DRAW ME CLOSE TO YOU

Stormy Weather - is it God or your Emotions?

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:5 - 5:8)

Did you ever realize how the people you love the most can affect your mood?  It's like a weather forecast - you get into an argument with the one you love and all of a sudden a voice goes off in your head kinda like that of a weatherman. "Today's weather will be cold and stormy... buckle up your seatbelts - you're in for quite the ride." Or if you are happy with your loved ones.. "Today's weather will be balmy and spring-like. People around town are 'skipping to their lou." (What does skip to my lou mean anyway?)

I've always been a very emotional person. And I am guilty of doing this often, being easily offended or disappointed. When I do - I often feel discombobulated like a cassette tape that has gotten stuck in its player.  You know what I mean? The times when you've played a tape and all of a sudden you hear a crunching sound.. And yep - you go to examine the tape and out it comes... You try to take a pencil and carefully (while bitting on your lip in concentration) hope you can get it to work again - cuz your favorite songs are on there... Maybe that is why God tells us to keep our eyes focused on Him? When I take my eyes off of Him, I feel like a person driving without a GPS. I easily lose my way.  We make things so difficult - when they should be easy. I often wonder what God thinks of us as He looks down at us from Heaven... (Or perhaps He walks around observing us here... You never know...) He is such a loving, patient God - but I wonder if He sometimes just wants to throw up His hands at us and say "Oh for Heaven sake!"

We are taught as children - that if we get lost or separated from our parents - we are to find a spot and stay there. I think I'll have a seat...Even at the semi-young age of 44 (don't laugh!), I realize there are times when I need to have a seat before the Father and try to be still and listen. We are never too old to listen and learn. In fact, I think that as long as we have breath in our bodies, we will always be changing, learning and hopefully maturing in Him. Although if you're like me - it takes a "little" while longer than the usual person! (Smiling). What can I say? I'm a dork! ;) The important thing is being transparent and open and willing to learn. I think as a prodigal, I can say that I learn my lessons a bit harder than the usual person. I have always been one to ask, "But WHY Lord?" Thank God for his patience with me. There is NO perfect person, and I think we would do well to remember that. So that when someone hurts us, or annoys us - or disappoints us. We can count to ten, take a deep breath and remember - that we ourselves are far from perfect AND we disappoint people too. (Yep even though its hard to believe... I DO too! Grinning). If we tried to take the plank out of our own eyes before removing it from someone else's, I think we'd "see" our situations a whole lot better... Don't you?

SUNRISE SUNSET

What season Are You In?

It's Thanksgiving. A time when most people rewind the year and think back to all the things they are thankful for. (At least that is what one SHOULD be doing)...Phillipians 4:11 tells us to "be content no matter WHAT our circumstances are."

When you think of "waiting" how do you feel? Does it bring past feelings to the surface? With me it does... I've learned especially with having been diagnosed with breast cancer this year, that "waiting" can be a luxury that not all of us have. If I was in impatient before - I'm even more so now. And I can't "wait" anymore. Because sometimes that is all people do. They "wait." We take "now" for granted. What if what you want most isn't there tomorrow? How will you feel? Like you missed out.  You waited until it was too late. I think that is when "regrets" come in to place. "I shoulda, woulda, coulda - but I didn't..."

God made us with the natural desire to "live forever" its something that has been instilled within us since our days in the Garden of Eden. But with the fall of man - came death. Something that none of us like to focus on. Instead we plan for "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and the next day..." As if it is a given that it will occur. We are NOT promised tomorrow. Yet still we blindly believe that tomorrow is owed to us. When something happens to someone we love, or to us - we begin to realize how very precious life is. The Bible tells us "Our lives are but breaths"

I don't know about you - but patience is not one of my gifts. Never has been, never will be. And after being a Christian for 23 years - I learned quickly NOT to pray for patience. Big mistake - huge! (Laughing). To pray for patience means that you are asking for more trials and tribulations than you already have - why? So that you can learn to be "patient" through it all. Its not as though we won't go through things anyways... I figure if I have to have a shot - give it to me quickly! Don't prolong it! (See? I told ya I'm not patient... ;) )

When you go through a life threatening disease - you become, "less patient" than perhaps you were before. Time is precious. If waiting was hard before you were diagnosed - it becomes even harder now. You want to love more deeply. Waiting becomes a harder concept to accept. All of a sudden you feel as though there is this timer and you don't know what point you are on the timeline your life... And I suppose its a good thing too. The Bible also tells us that "We see in part, but He sees in full." I think that is because we couldn't "handle" seeing the fullness of our lives. Personally, I think it is God's grace that He gives us increments if indeed He chooses to show us at all.

We've all heard the saying, "Good things come to those that wait." And maybe in some aspects that is true. We live in such a microwave society that we want what we want, when we want it! But on the other hand - one of the lessons I have learned this year, is that I do not have it in me to settle. So many of us "settle for mediocure" because we feel that is all we deserve. That is all we should have. That is one club that I am no longer a member of - I gave back my membership card loooong ago. So let me ask YOU this. What are YOU waiting for? Do you have a desire? A dream? A longing? What is making you put it off? Do you lack confidence in yourself to do it? Are you scared of failure? How do you know you'll fail if you don't even try?

I've never been a fan of "change." I'm a "planner" and I think that is why this year has been doubly hard. You don't "plan" on having cancer. You don't "plan" on losing your job, or your hair, or your eyelashes, or your eyebrows - or for some of my pink sisters - your breasts. And that is only to name a few things. Life is precious. If you are going to give someone flowers - give them to that person TODAY. For they may not be there tomorrow. Show people today. Show yourself today! Don't begin to live "tomorrow." Live TODAY. Fully with plenty of love, laughter and thanks.
                            Ecclesiastes 3:1 - 3:13
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What does the worker gain from his toil?
I have seen the burden God has laid on men.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
 know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God.