A Tiny New Creation

Just a few days ago a wonderful and beautiful little baby boy came into this world. He came very early, just about three months before his due date. He weighed less than 2 pounds and I know that his birth is an example of one of God's miracles. One amazing part of his story is that since his birth there has been a constant growth in the amount of people praying for this little boy. I have watched each day as people have learned of this baby and his battle to grow strong the numbers of prayer warriors has continued to increase. People from all over the United States are banding together to pray. Some who have yet to meet this tiny baby or his parents. Others who are grandma's and grandpa's, aunts and uncles, and cousins. They love this baby simply because he is God's creation. What an awesome knowledge to know that God is there and hearing our prayers. When we have a personal realtionship with God, we are given so many wonderful gifts. The family of God is limitless and full of blessings.

Taking time!

I get caught up and to busy sometimes and I miss out on the really good stuff. By the good stuff... I mean- laughter, smiles, fun, and spending time with the people I love the most. Moments and memories can be gone before we know it. Those are things that you can't get back. This weekend has been unforgetable. I was blessed by getting to hang out with four very important people this weekend. Four amazing young woman who I am proud to call my daughters. Thanks for being exactly who you are!

Encouragement

When do you feel like you need the most encouragement? Sometimes we go through our daily lives and feel like we are unloved and unnoticed. But God is watching and He sees what we are doing and loves us every step of the way. He offers us encouragement in so many ways. His word is a wonderful source of uplifting, loving, and soothing encouragement. Paul talks about this very thing in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, he says; May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and hope which we don't deserve, comfort your hearts with all comfort, and help you in every good thing you say and do. We can depend on God to lift us up when we need it the most. Romans 15:5 directs us to live in harmony with others, to have a Christ like attitude toward others, and then we can praise the Lord together in one voice. As God fills our hearts with His love we are in turn to share that love. In other words we are to share the encouragement God gives us with people around us. We are to lift each other up. I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father is there when I need Him the most. I know that He will never leave me and will always love me. What a gift He has given us!

The gift of forgiveness.

I love the idea that when we ask God for forgiveness he grants us that gift. He does not hold a grudge and allows us a fresh start. A clean slate. He does not keep me trapped in the past expecting me to prove to Him that I have changed or that I really meant it when I said that I was sorry. I know that God expects me to have Christ like behavior. To treat others as I would like to be treated. It is very hard to let go and give someone a new start. It's difficult to let our guard down. But how can we know for sure if things have changed if we continue to find that person guilty based on assumption or past experience.

God has a purpose for us. He started the story in Genesis and you can find out what happens at the end in the book of Revelation. I find great comfort knowing that He has a plan. He created a wonderful, glorious world from darkness. I thank God for His gifts. The gift of sunshine as you gaze at the sky at the end of a rainy day. The strong smell of pine as you stand among the trees in a forest. The feel of cold clean snow as it falls from the sky. The cry of a newborn baby as it enters the world reassuring us of life. The feeling of warmness that spreads over your heart when someone you love hugs you. God is generous in His love for us. I stand amazed at the glory of His love for me.

New beginnings!

For almost a year now I have been active with New Life Ministries. You can check out their web site yourself at http://newlife.com. When I first visited the site I was in so much pain and I was looking for a way to deal with so many issues. I found the message boards there and I was able to connect with other people who were hurting as well. I began emailing and posting to the message boards. I was also lucky to find people who were further down the road on the way to recovery. From this collection of people I received solid Godly advice. I also met a wonderful friend and throughout the last year we have developed an awesome friendship. I was in a place in my life where I felt I was unlovable. But God brought this tremendous person into my life and through her I have learned that I am a valuable person, created by God just as he intended me to be. This past summer I went to a workshop in Anderson Indiana. It was one of the most powerful events I have attended. When I got to Indiana I was ready to give up on myself and on some very important relationships in my life. As the hours went by and I listened to Steve Arterburn talk, my out look on life began to change. During the counseling sessions, I found love and support from complete strangers. I learned that God loves me and He is there for me even in my darkest hours. I learned how important it is to deal with the past hurts of my life. The only way for me to move forward was to make the choice to begin the healing process. The seminar was called "Healing is a Choice", I would recommend this workshop to anyone who is struggling in their life and looking for answers. I also got involved with New Life Ministries small group coaching. It is a small group of people along with a group coach who communicate by phone once a week. Our topic was "Boundaries". We learned about "Boundaries" through written lessons and applying these concepts in our daily lives. We learned how to include healthy boundaries in our daily lives. We spent time each week in prayer and sharing our experiences and finding new ways to approach the difficulties in our relationships. Our group coach helped us get to know ourselves and each other. He also showed me that it is safe to share my heart with someone even though when I tried this in the past it brought me nothing but pain. The coaching is offered as a group activity or individually. I urge you to consider giving this a try if you find you need someone to talk to. I continue to use the resources of New Life Ministries, be it books, cd's, the radio broadcasts, group coaching or visiting the message boards. In the past year God has given me the gift of new friendships and a new beginning. What an awesome God is He.

What are we entitled to?

When my needs are not met I react in several different ways. Sometimes I get sad, other times I feel frustrated. There are those occassions when I feel angry. Lately I seem to be alot more angry. Even though I have desires and needs, I don't have the right to be angry when I don't get what I think I should. Matthew 6:33 shows us what our true needs are. This scripture points out that our real needs are spirtitual. Yes it's important to our daily survival that we have the basics; a roof over our head, food to eat, and clothing to wear. But the most important need we have is to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Once we choose to turn our lives over to Jesus and look to Him to meet our needs, we can then be free from the struggle of expecting others around us to fill all those empty spaces in our lives and in our hearts. When I become angry because someone has not met my expectation, I have choosen a path that leads to more disappointment and hurt for me. There is also a very real possibility that my anger has hurt someone with my words or actions.