Category Archives: God

Gossip

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We talk a lot about Jesus. We listen to the ‘good old stories’ of how he moved in people’s lives. We drink in the testimonies of celebrities and make our own celebrities out of those who do wonderful things for him.

The disciples must have done the same thing because when Jesus asked them this question they knew the answer.…

Now it occurred that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, who do men say that I am? (Luke 9:18, AMP)

They really did know the gossip of the day.

 

Christ in You

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Are you suffering because some friend or relative can’t stand to be with you now that you follow Jesus as Lord and Savior? Don’t take it personally. It’s not you they hate, but Christ in you.

Because they can’t stand Christ here, God, ever the gentleman, generously refuses to inflict himself on them at a later date.

Psalm 1:5-6-Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction (NIV).

“Sinners cannot live in heaven. They would be out of their element. Sooner could a fish live upon a tree than the wicked in paradise.”–Charles Spurgeon

Truthfully, aren’t we happy about that when it comes to certain folks of our acquaintance? Perhaps that is why we’ve stopped praying for their salvation. Oh-oh, now we have a bigger problem…our heart and our attitude.

Prayer: Lord, our insides are not matching our ‘holy’ outside persona. Set us straight for Christ. Amen.

How Long Should I/You Grieve….

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How Long Should I Grieve? (from Memory Bears by Bonnie. Follow Link below)

How long should you grieve is complicated if you read ten different opinions in ten different books. It is complicated if you listen to well-meaning family and friends.

The answer to the question of how long one should grieve is as numerous as there are hearts that are broken by personal loss.

Grief, like love, will last your lifetime. It will be intense in the beginning, then as each day turns into weeks, then months, your grief will find a place in your life. As long as you live, you will remember your loved one…and you will grieve. (Bonnie)

http://memorybearsbybonnie.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/how-long-should-i-grieve-2/

—As I see it, I need not be ashamed of loving Ron so much that the grief doesn’t ever stop. I am not weak because I still cry. I am not a failure because I still love. And neither are you… Brenda J Wood

 

Perry the Platypus

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Just when you think your life is made up of sheer survival, is boring and mundane,  you find yourself  designing and sewing a Perry the Platypus costume for a seven year old!

I hadn’t even heard of Perry. I certainly didn’t know what Perry looked like. Never mind say the parents. You can Google him. This is not much comfort. I can Google me too.

If you are in the same mess, watch for a Perry costume appearing somewhere under my googled name. Wow! What a credit to have on my resume!

Doesn’t God have the best ideas for shaking you out of your sad self, your staid comfort zone? You gotta love his sense of humour.

Psalm 30:5b-The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter (MSG).

 

 

Headway in Grief

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If I can’t have life with Ron here  then this life I am living is the next best thing. I am busy but content.

There are some who question my recovery. They wonder why I still occasionally cry.  They only see the random drops that take effect without my permission. I wonder what they would say if they knew about the private ones. I will not apologise because I miss the love of my life.

I am making some headway in my healing. From the example of others in the same boat, I’ve learned to lean on God, take care to cook proper meals, exercise, reach out to others, go to an event or two alone.

I look at married couples who seem to thrive on bickering, insulting  and back biting one another. I want to scream at them…some day you will regret this.

I look at those who are loving one another  like Ron and I did, and I want to say…”yes, you have it right…but remember, one day you will be me. Nourish and care for one another even more that you do now, because some day, you too will be alone and wonder why you didn’t pour even more life into your marriage.)

Brenda Wood, author & speaker
Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind
 The Big Red Chair-storybook for grieving children
 Heartfelt-366 Devotions for Common Sense Living
God, Gluttony & You, the Bible Study

 

 

Setting the Bar. from Everydaychristian.com

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I want you to know that whatever you are going through right now, you can survive it and even at some point begin to thrive again, because God is enough. Just over a year since my heart break and little by little, I am healing. The scars remain but if I don’t pick at them too much, I can get through the day.

When I started a ‘thank you’ page listing those who made this journey a bit easier, I ran out of room. They listen, let me cry, bring meals and invite me to events, pray for and with me. They read books on grief so that they can relate. They hug and write notes and e-mails, keep in contact one way or another.

But especially I thank those who already walk this road of grief. You know what it feels like to be alone, to feel unprotected, and to learn new skills and responsibilities. You understand when I say I don’t feel like I belong anywhere anymore. You set the bar for recovery

For instance, a cousin lost his wife about the same time. This week he made a point of eating dinner out at a nice restaurant. To his surprise he found lots of people eat alone. So that is my new goal.

To sum this all up, God is sufficient and He works through people. This verse says it all.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5-All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

Prayer: Dear God of Healing Comfort, thank you for all you are and for your people who in so many small /large ways help others when they can…even in their own pain. For Christ. Amen.

Uncovered

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I can’t believe it’s a year already. No one told me the journey would be so hard or that I would feel so exposed.

Jeremiah 10:19 -Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it” (KJV).

Perhaps other widows said something but if they did, I don’t recall their words. I do however remember the look in their eyes. That should have given me a hint. We who had been loved and cherished find ourselves suddenly uncovered; that is unprotected, exposed to the world because our man is gone. Thank God for the One who is willing to take up that stance for us.

Isaiah 54:4-6a- Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.  For your Maker is your Husband—the Lord of hosts is His name—and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called. For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken, grieved in spirit, and heart sore—even a wife [wooed and won] in youth(AMP).

So my dearest Ronald…We rejoice with you as you enjoy heaven, even though our hearts continue to miss you. We strive to be the family you cared so well for, because you were always the beloved Husband, Dad and Afi we needed. You need not worry about us. God is covering for you…Love from Brenda and family.

Prayer- Thank you God that you are both Comfort and Covering for those struggling through grief. You can’t believe how grateful we are…In Christ. Amen

A Day Like No Other

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I am supposed to expect a terrible day tomorrow because Ron died a year ago on August 22nd. Apparently I am supposed to finally realize Ron is not coming back. Quite frankly, I figured that out the day he died.

The truth is that God has been excessively faithful to me for the last 364 days. I doubt that will change on day 365.

Instead of mourning, I determine to thank God for our wonderful years together. I thank God that Ron is free from pain and suffering.

I  thank God for loving family, friends ,neighbours and even strangers, who cared for me in so many ways these last months.

Heartache is love with no where to go. (Margaret Brownly-Grieving God’s Way.)

Maggots ( Under the Skin) Anyone?

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What is getting under your skin? Is it festering, continuing to wound you? Do you keep picking at the open sore, wondering why it won’t heal? You may have Myiasis.

Like Jesus, many a speaker/writer compares believers to sheep but they don’t always tell all. I guess maggots aren’t a great selling point. You see, certain types of flies are attracted to wounds in sheep, cattle, deer and even humans. They lay their eggs there, then the larvae hatch, burrow into the skin and if not treated, travel through the body, damaging organs. Sadly, they are often part of being a sheep. Still, a controlled maggot can be a great thing.

It is estimated that hospitals across the USA order in about 5,000 laboratory grown maggots every week. They are used to fight infections resulting from bed sores, leg/foot ulcers, stab wounds and even gangrene. Maggots are great because they promote faster healing and won’t likely injure healthy tissue. Of course you have to stop picking at the wound while the critters do their job. Wounds won’t heal if the blood supply is blocked.

Doesn’t that sound like a sheep issue to you? It does to me. If the blood of Jesus isn’t circulating around and through our wounds, we will not heal.

So what does our Myiasis look like? Child abuse, financial woes, annoying relatives, children sick, personal loss, you name it, if we won’t let the healing blood of Christ pour through it, it will continue to swallow us up.

Psalm 57:2-3– I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth (NKJV).

Prayer: Lord the maggot of __________still eats at me. I offer my wounds to you. Help me obey your truths so that I shall be healed. For Christ’s Sake. Amen.