Not just a tag along!

Recently I attended a Palm Sunday Service at our local church. After years and years of attending Palm Sunday services it's rare to hear something new. But that is what happened to me last Sunday. Whether this revelation is new to anyone else I don't know. But all I know is when I get one of those "huh?" moments I get excited because I get to learn something new about my Lord and Savior. So what was it, you may ask?

Our preacher was reading the following scripture:

21 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” He said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” Matt 21:1-3 NLT

Now how many times have you read or heard that passage? A lot I'm sure. Our Pastor had a fantastic  message to go with the passage which I won't try to replicate but can be found at https://experiencecfc.com/ 

The part that I never really noticed or paid much attention to before was this....

“As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 

Now why is this so interesting to me? Well I never really noticed that Jesus specifically requested that the Donkey and the Colt or Foal be brought to Him. I don't actually recall ever seeing in movies or pictures the fact that there were TWO animals! It's to be noted that not all of the gospels refer to the two animals but the fact that it is told in Matthew, and that it caught my attention, is the purpose of this writing. This intrigued me so I did a little bit of research and there are obviously different interpretations to that specific scripture. But the one that really jumped out at me was the following..

The ancient allegorical sense of the ass and colt is not to be despised: that the ass may signify the Jews, who had been used to bear the burdensome rites and ceremonies of the law; and the colt, the wild and untamed Gentiles, and the coming of Christ, first to the one, and then to the other:

loose them, and bring them unto me, both ass and colt. So the Arabic version reads it, "loose both, and bring them, both to me".

        Gill, John. "Commentary on Matthew 21:2"

And Jesus was with them. They both had a part to play in His Triumphal Entry! 

Not being Jewish born and yet one of God's chosen daughters this makes me Rejoice! The Bible is full of symbols and rich with juicy nuggets just waiting for us to discover. I know that this is not anything new to some but it was new to me. That is the beauty of the Scriptures, you can read them over and over again, year after year and still find something new to you. Something that may just underline the fact that Jesus did this for you- because He loves you!!! 

I'm so thankful that it was not just happenstance that the believing Gentiles or Greeks were included and called His people. But it has been a part of His plan all along and He chose to show it to us through this symbol of the Colt following the Donkey. Jews first and then the Gentiles. That there is a place for us at the Banquet Table is truly something to celebrate. And none of this would be possible without Jesus going to the Cross, dying and on the third day being raised from the dead!

This Easter may we fully rejoice in the gift that The Father has given to us all, through the death and resurrection of His one and only Son, Jesus the Christ!!! 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17 NLT

 

Why I believe there is life after death and I have no fear...

This is not a testimonial about "why I believe in Jesus" and yet I most certainly do. This is more about the proof that I have that there is another place we go to after our life on earth is done.

In 1990 my Dad was diagnosed with Terminal Lung Cancer, he was 64 years old. He was a Deputy VP for Lockheed Martin and was mandated to have Wellness checks and X-rays every year which he did. He started running a low grade fever and just didn't feel well. Evidently between his lungs was a Tumor the size of a grapefruit that had been growing for 20 years- but the X-rays didn't catch it. My Mom was emotionally fragile so it was up to me to tell Dad of his inoperable tumor. 

I can still see him sitting on a small chair in the backyard with the sun covering him, slumped over and looking down as he cleaned his finger nails. This man that had always been a man of pride and who was larger than life to me now looked so humble and frail and I had to go to him and tell him this horrible news. In quietness he accepted the diagnosis and began to formulate a plan to beat this Cancer.

He wanted to try whatever he could to live and radiation was his only option. I went with them to the doctors appointments and tried to keep our spirits up. I was eventually put in place to handle all of the financial decisions while looking out for my Moms well being as she watched her beloved fight the Big Fight. I was a married mother of a beautiful young teenage girl and I also worked a full time+ high stress job in the Tech world of Silicon Valley. Everything was always go, Go, GO!! 

I was definitely being stretched beyond what I thought I could handle. People would come up to me at work, who knew what I was going through, and ask how was I able to cope? All I could say was... Jesus~ I wasn't preaching it or beating people over the head with my Bible. People could just see a light in me and they knew there had to be something or Someone that was providing me the power to push through. I find it interesting that when we are at the end of ourselves, and we have nothing left to give, is when The Spirit within us can really soar. I would get up early every morning before work and cry out to Jesus for my Dad to recover and ask for the strength I needed to make it each and every day. 

When Dad was lying in the hospital room those last days the family would take turns sitting with him. He was getting sicker and sicker. One night as he and I were likely watching football we finally got into some serious conversations. I confirmed that he was a believer in Jesus and I told him that it was ok for him to stop fighting and rest in God's care. His relationship with the Lord was different than mine but he had one. He felt that the Golf Course was were he would have church on Sunday mornings. He worked 7 days a week for years and years and Sunday mornings were his respite time. I'll never forget his response to my statement of letting go- tearfully he said, "but what will happen to your Mother?" Choking back my tears I told him, "Don't worry I will take care of her!!" I reassured him that I would always make sure she had all she needed. 

A few days later we were all gathered together at the hospital waiting... I went off and called for one of the Pastors from my church to come and pray. When I went back to the room, no one but Dad was there. I quickly went to the waiting room and asked why Dad was alone? They stated that the attendants told them that it wouldn't be long now and that it was best to leave him alone. I said WHAT??!! I had heard that the hearing was the last to go. I ordered (practically) everyone to get in that room and we were going to surround him and pray. As we gathered around him we began to sing hymns while encouraging him to let go and go to Jesus. Painting the picture of Jesus standing there with outstretched arms ready to take Dad home. 

At this time Dad was past consciousness given enough Morphine to keep him "comfortable". He just laid there with labored breathing and the death rattle coming out from him. The Pastor from the church came and we all prayed together. I'm not sure if he stayed or not but the last thing I heard Dad say- without fear was- "Ok, let's go!" And he breathed his last breath.

He was definitely talking to Someone and he was ready to enter into his next life!! Whether you believe or not, I know it's true. There is another life after our death on this earth. The question is where do you want to spend yours- Heaven or Hell? I have no fear of death because, like Dad, my Jesus will be there waiting to take me home. I am of the belief that when we pass into Heaven we will not only see Jesus face to face but we will see those others who have believed and gone before us. 

I am so thankful for my relationship with Jesus these past 40 years and all of the help and strength He has given me through His Spirit. I look forward to those days of no more sorrow, no more sickness and no more pain- spending all Eternity learning whatever it is God has in store for me, would you like to say the same? None of us knows when our time on earth is up. Simply ask Jesus into your heart today and you too can have that Blessed assurance of where you will go in your next life!

These song Lyrics pretty much say it all...

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

 

Anchor 

(a person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation)

2020 started out as the year of Vision. In January hope abounded in peoples minds and lives. This would be the year of change and victory over the things of the past that has weighed so many of us down. As the days and months have progressed, our hopes and dreams seemed to fly out of the window as water being dumped out of a bucket falling to the dirt below causing nothing but mud and muck wherever it lands.

How do we maintain or regain hope and peace in a time of so much fear and uncertainty? We must find something to hold on to while the things of life swirl haphazardly around us. 

Recently we moved to a home along side a flowing River. Many lessons can be found here. I have learned that with fishing there are many different types of ways to fish. You can fish from a pier, the bank, standing in water, from an inner-tube, from a small boat, a large boat and even a Kayak. Some ways have the potential to be more successful than others. It also depends on what you are fishing for. 

While fishing on the River one has to be mindful of the terrain of the ground at the bottom of the water bed along with the current of the water. A rocky, shallow and weedy bed might be more advantageous than a vast deep cavern. You can certainly take a Kayak out on the River and fish however it’s a lot more work that going out on a River boat with a trolling motor and an anchor.

An anchor can be a very helpful tool for someone who decides to fish in some type of floating apparatus. If one does not have an anchor they are subject to the wind and the ebb and flow of the current. Fishing can be done this way but it takes a lot more effort than using an anchor. In some cases even two anchors work best depending on the size of the vessel you are in. With one anchor only at the starboard side or front of a boat it limits movement there but at the opposite end or port side of the boat it is free to continue to move with the flow of the River. With two anchors in place the movement of the boat is more constrained. 

Why all of this talk about anchors? Well, I believe that what we need to find, as the turmoil of the world surrounds us, is something that will keep us in place. Something that will keep us secure enabling us to remain unmoved.

For me it is my Faith in God that I hold on to that keeps my feet resolute and unwavering. We all have a level of faith, whether it is faith that the sun will rise and set day after day or that the elevator we get in will not fall to the ground but move to the floor needed. We have faith that when we put the key in the ignition the car will start and that while at the stop light the other cars will go and stop as directed by the traffic lights. But what happens when our faith in these things falters? Someone runs a red light, the car doesn’t start, the elevator has a malfunction? In some cases this could be life threatening. We can become angry and bitter blaming everything and everyone around us that things didn’t turn out the way we expected them to.

Over these past 40 years I have experienced many ups and downs, many ebbs and flows in the River of my life on this earth. On that day in January 1980 when I decided to accept Jesus into my broken and drug filled life, I had come to a place where I realized after 23 years of living that I needed help. I needed Someone to help navigate me down the River of my life- Who knew the terrain I would move over and through- Someone Who could shelter me through the storms that I was certain to experience, Someone Who loved me just as I was, Who forgave me of my wrong doings and mistakes and Who would help me to become all that I was created to be, Someone who would keep me anchored while everything around me could be falling apart.

Once I accepted Jesus into my life all trials have not dispersed, far from it. But when I come up against the challenges I am able to overcome them because I personally know the Savior of the World and His very Spirit lives in me to guide me and direct me each step of the way. I have a road map- the Bible, to learn from of others who walked with Him, along with those who never met Him and still believed. To read and study of how the earth began and what we can expect in the future. To see what Jesus said while He lived on this earth.

Since being a Christian I have gone through divorce, betrayal, abandonment, life threatening illnesses, death of those nearest to me, financial struggles… but through it all I can truly say it is well with my soul! Not because I have the ability to right my own ship but because I am anchored down with the Presence of God in my life. He’s in front of me, behind me, beside me and within me. The Peace of God, through His very Spirit, abides deep within me. Jesus is the author of Peace and His very being is Love. Love for me and all of His Creation.

By seeing His faithfulness time after time in my own life I can agree with the Apostle Paul who said…

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NIV

In closing please know that there is Someone out there Who wants to be your guide, your friend, the lover of your soul and your anchor. Won’t you ask Him in?

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:19 NLT

Share from FB post 4/7/16

I Pam lied! I stole! I betrayed! I even killed! I was a speed addict! I was bullied in high school with my life being threatened for over a year! I was a runaway! I was raped! I was a pot head and dealer! I was physically and emotionally abused by my father! I've been divorced twice. I was diagnosed Manic Depressive. I even tried to take my life. I had a brain hemorrhage that left me with brain damage along with MS and Fibromyalgia. I was bedridden and was unable to track thoughts by others or formulate sentences for several years!

So how can I live now with hope, joy and peace and a future?? Because I am not defined by my past!!

By God's amazing grace and mercy I have been shown how to live victoriously. Do thoughts of my past haunt me? Not as much as they used to. Of course there is regret over my horrible choices but my life did not stop there.

Sad to say many people remain back in their abuse or back in their bad choices. To walk a full and vibrant life we must learn to leave the past behind us and continue moving forward one step at a time.

If we truly believe that Jesus died for our sins and we are washed clean by the blood of the lamb we must receive the cleansing, rebuke the accuser and move forward in God's love.

Why do you think the enemy wants us to wallow in our mistakes and past? Because when we grab a hold of the truth that sets us free, from the chains that have held us down and begin to walk in our freedom others see what we have and want it too!

If I, the worst of the worst, can have a life and have it to the fullest so can you! Is everything perfect now? Of course not. Several of the things I listed happened after I became a follower of Christ! I choose daily to walk in forgiveness moving forward through the power of the Holy Spirit in His Love!

It's time to stop being defined by who you were or what was done to you and lay hold of who you are now- Saved, Redeemed- a child of the Most High God, The Kings kid!!

Dear Lord- I again humbly come before Your throne and bow down with a heart of overflowing thanksgiving for all You have done for me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. It is only by Your amazing grace that I am saved and have been born again into a new life, a life worth living! Please show Your people the same love and forgiveness You have shown me. Bring them up out of the muck and the mire into Your marvelous Light! I pray these things in Jesus Name!

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ”” John 3:3 NIV

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:8-11 NIV

                        

A woman tormented with her past!   

Now set free with a new life!!

Keep running...

14 I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. 15 So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision - you'll see it yet! 16 Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it. Phil 3:14-16 MSG

Trials, regret of past actions taken, fear and doubt of the unknown, even remorse of a confessed sin can all become a mindset that can bring hurdles into our running lane in life. We all encounter them, it’s part of being human. It’s what we do when we are confronted with the hurdle or thought that matters. 

Interesting fact about a hurdle race: As part of a (100 meter hurdle) racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres (3.5 ft or 42 inches) in height are evenly spaced along a straight course of 110 metres. They are positioned so that they will fall over if bumped into by the runner. Fallen hurdles do not carry a fixed time penalty for the runners, but they have a significant pull-over weight which slows down the run.

It must take hours and hours of training to learn how to jump high enough while running to leap the hurdles and not be distracted by one that falls.

The critical thing to note is it’s how one places at the finish line that counts not how many hurdles were knocked down.The knocked down hurdle may slow the runner down a bit but it does not stop them. They accept it as part of the race.

When a hurdler gets up to the starting line, looks down the track before them and DOESN’T see hurdles something is wrong. The hurdles are expected. They are a necessary part of their race.

It is through problems and trials and even our failures that we learn to rely on God more which is where we need to be, closer to our Creator, our Savior and our Friend. Receive the forgiveness that Christ died for you to have! Get up, brush yourself off and resume running.

The life of a follower of Christ is a constant training field. When we decide to get in the race we must trust the Coach to teach us how to run, leap and not stop. He will teach us how to embrace the path we’re on whether it is wide open or cluttered with obstacles to overcome.

8 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. 9 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. Phil 4:8-9 MSG

Dear Lord, help us to rely on You more. Help us to trust that You know the race You called us to and You can teach us how to make it to the finish line victoriously. Help us to think with Your thoughts and give us the courage to keep running. We put our trust in You and choose to run the race that you have set before us.

Dawn Harper-Nelson from East St. Louis, Illinois is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 100-meter hurdles. She was the gold medalist in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the silver medalist in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Dawn Harper is the first American 100-meter hurdler to ever win gold at an Olympics and medal in the following Olympics. 

My story of hope as one who has lived with Manic Depression

I was diagnosed a Manic Depressive in 1996 and have lived with a form of depression most of my life.

In light of so many deaths from depression these past few years, whether deliberate or an overdose I am compelled to try and convey what it’s like to walk with depression.

Step after each tiresome step one hunched over braces themselves against the bitter cold as they push through the deep snow of an open field on a blustery stark winters day. This is a fairly accurate depiction of a person living with depression who drudges step after step, day after day, through their cold barren hopeless life.

When will the bitter cold end? When will the buds start to appear on the trees with the hope for a new tomorrow? These are questions that many ask for their lives as they push through the ongoing struggles of battles with depression.

To look at me today in 2014 as one of the leaders in my church and at work one would never guess there had ever existed the shadow of depression that hovered at the core of my being. I attribute that to the birth of hope through Jesus Christ which was given to me and has been developed within me over the years.

As a child moving through life searching for love from imperfect parents I was desperately needing help to steady me against the devastating one and half years as the recipient of high school bullying. The only help I found was year after year of drug and alcohol filled days for escape. Depression has always been my constant companion.

On the outside I was happy and cheerful. I knew what to say and how to act in an effort to be accepted and get approval from people. However I always lived with an emptiness inside. I was crying out for love and acceptance. 

My parents tried their best but were always very closed mouth. I only received rules and expectations that I was never able to meet. I was perceived as weak to my father so he pushed me to be stronger through physical and verbal abuse. I was desperate for love and affection and no matter what I received from others it was never enough. 

Sometime through my high school days I vaguely recall meeting with a psychiatrist but I clearly remember what was said to my parents, “she’s a very unhappy girl”. No medication was given.

I remember crying out to my parents asking them why they never would tell me they loved me? And their response was that I had everything I needed and that meant I was loved.

When affection, positive encouragement and love are not freely expressed from a parent to a child, the door for searching opens up and the child must search for it elsewhere.

After returning from running away from home at 17, which was my last desperate cry out of pain to my parents who didn’t understand me, I was bitter and despondent. One argument led to another. When a shot gun was pulled out and pointed to my head, I told my father to go ahead and pull the trigger as my mom stood silent by his side. I was that empty and sad. We all cried as we were desperately seeking relief from the horrors that surrounded us.

Walking through life with depression is like carrying a ton of weight on your back that you can never unload. There was one person in my life that became a life line to me and that was my piano teacher, Lynne Bock. She became my confidant, my friend and a source of hope until I met The Hope of my life.

The only way I can go back into the sorrow of my past is with the confidence of His Present Love. It’s because of the very Love and Forgiveness of Christ that I am able to revisit those sad moments in my life as an objective viewer and no longer bound by the chains of hopelessness and dread that once filled my days.

I would love to say that once I invited Jesus into my life at 24 all depression ceased but that was not fully the case. However, in meeting Jesus I did find Someone Who would not only give me a fresh start by washing all the ugliness of my past away but He also Partnered up with me to teach and lead me in how to become an overcomer in my daily struggles.

At age 38 in early 1994 I had a brain hemorrhage. On Feb 18, 1994, while in a prayer of deep appreciation and love for The Lord’s goodness to me, Jesus gave me a word of hope. He led me to Hebrews 11. He encouraged me to be patient and have faith. Things happened to the people of faith that didn’t always seem to be consistent with the promises given but they needed to rest in God’s faithfulness. In March of that year, after several tests, I was told I had 70% probable MS along with Fibromyalgia, a rare form of Meniere’s Disease, Colitis and IBS. 

The doctors prescribed many different meds, min of 15 at a time, to fight the 5 different diagnosis’ I was given. I had encountered some brain damage from the hemorrhage which effected my ability to cope with stress. That coupled with the effects of the various drugs I was taking I found it extremely hard to focus and to communicate. I was laid up in bed for several years. I held on to the Word of hope from God with all that was in me and I had a Peace that surpassed all understanding.

Throughout my years as a follower of Christ He has provided me several tools to help me as I encounter the trials of life. The greatest of these being His Holy Bible and His Presence. He also has provided a great body of brothers and sisters who love me and accept me just as I am.

My condition was not what my husband of 18 years of marriage bargained for so he walked out on me while I laid in bed questioning what I had done wrong. Depression came along side and did his best to embrace me and lead me down a path of self destruction. One more diagnosis was added to my list and that was Manic Depressive.

I have been challenged as a believer to go deeper than I ever thought possible in exploring the whys and the hows of who I am. God has used the many trials in my life to reveal to me His truth and His warfare in defeating the attacks on my mind.

Even though my mind and body were filled with medicines to cope and dull the senses a warrior still loomed inside. An outside observer would look and see what seemed a physically defeated soldier but I was fighting everyday to keep my head up and moving forward. I was overcoming and pushing through step by step, day by day.

The greatest weapons God has given me in this battle with depression are His Word, Unconditional Love and Hope. These things not only defend our place in His Kingdom but also can be used on the offensive to bringing down forces set up against us.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Cor 10:3-6

When we fill our minds with the promises of God and declare by faith who we are in Christ we go on the offensive and shut the door to the lies of the enemy. When we sit in silence and meditate our search for peace we must search for Christ. He holds the key to our victory. He holds the key to a peace that knows no bounds. 

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Phil 4:4-8

I sit and write this paper today with the full diagnosis of MS and Fibromyalgia but I write  not as a victim but as a victor! The Lord has taken me through the flooding waters and the fire that would strive to consume me. 

God has brought me a man after His own heart who adores me just the way I am. He is a man who has partnered up with me in service of our King. 

The shadow of depression has long ago lost it’s power to destroy me. Every now and again if I’m not careful he tries to lift his slimy head to which I in boldness and with confidence step down and crush it with the heel of the foot of My God and Savor Jesus the Christ!

There are a few things/tips, not in any specific order, that I use to help lift my spirits when I begin to feel a bit low.

Get some Exercise- take walks, play golf, tennis etc.

Take deep breaths

Arrange flowers and plants to fill the home with life

Fill your workspace with life, plants, pictures etc.

Make your surrounding less sterile

Play music in the background of your home and at work

Have aroma candles, potpourri, oil jars etc. 

Clean your home or have it cleaned

Make your bed daily, if you can

Take time to organize

A touch of chocolate now and again =)

Treat yourself special

Do something that you enjoy

Take a drive through the mountains, to the beach etc.

See a counselor or a psychiatrist

Pray about the use of Antidepressants if prescribed, sometimes they can be very helpful

Nice cup of tea or coffee

Visit family

Use some nice creamy soaps

Take a bubble bath

Go on a tropical get away

Watch a good uplifting movie

Read a good book, maybe a biography of one who has overcome adversity

Read your Bible, study it 

Play an instrument, take lessons

Paint

Do things that take you out of your mind and that tap into your senses

By the Power of the Holy Spirit resist the urge to

Overeat

Over spend

Become Obsessive Compulsive with anything

Journal your thoughts, dreams, fears etc.

Surrender your need to understand all your feelings

Trust God fully to be with you no matter what you go through

Silence the enemies encouragement for self pity, worry, fear

Reflect on how far you have come in your spiritual growth

Think and pray for those you love

Get out of focusing on yourself and your needs

Pray for the needs of others

Acknowledge the fact that YOU are loved and wonderful 

27 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' “ Luke 10:27

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

If you are not one who has battled the demon of depression much of this will not make sense. But as one who has and continues to push through the darkness to overcome know this, there is Hope and you can have a fruitful life. Don’t give up!! Get the help you need through Jesus the Healer and doctors that He can lead you to. 

A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10

Fake or real- how can you tell the difference?

Recently I was spotted to be wearing costume jewelry mixed with the real thing. How was this found out? Because the person who spotted it owned the real piece and was able to tell the difference. I wasn’t doing anything deceptive I just liked the pieces together.

I began to think about this and felt there was a message to share. God gives us little nuggets all of the time to ponder and with today’s scripture reading He took me further with this thought.

How can you tell a real friend from a counterfeit? Because you know what a real friend looks like. So what does a real friend look like?

Friend- ORIGIN Old English frēond, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vriend and German Freund, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to love,’

A real friend is rooted in love!

In 2 Chronicles 10 The new King Rehoboam, King Solomon's son, needed to make a critical decision- how to treat God’s people. For this decision he went to his childhood friends and his father's trusted Elders for advice.

King Solomon’s council recommended compassion and support for the Israelites while King Rehoboam's young friends encouraged submission through violence. 

The King listened to his friends and the result was not one of uniting God’s people but of tearing them down and apart. King Rehoboam had grown up with these “friends”. Their recommendation was not looking out for the benefit of their friend the King. It was not of love for him or for the people of God but of evil and destruction. 

The last recording in the Bible about the King is this..

But the final verdict on Rehoboam was that he was a bad king - God was not important to him; his heart neither cared for nor sought after God. 2 Chron 12:14 

Even though God had His Master Plan at work I wonder if King Rehoboam had chosen the counsel from the Elders if things wouldn't have been different? So what can we learn from this story and costume jewelry?

The King did not have a relationship with God and he did not know what a true Friend looked like. He had not let God build up the foundation of truth in his life so when it came time to discern truth from lie, fake from real he couldn’t tell the difference.

Are you able to know what truth is when confronted with decisions? Do you go from person to person trying to find the answer? Do you do what others say, even though you know inside it’s wrong, just to seek their approval? 

Make God your friend today. He wants only the very best for you. Get to know Him by reading His Word. Get to know His character in the Person of Jesus. Hang out with His kids. Go and listen to His teachers.

Next time when you have to tell the difference between truth or lie, fake or real you will quickly know the difference because you will have lived with Truth, your best Friend- Jesus the Christ!

We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; He's already a friend with you. MSG 2 Cor 5:20