my weekend to remember

recently my husband and i had the privilege to attend a Weekend to Remember by FamilyLife. i didn't know what to expect or what we were getting into, but i just prayed that we would have open hearts to receive what we heard. besides, it was a weekend getaway! who doesn't want one of those?!?!

the theme of the weekend was "oneness". Merriam Webster defines oneness as:

the quality or state or fact of being one: singleness: integrity, wholeness: harmony: sameness, identity: unity, union

what great words to describe what we should have in a marriage. each session was poignant and powerful. some of the topics included:

why marriages fail
communication
intimacy
unlocking the mystery of marriage
what every marriage needs
conflict survival
God's plan for marriage
how marriages thrive
leaving a legacy

at times the information was overwhelming and very challenging but how else do we grow? i walked away with even more of a desire to be the wife and mother God created me to be. i'm still trying to process all that God showed me. i'm hopeful by writing about it that it stays fresh in my mind and also encourages others in their relationships.

hello, old friend

goodness, life has finally caught up with me! i haven't had time to blog like i would like but i'm trying to get back into the groove. i love to write and always have, so having a blog has always been cathartic for me. it's an outlet for me to express myself freely and creatively. so i'm glad to be back writing again and sharing my thoughts on life and my relationship with Christ. i hope you'll come along with me on this journey...

my psalm 136

i was inspired after a message sunday about being a "psalm speaker". i have always loved the psalms because of the poetry and musicality of each one. i also have always enjoyed writing. so after the message sunday i was prompted to write my own psalm. one of my favorites at this time of year is psalm 136. here is my version of that psalm from my heart.

I want to thank you, God! You deserve more praise and thanks than I give you.
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

God I acknowledge you as my healer, sustainer, savior, creator, friend, and father. You are everything everyone needs.
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

It amazes me how you created the skies, the planets and the unseen heavens. Your creation never ceases to amaze me. I am fascinated by your handiwork.
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

The oceans roar at your command and are stilled by your whisper. The sound and the smell of the ocean you had in mind. It refreshes my soul. You knew that when you created them!
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

You were with me from the very beginning. You created me uniquely and put your royal crest upon me as your child, a child of the King! Everything that comes my way passes through your hands first. Knowing that gives me great assurance that you are in control.
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

Even as our forefathers proclaimed your power in the past, I proclaim your power in the present. You rescued your people and continue to do so today. You are with us every step of the way.
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

You took me to the desert and you delivered me through it, literally and figuratively. You drew me to your side and for that I can never thank you enough. You taught me that in order to be like your son, I will have to go through challenges and heartache in life. You never tell us that once we accept you that life will be a bed of roses. If we are to be like Christ, we will suffer like Christ. In this world we face struggles, but HALLELUJAH, you have already overcome the world!
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

I’ve lost my way so many times. I’ve desired things that made you cry. I’ve acted in ways that brought shame to your name. In our world, I would have been disowned but you refuse to let me go. You are there waiting with open arms because you never leave me. Even when I leave you, I can’t escape you.
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

I want to thank you, God! You did it all! You take care of my every need and provide beyond what I could ever hope or ask for. May you receive all the praise for all you have done and continue to do!
You’re love is never-ending. You never fail.

remembering...

it's Memorial Day. it's a time when families gather and bbq. friends get together and swim or go to the beach. it's a time when people focus on their 3 days off. as an Army spouse (retired), i can't help but stop and think of the brave men and women who have given their lives for our freedom and for those who continue to serve and defend our country every day. i am so proud of my husband for serving honorably in the Army for 22 years. he is a patriot. each and every Memorial Day, we as a nation stop and thank those who have served and are currently serving. but how many of us really do that? how many of us forgo the picnic or the party to go to a veteran's hospital or a cemetery? how many of us call those we know who are currently serving or have served before and say "thank you for protecting my freedoms"? it is nice to have a 3 day weekend but let's not forget what it's all about. let's not forget those who don't have the luxury of having a holiday weekend because they are in a war zone. let's not forget that our military men and women are defending the freedoms that we take so easily for granted...you can have an opinion and share it because of those who guard your freedom to do so.

thank you to all the Soldiers, Marines and Airmen for your sacrifice to our country. thank you to all the spouses and family members...you have the toughest job in the military.


In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

perspective:the appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.' One day,someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The
sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that... The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend
left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

i received this story via email the other day. of course, i don't know if this is an "actual" story but the illustration is fantastic. for a girl who just wanted her sight. a girl who wasn't able to give the same love she received because of her own self-centered nature. what a sad way to live.

in a similar way, Christ came and didn't just give His eyes, He gave His life. we are like that blind girl...just wanting to be "whole" again. our blindness could be insecurity, shame, guilt, addiction, etc. we are looking for a solution just so we can continue on, not realizing that the gifts we do receive, come from the One who sacrificed it all for us to be whole. we walk away from God so often not realizing that He has what we need.

moving beyond unhappiness

the second section in the book entitled, "Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy" is on moving beyond our unhappiness. this book is written by Leslie Vernick. she has an education background in biblical counseling and cognitive therapy. i like how she uses her various points of view in her writing.

- Much of our unhappiness results from wrong thinking and wrong habits, not always situational factors.

- Living in God's light opens our eyes to the pitfalls and dangers and teaches us to recognize true beauty as well as what really matters. In the dark, we are much more vulnerable to being deceived and making foolish choices because in the dark, we aren't aware that the edge is so close.

- We too must come to see and accept that we are not the center of truth or life, or even the main character of our story. God is, and he doesn't revolve around us. We are here to glorify, love, and please him. When we live with that reality in the forefront of our minds, everything looks differently to us.

- At one time or another we have all bought into Satan's lie that more (food, love, expensive purses or cars, status, power, sex, money-something other than God) will give us greater love, peace, pleasure, meaningfulness, and happiness. But it wasn't true for Adam and Eve, and it is not true today.

- Many times we don't seek God's love or forgiveness because we do not recognize or admit our desperate need for it.

- To receive what God offers us, we have to own our helplessness and be willing to receive.

- We cannot be filled up with God when we are still full of ourselves.

- God has hardwired our bodies as well as our spirits to feel joy-filled and wonderfully alive when we live in tune with our Creator and his values and purposes. When we refuse, we not only stay spiritually weak, we cause harm to ourselves.

- When we demand or expect that another person meet all of our needs (and wants), or fulfill us and make us happy, we have put them in God's place, and we will always be disappointed.

- What keeps us moving forward toward our goal is our determination to get there, one step at a time, persevering through obstacles and failure. Obstacles often appear as trials that God allows in order to strengthen our perseverance. In the same way, how do we develop patience if we're never put in frustrating situations? How can we build more self-control if we are never tempted? How do we trust God more if we never battle doubt?

- Positive thinking and willpower alone is never strong enough to be transformed into a beautiful person. For a complete makeover, Paul says, we must train ourselves to be godly so that inner beauty becomes more natural to us than ugliness (I Timothy 4:7).

- The opposite of disciplining ourselves isn't freedom, it is bondage. When we're undisciplined and out of control, we are slaves to our passions, our appetites, our ruling desires, and our emotions.

"He who ignores discipline despises himself." Proverbs 15:32

- Freedom from slavery to our cravings, feelings, wants, and yes, even needs as well as the freedom to become who we were created to be. We can have incredible peace and joy available to us when we are no longer tossed about by our unruly flesh, our negative emotions, other people, or even difficult circumstances.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote about our slide into self-centeredness and self-absorption:

"Needs are looked upon today as if they were holy, as if they contained the quintessence of eternity. Needs are our gods, and we toil and spare no effort to gratify them. Suppression of desire is considered a sacrilege that must inevitably avenge itself in the form of some mental disorder...We feel jailed in the confinement of personal needs. The more we indulge in satisfactions, the deeper is our feeling of oppressiveness. We must be able to say no to ourselves in the name of a higher yes."

wow. those words are convicting to me.

in finishing this section on moving beyond unhappiness, the author makes this statement:

"Happiness is being fully alive, awake, and attentive to the awe and beauty of God."

are you fully alive, awake and attentive? do you see the beauty of God all around you and in every aspect of life even in the challenges?

let's live as God intended us to live today and see God for all He is. keep your eyes open and your ears alert...you never know what God will use to reveal Himself to you.

selah

Lord, I just want to be happy

I've just finished reading a book called, "Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy" by Leslie Vernick. She is a licensed clinical social worker with a private counseling practice. I hadn't heard anything about this book before buying it but it jumped out at me on the shelf when I saw it. The front of the book has a picture of a person with an umbrella and off in the distance a rainbow. I must admit I hadn't even noticed the rainbow until finishing the book...so that must tell you what kind of person I am off the bat (pessimistic by nature). It's a great book coming from both the secular view of psychology and a Christian point of view from scripture.

It's another book in which I underlined a great deal of passages. The other nice thing about this book is it has Question and Discuss area at the end of each chapter so it can be used as a Bible Study. I think it helps too, to write down your thoughts as you are learning.

So here are some quotes from the first part of the book on the topic of understanding our unhappiness.

- True inner happiness doesn't involve the absence of pain. The happy person doesn't deny her inner ache, but is able to embrace suffering and transform it so it doesn't become crippling or deadening.

- We've allowed our well-being and happiness to be contingent upon getting something from this world. We've not grasped that lasting happiness has more to do with the way our internal world is oriented than what we get from temporal pleasures.

- Heartfelt happiness isn't found in fun places, sinful pleasure, popularity, productivity, power, or prestige. Rather it is the result of right (truthful) thinking, right relationships, right choices, and right living. Happiness is not something we receive; it is something we become as we love God and live our lives enjoying Him and His creation and growing in His wisdom.

- Much of our misery is caused by the stories we tell ourselves about how things should be...rather than what actually is.

- Jesus has come to set the captives free. Whether we realize it or not many of us are captive to the lie that something other than God will bring us happiness and fulfill our longings. When we put our hope in or expect something or someone other than Him to fill us and make us happy, He will surely frustrate us. But He doesn't do it to punish us. He does it to rescue us from our disordered attachments and delusions, and from ourselves. God promises to meet our needs-but what we feel we need, and what we truly need, may be very different.

- True prosperity is never acquired through worldly accomplishments or possessions, but rather through the awareness and ability to live in God's loving presence.

- Freedom isn't license to do anything we want. Freedom is the power to say no to what we want, for the sake of a higher good or goal.

- Satan tries to beguile us by filling our belly with tasty versions of counterfeit joy, peace, love, and hope. He tries to get us to believe power makes peace, passion brings love, pleasure gives joy and popularity, prestige and possessions give hope and security.

Some great points made in just the first section of this book. Part two is on moving beyond our unhappiness and part three on practicing happiness. I'll share some highlights from part two tomorrow.

selah