When I started writing this blog about four years ago, I planned to share my writing experiences. However, the Lord had a different plan. He spoke very clearly to my heart, encourage them.
It seemed at the time hardly a day went by that I didn't receive either a phone call or an email from someone who needed exactly that, to be encouraged. I have tried through this blog to let you feel the arms of Jesus around you. To feel His love through the words He has given me.
My prayer for all of you this morning is to encourage each other. Love each other.
The picture above is the one on the back of my latest book, The Cross and The Rainbow. Aren't they cute? The picture is so you won't forget me.
My purpose for this post today is to let you know I'm going to be working on a project and have to "leave" all of you for just a short time.
So many of you email me asking if I'm okay when I don't post to this blog for a while, I just want you to know I am more than okay. I am blessed.
Also know that while I'm away from here I will be praying for each of you, my precious followers, every day. I will pray for a special blessing on each of you and your lives. Be of good faith and encourage each other.
Remember, just as Paul instructed us in I Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Remember God loves you and so do I.
KNP
My hubby informed me early this morning he didn't have any energy. He went on to say, "I don't feel like doing anything today."
I brought his second cup of coffee to him and walked back to my office.
I reviewed several files in my "to do" pile, and unloaded the dishwasher.
After several phone calls my husband came to attention. "Did you want me to have cereal with strawberries?" He asked.
I pushed away from my desk, "Yes honey, and I want you to be a big boy and fix it just the way you like it."
He smiled. "What are your plans for today?"
"I'm planning to trim some of the bushes and do a little more yard work today."
After finishing his cereal he came into the office.
"You know, I'm feeling lots better. I'm thinking about going to the club."
"So you think you have the energy to play golf?"
"Yup, I'm feeling lots stronger."
He waved as he backed out the driveway.
A few days ago someone hurt my feelings. I'm sure her intention was not to hurt me, she just wanted me to know her opinion. And it differed from mine.
I thought about the words she used, and the way she used them. She could have said what she did in a different way. But I suppose that's not her personality.
Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
I've often wondered if some of the things I've said in passing hurt someones feelings. I didn't mean it to be hurtful, but our opinions were different.
People call or email me almost everyday sharing something "someone said" that hurt them.
I try to see that hurtful person the way Jesus would see them. I remind myself it's okay to have an opinion different from mine.
We just have to remember to sow seeds of kindness with our words. We don't have to use reckless words to get our point across.
Be kind to one another.
Everyone seemed in a hurry to leave church that morning. I noticed an older lady just ahead of me who kept getting pushed back, not able to step out to the aisle. When I got to her pew I waved my hand for her to step in front of me. I gave her my biggest smile. She stepped out of the pew and looked toward the floor. No smile, not even a 'good morning' to me. Hmmmmm, I thought. I was so nice to her.
I followed her, along with many other people to the line leading to the Pastor. Once again she was being pushed out of the way. So, once again I waited for her to step in front of me. Again, no smile or any words to me. I heard the Pastor ask, "how are you today?" She answered, "not so good". He said, "we're praying for you". She nodded and moved forward.
It was then I noticed the tell tale scarf around her head. Her pale complexion and her staggered, weak gait.
I was so ashamed of myself. I judged her, not having a clue why she wasn't friendly. She is very ill.
I greeted the Pastor and then pushed past everyone. She was just outside the double doors, trying to make her way to the parking lot. Holding on to the railing. I tapped her on the shoulder. She stopped and turned to face me. I wrapped my arms around her and told her "I'm going to pray for you."
We both had tears in our eyes and I felt the holy spirit move within me when I saw the smile on her lips.
I have never seen her before, and I don't even know her name. But I've added her to my daily prayer journal. And I've asked the Lord to forgive my quick judgment.
Psalm 41:3 The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.
The cool night breeze tossed my hair into my eyes again, blocking my view of the names scrolling across the screen. It began..In Memory Of: And across the screen were the names and pictures of the precious Moms, Dads, Grandmother's, Grandfathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters who have all lost the battle to cancer. A tear slid down my cheek there in the darkness surrounded by hundreds of survivors. Two of them were sitting beside me. I held tight to the hand of my husband, sitting on one side of me, and that of my precious friend Diana on the other side. Survivors.
The two of them joined fifty or so other survivors and walked around the track of the local high school. My husband and my precious friend held hands as they fell in behind the many other cancer survivors. What a blessing for me, watching the two of them together.
So many of us have friends or family who have lost the battle, but we also live among many survivors.
I wiped the tears from my eyes, and turned to watch them walking around the track. One the bleachers behind me, adorned with bags of luminaries spelled "Hope".
A precious lady sitting in front of me, wearing the all telling scarf on her head, turned and said, "I would like to try to walk with them". But she wondered if she could consider herself a "survivor" since she is just now going through chemo. We shouted to her.....of course you're a survivor! You're here!"
Call someone today who is struggling with cancer. Let them know there is hope! Offer to pray for them,or better yet, pray with them.You will be blessed.
James 5:14,15,16 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
A few weeks ago I sat working on a message about over committing ourselves, and how we should not feel guilty when we say no. I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and heard the all to familiar "ping" indicating I had an incoming email. Thinking that I needed a short break, I opened it.
"I need your help" it began. Hmmmmmm, I'm working on a message about over commitment, and 'she needs my help?'
I continued reading the email, already composing the answer, and knowing I wouldn't feel guilty saying no....I'm already over-committed......
Included in the body of the email were suggestions about how I could help. One of them was 'prayer', I remember thinking, okay, that's easy....I always pray.
By the time I finished reading, I knew prayer was the answer. Yup.....I would definitely pray. I realized my answer (to myself) came too quick. I needed to pray about this before I answered the email.
I had lunch with that precious sista yesterday. As we sat discussing her upcoming project we prayed for each other. We bowed our heads and hearts right there in the middle of that noisy, busy restaurant, praying over each of our concerns.
The Holy Spirit reached out and I felt His arms around me saying, Job 16:20 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;
My sweet friend was asking me to come be an intercessor for one hour at the Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society. One hour..............
Pray for me tomorrow, as I fulfill God's call.
From the passenger side of the car he slid first one foot, then carefully, painfully the other to the ground and pulled himself up. He reached for his cane and waited to steady himself.
The image which remains in my mind is that of the golfer and the man riding a motorcycle, not this infirm old man. When did this happen? When did he become old? Did he just wake up one day and wham.....he moved to old age and in poor health?
I don't think so.
A young man sat in my office a few weeks ago, complaining about life not being fair. According to him, nothing ever goes right in his life. There's nothing good that ever happens to him. He is young, and I suppose from his perspective nothing is right in his world.
I gave him an exercise. One to take home with him. But before he left my office I asked him if we could role play first. He raised an eyebrow and reluctantly said "sure".
I asked him to imagine himself driving a car that was perhaps twenty years old. One with dents and every time he started it he heard backfires through the carburetor. Next I asked him to imagine not knowing who his father is. Imagine never knowing or having any influence in his life. I continued with, now imagine your mother works in a bar and brings home "uncles" every weekend. He was also supposed to imagine having eight siblings all younger who depended on him for everything. The money he made from his full time job went to feed them. I told him to imagine never going out with his friends because he was always working, but also never had "extra" money to go do anything. And besides that, after going to school all day, he worked after school everyday until closing every night. Even Saturday and Sunday. He was exhausted all the time.
My friend sat for a long time. Thinking. He drives a new truck, provided by his parents, along with insurance. His parents provide everything for him. He works a part time job and uses that money to eat out with his friends almost everyday.
I reminded him that the person I asked him to imagine being had also sat on the same couch he was now sitting on.
One last thing I reminded him before he left that day was that he's not walking with a cane. He is young and has his life and good health before him. He can choose to be like the Israelites and wander around in the desert for forty years complaining about what he doesn't have, or he can move forward and be blessed for what he does have.
That trip through the desert should have taken eleven days......
