In Other Words.....

"When there is little awareness of real need there is little real prayer."

Recently in my life God has been working to open my eyes to something. I haven't been praying like I should be. I mean, I do pray. But what am I praying about? Who am I praying for? Are my prayers just out of habit? Or is there an urgency to my prayers?

So needless to say, when I saw the quote for this week on Laurels blog, I thought well, okay.......this is for you, Deedra!

I don't want to go into great detail for fear of hurting someone (because I know I have a lot of local readers, and remember...I do live in a really small town). Let me just say this....I have become painfully aware of real, serious need. I have also been made aware, through this knowledge, that if I had been paying attention, if I had been on my knees in prayer as a christian should be......then maybe this situation would have already been resolved. Because I do believe in prayer, and I KNOW that God answers them!

I'm not trying to be secretive, in fact...the only reason I share this is to say this.....keep in close contact with God. What if there is someone out there who you can reach, but you are unaware? If there were real prayer in your life, God would be able to reveal this to you......if not, how else is He supposed to get in touch with you?

I am mainly writing this to myself, but if it can help someone else.......that would be wonderful too!

If you would like to participate in "In Other Words" this week, please visit Laurel Wreath.

Please check out the Fit4Life Challenge I'm starting on Friday! (if you haven't already)

In Other Words.......

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."~ Oswald Chambers ~

I absolutely love this quote! It isn't always easy to live by faith, but when we remember the One who is leading us, and just how much He loves us....that makes the journey a little easier. Now that my son is a year old, people are always asking...when are you gonna have more? or, Are you going to have more? etc, etc, etc....my reply to those questions is this: If God blesses us with more, we'll have more. If not, we won't. After all the fertility shots and treatments that only led to heartbreaking miscarriages, God taught me something very important. He is in control. Things happen in His time.

My Mom isn't doing so great lately. I can't tell you how many times my phone rang today with her asking the same question each time, then forgetting she'd called and calling again. My sister called in tears because she was doing the same thing to her. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, ....or the next day,...or the day after that. But I do know that God made her this way for a reason, and He has helped us through 15 years with this illness, and only with His help will we make it the rest of the way. However far that may be.

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading."~ Oswald Chambers ~

for more In Other Words, visit Sting My Heart.

In Other Words....

"When God is involved, anything can happen. Be open and stay that way. God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations out of broken chords."

~ Chuck Swindoll~

This is such a true statement, and one that I didn't come to understand easily. When I was 16, we discovered that my mom had a chemical imbalance that caused her to be paranoid and schizophrenic. I won't go into a lot of detail (for reasons of space, and that my fingers would fall right off if I typed that much) I'll just say that my straight laced, modest, music teacher mom ended up in trouble with the authorities and eventually ended up in a mental hospital, actually 4 within a years time. Also, she and my dad were separated when this came about, and the divorce was final right after we discovered this.

I can't even begin to describe some of the horrific things that we (my younger sister & I) endured during the time that her illness was at it's worst. At one point though, I will tell you, it got so bad that we had to take action and have her committed. There was no other choice. It was for her safety and everyone around her. I can't describe how hard it is for a 16 year old girl to sit as her mother begs and pleads for her not to do this as I am telling the judge through my sobs why we need this done.

Keep in mind, we live in a VERY small town. My mother was the music teacher at the school. EVERYONE knew what was going on, including every single person in our school, and all were not kind with their words.

My mother still refuses to take her medication, but only by the grace of God is she doing some better. She is unable to work a public job. Her attention span is very short. She carries on a normal conversation on most days, with only minor references to "off the wall" things. She does live by herself. Which is a blessing, since anyone living with her would have to be committed themselves after a VERY short period of time!!!

I tell you all of that to say this, I don't know why God gave me this to bear, but I do know that through this I have developed such faith in Him. I know that without him carrying me, there are times I wouldn't have made it. He has made me strong. He has made the bond my sister & I share unbreakable. And He will give me strength to bear what is to come.

Through my mother's illness, I have learned to take people as they are, and know that everyone has their reasons for being that way. I don't know what is going on in their homes, in their hearts. People who know my sister & myself but not my mom, can't believe it when they meet her. Most will never know what we have overcome in our lifetimes, most will never know what we continue to go through on a daily basis, but my God knows and only He knows why.

I am 31 years old now, my mom as I once knew & loved her has been gone for 15 years now. That's half my life. I can't help but miss her the way she once was. But I know that I am better for all I have endured.

"God has a beautiful way of bringing good vibrations out of broken cords."

In Other Words....

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."~ Charles Spurgeon ~

perseverance

Noun
persistent determination to adhere to a course of action; insistence

I think that alot of us think we persevere in many parts of our lives, our christian walk included. However, once you have read the definition of perseverance, do you still think that word fits your walk with Jesus Christ? Does it fit ALL the time? Does it fit ANY of the time?

If the snail had waivered on his course the way we sometimes waiver in our everyday walk, do you think he would have ever made it to the ark before the door slammed shut? Would you make it to the door before it slammed shut?

Think about that! Just think about all the curves that are in our road. Think of how many times we start and stop in our walks. Think of the U turns, and the times we turn completely around and walk the other way! These things do not represent a persistent christian, they are lukewarm signals. And you know what He says about lukewarm!

I pray that God will help me to follow Him with perseverance. Not to waiver or falter, but to be determined and insistant in my walk with my King.

For more thoughts on this weeks In Other Words visit Iris over at Sting My Heart.

In Other Words....

"Busyness is not a spiritual gift."
From an interview with
~ Lisa Harper ~


This is SO true! It is so often we find ourselves so bogged down with the busy things to do around the church, and not the WORSHIP part of church! I know that I have been guilty of this in my life. I can get so worried about "getting ready" for a Sunday school lesson, or an event at the church, or right now bible school. The first thing I thought about was what I would need to decorate the room, not preparing my lessons for the week. Bible School isn't until June and I have already had to take a step back and remember WHY we are actually doing this! I pray that God will help me to remember the reason for the work that needs to be done, and not get carried away with the preparation!


Visit Fruit In Season for more takes on this week's quote!

In Other Words...

"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before... either into a creature that is in harmony with God, ...or into one that is in a state of war with God. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other."~ C.S. Lewis ~Mere Christianity


This is so true. Every single decision we make is changing us just a bit. Humans are creatures of habit. So, if we make a habit of turning to God for everything, it will become a way of life for us. We will sit down to read the Bible or do a Bible study instead of flipping on the TV. Go to church on Sunday instead of staying home. Turn to God in times of distress instead of turning to worldly vices. Give God the praise when things in our life are going well, not chock it up to "good luck".

Or, one can continually make worldly choices, maybe without even realizing it. Instead of taking an opportunity to witness for God, you could simply hold your tongue and let that opportunity slip away. Go to the mall on Wednesday evening because it's less crowded, instead of making it to Wednesday evening services. Skip saying a prayer with your family each day, you just don't have the time.

Eventually, these habits become a way of life for us. Usually even before we realize it! One thing I try to remind myself of when I am feeling weak in the flesh, is that Jesus came here and lived a perfect life, then he suffered such a miserable, painful death and all he asks of me in return is my service to His Father and to love Him. Who am I to deny Him this? This thought usually helps to steer me in the right direction.

I absolutely do not want to be in a state of war with God! I want to be in a state of harmony, and I pray that God guides me in each and every one of my daily choices toward that state of harmony!

In God's Time

"One of the secrets to a happy marriage is remembering the source of our joy, which is not one another. The source of our joy is the Lord. Yes, we share tons of joyous moments, but we don't expect, let alone demand, endless joy-filled moments from each other. "~ Liz Curtis Higgs ~from the devotional: Rise and Shine


My husband and I have now been married for 10 years. About 5 years into our marriage we decided to try to have children. That didn't go as we'd hoped, so we ended up trying fertility treatments. At last, I became pregnant! We were so excited! But on my first trip to the Doctor, we found out there was a problem. Three weeks later I had to have a D&C.

A year, another doctor, and more fertility treatments later I was pregnant again! We were so excited! This was it! At 11 Weeks, the doctor found no heartbeat. Another D&C. I was so devastated I couldn't even cry for a while. Then when I started crying, I couldn't stop. I would wake up in the middle of the night crying. My husband just didn't understand. Or so I thought.

This was such a terrible strain on our marriage. The ups and downs of these few years really took it's toll. I threw myself into work, church, anything that would take my mind off of what was really going on. My husband did the same. Through this, however, my husband and I became really involved in our youth group at church. We became so close to these kids. The issues that came up in their lives made us take another look at ours. It was like we got another chance to see where we'd been, what we had been through together. And God was always there with us. Right from the beginning. We actually met in church when we were 16. We saw our blessings laid out before us. We both realized that God is the source of our strength and our happiness. We realized that in Him, we can get through any trial or tribulation. You just have to let go, and let God.

So when we finally let God. God did it right. We were pregnant again. No shots, no drugs. This time we were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. God's time certainly wasn't our time, but it was the right time. We were financially in a position we weren't in 5 years ago, and I can stay home with my baby. I also hadn't planned on being a brand spanking new mom at 30, but again, God's time. Through all that we went through, I have an appreciation of this wonderful gift, that I wouldn't have had 5 years ago. And through the tribulations, our marriage is strengthened. That wasn't the case 5 years ago. The source of our joy IS the Lord,....and just in case we ever forget that, we have our beautiful little reminder!