Dried Roses

  

Psalm 74:14-16 (NIV)

 14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
       and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. 

 15 It was you who opened up springs and streams;
       you dried up the ever flowing rivers.  

16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
       you established the sun and moon. 

On a ledge at my kitchen sink is a vase of dried red roses.  These are from the basket of  flowers from my Fathers funeral.  As I am washing dishes I am reminded that even though these flowers are not alive they are still beautiful in the memories of my Father.   Once he was alive and vibrant but now he is gone to be with the Father and he is once again whole and has received his new body which is spotless from disease and pain.

When you look at what you have been given in life and how at times we wish for different things, as we become older, we acknowledge the beauty that has transformed our lives.  I can remember many things about my Father and how he loved us and how he wanted to do many things for us.  Even though he is not with me, I feel his presence at times and I know that he is where he can make a difference in my eternal life.  He always said, “I want to do so much for you, but I can’t always make your dreams come true, but I can give you advice to help you in the days ahead.  You have to decide what you want to do.” 

You know, I am constantly reminded of things that he has said to me.  Before he died he made a comment to me, “Take this religion that you have and do something with it.”  Needless to say, he knew that I had more than religion I had a relationship with God.  He would ask me questions of how I got to sleep at night when life’s problems seemed to envelope me.  I would laugh and say, “Sometimes I have to sleep with my Bible on my head.”  He thought that was rather strange, but he was listening to me.

Beth Moore made that same comment one time in a Bible study simulcast that I attended.  How she would search and search the scriptures for answers and not find what she was looking for but she would lie down and put the Bible on her head and knew that somehow she would be given the answers in God’s timing.   Even though she doesn’t live in my town or go to my church, I learn so much from her writings, her DVD’s and her ability to teach without restriction of who she is and how she came to be the person she is today.

As we begin to share with others about ourselves and we are not conformed to thinking about what they might think of us, we are able to be open, honest and truthful about who we are and how we have come to where we are now.  I have been fortunate enough to have been in church most of my life, and to remember those who have shared with me along the way.  Different people, different churches and experiences will help you to become what God has prepared you to be.  Even though I am where I’m supposed to be and doing what God has called me to do, I have to share with others who are not where I am.

My prayer for you today is that you are open enough to others about who you are and that you are not ashamed of how you got there.  Be truthful, honest and forthcoming and share the word of God with others.

 

Forgiveness

Forgiveness  

Psalm 130:3-5 (NIV)

 3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
       O Lord, who could stand?  4 But with you there is forgiveness;
       therefore you are feared.  5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
       and in his word I put my hope. 

Forgiveness, what a BIG word.  Dictionary.com defines forgiveness as:  act of forgiving; state of being forgiven.  How many times have we said we’ve forgiven someone and then we have forgotten that we have done so?  I would have to say that I do that and have done that many times.  Thank heavens, that God doesn’t remember our sins once he has forgiven us. 

As a mentor for Truthmedia.com I receive many emails from all over the world. Some are as far away as Kenya and some are as close as Raleigh, NC.  I receive requests for prayer from people who are struggling with many issues and problems, and recently I received one from a young lady who was struggling with unforgiveness towards another person in her life.  As I sat and prayed about what to say to her, I was reminded by God that at times I have not forgiven just as the Lord’s Prayer asks us to do.  So, in order to truthfully respond to her, I had to pray for myself first and then answer her prayer requests.

A wonderful thing about mentoring is that you find that you are able to share your past with others and that you are not afraid to say where you’ve been or where you are in your walk with the Lord.  You are just a person who has traveled a road sometimes that isn’t easy and sometimes that has been filled with disappointments, with broken dreams and painful experiences.  Each request is different and I find that sometimes I am ministering to someone who is in the same place that I am at that point in time.  What you realize is that you can be of help to someone else who might just need an honest answer from you in their time of need and not even know you.

In the book, The World According to Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers, there is a page on forgiveness and it says, “Forgiveness is a strange thing.  It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends.  It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love.  Like all of life’s important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root early in our lives.” 

Sometimes forgiveness doesn’t come early in our lives and we carry around stuff far too long and we’re not able to do forward with what God has intended for us.  Myself included, I have carried some junk around that needs to be buried for good.  I have to be able to stretch my wings and fly and do what God intends for me to do and be happy with where I am right now.  What I am finding is that freedom is truly in the act of forgiving and moving on.

My prayer for you is that you find forgiveness in your heart and that you are able to spread your wings and fly to the destination that God has chosen for you.Love,Paula   

 

The Broken Bridge

Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

 3 He heals the brokenhearted
       and binds up their wounds. 

Today was an incredible day.  I felt renewed from the extra hour of sleep I received from the “fall back” of time and there seemed to be something really different about me when I awoke this morning.  I had come to grips with some things last night in my prayer time and the one thing I realized was that I just wanted joy in my life.  That I didn’t need a roadmap to whatever came next but that I would be content with following the lead of the Holy Spirit.

Our church service went right along with some things that the Lord had already spoken to me about in the previous week.  It’s amazing how the Pastor and I are on the same “wavelength” with the Lord and I had already seen the triangular worship sign in the stars this week.  In a previous Beth Moore study a couple of years ago she made reference to the same thing and I had remembered that when things are in alignment with God’s timing and will for our lives that we can see the evidence of it in many ways.

In Sunday School we heard the testimony of a young lady who really has found the joy in her life.  I heard several words of affirmation from people who didn’t even know what I had been praying about, just in the conversation to each other or to me.  You see, if you are really listening for God’s voice he will send it in different ways and different avenues.  You just have to tune in to what’s being said and a lot of times you are not to be speaking.

The Lord had prompted me to get new batteries for my digital camera and that he wanted me to take photos today, where I had no clue.   I was hungry and went to Biscuitville and ran into my Mother and brother and they were to have “brunch” with my Grandmother.  In our conversations, there were words of affirmation again about certain things and unbeknownst to them.  I decided that I would shoot some photos of my Dad’s hometown, Franklinville. 

I headed over to the Andrew Hunter Bridge where in 1761 Andrew Hunter escaped from David Fanning Tory, riding Fanning’s horse, Red Doe, down Faith Rock into the river to safety.  I had been to this rock many times in the past and knew that my Dad and Mom and their friends had spent time there as young adults and that it was a favorite fishing spot for my Dad and his brother.  As I walked along the path I started shooting photos of different things, wasn’t really sure what the meaning of them was but they seemed to jump out at me from time to time.   On a tree there was a carving that said, Homeless,  I began to wonder if this was a sign from someone who really needed help and was never seen by the community.  

There was a rock that that had blood on it and a hand print and I wondered if someone had gotten hurt by slipping on the rocks or what.  That photo led me to Job 2:8, where Job scraped himself with pottery and made himself bleed from the painful sores that he had been inflicted.  It was a humbling reminder that as much as Job endured, he never lost his faith in God nor did he curse him.

There were thorns growing on a piece of wood which lead to Isaiah 7:19: “They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes.”   A reminder of the courage that Andrew Hunter must have incurred in his time of battle and uncertainty.  The leaves on this side of the water were incredibly crimson and thus sparked the verse from Isaiah 1:18:  18 “Come now, let us reason together,”
       says the LORD.
       “Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool. 

You see, I had been battling my own thoughts this week of something that happened in years past and in this trip to the Faith Rock and then to the Kermit Pell Park, I saw the message that God really had for me.  It was one of forgiveness of myself and others and that I had to let go of old stuff in order to receive the new stuff.  The best reminder was a photo of boats on the shore that if you harbor unforgiveness, then you will not reach the potential that God has destined for you.    I had seen some numbers spray painted on the Hunter bridge and it was 4:20.  If you look up 1John 4:20 this is what you’ll find:  If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” 

On the way home I stopped at a stop light on Hwy 64, many of you may know it and there stood a suit of armor at the local flea market.  I just laughed and said, “Lord you are too comical!”  He knows what it takes for me to see that I’m already covered with the armor and that I have to use it to be free in Christ.   As I started to write this devotional I took a glance at the clock and much to my surprise it said:  4:20!!  So, if you are harboring any unforgiveness towards anyone, now is the time to let it go and that includes me. 

My prayer for you today is that you find joy in God’s creations and that you see what he’s trying to tell you in your own life as well as helping others in their journey through life.            

 

Don’t Wash Your Hands

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) 10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

In recent months there has been much talk about the MRSA virus.  MRSA can be contracted the following ways:  Youths who are often cutting themselves or hurting themselves outside in playgrounds, participating in contact sports, sharing towels or athletic equipment, and living in crowded or unsanitary conditions. Outbreaks of MRSA have occurred in military training camps and in American and European prisons and healthcare workers are also at risk of contacting MRSA.  

Making sure to wash your hands often and keep personal items personal. Don’t share personal items such as towels, sheets or razors with others. MRSA spreads on contaminated objects as well as through direct contact. Keep wounds covered and clean with sterile, dry bandages until they heal.

In visiting another local church the Pastor spoke on God’s love for us and that he never washes his hands of us.  How comforting to know that we are not like a virus to him and even though we continue to make mistakes and sin, he will always love us and never wash his hands of us.  One thing that keeps us from experiencing the life that God has prepared for us is bitterness.  Letting go of bitterness will cleanse you and create a new spirit in you.

“People who do not change in the end become people without dreams, they only have the bitterness of the “what ifs” instead of the hope of “what’s next.”   “Don’t look at what you have lost in some areas of your life, look at what you have with God” was another statement that was made in this Pastor’s sermon and one that truly stuck in my heart and mind.  Sometimes we dwell on the things that we don’t have only to see that we have all that we need at that time in life.

Sometimes when things don’t go our way, we are apt to “wash our hands” of certain situations or certain people.  What God wants from us is the ability to sympathize with others and to have empathy for other people.  We have to place ourselves in their situations or circumstances and see past what doesn’t work for us.  When you are willing to stay in that place for a longer period of time and to see what God is trying to teach you as well as the other person, then you have learned a valuable lesson and sometimes have gained a friend or friends for life. 

Even though we all have times of being tested, there are those who are willing to stand in the gap and pray for you or they are willing to just be your shoulder to cry on or to let it all out without making any suggestions of what to do.  Sometimes all we need is another ear for listening and the time to get things off our chest.  Once you have released, then it’s time to move on.

God’s timing is so perfect in any situation.  We will never understand why things happen the way they do.  All we can do is trust and believe that he can see the bigger picture and that we can’t.  Many times I have tried to make things happen that really were not my place to make happen or I have decided to just let go when God really wanted me to stick in the game and hold on for the prize.  I don’t always have the discernment for which is right, but I know that somehow he will show me the way.

My prayer for you today is that you continue to pray for others, that you continue to love without regrets and that you don’t wash your hands of certain things, but that sometimes you have to wash some feet to show the love of Jesus.

 

Good Enough

Deuteronomy 1:6 (NIV) 6 The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.  

How many times in our lives have we thought or said, “Am I good enough?”  We ponder the idea that we are not good enough for other people, we aren’t good enough at the sports we enjoy, we aren’t good enough friends, we aren’t good at sharing our feelings, we aren’t good at the jobs we do or we aren’t good enough at being a Christian.  I used to struggle in the area where I thought I wasn’t good enough at anything and that even if I was the President of the United States it wouldn’t be enough for my Father.   

You see, we put stipulations on ourselves that others never put on us.  My Father loved me for exactly who I was, and so does my heavenly Father.  As the week has passed and my Father has gone to heaven, I have received some marvelous explanations of many things from the Lord and I know that my Dad has been there with him and they are answers to questions that I had pondered for many years.  What I have found is that the Lord doesn’t always put stipulations on us, we do that to ourselves.  He just wants us to do the best we can……and that is all that he asks. 

I am somewhat of a perfectionist.  I like things in a certain order or certain way and I am somewhat of a neat freak at times.  I have had to learn that I can’t always have things the way I would like them and that my cleaning tendencies have to be put aside at times when you are dealing with small children.  In my new profession of Kindergarten Assistant, you can’t have neatness all the time because they haven’t mastered the art of cleanliness.  To a 5 or 6 year old, cleanliness is throwing toys wherever they can find in order to get to the next center.  Sometimes I have to go behind them and reorganize, but I do that because I love those children.   

You see, our Father goes ahead and behind us many times in order to love us and that we are able to get to the next center or event in life.  We don’t always have to be good enough or that things need to be perfect, since we will never be perfect.   I have strived most of my life to be the best I can be, but find that at this point in life I am just enjoying the ride and not placing any perfection qualities on myself and that I can “be” in the moment. 

A friend recently told me that we just have to “BE” and keep ourselves going.  That friend is one who has been there many times in my life.  I can call day or night and they may not have all the answers but they are willing to listen and to help comfort me in my times of trial or even to share in my happiness.  Sometimes I talk so much that I have put them to sleep on the phone.  You see, God places people together for many reasons.  We don’t always understand why some things don’t work out like we might want them to, but God knows exactly what we need and who we need.   Sometimes those friends are the ones who know us for who we are and we are good enough just by being ourselves.  Those friends love us unconditionally without judgment of our past or present.  (Much love to you…..FWC) 

My prayer for you today is that you know that you are good enough.  You are God’s child and that he loves you and that you just keep believing in something that you may not see but know that God’s sees you. 

 

Forgiveness

Psalm 130:3-5 (New International Version)

 3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
       O Lord, who could stand?  4 But with you there is forgiveness;
       therefore you are feared.  5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
       and in his word I put my hope.

Dictionary.com defines forgiveness as:  disposition or willingness to forgive.  Forgiving others is so hard at times, but if you are willing to do so, then you are free indeed to live the life that you have been chosen for.

Creflo Dollar states in a recent broadcast the following:  “Forgiveness is not for sale, it’s free.  God forgave you first then you changed.  Forgiveness helps to change people.  You don’t need anybody to treat you a certain way to feel better.  It’s when it doesn’t matter what they do to you, that you are still free inside.”

What I find is that when I am willing to forgive another person, then I am the one who doesn’t have to carry a burden that isn’t mine to carry.  I also find that by releasing the person from whatever hurt has occurred that I am the one who has done the right thing in God’s eyes.  It’s just easier to forgive and forget than to continue to bring up something that doesn’t make any difference in your life right now.

  Matthew 18:34-35 (New International Version)

34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Emotional healing is a process.  Sometimes hurting people hurt other people.  Forgiving is an act of faith.  It requires you to make a decision to do something and not based on your feelings.  We can’t wait on inspirational forgiveness, we have to act ourselves.

My prayer for you today is the you forgive those who have wronged you or hurt you and that you begin to live in the freedom that Christ has given you by his forgiveness of our sins.