Truths to Set You Free!

From the book, "Lies Young Women Believe". My response/reaction in italics . . .

Truths to Set You Free!
(more to be found in the book, which I haven’t bought yet!~B~)

When I feel far from God and am tempted to feel He doesn’t love me - God loves me and wants me to have His best (Rom. 8:38–39) I am reminded daily of His love for me when I read his Word each morning.

When I feel ugly and fat - God created me a masterpiece (Ps. 139:14) I have to remind myself of this daily, due to a lifetime of listening to the world view of beauty. That world view is vanity, which is itself a sin.

When I feel rejected - God accepts me through Christ (Eph. 1:4–6) God’s acceptance is the only one that matters!

When I feel anxious about my circumstances - God can be trusted (Ps. 37:5) I have no fear of what the future holds, because I know that God is in control of my life. He does what he must to refine me like silver.

When I feel like I can’t handle a problem I’m facing - God’s grace is enough for me (2 Cor. 12:9) Again, God is in control! I don’t have to like what’s happening, but I know He has a purpose.

When I feel like my potential is limited by my past - My past does not have to control my future (2 Cor. 5:17) My past is exactly that - the past. It is not who I am now, nor what I will become. I have learned from my mistakes and am determined not to make them again. {I Corinthians 15:10(a)But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain . . .", Luke 7:47}

When I want to blame others for my responses - I am responsible before God for my behavior, responses, and choices (Ezek. 18:20) Playing the blame game is not for Christians. We all must choose, and thus suffer the consequences, but praise God! He is willing to forgive once we confess & repent. {Psalm 86:5, I John 1:9}

When I feel that submitting to an authority will steal my freedom - The greatest freedom I can experience is found by submitting to God-ordained authority (Titus 3:1) Submission does not mean being a slave or doormat or punching bag for someone. Submission is part of obedience. Once we put aside our fear of domination and the arrogance of pride, submission comes easily.
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I love all my girls - those to whom my body gave life, those who were born of the man I love, and others who I have come to know over time, no matter your age. You ALL have value; you are ALL precious, not only to God but to me. I would give my life for any of you, if I knew it would bring you into God’s arms. I’ve been down the rough road of life, living without Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But now I have the power that comes from relying on the Almighty God, my Creator, my Protector, my Healer, my Deliverer, which enables me to greet each new day with a smile, regardless of circumstance. I know He is by my side all through the day, ready to help me face whatever obstacles come my way.

You can have that, too! If you are too ashamed to ask me or anyone else how, just talk to Him! You don’t have to pray a formal prayer; just talk to Him and ask forgiveness. Let Him lead you. It’s easier than you think.
<3

120 year old woman?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23173016/

This story is exciting! "Relatives said she has 10 sons and one daughter, her eldest, now in her late 80s. She has about 120 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren, they said." I hope the government will be able to verify this woman's age.

We should all be able to live this long, however I believe that our poor dietary habits inhibit us from doing so. If we treated our bodies the way God intended us to instead of saturating our systems with chemicals & processed foods, we'd not only live longer but have a much better quality of life.

Losing a Son

My friend Sarah lost her son, Kelly at 2 a.m. this morning. Not a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day. There is a measure of comfort in knowing that he was a believer and is now in heaven. At 40 years old, he had just started a new job a few months ago, and was a newlywed of only 2 months. He suffered 3rd degree burns over 70% of his body in the Dixie Crystals plant explosion last week.

I cannot imagine losing my son. I have my daughters and my step-children, but Eddie is my ONLY son. There are times when I'm reading my Bible and meditating on God's sacrifice of his only Son, or of Abraham's willingness to give up his cherished son, and my simple human mind finds it hard to grasp.

My son, while not walking in the path of righteousness, is still a joy to me. We have had our ups & downs, especially through his early teens, but we are closer now than we have ever been. He has never been ashamed to say he loves me or show affection, even in front of his friends. He's quite handsome and charming, is blessed with a good sense of humor, possesses tremendous creative artistic talent, and uses his manners (at least when he's around me and my family). I cannot imagine my life without him, even though he lives in another state.

I know I would lay down my life for any of my children (including my steps), but to permanently give them up on purpose? I like to think that if God asked me to make that sacrifice, I would have the faith to do as He asks. It's hard enough to step aside when they are in trouble after I've asked God to do what He must in order to bring them to Him.

My heart goes out to Sarah, as well as her new daughter-in-law, her other children, and everyone else who lost Kelly as a vital part of their lives. My thoughts are with them as they grieve, and I pray that they will have the strength to cope with their loss. Perhaps they will even be able to celebrate that Kelly is now with our heavenly Father. Nothing happens without cause, and it is my hope that through this tragedy someone will come to know Christ, or come back to Him.

Insomnia

I'm not quite sure why, but I'm having trouble sleeping. The past few nights I have tossed & turned like I haven't done in years. The alarm is on, I've had no caffeine, I'm not eating late (we go to bed about 9 p.m. these days), and I'm not exercising before bed. The room is cool & comfortable & there are no distractions. I also don't nap during the day, unless I'm ill.

I've never had trouble getting to sleep before; I just had trouble staying asleep. When I started drinking MonaVie last March, I started sleeping well again. I'm not sure if it's because I've cut back on my juice or if it's the stress of the move, or if it's because I may be catching AC's cold (which could be due to not enough MonaVie!). Whatever the case, I don't like it!

After a night spent looking at the clock for what seemed like every 15 minutes or so, I finally got out of bed & went to the living room at 4:30. I sat in the comfy chair & started praying. Usually when I do this, I'll wind up nodding off. Well, that didn't happen today. So after praying for everyone I could think of, I got my shower, fixed my tea, and started my daily devotions earlier than usual. So far I'm not really sleepy, but I'm sure as soon as the sun peeks its head over the horizon I'll be ready for a short nap.