Some days it is harder than others to look at the bright side of life.It is hard when your family is enduring hardships, finances are bad, and your prayers seem to hit the ceiling. Yet in my quiet time, the words to a song I heard on Easter kept coming back to me. "Sing unto God; shout Hallelujah! Sing unto God and call His name. Worthy is the Lord, worthy is the Lord our God!" Those words and that tune I will keep before me today by the grace of the ever-loving Lord.
T.D. Jakes says, "It's so easy to walk around feeling like darkness is engulfing you, pain is paralyzing you. But take heart my friend, for God hears your weeping and will wipe away your tears. No matter how broken you feel, no matter how many pieces your heart is shattered in, know that the Lord wants to lift you up and make you whole. Say yes to this healing power, and live from this moment on in this glory."
Your promise to God
In moments of darkness I will always seek the Light, for I know you are always with me.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10 (New International Version, ©2011)
Donna Collins Tinsley is a sister among you, a sojourner, who writes a word of hope for mothers who have been affected by the pain of addiction in their loved ones lives. She prays for them also through Somebody's Mother Online Prayer Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/119408188089314/. She lives in Port Orange, FL and has been included in 20 book compilations, several magazines and online. She is a lover of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Easter, a time of new beginnings.
Easter is a time to think on the good things of your life, (Philipians 4:8) as the antidote to complaining and grumbling. It’s the old adage of counting your blessings.
As The Message puts it:
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
I read a book by Jay Adams recently about a good way to incorporate this into your daily life. When you find you are tempted to go over in your mind worries and problems instead of ruminating over them, have a plan. Write down 10 or 20 things to think about when your mind is tormented with worries and think on those things instead.
Think about how blessed you are to live in a free country, regardless of all the things that need to be improved in it. Think about how you can be part of the solution instead of the problem.
Think about those whose lives are in danger just because they spread the good news of the love of God and then spread that good news yourself.
Think about the gift of sight, hearing and mobility that you have that others don’t and remember Helen Keller who did so much in spite of disabilities.
Think about the ministries you love and want to be involved with and then go get involved.
Think about your children and grandchildren that are gifts from the Lord and say an extra prayer of thanks for them. Think about the funny things they do each day.
Think about laughing with friends.
Think about how quickly you got old and be grateful for each new day.
Think about Corrie Ten Boom who said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future
to a known God,” but my favorite quote is still "There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."
Think about those who in the Military who gave their life for you.
Think about Jesus dying on the cross and the wonder of His salvation.
Think about Easter and love, life and hope. But don’t forget it started on Good Friday. If you feel that you are stuck in a painful, Friday experience, remember, Sunday is coming!
May your Easter be blessed.
A great song to cheer your day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n4iytp_TCM
As The Message puts it:
Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
I read a book by Jay Adams recently about a good way to incorporate this into your daily life. When you find you are tempted to go over in your mind worries and problems instead of ruminating over them, have a plan. Write down 10 or 20 things to think about when your mind is tormented with worries and think on those things instead.
Think about how blessed you are to live in a free country, regardless of all the things that need to be improved in it. Think about how you can be part of the solution instead of the problem.
Think about those whose lives are in danger just because they spread the good news of the love of God and then spread that good news yourself.
Think about the gift of sight, hearing and mobility that you have that others don’t and remember Helen Keller who did so much in spite of disabilities.
Think about the ministries you love and want to be involved with and then go get involved.
Think about your children and grandchildren that are gifts from the Lord and say an extra prayer of thanks for them. Think about the funny things they do each day.
Think about laughing with friends.
Think about how quickly you got old and be grateful for each new day.
Think about Corrie Ten Boom who said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future
to a known God,” but my favorite quote is still "There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."
Think about those who in the Military who gave their life for you.
Think about Jesus dying on the cross and the wonder of His salvation.
Think about Easter and love, life and hope. But don’t forget it started on Good Friday. If you feel that you are stuck in a painful, Friday experience, remember, Sunday is coming!
May your Easter be blessed.
A great song to cheer your day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n4iytp_TCM
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Got dysfunction?
If the Judd’s put the fun in dysfunctional I’m thinking our family took the fun out of it. Anita Smith said any family not functioning under the headship of the Lord Jesus is dysfunctional.
I love hearing about families that are dysfunctional because I see we aren't the only ones. But family pain can hurt as no other can.
When I knew better, I did better, is a quote I love by Joyce Meyer. I use that one often, so I hope y'all don't get tired of it.
Got dysfunction? Get Jesus and live as best as you can, the way He lived.
I love hearing about families that are dysfunctional because I see we aren't the only ones. But family pain can hurt as no other can.
When I knew better, I did better, is a quote I love by Joyce Meyer. I use that one often, so I hope y'all don't get tired of it.
Got dysfunction? Get Jesus and live as best as you can, the way He lived.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Is There a Samaria in Your Life?
Do you ever feel there is something in your life that you must or need to do? The scripture in John 4:4 where Jesus said, "And he must needs to go through Samaria." has been on my mind lately. He needed to go there because He knew there was someone who had need of Him. She didn't know it, at the time, but He knew well ahead of time what she needed, and it came in the form of a reality check.
How many of us need one of those? Can we handle them when they come in the words of a friend or loved one? A proverb says, ”Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
Jesus not only needed to minister to that woman, but He needed to give her a reality check. She needed something to get herself out of the stupor of life where she just existed. She needed to know that there was someone who knew her better than she knew herself and loved her anyway. She needed to know that she was more than she had settled for, trying to find herself in numerous relationships instead of the one relationship that would bring her life, health and love.
"And he must needs to through Samaria" is such a beautiful phrase even though, the wording at first sounds a bit strange. Jesus not only ministers but is ministered to by doing what He needed to do, which in this case was bring life where there was death and darkness. Where the woman normally tried to hide herself from the community she went on to become a preacher of the good news of God. The news that someone can know everything about you and still love, want and desire you.
We can't change our past, but we can make it work for us and the Lord as wonder and awe forms when others hear what we have gone through. We give glory to the Lord who has helped us when we were too weak to help ourselves.
Many people are going through tremendous trials at this moment. Prayer requests pour in that would break your heart and the heart of the Lord. The only way we are going to make it is to cling to the Lord and listen to that small voice that tells us what we "need" to do. It might be something simple as giving a dejected person a hug, sharing some time with someone when you don't really have time of your own, calling up someone in ministry and telling them they are doing a great job. Look around you; that person that is your "Samaria'" may appear in a way or form you didn't expect. But the thought has always been there in the heart of the Lord who loves us all supremely and will go out of His way to go to your "Samaria.'"
How many of us need one of those? Can we handle them when they come in the words of a friend or loved one? A proverb says, ”Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
Jesus not only needed to minister to that woman, but He needed to give her a reality check. She needed something to get herself out of the stupor of life where she just existed. She needed to know that there was someone who knew her better than she knew herself and loved her anyway. She needed to know that she was more than she had settled for, trying to find herself in numerous relationships instead of the one relationship that would bring her life, health and love.
"And he must needs to through Samaria" is such a beautiful phrase even though, the wording at first sounds a bit strange. Jesus not only ministers but is ministered to by doing what He needed to do, which in this case was bring life where there was death and darkness. Where the woman normally tried to hide herself from the community she went on to become a preacher of the good news of God. The news that someone can know everything about you and still love, want and desire you.
We can't change our past, but we can make it work for us and the Lord as wonder and awe forms when others hear what we have gone through. We give glory to the Lord who has helped us when we were too weak to help ourselves.
Many people are going through tremendous trials at this moment. Prayer requests pour in that would break your heart and the heart of the Lord. The only way we are going to make it is to cling to the Lord and listen to that small voice that tells us what we "need" to do. It might be something simple as giving a dejected person a hug, sharing some time with someone when you don't really have time of your own, calling up someone in ministry and telling them they are doing a great job. Look around you; that person that is your "Samaria'" may appear in a way or form you didn't expect. But the thought has always been there in the heart of the Lord who loves us all supremely and will go out of His way to go to your "Samaria.'"
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