Don’t be unemployed, lonely and sad. Words to encourage you and make your life easier.
June 8, 2009 at 08:00 Z06 (Uncategorized)
Isaiah 40:31
…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
I have been a bit “out of it” this week, trying to adjust to unemployment. I lost my job and have been plummeting through all the stages of emotion that accompany that loss. In the good moments I can feel richly blessed. I have SO much when I think of non-material things, those things that really matter. When we get “cut out”, “left out”, “denied”, “cancelled”, or any of a number of scenarios we might face, it is hard to find that quiet place to just “Be still and listen” to God’s direction. Our mind tends to swirl as we picture the “disaster” we face, the loss, the pain, the frustration ahead.
As this first week of “disconnection” comes to an end, I look back to where I was when they told me I was no longer needed, I was no longer wanted. I’ve come a VERY long way. I can attribute that totally to my faith in God. He has placed friends in my daily life, there to comfort, just “check in”, hug, or just listen. What a blessed joy we receive when we keep our eyes on him, our faith in his plan, and rely on his strength to carry us when we feel we can’t take that next step.
We lift up those on our prayer board. Sometimes that board becomes a blur in my mind and I just ask God to touch the lives and hearts of everyone on the board, everyone who placed someone on the board, each of us who have prayer concerns in our hearts. I ask today that the prayers of all of us intertwine to become a relentless force against whatever we face. I ask for healing, renewed relief from health issues, a large dose of optimism (think of Michael Fox), and courage to face what we fear. With Him, by Him, we receive the gift of grace and mercy. We find the ability to rise up and soar like eagles. We find the solutions, the direction, the strength we need to carry on.
May you find a quiet place where you can hear God’s whisper in your ear. May you look ahead to the new week and know He is with you to face whatever comes. May all mothers realize the blessings they have, may all mothers receive love from their children and from their Father. May all who have mothers realize what really matters in life. Having learned from a mother’s guidance, may we now learn to follow His will.
In His love,
~Janet~
June 8, 2009 at 08:00 Z06 (Uncategorized)
When I was small and managed to annoy my mother enough, she would send me to my room. What aggravated her even more, though, was that my room was my retreat and I enjoyed being there. This week I have wanted to just “go to my room” and crawl under my blankets and avoid. Avoid the fear of not having a job as yet, avoid the stinging pain of knowing Jeff is no longer with us, avoid the tasks that seem to be multiplying around me and need to be completed with greater urgency. Just avoid it all.
But HE keeps coming in and putting his arm around me and urging me to get up and get on with it. HE asks me to continue moving forward, accomplishing good things and letting good replace bad in my life. So I’m out and about today and enjoying the blue sky and sunshine (while avoiding the weather forecaster). HE knows that I can’t take the next step in his plan for me if I hide out in my room….
With the holiday weekend ahead, we pray for safe travel and relaxing times. We pray that we see mostly sunshine in the days ahead. Where there is pain, let HIM bring comfort. Where there is fear, let HIM bring courage. Where there is loneliness, let HIM bring love.
If you need to spend some time “in your room”, do so. But then come out and see the beauty of HIS creation, the opportunity you have in making this day better by simply accepting HIS love for you. Get out among God’s people and smile at someone. Trust me, it will make you happier on the inside.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Pray for each other and pray for America.
In HIS love,
~Janet~
Gadget of the Year: Peek. Unlimited email on the go & no contracts.
June 8, 2009 at 08:00 Z06 (Uncategorized)
Ecclesiastes 3
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
When I was a child, soon after school let out we headed for Indiana for a two-week vacation. This was “going home” to my parents and they planned wonderful adventures for our family. One of my favorite destinations was always my grandparents’ farm. My grandmother had the most beautiful flower garden I’ve ever seen, because it was lovingly created and tended by MY grandmother. There were paths to walk and fragrances to smell. There were bees to dodge and butterflies to chase. If you looked very quietly and very closely, there would be kittens, hiding in the shade underneath the taller plants. This, to a child, was a wonderland to explore. I could spend hours just wandering around taking it all in. My grandmother would patiently explain the name of each flower and could usually add the source of her first cutting or the seeds. “This grew from a cutting of the neighbor across the way, this came from the old home place, this is one your Aunt Ann brought from Tennessee.” Suddenly the beautiful floral “quilt” of zinnias, marigolds, jack-in-the-pulpits and four-o’clocks became more like a piece of my family. I learned so many wonderful things from my grandmother. Watching her tend her garden taught me patience, love, and respect for God’s creation. Having raised 14 children, my grandmother definitely knew about patience, but more importantly she knew about love. Her love of the Lord was reflected in everything around her.
Come walk with me today through the garden. Pause to notice the lush green. Go ahead and be amazed that the funny looking bulbs you planted have become these amazingly beautiful flowers with rich colors and fragrant blooms that drink in the rain, then glow in the sunshine.
It’s a new season. A season in which God’s creation just beckons us to come outside and walk among the flowers. Take your allergy meds so you can get out and breathe deeply of the fresh spring air. Let it enrich your life, lift your burden, and dissolve your cares. Make this your own “time of peace”. Peace with yourself, peace with your situation, peace with your loved ones and neighbors.
We lift up those on our prayer board. As we are mindful of tremendous burdens, cancerous onslaughts, painful losses, and tough choices being made, we reach out to each other as together we reach out to HIM. As HE is in every season of our lives, our Lord stands ready and willing to carry us through. We’ve been through many seasons together and each time we’ve seen these seasons pass as new ones take their place. Allow this new season to be a time of growth, renewal and a fresh start. Let the morning dew bring healing and the evening breeze bring comfort.
…..and always remember you are loved,
~Janet~
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June 8, 2009 at 08:00 Z06 (Uncategorized)
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