Hello!~~~

Welcome!~

It has now been ten years since I started this blog. How quickly time goes by! We are many members but we are one in the body of Christ. Therefore you do not journey alone! Hopefully through this site you will be encouraged by the fact that many things you are going through in your own walk, others are going through (or have gone through) as well. Sometimes we think we are "going through things alone." But we are not. God said that "He would Never Leave Nor Forsake Us." (Hebrews 13:5) and that "There is Nothing New Under The Sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9). No man is an island. It's easy to forget that. May the words in this blog help you to think, encourage you in whatever spiritual state you are in and may the Lord use them to help us to grow in Him! He is the Author and Finisher of our faith!

I don’t want any readers to think that I am “promoting” being a prodigal. I definitely am not. But what I am hoping to do – is to encourage those of us who either have had or are currently experiencing a hard time in our walk to be honest about it. Personal conviction is a powerful thing, especially if you truly love the Lord. I think that sometimes the Body of Christ critiques and judges to the point where the person who is at the other end of that pointing finger feels ostracized, alienated and alone. I don't think that that is what Jesus intended. When I read through my Bible - I see a firm yet gentle restoration that Jesus ministered to those around Him. Look at John 21:15-19. When Peter who was at an all time low point in his walk - he was firmly, yet lovingly restored by Jesus. He didn't tear him down, or yell or make him feel any worse then he already did. He spoke to him lovingly and gently - and in doing so, Peter was able to repent and minister in a much more powerful, humble and confident way and it became one of the largest ministries ever.

Please note that I am only a vessel, my calling - to write. I dedicate this blog to the Lord and ask that He use it to reach out and touch whoever needs a special, loving, personal touch from Him. My hope is that the Holy Spirit allows you to see Him through the words (and not me). We go through things so that we can extend our right hand of fellowship behind us to assist and help someone else. Our Bible is the same today, as it was yesterday as it will be tomorrow. (I am far from perfect and do not profess to have all the answers...) but the good news is - Our Heavenly Father does! His love, forgiveness, grace and mercy is real!Nothing you are experiencing in your walk comes as a surprise to Him! May He be glorified through this blog and may God bless you at whatever stage in your walk you are in!~



I am a Breast Cancer Survivor

I am a Breast Cancer Survivor
I was diagnosed with early stage triple negative breast cancer on June 24th, 2010 - I have been cancer free for 10 years now. It was only a chapter in my life - NOT my life, but the impact is one that has changed my life forever. Its important for women to know that 80% of the breast cancer diagnosis come from women who don't have a history of it in their family (My family didn't). Early detection is the key. For more information please click on the pink ribbon above. It could save your life.
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January 16, 2013

Perspective - What's Yours?

Maybe it is time to change the way you think? Alter your perspective?
Have you ever noticed how your "perspective" on something can effect every part of your life?  Kind of like dunking a tea bag in a hot cup of steaming water.  How you "view" something flavors every aspect - not just one... your mood, your day, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about others...  Just to name just a few...

What shade of "perspective" life glasses are YOU wearing? And is what you are viewing through them *really* what lays ahead?  Maybe with this new year it is time to think about "changing your perspective." Take off those ol' negative life glasses and put on a new pair.  Maybe make a checklist of the things you want to change in your life and then slowly examine how you can go about checking them off. Make a change...  Change is not easy, but I have found that nothing worth anything is...

I recently had a (non-cancer related) surgery at the suggestion of my oncologist.  It was suppose to be an "easy" in and out surgery - and while the surgery went well, I had complications which put me in the hospital for six days.  This was *not* in my plans of how to start the New Year.  As I lay in the hospital, I found myself thinking about life and how precious it is.  How we simply wake up every morning feeling as though "we are owed today."  The truth is - we are NOT.  Each day IS a gift and we often forget that. Here I was, in the hospital not knowing when I would get out, grumbling at this turn of events. All I could think about was how much of a total inconvenience and screw up this was to the start of my New Year.  Then I overhead a conversation a doctor was having with my hospital roommate, who had lung cancer, HIV, blood clots and oh so many other health problems. It kind of made my problems seem so trivial, and I realized how much I needed to change my perspective...

Life is a series of lessons. What are you learning about yourself? Or are you so focused on someone else's short comings that you haven't taken the time to examine or consider your own? (Hmmmmmm....)  Over the last 4 years of my life I have realized again and again that it truly is nothing but God's grace, mercy, forgiveness and love that keeps me going. I have realized that there are so many things I need to change about ME and that I could *never* play judge or be critical of someone else.  The truth is that unless you walk in someone else's shoes you have NO idea what it is they are going through.  Man looks at the outward appearance - God looks at the heart.  Maybe that is where compassion comes in? My lifestyle may be so different then someone else's and I *may* not agree with someone else's life style - but it is *not* for me to judge.  It is God's job. When I look back on my life prior to being a Prodigal, I can see that how I meant to live - in love may have come off as judgmental to someone else and I truly think that is why God allowed me to go through humble experience after humble experience to show that how I was living was not showing compassion and love I had thought... The Bible tells us "that our righteousness is as filthy rags."  My perspective has changed.  Not my faith, not God's word - but my own perspective about ME and how God wanted me to view other people.  I have found that through the change in my perspective I am able to love people more.  I am able to listen better.  I am able to pray more effectively.  I am able to walk in love.  Not compromising my faith or my own lifestyle - but with a better understanding of others.

Are you walking in love?  Are you walking in forgiveness?  Are you walking humbly or are you strutting down the streets of your life, as if YOU own the whole road?  It only takes one unexpected thing to make you realize  how precious life is... How about not putting off those changes you've been considering? Working towards them? Knowing that you "can teach" an old dog new tricks - it just may take a longer amount of time.  But in the long run, it really is so worth it... It truly is...