No Filters Here

I know that so many times we project onto others as things being "their fault", that we aren't __________! Fill in our blank Happiness is genuinely 90% our responsibility and 10% of what is going on around us and yet we all have a tendency at times to turn it around that we are responsible for maybe 10% and everything and everyone else is responsible for the other 90 to 90+% of why we are happy OR NOT! I am preaching to the choir believe me. Because I know that I know we are ALL guilty from time to time and some more than others! My children aren't doing "everything" I ask of them, my husband or wife isn't doing what I would like for them to do for "me". The people at work are so selfish and self centered spend their time doing everything but work and I am having to pick up "THEIR" slack. People are so messy in the stores, throwing things around and not putting them back, as we put the bread on the canned goods shelf because we don't want to walk back over 3 aisles. I don't take pride in saying that I have been one of those people, unduly complaining about something or someone rather than saying "How can I be a better me" rather than focusing on how everyone else can improve themselves. How they can be better to me, do more for me and stop __________whatever! I talk often about accountability, how I see so many children walking around in adult bodies and it's upsetting. We can find ourselves getting all engulfed in everything that is going on around us, be it in society, our jobs, even our personal lives, that we spend all our time looking outward and very little time looking upward or inward! You see, I have an all out ALERT here! NONE OF US....Including YOU and even ME (gasp gasp) are without the need for improvement. BUT we as humans will bring out those old trustworthy scales and put everyone and anyone else on them, weigh out their behavior, their so called faults and flaws, put them under a microscope and check off each and everything we find wrong, BUT....when it comes to ourselves....WE HAVE HUGE HUGE FILTERS!!! Maybe we all need to be more generous with using filters on others and removing them from ourselves! OUCH! How dare I right? LOL, I am not saying anything to you that I am not also saying to and about myself. I have said before and will say again, when I speak about Jesus, when I speak about how much He is needed I am talking about me FIRST and FOREMOST before anyone else. I KNOW how flawed I am, I KNOW I need to work on ME instead of mentally working on others. So let us all start with....OURSELVES FIRST.... This is one time we can put ourselves first and not think it being selfish. My mom always would tell the children when they were eating, if we keep our eyes on our own plate we won't have any idea what the others are doing and therefore no reason to be upset. For we all as adults, know, or least should know, we cannot change anyone else, it is not even our job to change someone else and more importantly in the time spent worrying and working on others....Time wasted from not working on you...on me, self-improvement. So put the loaf of bread back where it belongs, put your grocery cart back where it belongs. Offer patience, love, grace and forgiveness to others double the amount you want to receive and watch what happens. If someone is overly kind and generous what does it make you want to do? Hmmm If someone calls you by name and compliments you, how do you feel! We are sooooo much on feelings sometimes and soooo little on action. So may we all remove our own filters, take away our judgement scales (NOT OUR JOB) and offer up willingly and graciously to others the golden rule.

I AM A LOT!

Me too, I am a lot! I am too much for some and not enough for others. I love my husband 🧔🏻family, fur babies 😺😺🐶🐶and friends with a passion.❤️❤️ My children hold my ❤️ ❤️ Our fur babies are family, our children, they can be rowdy and even make a mess, but it’s their mess and we love them I get excited 🥳 with my husbands art 🖼 and want the whole world 🌎 to see and enjoy it 👏🏻 I agree with Mark he should be on Shark Tank Sometimes I talk too🗣 much instead of listening 👂 and can get aggravated when someone else does the same (hmmm seeing ourselves at times can be unpleasant) I love to write 📖 🖊 and one day will publish whether anyone else reads it or not We all need to learn to just do something for ourselves I love how my husband accepts me flaws and all...I can be a bit crazy 😜 😭 at times I hope one day to be as confident as many think 💭 I am Getting older 👵🏻doesn’t bother me but the thought of time ⏰ I’ve wasted and being on the shorter end of life’s stick does I wish I had skydived when it wasn’t a fear lol I love to dance 💃🏼 I used to love the rain 🌧 and how it seems to cleanse things I need to appreciate it again rather than not I love roller coasters, but with age they now make me sick 🤢 I am very easy going but when it comes to my family, friends and fur babies...they are "OFF LIMITS" Trespassers beware and consider yourselves warned! I love old movies and all kinds of music to some degree I love to laugh and I cry easily (sometimes too easy) I love my country and will always stand beside and support those that have and continue to serve to keep this country safe and peaceful! 🇺🇸 I fear getting kicked out of Hallmark with my sister Ruth Ellis as we read the cards (laughing and crying) 😜😭 I will be the first to give someone a helping hand 🖐⬆️UP BUT NEVER a hand out. If you are unhappy with where you are in life, then do not throw in the towel but ask yourself "what can I do to change my situation" and if I am able to "HELP" I will I am a hugger, handshakes are for strangers I anger at people being made fun of Three things “ Do NOT mess with” Animals, Children or the elderly! They have my heart ❤️ I love phone calls, and letters instead of texts and emails, but don’t do it because no one else does ( That’s wrong on my part) I can me a procrastinator if it isn’t something I want to do and if I enjoy it I go for it full steam ahead I can be indecisive 🤷🏼‍♀️ because of wanting others to be happy (still a work in progress) I've been told by some I need to smooth my corners (Donna you are too direct) and by others that I need to speak up because they don't know what I am thinking If you enter my home as a stranger, I will do my best for us to be friends before you leave I love people and there is always room for one more I love to laugh, and cringe with drama. I stand up for what I believe in and if it is a core belief I will not budge but will always be open to listening to a difference of opinion If I am wrong I will admit it, If I have wronged you, I will apologize to set things right. I can not handle dissension. Yes I want everyone to be happy and get along--Call my a Pollyanna l love old muscle cars and at times have thought I was born in the wrong era If I don't do anything else for you, I hope when we meet I will leave you with a smile and you knowing you matter I love all animals and would rescue everyone if I could. No fur baby she be in a shelter and worse euthanized I wish people would be responsible for their actions and if you have an adult body, don't be a child within it. Yes we need to keep the "fun child" in us but get rid of the immature child I love the elderly and can listen to their stories all day long, we can learn so much from them....Haha and I am close to being one of them. I don't like drama, heated conversations, and confrontations, I will either shut down or walk away. Keep things civil and I will talk to you until the cows come home Working on self forgiveness and grace in the same way I extend it to others I need simple, want for little and know that I have much I know I have been blessed with more than I deserve but appreciate all I have Most importantly I love my God for without him I wouldn’t still be here and I wouldn’t have all the people in my life that I have and love! Yes this is in part a bit of who I am, unfiltered!

SEPERATE YOUR WHO FROM YOUR DO

My rejection of your opinion, or better yet simply stated, my disagreeing with you on something is NOT me rejecting you. I love Joyce Meyer. Boy is she a teacher and that is something I truly believe we all are in need of, is a good teacher. Someone who speaks truth in teaching the word and we don't walk away feeling worthless but feeling hopeful. She spoke today about her own past wounds from her childhood, from the abuse she suffered from her father taking deep root within her soul and having been so deeply wounded with rejection. She thought when she walked away from his house that she left it all behind, but the truth being it was deeply rooted in her soul and how she felt no self worth and so rejected. She spoke of how she carried that into her marriage relationship with her husband Dave. How that every time what started out as a simple conversation in minutes turned into an argument. She had to allow God to reveal to her that she needed to separate her WHO from her DO. She had been so deeply wounded that her need for approval ran so deep she wasn't able to allow Dave to disagree with her on any given topic without taking it personally that he was in his disagreement "rejecting her". She spoke of how she told God to please reveal to her "What is the matter with me". God wants us to come to him. He wants to heal us of all our past wounds so that we can throw the old baggage in a bonfire and allow him to take those ashes and turn them into something beautiful. Our restoration, our healing and a life of peace and joy. God did reveal to her the problem and how she needed to separate her WHO from her DO. That she had so strongly intertwined the two that they had become one. That she needed to have an understanding that would lead to her healing. To understand that Dave loves her completely and that he isn't a mirror image of her. How we are all individuals and love doesn't mean always being in total agreement with each other. Think about it, if that were the case and we were to always be in agreement as husband and wife, as friends etc, whose opinion would take precedence? Who would determine that? When we think about it, it is rather humorous. There is only ONE opinion that takes precedence over all opinions and that is Gods! The devil loves to take our past hurts, bring them into our present, and distort our thinking into taking them as truth. The enemies lies lead to destruction and pain whereas Gods Truth leads to the healing of our souls, which in turn leads to loving ourselves, seeing our self worth and having peace and joy through Jesus Christ. Healing....I know that I for years had a misconception of healing, thinking that if I were healed I would never even think of past hurts and when I did I was falling short as a Christian. That if my faith was where it should be in Christ they would never come to mind again. WRONG! A huge misconception which led to many times of self doubt and feeling a lack of self worth not only as a person but as a Christian. Boy how the enemy loved that. The times I would allow him to steal my joy with his lies. The difference in being healed and not, is when we haven't allowed God to heal our souls, when the past comes up we let it take up residence in our heads and minds and take us to places we should never go. Deep dark places that then turns into depression and sometimes even worse. When we allow God to heal our souls and the enemy attempts to bring it back to mind, we don't even entertain it. "Oh no devil, NOT today" we shout! Joy is something God wants for all of us, and anxiety and depression, and self doubt are things we can not wish away or even so much as pray away, but we must allow God to dig around in the deep parts of our lives and to reveal to us, show us, what the true root of the problem is and we will see that it is not the stuff that is going on around us that makes us unhappy but the stuff that lives within us. A nutritionist would tell you how you feel today is the result of what you ate yesterday and God will tell us our unhappiness goes to what we are hanging on to from yesterday and even yesteryears! Not only will we not find joy and peace until we allow God to reveal things to us, but we will find it only in allowing ourselves to be healed through Him. The process of healing is different for everyone, but it is, a process and a willingness on our parts to "let go" and "LET GOD"! It is the Holy Spirits job to help us not live a life where we are deceived. The enemy desires for us to build our lives upon deception and hopefully keep us there. But through Jesus Christ we have the promise of deliverance. Josephs brothers threw him in a pit and he ended up in a palace. One must be determined "I'm going to get out of the pit the devil placed me in". I may have not had a good beginning but I WILL have a great finish, because we are going to cross the finish line with Jesus. SO, run the race, baggage free, loving ourselves, knowing and believing in whose were are....HIS! It doesn't get any better than that. We have been ADOPTED, CHOSEN, we are the children of the Highest Almighty God! Almighty Father God, I lift up each and every person that is need of your healing. Knowing that so many times we have allowed the enemy and his lies to have taken up residence in our minds for so long, have taken it all as truth, the thought of letting go, of change can be very painful. Something we also know Lord, the enemy wants us to do, fear letting go. I pray Father God that those hurting and in need will seek your counsel and allow you to do the work within them, to heal all past wounds, that they can be set free and know the real truth, Your Truth! Amen May you all have a blessed day and better yet.....Be someone's blessing!

I'm Back!!!

It has been a very long time since I have posted anything and I must apologize. I could say I have allowed life to get in the way but I think with true honesty I would have to say I have allowed priorities to go awry. I have been tuning in to the first season of "God Friended Me" and have truly been inspired and motivated to get back on track. I hope all of you have been doing well and that life has been treating you kind. This past October we moved into a farmhouse that was built in 1919 and loving it. The town is very small and the people so friendly. It is nice to get away from so much traffic and the hustle and bustle of where we were living. Funny how you can go less than 30 miles North and have such a drastic change. Kind of makes you think about life and how some of the smallest of moves can make such huge changes, in either direction, positive or negative. And that is one reason our spiritual life is so important and staying prayed up and in conversation with our Father to make certain any "moves" are always ones that are moving us forward and upward. In connecting on social media there have always been posts where people seem to be having a difficult time, but I believe more so than ever. The world hasn't changed direction or the speed in which it turns and yet you would think so with the directions many people are choosing to take and at the speed in which they are taking it. I recently read a news article where a set of twins died in the backseat of a hot car as the parent forgot they were back there when they went in to work due to a change up in who was dropping them off at daycare that day. NO JUDGEMENT HERE, just sadness and heartbreak that our lives have become such a rat race that life is but a blur. Statistics state there have been over 40 child deaths already this year in the same fashion with the reasoning of hectic lives, parents being sleep deprived and minds are working in overdrive. They are telling parents to place something in the backseat of the car that they will need for the workday so that will have to check the backseat before leaving the car. My heart and prayers go out to all that have had to experience such a tragedy such as this and may God give you all peace and comfort. When you are feeling busy and overwhelmed, here are five Bible verses that I was referred to saying they will help you to slow down and enjoy life. 1) Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 2) 1 John 2:17 "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." 3) 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 4) Psalm 46:10 "He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations I will be exalted in the earth." 5) Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." We all need to take the time to reach out to those in need, those who seemed overwhelmed and in need of break. Maybe offering to watch someone's children so they can do something as simple as taking a nap, which to them is huge, or so they can just find a quiet moment to regroup. It used to be said it takes a village in reference to raising children, but I believe a village and community is needed for all.

Grace Like Rain - Chris Tomlin

When I think of the grace AND mercy that God has poured down on me in my lifetime, if it were rain, it would cover the earth like a torential flood!  Many find the two things confusing. They sound a lot alike but yet are not the same.

Mercy  being God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and grace being God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.

According to the Bible, we have all sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). As a result of that sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23) and eternal judgment in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15). With that in mind, every day we live is an act of God's mercy. If God gave us all what we deserve, we would all be, right now, condemned for eternity. In Psalm 51:1-2, David cries out, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." A plea to God for mercy is asking Him to withhold the judgment we deserve and instead grant to us the forgiveness we in no way have earned.

We deserve nothing from God. God does not owe us anything. Anything good that we experience is a result of the grace of God (Ephesians 2:5). Grace is simply defined as unmerited favor. God favors, or gives us good things that we do not deserve and could never earn. Rescued from judgment by God's mercy, grace is anything and everything we receive beyond that mercy (Romans 3:24). Common grace refers to the sovereign grace which God bestows on all of mankind regardless of their spiritual standing before Him, while saving grace is that special dispensation of grace whereby God sovereignly bestows unmerited divine assistance upon His elect for their regeneration and sanctification.

Mercy and grace are best illustrated in the salvation that is available through Jesus Christ. We deserve judgment, but if we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, we receive mercy from God and we are delivered from judgment. Instead of judgment, we receive by grace salvation, forgiveness of sins, abundant life (John 10:10), and an eternity in Heaven, the most wonderful place imaginable (Revelation 21-22). Because of the mercy and grace of God, our response should be to fall on our knees in worship and thanksgiving. Hebrews 4:16 declares, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up (Official Music Video)

This song and the one above Praise you in the Storm go with so much of my lifes journey. I think one of the most difficult things for me to learn and understand was "How can I be joyful, How can I praise God, when everything around me seems to be falling apart?" When things in my life at one point were really bad, I was way down in the pit of depression, anger, fear, a multitude of emotions...It was when my husband died from cancer. He was a strong man, a loving, good man. I remember on many nights as he lay there in pain beyond human understanding, asking why? Why me? What have I done to deserve this?" After his passing I was initially in a state of shock and denial, then anger, depression, confusion...You name it, it came upon me and the dxxxl saw my weakness and took every advantage he possibly could. You see yes I knew God, I gave my life to Christ when I was 14, but I never really grew in my relationship with Christ due to lack of any discipleship. So I wasn't of the understanding when he died where I needed to find my strength in order to move forward, maybe even stand still, but not to go backwards, not to go into that deep dark pit. You see when Scott and I got married there was such a strength in him, there was more than enough for both of us and in him I found my strength. So when he passed, my strength passed with him, was buried in the ground with him. That was in 1995 , 18 years ago. And it wasn't until about 10 years ago I finally started on the path of understanding, of truly getting to know my Jesus on a personal level. I spent a solid year of my life going to work, studying Gods word, striving to figure out what He wanted of me, what being a Christian was truly about, allowing Him to speak to me in the middle of the night. It wasn't a peaceful year, it was one filled with much confusion, many questions, a lot of tears and frustration. But through this period of time I learned that no one can find their strength in another person, to even try or expect that of another is so wrong. My strength now comes through my relationship with Christ.....Once I came to that understanding , really got into His word and developed that wonderful relationship with Him, the turmoil in my life stopped, there was an inner peace I had never known...He blessed me 8 years ago this May with a wonderful husband, and our 2 dogs and 2 cats :-). I look at my life and the things I have been through in it and wonder if my relationship with God had come about at a much younger age how different my life might have been. But then I realize I wouldn't change a thing about my life. For through my journey, I have opened myself up to being used by Him in the lives of others. I have learned to judge no one where they are in their lives, I have been given an even greater love and compassion for people than the one He gave me at birth. I now know that no matter what takes place in my life, I am more than a survivor, I am a walking, talking, living testimony of God’s Grace and His mercy. Of His undying love for all of us. How that my life will never be a bed of roses, that everything in life isn't simple and smooth sailing, but I will NEVER be in the pit again. Kind of like the song by Josh Grobin....You Raise Me Up

Selah - Bless The Broken Road (with lyrics)

My life has had many twists and turns, times that I felt so lost and alone. God saw this, knew my need and blessed me greatly with my husband Barry ♥

I Turn To You- Selah (with lyrics)

When you feel all alone, know that you are NEVER alone. He encompasses your entire being. WOW what a thought, what a blessing. Thank you Lord for letting me know....I never am alone!

Are you being molded .......

 

I am a very proud aunt/great-aunt when I look at nieces/nephews and great nieces/nephews. Where they are in their lives, so far ahead of me when I was their ages. I love watching them, the journeys they are taking, how they are growing and developing, the different paths they are taking but knowing they are allowing God to show them the proper paths and how they have chosen to follow them.

 

They are setting such a good example for others in this crazy world in which we live. How when they are watched or listened to one will quickly put aside any reservations, concerns or questions about God.

 

How they are always so ready to share their faith, their walk and how God has blessed them.

 

I look at the children of today and the pressures that come against them and how it happens at so much a younger age than it did when I was growing up. How they get up each day covering themselves in Gods armor as they prepare for the day.

 

I am so blessed by the family I have and the way God is such a focal point in our lives. But extra proud of the youth because in todays world talking the talk isn't an easy thing for kids to do and to walk the walk is even more difficult if being part of the crowd is important.

 

They are all the true definition of what it is like walking with Christ, how one can have Fun, it isn't Boring and in all honesty how walking with God is not only fun and exciting it truly simplifies life.

 

Someone once said to me that life isn't complicated at all, but we as individuals complicate it. I have found that to be so true. The facts are so simple