Tag: Encouragement

Being Still

~ Denise ~ 4 Comments

I didn’t used to enjoy the early mornings.

In fact, my response to people about mornings was “I’m a night person”.

Something happened over the years.  Now it is the opposite.

I’m an early riser, and I enjoy it.

I enjoy the quiet time before the hustle and chaos of the day begins.

I listen to the creak of the house, and the birds beginning their morning chatter.

Sometimes I just sit and look out the window, thinking and talking to God.

Sometimes I spend time reading His Word.

Sometimes I do both.

The day is ahead of me, clamoring for my attention.   Not yet, I say.

Now I choose to enjoy the treasure.

Be still, and know that I am God.   Psalm 46:10

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Fear

~ Denise ~ 8 Comments

Some people write their blogs and have the confidence to push the blue publish button without fear.

Some don’t.

Too often, I fall into the second group.  That is probably why I write in my journal more than I write here on my blog.

Fear of rejection.  Fear of ridicule.  Fear of my own failings.

Well, I’ve been thinking about fear.

It isn’t only in writing that fear rears it’s ugly head in my life.  I really don’t like writing that.  I like to think that I am a strong person.  Writing that sentence makes me feel weak.

I’ve thought about all the different areas that fear has influenced/influences me over the course of my life.

I’ve been a people pleaser, I’ve feared confrontation, I’ve feared ridicule for what I believe in and who I am.  I’ve feared getting hurt.  Fear of the unknown, I like a plan.

Some of those fears come back to haunt me now and then.  Sigh.

That is when I try to remind/question myself, ‘what is  at the root of my particular fear’?

When I get through the layers, and face it, for me it is a lack of trust.

I’m not trusting Him.

We’ve been walking through the book of Exodus on Sunday mornings at Sandhills Community Church.  (Podcasts are available on their webpage).

I am being reminded that we/I am like the Israelites.  They too had trouble with fear.  They too had trouble with trust.

Over and over God took the Israelites, or us  to dilemmas that they, or us  don’t know the answers for to see if we will call out to Him to provide.   For me it has been in areas of family relationships, health, finances and jobs.  Some of those He repeated, I obviously needed to learn something.   As He said to the Israelites, He is saying to me:  “Do you trust Me?”

As the Israelites were afraid of the unknown then, so am I at times.

Are you facing any fears/Egyptians today?  If so, I’d like to encourage you to try what has helped me.

Recognize the fear, give it to Jesus and then you will find you are no longer afraid.  Is it always easy?  No.  Is it worth it.  Yes!  Too often it is after the dilemma that we look back and see the blessing.  That is one thing I have noticed in reading my journal.  You can go back and see the blessings.  So I would encourage you to trust, be still, so you don’t miss it.  Blessings to you gentle reader!  No fear for that “blue publish button!”  🙂

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring today.  The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:13-14

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46: 10

“The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”  Psalm 46:11

Painting a good feeling….

~ Denise ~ 20 Comments

When I was in High School I couldn’t wait until I could pick the electives I really wanted.  It wasn’t too hard to choose.  We had a three “tracks”.  College, Business, Vo-Tech.   I knew I wasn’t going to college.  Isn’t wasn’t something I ever considered.  Growing up, college was never discussed as an option.  My parent’s didn’t encourage it, in fact the Watchtower Society spoke against it, and it was considered a disfellowshipping offense.   It was assumed that I was going to get married and stay home, or possibly work outside of the home.  My sister was a secretary at an engineering consulting firm, and my parents seemed okay with that, so I figured I’d take business courses too and maybe do something like that.  (For a brief time I had secret dreams of being an airline stewardess, or actress/model to go and see places.  Oh, well I guess that isn’t a secret anymore is it.)  🙂

My electives involved various business classes, Accounting, German and my personal favorites of art classes and wood shop.  I also tried my hand in drama and music.  I looked forward to my art class every day.  When I was able to, I had art class daily, and shop class daily.   It was in the art class that I tried various mediums.  I was fascinated at the projects that my art teacher worked on.  Once she constructed a miniature house in the classroom (remember my fondness for miniatures?)  Not once did I think about going to an art school, or becoming an art teacher.    Please don’t think I’m saying that in a bitter way.  It’s just a fact.  It didn’t cross my mind.  It wasn’t an option that had ever been discussed or promoted in my home.  It was just the way it was.  At that time in my life, I accepted it.

I loved art class.  I loved to paint.  Particularly with oils and watercolors.

However, somewhere along the way I stopped painting until the end of last year.

We are talking a long hiatus.  Ahem, a real long time……over thirty  years.  Oh, my, I am getting old!  🙂

Anyway, Craig presented me with a gift certificate for watercolor classes last Christmas.

Well, let me tell you….my, how the quality of the paints and the paper changed from when I painted last!  I’ve learned new things too!  What a treat it has been to pick up a paintbrush again!   The class rekindled the creative spark that I had put on the back-burner for far too long, or had let others discourage.

So now I am painting again.

Thanks again, Honey, for the classes, and the continued encouragement!

I hope you don’t mind if I kind of “toot my own horn”, okay, I’ll say it, “brag”….. but I’ve just taken two pictures for entry in the State Fair!

Here is what they looked like before framing.

Yep, they took two of them!

That was a good feeling.

Just Some Words?

~ Denise ~ 2 Comments

Compassion –  definition of compassion:  sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it

On Thursday I drafted a post (which I’m now glad I didn’t post) about a blog that I stumbled upon around a year.  My original draft included a link to the blog; fellow bloggers like ping-backs and the recognition.  I’ve decided against naming the blog because of their recent post which was put up and then removed.

This blogger writes about their life after losing their job and returning to living with their parents.  Some posts I find down right funny.  The posts are well written.  Some posts I find sad.  I can feel the writer’s pain.  Some posts I wonder, even if there is a fictional aspect to the material, how the blogger’s parents (particularly the Mother) would feel if she read the blog.  I guess it is because I am slightly older, okay, middle age, fine, in my mid-50’s and probably close to the blogger’s mother’s age than I’d like to think about.  There have been times when I’ve wondered how would I feel if I knew my children were saying things like that about me?  I would be very hurt.  It’s like I want to know the rest of the story, why do they act the way they do?

Sometimes the way the blogger makes fun of them is well, just plain mean.  But that is just what I think at times.  I often think of the expression “hurting people, hurt people”.

I noticed last night the blogger wrote a post that their parents found out about their blog.  The blogger is trying to produce a web series and a family member posted about it.  Surprise, their parents found out about it.   Their post said it was “weird” at the house and their parents weren’t talking to them.  There were about 7 comments from people saying things like “no big deal”, “what is the harm” “it is comedy” things along those lines.  I rarely comment on that blog.  I choose to yesterday.  I could feel the pain of all of them.  I wanted to help in some way.  I prayed for the right words.  Sometimes, I’m not sure if I “hear” right or if I’m just going off in my own direction.  I finally just sent this off with a prayer:

Comedy can be funny, or it can be mean and is left up to the reader to discern.  Only you know the intentions behind your words.  Only you can explain what you meant to your parents or they are left to their own assumptions.  Talk to them and it won’t be weird anymore.  Don’t worry they will still give you lots of material.  🙂

Words spoken in anger, and hurt can not be taken back and always have consequences.  Words are powerful and accountable.

…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. – Matt. 12:14-37

I think about words that I have spoken in anger and hurt over the course of my life, and will probably be guilty of doing again. How about those thoughts, or words in my head, left unspoken, but heard by God?  Sigh.  None of us are exempt.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:8

Thankfully, there is forgiveness and peace for all who seek it.

This blogger reminds me to keep a watch over my words.

Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:23-24

Thank you Jesus for forgiving me when I need it.  Thank you Jesus for all you have done for me/us.

I pray for Him to be known, really known in that family.  I pray for them to experience His peace.   My prayer is also for whomever reads this to experience His peace.