Lessons I've learned from Dad.

I've heard it said that holidays can be the toughest times for families that have lost somone close.
My dad passed away this August. He taught us the value of working with integrity and ethics, took us to church when we didn't want to go, and loved our mom, but  never showed public affection. If they did, I ignored it.
For the holidays, he and mom tried to give us what we wanted. How they did it, I"ll never know. The last Christmas I remember with my dad, was when I was 17. I didn't expect anything as far as a present. My dad, asked me one morning on our way  to school what I wanted for Christmas. I couldn't think of anything, but I liked Garfield the Cat. On Christmas morning, Garfield was waiting for me under the tree. I thought "how thoughtful and sweet my dad is."  At holiday dinners, he would say a prayer and end up crying by the time he got to "Amen." I did it this year.  He was always thankful when the family got together. I think he enjoyed having the family around him, he was at peace when we were together.
I remember him being outside with my three brothers (or two) and working on one of the two cars. He would have his gray overalls on, his glasses so he could see and work hard at getting it back on the road. I never did go outside to find out about how to work on cars, mostly because that was" a man's job."
I moved away from home when I was young. If I could go back in time, I would stay around. My parents were always there for me when  I was in deep trouble or needed something.
My dad showed me where to go when I was in trouble. When I would feel alone or in dispair, I would drop to my knees. When I was a kid, I didn't want to go to church. I had to go. The only time we couldn't go was if we were sick; that didn't happen too often.
My dad was a quiet man. After dinner, especially at the holidays, he would go to his Lazy Boy chair and fall asleep within minutes.  He would snore and mom would wake him up with a comment about it. We all thought it was funny because we would start on who else snores in the family. That was almost a tradition too.
We never heard daddy say a bad word towards anyone. To describe my dad would to say he thought on things which were noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. He was truly a hard worker, loved his family, and taught his children the same.
I can't say he was perfect, but I can say he came close from what I could . see.
The other night, at the Palatka Parade, I saw this group that clogs. It took me back to a memory of my family. When I was about five years old, my family would go square dancing. I would have to go because the baby sitters where dancing too (my brothers and sister). I wanted to learn to dance like them. My mom always looked  pretty in her outfit. She reminded me of a ballerina. I wonder what my dad thought about how she looked. They were definitely in love in all the good and bad times.
I love you daddy and I miss you. Most of all, I thank you for all of the great times you gave me. My memories are rushing in and I will close with this.
If you have someone you have lost this year, you are not alone; treasure the good times, throw away the bad and enjoy your today.

The arrows of our lives.

I, maybe you too, have been taught about the fiery darts and the shield of faith before. What I recently learned was about the fiery dart that amazed me so. 
First, the shield was large enough that a fiery dart could not touch you if you were behind it.
Second, the fiery dart was dipped into a tar like substance and lit. If this dart were to hit something past the shield, the fire would spread out.
The dart was a long arrow and was seen coming at you. It was not a short and up close and personal date, though they were used too in battle.
If the dart hits the shield, it dissipates, burns out, or quenches. 
Now in our daily lives we have unseen darts thrown at us. These darts are the devils schemes and tools he uses against us. The devil will use depression, money, adultery, people, drugs, alcohol, etc.
When the dart hits us in our lives, it will affect not just one person, but many. Think about it.
We are connected with family, friends, co-workers; someone. What we say or do affects many of whom we associate. It may cause us to lie or cheat in our relationships with others.

The fiery dart is long and it is meant for long distance shooting. It doesn't change. Isn't it just like the devil? He doesn't change his ways or his tools. If we look hard enough, we can see him coming from a mile away. We now have the capability to use our other pieces of armor. The belt of truth, speaking the words of truth into our lives. The shield of faith, believing in those words of truth we read. The shoes of peace, making peace with those we have broken relationships with, including ourselves.
I hope this encourages you to know that you have the option to fight back with some armor or you can allow these darts to overwhelm you.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm in the evil day.
 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
What do you chose to do today, will affect you and those around you.

*Thank you Pastor Terry and Pastor Kirby for your teachings on the armor** to all our Pastors, "Thank you." You are teaching someone something somewhere.

Do you know what I know?

I had a friend share with me this week "science verses God." it has me really thinking about the contrast. It was more of a science lesson than anything else. 
Most of you know, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. For me, I believe there is a God- Father God, the One Living God, maker of life, and Prince of Peace. 
Scientist need absolutes and tangible answers or reasonings. They do need faith that their projects are going to come out the way they predict, right? 
I am not here to discount anyone first and foremost! I am not here to argue any facts, so please do not write me and try to attack my thoughts because I won't attack yours. Fair?
Is there such a thing as cold? No, just the absent of heat.
Is there darkness?  The answer is no, there is only the absence of light.
Scientist say that humans have evolved from monkeys. Has anyone seen this actually done? As a human is incubated in a womb has been proven, has the evolved monkey been proven? Would someone please tell them to show us the proof as it happens and they may have more believers.

One last question, has your friend seen your brain? Yes, has your friend seen your brain?
Then, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that your friend has to go on trust that you have a complete healthy and in fact a brain. 

Okay, so where am I going with this you wonder.  Well isn't it a fact that we forget what we have learned in science class and that there are some things in life we have to trust in what we cannot see.  Just like with God, we can't see him physically and in our hearts we know now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

So what do you know? What can you not see that you trust in? Than why not give God a chance and believe in him, though you cannot see him? 

 

What do you remember the most?

Think about a person in your life that has made you feel happy. What did that person say or do? How did it make you feel?   How did you respond to it?
Now think of a person that made you mad. When you walked away from that person, how did you feel? What did he/she say or do to you?  What did you do next?

Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.
Watch your actions, they become your habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes who you are today.

Going back to the questions above, you may have forgotten what that person said or did, but I believe you remember how you felt when you walked away.
Now, how about us; you and me.
How do we make others feel? Do we make someone laugh, cry, angry or miserable when we walk away?
I'm not saying EVERY time we talk, but MOST of the time when we're with them.

I use to make people not want to be around me. I made them miserable. I was a "basement" person. I didn't like anything about myself. I couldn't look in the mirror at myself, unless I was fixing my hair or makeup. I didn't like who I was inside. I learned to "watch" myself without a mirror and learned a lot about myself as I "watched" myself.  
I made a conscience effort to change. I began changing my outward appearance first.
Cut my hair, changed my makeup style, then my clothes style. But I was still miserable.
Then someone said to me "you can change your outward appearance all you want, but it's the inside that counts. So now, I did some soul searching and changing. I had to like myself before I could love myself or others.  Now I can say " I like me" and "I love me." I know I am worth something because of my inward change. I had to learn I can't change other people, but I can help myself.
I don't know why I am sharing this with you, but I hope it will make you feel important and good about yourself. If you could change one character piece about yourself what is it? What could you do to change it? First make a list of what you want to change. Next, find some "balcony people" to help you. If your friend is miserable and complaining about life, that isn't the one to run to. I am sure you will find a cheerleader in your life to help you. I will cheer you on if you need someone.  
Have a great day and know you are seen!

Mi Amigos......

Hola mi amigo. Voy a tratar de compartir en Español e Inglés. Si usted es nuevo en mi blog, ¿me dejan un comentario que me dice sus pensamientos.?
Estoy oxidado en mi español. Por favor, perdóname ahora.
Piense en esto:
La gente no recuerda lo que les dijo o lo que hiciste, pero recordarán cómo los hiciste sentir.
Me gusta imaginar que todo el mundo llevando un signo invisible en su pecho que dice "me hace sentir importante".
Espero que de alguna manera, mi esfuerzo por ser bilingüe, hoy se ha hecho sentir importante, ya que eres para mí.
Dios los bendiga!


Marjorie

Dancing in Life

I am beginning to dance all over again; dancing alone at that. I am finding that it is okay to go to dinner alone, watch a movie, stay in bed, or go out shopping alone. I enjoy being around people and I want a life partner, but it's not a requirement anymore. I would love to have an opposite sex friend to go out to dinner with or watch a movie without the tension of "is this a date?" 
Why is the world so hung up on "gotta have a mate", "can't be single", or "when are you gonna get married?"
I have been married and now I know what the statement means "the world is your oyster and you are the pearl."  I can do anything I want. No one to agree or disagree with, go to eat where I want to and take my time in making that decision. I don't have to get up and make the bed if I don't want to. I can leave clothes on  the floor and no one is going to "suggest" I pick them up. (I am not that dirty-for the record.)
I look forward to seeing what is in store for me in the next minute or next hour.
I know that I am not meant to be alone in  this world, but I also know that if I go out looking for the man of  life; it won't work out; it hasn't worked out.
So for now, I am enjoying the life of dancing alone. I am dancing with Jesus now. He says he is dancing over me and he loves me. He is the love of my life. He's the one I want to love, laugh with, delight in, shop with, and cry with.
One day my prince will come, but it's not now and maybe not in this life time, but I am okay.
To those I have dated recently or in the past, thank you. I thank you for taking the time to dance with me as a partner and a friend. I am sad that it didn't work out, but it's not meant to be.
So ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your dance whatever that looks like for you.
I'm going home, putting my bed clothes on, turning on a movie, sliding my fuzzy socks on, and enjoying myself. 
God Bless,  Marjorie

A Desert Lesson

I'm reading a book by Dr. K.P. Yohannan, the founder and international director of Gospel for Asia. He is the author of over 200 books.
He along with other writers amaze me how they can take a book that is well over 2000 years old and help it to be more tasty. It reminds me of a sundae with whip cream on top and two cherries, not just one!
While reading his book "Destined to Soar," I have grown to understand my relationship with Christ a little more.
 
In the past few days I have been going through some spiritual war fare. It's kind of ironic. We go through these desert times in our lives when we think God isn't listening or we are being punished for something we did;so we go through our "sin list" and ask for forgiveness for anything we can find. We may also experience great emotional roller coasters. We may cry out to God and ask "what is wrong with me?" 
The realization and education that I have obtained in the desert is that it's a Great place to be!  It is in the desert that we are the clay in the Potter's hand (in God's hands) or we are being pruned like the Gardner at the rose bush. 
I recently asked the Lord to change me from the inside out.  From a sermon I found that I have to put on the armor of God in order to stand firm during this molding and pruning season. 
I want to be the best I can be for Christ (almost sounds like an army ad.....hmmm). I want him to cut off of me the things I don't need or what He doesn't want me to have anymore. 

So, the next time you are going through a "desert time" remember God is molding and pruning you for His glory and your work load for him. 
 
I would enjoy hearing from you. 
Have you recently gone through a "desert time?" what happened? Tell me, I'm waiting to hear.   

Your testimony

I recently had the opportunity to meet a firefighter.
He gave his testimony of how he had the fear of heights, but his family are either firefighters or police officers.
He knew what he wanted to do at the age of two.
He had trials in his life that confirmed he had the desire to save lives.
He then had to make a decision to get over his fear of heights and he worked on it.
He had to climb a ladder 120ft high, slide down it, wrap his self around the ladder and hang upside down.  He had to become an overcomer.
He now tells his story when someone ask him a simple question. 
What made you decide to be a firefighter?

My question to you is:
"what was happening in your life when God came to you?
What has he change in your life since that time?
What do you do for him now?"

Your testimony is that short, or long, story that tells others what Jesus accomplished through your trials.
You might say, "I got saved at eight years old" okay, you still go through trials and God still shows up and walks through it with you. Tell us your victory through Jesus.

What is your testimony? I look forward to hearing from you.

What to do?

I have myself in a position to make a choice. I could worry about my car, which has some major illnesses going on with it or I could cast my burdens upon my God who says He will provide for me.
I find that no matter how strong my faith is, I still feel my flesh biting at me to worry.
So what do I do? I know what I should do. My mind says "you should worry about the huge expenses you may have, worry about the "what Ifs," and feel "woa is me" syndrome.
So! What do I do? What would you do? What have you done?
I choose to be uplifted. I choose to have peace. I choose to give the devil a black eye.
I choose to be free from worry, stress and anxiety.
How you may ask? Reading what the creator of the universe has to say about His things and about me.
There are 365 places in the Bible that says do not worry, do not be anxious, do not fret.
There are 550 places in the Bible that says have faith.
It says Jesus Christ came so that I could have life and have it more abundantly.
I seek Jesus Christ and his teachings to get me through this trial about my car. I stand on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.
"But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ."

Are you trusting the Devil and His lies about needing to worry?
Are you trusting in the strong name of Jesus Christ and His word?
You have to choose. It is your choice to make. I encourage you to research your Lordship and see which one you are believing in? Is he your strong tower? Does he encourage you? Do you have victory at the end of the day? Do you have peace of mind or are you tormenting yourself over the situation?
You cannot serve both good and bad.