Broken Bones

Have you ever broken a bone?

Have I ever broken my bones? Yes, not as a child. I was 55 when broke my bones. It was a direct result of me being stupid. There’s just no other reason.

I was bringing groceries into the house. I was sultry hot. And I wanted to be in the house where it was cool. I thought I could manage bringing in two many bags in for my last trip. As I was doing so, I managed to miss a step on my cement stairs as my ankle slammed against the cement I heard a crack.

I called a friend to take me to the hospital. The X-ray showed not only had I broken my ankle, but my foot in two places.

Evil Is A Parasite

Every sin is simply something good being misused. Food is for our good and we are to eat, gluttony is the misuse of what was meant to be good. Sex is a gift from God provided as both a means to create unity between husband and wife as well as for procreation. Yet we see what it has become -a complete perversion of God’s intent.

Wickedness, when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way.

C.S. Lewis wrote:

“You can be good for the mere sake of goodness: you cannot be bad for the mere sake of badness. You can do a kind action when you are not feeling kind and when it gives you no pleasure, simply because kindness is right; but no one ever did a cruel action simply because cruelty is wrong -only because cruelty was pleasant or useful to him. In other words badness cannot succeed even in being bad in the same way in which goodness is good. Goodness is, so to speak, itself; badness is only spoiled goodness.”

Dr Snyder emphasized that “Evil, is a parasite, not an original thing.” The directness of that statement can be startling, but it most certainly nails down the nature of evilness.

“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst. Of all created beings the wickedness is one who originally stood in the immediate presence of God” – C.S. Lewis

Satan is not the opposite of God in his nature. He is not the evil god but merely a created being who once belonged to the heavenly realm. He threw away that glory and attempted to become glorious himself. He failed miserably. By transforming himself into the most wicked of all created things.

Out calling of God on our lives and His expectations for how we are to live can be read in Galatians 5: 13-17

“For you, brothers and sisters were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh but through love be servants to one another. For the who,e law is fulfilled in one word, in this: ‘You shall live your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things you desire.”

Balancing Life

How do you balance work and home life?

Although I do not work outside of the home, there are six pillars to having a balanced life. If we can make choices and adapt practices to help us achieve a balanced life.

    To have a balanced life we have to work to have to have an emotional, physical, financial, social, intellectual, and spiritual balance. When we work on these areas in life it leads to a happier life.

    Defeating The Giants In Your Life

    1 Samuel 17 tells us about David and Goliath. The KJV Bible tells us Goliath was over nine feet tall. According to historical research Goliath‘s helmet weighed 66 pounds, and his breastplate approximately 175 pounds. Without question, Goliath was a fierce-looking, trash-talking, massive killing machine to struck terror in the hearts of his opponents.e

    The giant in our lives sometimes feel like we are burdened with all that weight. Living paycheck to paycheck. Or having a loved one addicted to drugs or alcohol. An unfaithful spouse can all take a toll on us. Whatever the giant you are facing there is a way to unload the burden.

    What was David’s first response when he saw Goliath and heart Goliath insult Israel and their great God, Jehovah? Believe it or not he ran out of fear along with the rest of the soldiers. But something happened to change David’s mind, he had a defining moment based on some information and some motivation.

    1 Samuel 17:25 says,

    And the men of Israel said, have you seen this man that who has come up? He surely come up to defy Israel. The King will give great riches to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel. For this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

    David discovered that the person who killed Goliath would be given three things:

    First, not just riches but “great riches.’

    Second, he would be given the hand of the King’s beautiful daughter in marriage making him a member of the King’s family, and giving entrance into the king’s court.

    Third his father and family would have their homes free from payment and taxes.

    Learning of his reward, David finally received the right motivation. What is your right motivation?

    Here are a few keys to defeating the giants in your life:

    • Show up for the battle ready to fight.

    Sometimes you don’t get to pick the place or the time, but you must always be ready for the fight. Sometimes you must take the fight to the giant.

    There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “It is better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in the war.”

    1 Samual 17:34-35 says,

    “David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a look lion and a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him and killed him.”

    David didn’t just say defeat the lion and the bear. The scripture says that David went after them when they stole what belonged to him.

    You have to expect the return of what belongs to you plus restitution.

    There are times in life when the enemy takes what belongs to you. He will steal your income, your home, a family member, your time, and or your health.

    You must be aggressive in going after what the enemy has taken.

    Proverbs 6:31 says,

    “For if found he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.”

    You must be ready for battle in season and out of season.

    2 Timothy 4:2 says,

    “Proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.”

    You will never win a battle you don’t show up for.

    • Don’t run from the battle.

    Ignoring a problem will never make it go away or lessen the intensity of the battle you’re facing.

    Running in the midst of a firefight with the devil with either make you a prisoner of a casualty but never a victor.

    If someone or something is causing you a problem it’s better to face the consequences.

    When you’re in the midst of a battle and someone yells “incoming” it is important to know who’s in the foxhole with you.

    You don’t have to run from every battle because you always know who’s with you in your foxhole and in every adversity you’ll ever face.

    Psalm118:6 says,

    “God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid, who would dare lay a hand on me.” (Message Bible)

    • Don’t be afraid

    If you’re facing difficulties in a seemingly impossible financial or other attacks of the enemy, you can take comfort and know that God is in your foxhole. He is with you no matter where or what kind of battle you’re facing.

    With God on your side there is no reason to fear or ever doubt the outcome of the battle.

    Zephaniah 3:15 says,

    “The Lord has taken away your judgments. He has thrown it your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord is among you. You will not be afraid of evil any more.”

    Forty-four times in the King James Version of the Bible we are told to “not be afraid,”

    There are four key verses of the forty-four,

    2 Kings 1:15, “be not afraid of him.”

    Deuteronomy 20:1. “Be not afraid for the Lord thy God is with thee”

    2 Chronicles 20:15, Do not be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

    Mark 5:36, “Be not afraid only believe.”

    With God on our side, we have no reason to be afraid.

    Hebrews 13:6 says

    “So that with good courage we say. “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?“

    Even though God should only have to tell us something once, sometimes we have to be reminded when we’re facing the Goliath of doubt and fear.

    • Don’t worry about what other people may think.

    No one else can fight your battles. No one else can take your place on judgment day. You and you alone are accountable for what you do or don’t do.

    Other people may face a shortage of money opportunities, courage and wisdom but there is one area where they never experience a shortage and that’s opinions of what you should and shouldn’t do.

    1 Samuel 17:28-30 says,

    Eliab his oldest brother beard when he spoke to the men, and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, ‘Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart, for you have come down that you might see the battle.’ David said, ‘What have I now done? is there not a cause? He turned away from him toward another and spoke like that again and the people answered him again the same way.”

    Why do some co-workers talk about you behind your back? Why do some of your friends or even family members get angry at your initiative and desire for a better quality of life?

    Your success becomes a reflection of their lack of success,

    Eliab was upset because neither he nor his brothers nor any of the soldiers in the army of Israel were willing to stand up to Goliath.

    Sadly, some people instead if fessing up to their lack of success seek to minimize who you are, and what you do or are capable of doing, so it will not reflect poorly on them.

    It’s important to understand other people’s motivation for the hurtful things they may say but it’s critically important that you never allow their opinion of you to determine what you do or don’t do.

    The attitudes and actions of others may not be so much as to what you’re doing as to what they are not doing.

    Colossians 3:23 the Amplified Bible says

    “Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), (as something done) as for the Lord, and not for men.”

    It’s not important what others think but what God thinks about what you are doing.

    • You choose the weapons

    There are three things you should know when it comes to choosing your weapons.

    First, get rid of anything that doesn’t work for you. Eliminate anything that can be a weakness or that will restrict your movement and possibilities of success.

    1 Samuel 17:38-40 says,

    Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. David said to Saul ‘I can’t go with these, I have not tested them.” Then David took them off. He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag which he had. His s, ing was in his hand, and he came near to the Philistine,

    King Saul’s armor didn’t weigh as much as Goliath’s it’s generally agreed by historians that his armor weighed between one and two hundred pounds. That’s a heavy unmanageable load.

    Remember that just because somebody else does something it may not work the same way for you.

    Second, find something that will work for you. Play your strengths.

    David took off the armor that Saul put on him and picked up his shepherd’s stick. He went out to a stream picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.

    David’s weapons of choice wouldn’t work for anyone but him, but that’s okay because he was the only one headed to the field for battle.

    Third, you have weapons that can defeat every enemy.

    2 Corinthians 10;4 says,

    For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds.

    You have weapons at your disposal which are undetectable in every battle you will ever face.

    2 Corinthians 10:3-6 in the Amplified Bible gives a clear picture of your arsenal and the purpose of your warfare.

    “The world in unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there. The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way -never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”

    • Understand the rewards of winning

    Never make any mistake, the battles that’s your facing is for territory for the rewards that God had promised you.

    David discovered that the person who killed Goliath would be given three things:

    The warrior who defeated Goliath will receive “great riches.”

    God has a benefit delivery system designed for every person who ever drew a breath on earth. He desires for you to be rich that’s why He gave you the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

    Make no mistake the enemy wants you broke, busted and disgusted.

    Once you realize who’s fighting against you and the weapons available to you then you can begin an active pursuit of the prosperity God has for you. And that would Him more pleasure than you realizing and manifesting what He intended for you to have (Psalm 35:27).

    The warrior who defeated Goliath would receive the hand of the King’s beautiful daughter in marriage.

    If you want to be with a person of your dreams it takes money. Some would say they are not marrying for money. I’m marrying for love.

    But if you’re having to work two jobs just to make ends meet, you are never going to have time to spend with them, to know your depth of character.

    If you’re successful in the adversities of life, then it will be much easier for you to meet, greet, treat, the person of your dreams.

    The warrior who defeated Goliath would have their debt erased in full.

    The enemy wants to keep you to your eyeballs in debt strung out by payments and with little, if any hope of ever being debt free. The enemy want you to believe that where you are in life right now is where you’re going to stay. That’s not true.

    The world says, “to the victor go the spoils.” When you let God help you, when you’re obedient to His Word, then your dreams of being debt free will come true.

    Isaiah 1:19 says,

    “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the fruit of the land.”

    • Do something with what’s in your hand

    Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

    You should always start where you are with what you’ve got at the moment.

    David chose five smooth stones, he didn’t choose someone else’s weapon he chose what he knew would work for him. David activated what he knew would empower him.

    2 Timothy 1:14 says,

    “That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.“

    In every battle you face being empowered by the Holy Spirit will guarantee your victory and your ability to defeat every giant of lack, debt, sickness, despair and doubt.

    Receiving God’s Grace

    God’s grace can only be received through faith. “For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not by works, that no one would boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

    Grace is not something we can earn. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus that makes God’s grace and mercy available to us. He is the means that we are justified by God because “God sent Jesus to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in His blood and for a demonstration of His righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance” (Romans 3:25). Jesus laid down His life for us.

    Surrendering to Him receiving and experiencing His grace fully with our thoughts, actions, and feelings will make a way for His Holy Spirit to come into our lives. When we enter a relationship with Jesus, His grace will manifest itself in many ways. 2 Corinthians 5;17 tells us,

    “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, all new things have become new.“

    We don’t have to be perfect when we come to Jesus because He will teach you to leave behind sexual immoral, impurity, idolatry, sorcery, strife, jealousy, anger, envy, and everything else. I was a complete mess when I came to Jesus and He began taking sins away from me as I drew closer to Him. And He gave me love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. Self-control. (Galatians 5:19-23) I couldn’t have gotten rid those things on my own.

    We cannot rely on our own strength, but when we worship by the Spirit and glory in Him and put no confidence in our flesh we can overcome all of our sins. And we will have no reason to boast in our own righteousness, holiness and achievements, because God’s grace is at work for us. That makes us new creatures, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” The more we put our trust in God, the more His grace overflows in us, “He gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

    God’s Grace Is Sufficient

    God’s grace is always sufficient. We see an example of this in Paul’s life. God allowed a certain torment (a thorn in his flesh) to ensure that he did not become proud. The Bible doesn’t say what ailment he had, and some theorists say it could have been migraine headaches. Paul was even pleased in these difficult circumstances because they revealed God’s strength through his own weakness. When we are weak and rely on the Lord, His grace will overflow in us.

    However, it is possible to abuse God’s grace, we are warned of this in 2 Corinthians 6:1,

    “Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.“

    God’s grace is a wonderful gift that should be received with gratitude and servitude. We can only do this by leaving behind our own selfish and sinful desires. We need to live according to a new rule of life, by the Spirit of God who wants to dwell in us and teach us love, peace, humility, and kindness. We should not resist quench or grieve the Spirit of God (Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30+31, Acts 7:51, Mark 3:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

    Paul overwhelmingly experienced God’s grace. He wrote in 1 Timothy 1:14,

    “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.“

    That same grace is available to us and we can give us a wonderful life filled with faith and love. That will make you in the. An instrument of God’s grace for others. Titus 2:11-14 says,

    “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that denying in godliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.”

    God Will Make A Way

    God will make a way where there seems to be no way. God’s specialty seems to show when we are in tough situations. But sometimes people don’t pay attention.

    But He never stops working on our behalf even when can’t see it. He has a plan and purpose in whatever we walk through. He can cut a clear pathway through anything.

    In seemingly hopeless situations where we cannot see a way out, God’s power has the opportunity to shine the greatest. It’s in those times we need to come to the end of ourselves, where we know we can’t depend on our own abilities, on anything we have, or anyone we know, but instead, be reminded that we are totally and reliant on Him -it’s those times that He is the most powerful at all.

    Scripture tells us He will make a way through the wilderness and cause streams to rise up, bringing refreshing even in the desert times (Isaiah 43:19).

    He can split the sea, move mountains, of any barrier before us, and allow us to walk through on dry ground (Mark 11:22-23).

    He can conquer any giant, and bring victory to His children (1 Samuel 17:1-11),

    He can close the mouths of lions providing safety (Daniel 6:22).

    He can open prison doors, setting us free (Isaiah 61:1).

    He can protect us from the flames of adversity (Isaiah 41:10).

    Be can carry us through any storm (Isaiah 43:2).

    God is a God of miracles. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Psalm 77:14; Hebrews 13:8).

    Sacrifices Have I made

    What sacrifices have you made in life?

    As a mother I have sacrificed many things I gave up my independence and freedom to raise 2 children. I have sacrificed time, sleeping, food, traveling, and money. I sacrificed many things to become a mother. But because of these sacrifices, I have become a more round-minded and happy person.

    I am proud that I took the time to raise my children to become well-rounded people. adults who have become successful, happy, having compassion for others during their struggles.

    I believe that if or when a women becomes to have a child, that its her responsibility to raise those children first and pitting your needs and wants on the back burner and raising children who will be able to function and strive in this world.

    Choosing to stay at home with my children was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, I was able to see their first steps, their first words. I very rarely missed milestones.

    Or course the never-ending cooking, cleaning poopy diapers, errands, and appointments. And feeling underappreciated many times. But I wouldn’t change my life for anything.

    A Mother’s love is unlike any other, it is often said that it is the purest love and most selfless form of love. A mother’s love is the foundation that shapes and guides her children into the people they will become.

    The Oldest Thing

    What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today?

    The oldest thing I wear every day is a cross necklace that was my aunt’s..

    Celebrating The Holy Spirit

    Pentecost

    Today the day of Pentecost marks fifty days since Easter (Resurrection Sunday) and brings the season to an end. Christians recall how God’s Holy Spirit was given to the disciples, empowering them to begin the work of making disciples of all nations. The beginning of the New Testament Christan church.

    In Israel it is also the feast of first fruits called “Shavuot.”

    Jesus had promised his followers that, although they would not see Him after His ascension, they would receive the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire them.

    The Book of Acts describes how the crowds gathered in Jerusalem when the disciples came out of the upper room speaking many different languages and they were able to hear the disciples preaching in their own language.

    “Now when the day of Shavuot had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” -Acts:1-2 (Messianic).

    The color often associated with Pentecost is red, representing the tongues of the Apostles when they began speaking.

    It’s focus being on God’s Spirit being poured out on believers, Pentecost is one of the most popular days for baptism and confirmations.

    Holy Spirit, we ask for your gifts be poured upon us. Empower us with your grace and use our lives for your glory. -Amen

    When You’ve Hit Rock Bottom

    Rock bottom will teach you lessons the mountain tops never will

    Most of us will hit our own rock bottom at some point in life. Whether it’s an illness, the death of a loved one, becoming unemployed with zero savings, a divorce, losing a house, or a horrible accident that changes your daily life. And what we learn about who we are and all that we are made id begins in our pit of despair.

    These times when we have lost hope or lost everything that brought us a sense of security or happiness are not only when we learn the most, we actually become so much more than who we were before.

    These experiences help us gain experience and wisdom like nothing else ever could. Rock bottom becomes the solid foundation on which we can rebuild our lives. These are the definable moments that can change our lives for the better.

    What can we learn in these moments? Here are a few things I have learned through my own descent to rock bottom:

    1. I realized how grateful I felt for everything in my life even the small innocuous things. Hitting rock bottom changed my perception of everything and everyone around me. I became more compassionate and accepting of people and where they were on their journey.

    2, When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. Rock Bottom takes us out of our comfort zone, so we become more open to all things we were afraid of doing before.

    3, You discover who your real friends are. When you have nothing to give or you’ve been treated down and battered, the people who show up are your real friends. You will find that people that you expected to be there, weren’t and the people you never thought would be there for you, were in a genuine way.

    4. You learn how to really love yourself and that you are here for a reason. You learn your value and appreciate all that you have overcome. And you refuse to lose sight of your self-worth.

    5. You are forced to look at everything that led up to your rock bottom and where you may have contributed to where you are. You develop radical accountability and responsibility for yourself and take complete ownership of your role in what happened, and in your life moving forward.

    6. How you respond to what is happening is so much more important than what is actually happening. There are so many things that happen outside of our control. What defines our character is how we deal with it and what we do with the hand we have been given.

    7. You realize just how resourceful you are. When things become crazy and your life is in shambles, you literally dig deeper into your soul and are willing to give things everything you’ve got. You begin to think outside the box. And refuse to give up.

    8. Sometimes we have to completely fall apart so that we can rebuild ourselves into something better. I sometimes think of a butterfly emerging from their little cocoon. Just when they thought their world as they knew it was ending, they became a butterfly. Everything that is happening right now is what needs to happen to catapult you into a better place.

    Leader Or Follower

    Are you a leader or a follower?

    I am neither a leader nor a follower. I don’t want to follow because I am very opinionated. I don’t want to be part of a team because I would rather work twice as hard by myself than count on others to help me do it. I also don’t think I am a leader because I like to stay to myself. Maybe it’s born out of a great deal of disappointment when I have to trust people.

    I feel best when I’m alone, but I do enjoy interacting socially. Being an empath, social settings can take a lot of energy. I need prolonged time by myself to recharge. It’s trusting a team or trusting a leader where my conflict begins. I don’t want to be part of either one.

    Fruits And Personalities

    List your top 5 favorite fruits.

    Your personality can be linked to your favorite fruit. Your personality has a direct influence on your test buds, but the reverse is also true.

    Science says that your favorite fruits can help identify your personality traits.

    My favorite top 5 fruits are:

    Coconut – I tend to be stubborn, quick witted and alert and I need a partner with brains.

    Mango – I am endowed with my own visions and views, I tend to be a “hard but to crack.” I am lead by my own observations and my analytical thinking.

    Pineapple – I am quick to decide and even quicker to act. I tend to be undaunted by any task as hand, and am reliant, sincere and honest with my dealing with others.

    Peach – I enjoy life and I’m frank and outspoken with my friends. I am quick to forgive.

    Watermelon -I am laid back, friendly and love spending time outdoors.