Monday, November 19, 2007

When Change Is Painful

We are pressured in every way but not crushed, we are perplexed but not in despair.

2 Corinthians 4:8 Holman CSB

When life unfolds according to our wishes, or when we experience unexpected good fortune, we find it easy to praise God's plan. That's when we greet change with open arms. But sometimes the changes that we must endure are painful. When we struggle through the difficult days of life, as we must from time to time, we may ask ourselves, "Why me?" The answer, of course, is that God knows, but He isn't telling...yet.

Have you endured a difficult transition that has left your head spinning or your heart broken? If so, you have a clear choice to make: either you can cry and complain, or you can trust God and get busy fixing what's broken. The former is a formula for disaster; the latter is a formula for a well-lived life.

A thought to Jump Start Your Day

Pain is the fuel of passion - it energizes us with an intensity to change that we don't normally possess.

Rick Warren

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Galatians 6:8

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

(New International Version)

*I have seen many things in my life and have lived to please my own sinful nature, but all of that is behind me now and I praise God for that. It's been a long journey, but well worth it. I'm in a much better place now.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Laughing With Life

Since I can remember, I have always let life get the best of me... always worried, always fretted and stressed out with things that were out of my control, to the point of getting sick. I was very unhappy in life. I can remember days of depression being a constant companion in my life, day in and day out.

It wasn’t until 2005 when I had my awakening that I realized that there are many things in life that I don’t have control of…and the fact that I had to learn the difference as in the Serenity Prayer. There is nothing in life that is worth the aggravation, the stress, the unhappiness and miserable existence that is brought on from all the worrying. God granted me the serenity of accepting the things I couldn’t change and the courage to change the things I could and most importantly, He gave me the wisdom to know the difference.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful worldas it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things rightif I surrender to His Will;That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with HimForever in the next.
Amen.

Yes, I still think about things, yes, I still tend to worry about things, I’m only human, but… I don’t let it control me to the point of getting sick, being unhappy and miserable in my days or to the point of “dumping” on others around me. On occasion I will fret and stress over things, but I have to remind myself that I need to turn things over to God. As my blog title states: “Whatever it is, God is bigger”. I have since, learned to “Laugh with Life”. I’m not trying to make light of serious issues, the criticalness of certain situations in life, but worrying, stressing, fretting and consuming myself with doubt and fear over things out of my control is not going to fix things any quicker.

So in my devotional reading today, I was enlightened with the following words:

Laugh with Life:

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:13 NIV

Laughter is medicine for the soul, but sometimes, amid the stresses of the day, we forget to take our medicine. Instead of viewing our world with a mixture of optimism and humor, we allow worries and distractions to rob us of the joy that God intends for our lives.

So the next time you find yourself dwelling upon the negatives of life, refocus your attention to things positive. The next time you find yourself falling prey to the blight of pessimism, stop yourself and turn your thoughts around. And, if you see your glass as “half empty,” rest assured that your spiritual vision is impaired. With God, your glass is never half empty. With God as your protector and Christ as your Savior, your glass is filled to the brim and overflowing…forever.

Today, as you go about your daily activities, approach life with a smile on your lips and hope in your heart. And laugh every chance you get. After all, God created laughter for a reason…and Father indeed knows best. So laugh!

A Thought to Jump Start Your Day

If you want people to feel comfortable around you, to enjoy being with you, then learn to laugh at yourself and find humor in life’s little mishaps.

Dennis Swanberg

Friday, November 9, 2007

Releasing My Child into God's Hands

Yesterday, about 3:30 pm, I received a call from my oldest son, I was still at work and was right in the middle of assisting one of our resident Psychiatrists with some urgent computer needs. I told my son that I would call him back as I could not speak to him at that moment. Time went by, and I'm still assisting the resident Psychiatrist at least half an hour, and at 4:10, I received a text message from my son that he was being taken to the hospital for stitches.




Well, being a mother, I panicked and my heart dropped! Understand too that this is my 26 year old son, and is very well known for skateboarding. I knew that his brother and a friend were visiting him in Austin and somehow I just knew that it had to be a related injury to skateboarding or his work, (I was leaning more towards the skateboarding though). Needless to say, I had to call him immediately and find out the details to his trip to the hospital and the seriousness of his injuries.




My son kept trying to tell me he was OK, while at the same time, explaining to me that as he was coming down a half pipe, he lost his balance and fell face first, shattering his right prescription eyeglass lens, which resulted in cutting him up by his eyebrow, scrapes around his face, bruises I'm sure as well. I was cringing and feeling, literally, his pain. I was being a "mommy"... My son finally had to pass the phone to his friend so that he could ease my worries. Needless to say, I did have a few words with God at that moment, but I went home that evening and lifted my children in prayer.



Lord, I come to You in Jesus' name and give my three children to You. I'm convinced that You alone know what is best for them.

You alone know what they need, I release them to You to care for and protect, and I commit myself to pray for everything concerning them that I can think of or that You put upon my heart.

Teach me how to pray and guide me in what to pray about. help me not to impose my own will when I'm praying for them, but rather enable me to pray that Your will be done in their life. Thank You that I can partner with You in raising them and that I don't have to do it alone.