they moved it to a town down the road. That’s three weeks he has missed. That concerns me a bit, but I am leaving that in God’s hands. I don’t have the energy to worry about that, and God knows that is a good thing.

I need to go relax for a while, as my medicine is kicking in, and it is making me groggy. At least it is numbing the pain in my throat. Praying that tomorrow is a better day.

Gypsy Woman

Today I was thinking about our upcoming move, and how unsettled we have felt ever since we moved up to the Kootenays a couple of years ago. When we first moved up here, we lived in my husband’s family’s house in the basement for three months before we moved out to this place, which was a disaster but that’s for another story one day.

We then moved out to our place where we are living now, but I still never really felt settled because I knew eventually the house would sell. It is a very odd feeling, and somewhat uncomfortable. I always got the feeling everything was very temporary, and that I would be moving onto something better. Almost as if I was in perpetual preparation mode for something coming down the road of life. It reminded me of a mother preparing for the birth of her baby, that waiting and anticipation, and never quite getting comfortable.

It ultimately reminded me of life as a Christian. We are on this earth for a short while, and only biding time until we move on to our permanent home, which is in Heaven. We live our lives on earth, and do our everyday things, but we need to never forget we are only here temporarily. We have a place waiting for us which is so much better than where we our now. Praise God for something so amazing to look forward to!

When Trials Come video

Hope this little video blesses you today. Keith and Kristin Getty always seem to speak the truth in song, and being Irish something in me always relates to how they sing it too. God bless you as you go about your busy lives this week.

Losing my voice..but not my song..

Today I discovered something about Worship as I sat at the back of the room in church. I have had several bouts of Laryngitis, and a nasty flu which left me with a congested chest, and now my chest has cleared up but I have developed a dry cough that needs a puffer to relieve the tightness so I can breathe. I was really looking forward to singing today in Church, but alas it was not to be. I was having a hard time breathing, and could only sit and listen and watch.

If you know me well, you know singing is part of who I am. I love leading worship, and sing when I can. Today God was teaching me something through this little challenge. First I got a little frustrated, because I could not worship God the way I am used to. As I sat there and wondered why this was happening to me, I began to relax. I knew that singing was not an option, so how else was I to worship God during the singing time??

I decided that I would simply close my eyes, listen to the words, and sing those words inside my head as if I was singing out loud to the Lord. As I did this, I realized that I did not need to vocalize my worship for God to hear me. Sometimes we think that we have to worship out loud, and loudly so that everybody can hear us if you get my drift. Human nature makes us selfish, and full of ourselves, and when that happens we are trying to impress with our outward appearance. God looks instead to the heart, and sees our inward thoughts and motives. True worship comes from a broken and contrite spirit, not a person full of themselves. Until we empty ourselves, we can’t be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Psalms 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

A Poem About Letting Go

I mentioned the other day about a book called “Treasures in the Darkness”, and what a blessing it has been for me to read. I thought I would share with you a poem by an unknown author that really says it all at what you must do when you are learning to let go, and let God. This skill is very important when learning to live with an alcoholic, but it also applies to your family and friends.

To “let go” does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To “let go” is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization I can’t control another.

To “let go” is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To “let go” is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To “let go” is not to try to change or blame another, it’s to make the most of myself.

To “let go” is not to care for, but care about.

To “let go” is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To “let go” is not to judge, but allow another to be a human being.

To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but allow others to affect their own destinies.

To “let go” is not to be protective, it’s to permit another to face reality.

To “let go” is not to deny, but accept.

To “let go” is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes, and cherish myself in it.

To “let go” is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To “let go” is to fear less and love more.

When we let go, and let God take over that burden, we lighten our load, and are better equipped to travel our journey of life, and instead of life being an anchor around our necks, it becomes a beautiful necklace that sparkles with precious stones.

Simple little blog

Found a little blog today that I liked. Not complicated, just some encouraging words but so meaningful. Thought I would share it with you all.

http://iftodaywehear.wordpress.com/