Freedom Rocks!

I’m participating in a special blog event entitled “Freedom Rocks!” Blog Tour.  John Beehner of http://askwisecounsel.blogspot.com/ is hosting this special writing extravaganza to kick off the New Year.  My day is January 11.   I am participating in this event to get to know other Christian writers, to learn from others, and make new friends in the blogging world.  I also hope to share about the plight of homelessness in our world, especially in our town right here in Kentucky.

I see this as a gift from God to be able to share my thoughts and words with more experienced writers, a bigger audience, to have the message of homelessness and the need for compassion spread further.

I invite you to check out the above link to read from some wonderful Christian writers and please come visit me at the same above link on the 11th.

May God be glorified in this Blog Tour.  The only real freedom is in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Do You Think He Wore Slippers?

Last year on January 1, I fell out of my attic landing on the cement garage floor smashing my arm and wrist.  I wrote this post from that experience.  Remembering back as I have had several friends falling lately.  And, I had to face those stairs once again as I put the Christmas decorations up.

*wrote this January of 2010*

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

Could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Poor thing!  Do you think he was wearing slippers?

This silly woman in her slippers had a great fall from the attic stairs

She fell over backwards and was about to split hairs

But she stuck out her arm and smashed all her bones

Oh my goodness, you never heard such moans!

Thank goodness I didn’t have king’s horses and king’s men

I had Greenview nurses and wonderful doctor men

They are the ones who put me back together again.

       

For now I am living on pain pills and prayers

And the goodness of people who don’t put on airs.

The flowers, so pretty, so good is the food

All of this is elevating my pitiful mood.

I’m sorry for the poor fella who cracked himself up

He probably split his yolk

He should have yelled out to Jesus like I did

That’s no joke

I’ve learned in the good times and bad, the scary and sad

All you need to whimper is the name of our Savior

Don’t you know it makes Him glad that you thought of Him first

And it makes me thankful that He never will waver.

It is time to end this little ditty

I hope you found it somewhat witty

Remember, I wrote this under the influence of drugs

But do not worry, they came from Walgreens

Not the street corner thugs.

I wonder if Jesus ever wore slippers; probably sandals.  Whatever His foot covering, I know He never slipped.  He was surefooted in everything He said and did because He walked so closely with the Father.  I’m sure a lot of us slip here and there in life, whether it be in tongue or thought, or whatever misfortunate thing we let out of control. 

It is a comfort to know the One I follow is surefooted and I can always count on Him to catch me when I fall whether literally or metaphorically and carry me when I need those strong arms underneath me.  Yes, I fell off the stairs, but I believe he carried me to my arm because I was headed to the garage floor with my head. 

I could have been a goner but He said “not yet.”  Instead He has given me a time of rest blessing me more than I could have imagined.  New friendships are forming, older ones are deepening.  January 1^st, I would have said having a mangled wrist and arm was no blessing, but God, once again has brought good from something that seemed so bad.  So I will try not to complain too much, for the blessings far outweigh the pain.  The devil might have laughed that January night, but God is getting all the glory for this story!

As for Humpty Dumpty and me…I think we should stay off of high places and keep our feet on the ground.

(I smile as I get up my courage and face those stairs once again.  With God,  all things are possible. Remember that my sweet friends who have tumbled yourselves lately.  With Him we can get through the doctor visits, casts, pain and physical therapy :)

Why Do We Keep Doing This?

(from a forwarded e-mail)

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter.
 She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again..
 There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.
  
 She read the letter:
 Dear Ruth:
 I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
 Love Always,

 Jesus
  
 Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me?
 
 I'm nobody special.. I don't have anything to offer.'
 With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
 'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner..'

 She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents.
 Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.'
 She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
 A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total twelve cents to last her until Monday.
 Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

'Hey lady, can you help us, lady?'
 Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway.
 A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
'Look lady, I ain't got a job, you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda
 hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate it.'
 Ruth looked at them both.
 They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work
if they really wanted to.

'Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.'
 'Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.'

The man put his arm around the woman's
 shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.
 As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
 'Sir, wait!'
 The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.
 'Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.'
 She handed the man her grocery bag.
 'Thank you lady. Thank you very much!'
 'Yes, thank you!' It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering
 'You know, I've got another coat at home.

 Here, why don't you take this one.'
 Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.
 Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
 'Thank you lady!
 Thank you very much!'
 Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. 

The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him.
 She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
 'That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.'

Dear Ruth:
 It was so good to see you again.
 Thank you for the lovely meal.
 And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
 Love Always,

Jesus

 The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

"And the King will answer them, 'Truely, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:40

*end of article*

(Me) This is why we do it, why we befriend the homeless, taking our chances on getting disappointed, let down, discouraged.
Helping the homeless is not always pretty, fun, or even rewarding at times.  We do get discouraged, fed up and let down many times.  But during those times the Lord leads me to a verse like this. . .

"We urge you, brothers admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be PATIENT with them all."

First Thessalonians 5:14

After being let down once again by a person, a situation, I had to do some talkin' with the Lord.  He immediately brought the above story to my attention and this verse.  Then it was impressed on my heart once again, that I am just a seed sower.  I sow seeds of love, I don't do the growing, I don't do the changing in people, I do not do the convicting.    I may and I may not always get to see the results of the seed planted and that is ok.  I also do what I do in the homeless community because of my love for the Lord.  I do for Him, I give for Him, I love because of Him, and I will be patient for Him.  After all, He is so patient with me, how could I not be this for others that He loves.

I would like to clarify here, that the homeless have been nothing but kind, sweet, and polite to me.

But there are times when some will say they will meet you for church or for an interview, and then do not show up .  They have lived for so long surviving and just taking care of themselves, that a kind of selfishness sets in that I don't think they even realize.  Many have been caught up in alcoholism too that if they have that first drink of the day, all memory and reasoning can go out the window.

I am not called to condemn or pass judgements.  I am called to "Go tell", and to love and to be an example of that love.  Results are left up to someone else.  God has led me to this certain population for a reason, and I didn't hear Him say I could leave when it wasn't fun, when it wasn't pretty, when things didn't go my way.

Yes, I have a love for these hard to sometimes love people, and I have an even greater love for my Lord.
Have I ever been unlovable?  Probably.  Have I ever let Him down?  I'm sure I have.  Does He still love me?  Yes!

If he could hang on that cross for us imperfect human beings, then the least I can do is share His love with others.

And then there are those who you touch, hug, pray with, and the tears flow from a grateful heart from them who are SO appreciative of the care and love you shown them.

And then out of many, there is that one, that one who sees the light, Jesus, and invites Him into his heart.

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live for Him.  This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
First John 4:9-11

"Love is patient, love is kind. . .it is not self seeking. . .it keeps no records of wrongs. . .love always protects. . .always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."
First Corinthians 13:4

"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord, your God with all your heart and  with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Matthew 22:37-38

This is why we keep doing it.

 



sqeak or ROAR?

What I heard on Sunday. . .

Becoming a Lion Chaser. . .yeah!  I've been asking for the Lord to fill me with boldness for years and He gives it to me when I need it.  Over the years I have felt more like a little mouse, peeking out from a little hole before venturing out.

Yeah, kind of like that.

And when I do get my boldness, I'm kind of like this. . .

still a mouse, but with my armor on. . .which is good!

But after listening to my Sunday School lesson on becoming a lion chaser like David, writing down the characteristics such as these. . .

standing firm

defying the odds

facing fear

reframe the problems

takes risks

seizes opportunities

willing to look foolish

knows that God is bigger than any problem

not afraid to do what looks ridiculous to others because with God anything is possible

learn how to see problems in a new way~God's way

not focusing on what's wrong but what is right with God . . .

there is something better. . . I don't want to be the little mouse anymore, even in the little armor suit. . .

What is it that keeps me from being bold at times?  Fear and insecurity, weapons of the enemy. Yes, there have been times I have stepped out of the comfort zones but as the little mouse with the suit on. God was with me but I let the enemy still be on my heels. I leaned into God and took strength from that.  But God is behind me, beside me, in front of me, and in me, so there is no need to fear.  I don't just need to hide in my God, I can face down the enemy with my God, and this is how that will look. . .

Oh yeah!  That's gonna be me! To the enemy.

I am woman, hear me roar!

My God is with me, off I'll soar! 

Do you squeak or do you roar?

If you are still squeakin', let God fill you up so much with Himself, with His Word, that when the enemy comes nippin' at your heels, you can turn around with the boldness of a lion and ROAR in the name of Jesus!

Then you can become a lion chaser, chasing down your own giants.  You probably won't need a stone like David, but God will equip you with whatever you need.  Rely on Him and stand strong.

ROAR!

linking with

The D Word

The D word. . .when said this way it sounds negative.  When it comes to something you don't like, like exercise, if you don't like exercise, it can be.  When used with something like bible study, it can be positive. I'm choosing to see the D word as positive.  What is the D word, my new one word for the new year . . .

Not this kind. .

ouch!

No, No!

DISCIPLINE is going to be a good word. 

Things I want to become more disciplined in. . .

drinking lots of water

keeping it simple

fasting

bible studying
exercise

writing

eating healthier

playing the piano

working on book

saving money

spending time on others

witnessing

I do most of these already, but sometimes laziness can creep in. I want to be even better. . .more disciplined.  That is the goal for this new year. 

Will I be successful?  Will I not?  With Jesus Christ, ALL things are possible.  I will always put Him first, before the task, so. . .it is possible and that gives me hope.  My hope is in Christ, so I'm thinking this is gonna be good:)

So, as I ponder on the Living Water, I'm off now to get my big glass of water. . .and how do I plan to be better at this one?  A fun, funky new glass. 

Do you pick a word to focus on for the new year?

I'd like to hear what it is!

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:26