Stop Comparing

I was reading The Writer’s Devotional by Amy Peters when I came across an interesting quote. Mikhail Baryshnikov, a Russian dancer said “I do not dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” Baryshnikov meant this in terms of dancing. Peters intended the quote in terms of writing, but I think that this quote can be applied in terms of Christianity as well.

How many times do we not achieve the greatness that God has intended for us because we are too busy trying to dance like someone, trying to write like someone else, or even trying to believe like someone else? We cannot fully do what God is calling us to do, if we are trying to do it the way someone else does. 1 Corinthians 12 clearly paints a picture of this. This passage explains that each body part, such as the hand, foot, and eye, has a different function, but each part is just as important. The same is true for us. We were each designed differently to fulfill a specific purpose that only we can fill. My purpose is not the same as your purpose, but our purposes are equally important in God’s eyes. If we waste our time trying to compare ourselves to others we will not be able to fulfill what God is calling us to do.

“I do not dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” Mikhail Baryshnikov. I encourage you to take in the words of this quote. Do not try to dance better than someone else. Do not try to be better than someone else. Only live up to the standards that God has set for your own life.

Jesus intercedes for us

Hebrews 7:25

On facebook I found a quote that spoke volumes. “If you could hear Jesus praying for you in the room next door you would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference he is praying for you.”

This got me thinking…. How much time do I waste worrying about things I do not need to be worried about? To think that Jesus loves me, so much he is praying for all of my needs. He is praying for all of your needs as well. When I think of Jesus’s love for me and how he is praying for me, I know that there is nothing that I need to fear and that there is nothing for you to fear. 

Next time you are worried or afraid. Take a moment and imagine Jesus praying for you. Let this truth sink in, until you know beyond a doubt that you have nothing to fear.

Family Traditions

Family traditions are a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

My husband and I have a couple of holiday traditions that we started while we were dating. Now that it is our first Christmas together as a married couple, we hope to continue these traditions. When we have children, we hope that we can take part in these traditions as a family, and maybe add a few more traditions.

One of the things my husband and I do is bake Christmas cookies and candy. I don’t know about you, but holiday cookies and candies always put me in the mood for the holiday.

The other tradition is to go to the Festival of the Lights in Natchitoches, Louisiana. We always have so much fun! The river bank is decorated with Christmas Lights. The experience is complete with quaint shops, fireworks, Christmas music, and horse drawn carriage rides. If you are in the Louisiana area and haven’t gone I recommend it.

What are some of the holiday traditions that you and your family look forward to?

God's Beauty

God’s beauty can be found everywhere. You can find it in a smile, a sunset, an abandoned house, a misty fog, a stormy rainfall, or a tiny leaflet. Life often becomes hectic and fast paced. It becomes a hurried race to a finish line not worth running towards, because we do not take a moment to enjoy. We do not take a moment to notice the intricate delicacies that God has put into our path. Where do you find your intricate delicacies? I find mine in a butterfly freely floating ahead. I find it in the rustic fall. I find it in the galloping horses that are next door to my house. Take a moment. Pause. Breathe in the beauty God has put into your path.

Breath of God

The rustling of fall

Beacons me

Much like your spirit

Inviting me to enter in

 

Fragments of the light glisten

Onto the leaves

Transferring its warmth

Onto the lake

 

You reveal your beauty to me

In this place

With one breath

I breathe you in

 

The wind pushes the leaves

I watch

As they glide steadily

Into the lake

 

Nature coos

Calling my heart to listen

With each beat

It listens

Feeling your spirit

Touch  my skin

I am thankful...

With Thanksgiving being around the corner, I decided to make a list of the things I am thankful for. I try to do this every day, because it helps me to keep things in prespective. It is a constant reminder of God’s love for me and helps me to be appreciative for all of the blessings in my life. I suggest you make a list of your own.

I am thankful for…

1)My husband. He is a wonderful and I am very greatful that God put him in my life.

2) My parents. They are always there for me, and I am very appreciative that I have them in my life.

3) My siblings. Sometimes they drive me crazy, but I couldn’t ask for a better brother or sister.

4) All of my baby cousins. Those little munchkins brighten up my day.

5) God’s constant and unfailing love

6) God’s grace

7) God’s provisions in my life. I have everything I need.

8) My friends. God has blessed me with awesome friends.

9) My in-laws. God has blessed me with awesome in-laws

10) My church. I am blessed to be under the spiritual leadership of such a great church.

11) God’s presence in my life.

The Lamp

I recently watched the movie The Lamp on Netflix with my mom. We both really enjoyed the movie. It was a moving story with a powerful message.

In the movie Stanley and his wife Lisa lose their son to a tragic accident. The death of his son causes Stanley to distance himself from everyone and causes Stanley and Lisa’s marriage to suffer. Lisa is given an oil lamp as a gift. A man appears from the lamp, and tells Lisa and Stanley that he will grant them any three wishes they want. The wish just can’t be anything that they can accomplish on their own, and it can’t be to bring someone back from the dead.

 

This is an excellent movie to watch if you have ever lost a loved one or if you have ever given up hope. It has the message that sometimes all you really have to do is believe. If you watch this movie I recommend you have Kleenex on hand

domestic violence awareness month

This month is October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Since there are many myths associated with domestic violence I decided to write to dispel some of those myths.

Here are some of these myths:

1)      Domestic Violence is uncommon. The truth is domestic violence is common. One in every three women will be abused by her partner at some point in her life.

2)      Only poor women are affected by domestic violence. The truth is domestic violence does not discriminate.  Rich people are affected by domestic violence, just as much as poor; they just may have more resources available than poor people. Also people of all races, ethnic groups, ages, sex, cultural group and religions can be affected by domestic violence.

3)      The woman causes the abuse. There is nothing that one person can do to cause another person to hit them.

4)      Domestic Violence is caused by stress, a mental illness, or drug abuse.  These things can cause violence to escalade, but they do not cause the violence. Many batterers use these things as an excuse to harm their partner, but abuse is  a choice

5)      Children are not affected by domestic violence.  40- 60 percent of batterers also abuse their children. Even if they do not hit their children, the children are still affected by the abuse. Many children who witness their mothers being abused suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares.

6)      IF the abuse were bad the woman would just leave.  Many times if a woman leaves she is putting herself in harm’s way. 75 percent of women who are killed by their partners are killed after they left or when they are in the process of leaving.

7)      If someone was a batterer you could tell by looking at them. There is no “type of person” who is a batterer. Batterers can come from all races, religious backgrounds, and economic statuses. Often many abusers are not abusers in other relationships, so they may appear like a nice person.

8)      Victims of domestic violence are weak people. This is not true. Often times abusers use control and manipulation to bring their victim’s self-esteem down. The process can be so subtle that the victim is unaware of the mental abuse is leading up to physical abuse.

Source www.domesticviolence.org

www.domesticabuseshelter.org

God's promises

I have been taking a bible study about God's promises and how his promises are always true.  I want to write a little about these promises as it is helping me to study them. God is an honest and truthful God. Unlike some people you may know if he says that he is going to do something you can count on him to do it.

1.)    God is always with us, so we do not need to fear. Deuteronomy 31:16 God is with us through all things. This means that we do not need to be afraid of anything. Fear is such a massive problem bible talks about it almost 1,000 times. The word fear is used in the bible 441 times. The word afraid is used 167 times. The word tremble is used 101 times, the word terror or terrified is used 121 times. God and fear can not coexist. If we are living in fear we are not wholeheartedly trusting God. We are saying "God is with me and he can protect me in all things except this...When you remember that God promised to always be with you will not be fearful. You will trust that God is with you through all situations and trials. "Fear must be replaced by trust. Fear looks at the real or imaginary thing that is provoking those feelings. Trust deliberately looks to God, concentrates on God's word, knows the promises God has provided, and applies them to every situation." James McDonald.

2.)    God is always in control, so we do not need to be in doubt. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.” Trust in God and doubt can never coexist. If you focus on God’s sovereignty and control over every situation doubt will disappear. When you are going through a tough situation, always thank God that he is in control. This will allow your doubt to lesson,

3.)    God is always good, so we do not need to despair. “Despair is not a reality, but to every person who is there they think it is a reality.” James McDonald. Sometimes it feels like life is spinning out of control. When despair comes, it feels like life is spinning out of control and it will never get better. It makes us feel like things are hopeless. However, God has a plan for our lives. Regardless, of how terrible things may appear on the surface God will always use the terrible for good. “God is working all things together for the good of those who are who are called for his purpose.” Romans 8:28. God has a plan for all of us, He is a good God and he has a great plan for our lives. “For I know what plans I have for you declares the lord Plans for wholeness and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

4.)    God is always watching, so we will not falter. When you falter in your Christian life you have moved away from God and are not walking in faith. According to the Merriam dictionary to falter is to walk unsteadily, to give way, to move waveringly or hesitatingly.” In the Christian faith faltering is a severe form of fear, doubt, or despair. When you falter you are extremely overwhelmed by a problem or situation that may take weeks to improve. The good news is that even if we begin to falter we will never stay in this state. God has redeemed us and he will always bring us back to him. God is always watching over every part of our lives. He knows when our faith is beginning to falter. He knows all of our trials. He will always pull us through all of our times of falter. God is faithful and will never allow us to go through any trial or temptation that we can no handle.

5.)    God is victorious, so he will never allow us to fail. Sometimes it feels like our trials are, so difficult that we will not be able to overcome them, but God will not allow us to fail. Jesus did not promise to take away our problems, but he did promise that he would get us through. We are victorious in Jesus Christ.

Source

Always True God’s Promises When Life is Hard. By James McDonald 2011
 

True Beauty: A Study of The Proverbs 31 Woman

Today there is so much pressure for women to beautiful. The media bombards us with a clear definition of beauty and gives us the impression that to be beautiful we have to have right hairstyles, clothes, and makeup. Looking at the media you would think that beauty is synonymous with perfection. Celebrities are pressured to be beautiful and if they go out in public with the wrong hairstyles, clothes or makeup they get criticize for their poor choice and how ugly they look. Society defines beauty as one thing, but God defines beauty as another. You don’t have to have the right clothes, makeup, or hairstyle to be beautiful in God’s eyes. What does God define as beauty?

Proverbs 31 paints a picture of what God defines as beautiful. According to Proverbs 31:10 “a good woman is hard to find and worth far more than diamonds.”

The woman in Proverbs 31 is trustworthy and “never spiteful.” “She is also hardworking.  “She gets up before dawn preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. First thing in the morning she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth in her work and is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. Not only is the Proverbs 31 woman hard working but she has a positive attitude about the tasks of her day. She knows the work that God has for her and she doesn’t gripe about  these tasks or complain about how she would rather be doing something else.  

The bigger your heart is the more beautiful you are within your soul. The proverbs 31 woman has a big heart. She “is quick to assist anyone in need and helps the poor.”

A Proverbs 31 woman knows the effects of her words and chooses them wisely. “When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say and she says it kindly.” The woman in the proverb is also family oriented in that focuses on respected her husband and rearing her children in a godly manner.

The Proverbs 31 woman is trustworthy, hardworking, kind, and generous. Isn’t that much different than societies definition of beauty?

 

                                                                                                                                                         

My Bucket List

This week I decided to write my bucket list. A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die.

Here goes…

1.)    Go on a mission trip maybe to Guatemala.

2.)    Become a published writer

3.)    Get my business started

4.)    Own my own home

5.)    Have a pet horse or pig

6.)    Go horse back riding

7.)    Go canoeing

8.)    Go on a hot air balloon

9.)    Go white water rafting

10.) Own a boat

11.) Go camping

12.) Go crabbing

13.) Start my own ministry for teens. Be a teen mentor

14.) Dye my hair with pink highlights

15.) Go to England, Ireland, Italy, and Greece

16.) Go on  a trip around United States

17.) GO back to Arizona

18.) Go to California

19.) Learn to play  the guitar

20.) Make a major difference in someone’s life

21.) Have 3 children

22.) Go to Disney

23.) Find more volunteering opportunities

24.) Learn to sew

25.) Visit New York

26.) Go back to Tennessee

27.) See the Northern Lights

28.) Learn to grow plants

29.) Eat exotic food

30.) Write for a magazine

31.) Teach a bible study

32.) Learn to knit

33.) Get my black belt in karate

34.) Take a dancing class

35.) Take a writing class

36.) Play gulf

37.) Ride in an airplane

38.) Learn to surf

39.) Go skiing

40.) Build a snowman

41.) See the pyramids

42.) Build a sand castle

43.) Go to Scotland

44.) Go to Israel

45.) Go on a cruise

46.) Go to Hawaii

47.) See the Northern Lights

48.) Go to Virginia

49.) Get a tattoo of a butterfly and a cross

50.) See the Grand Canyon

51.) Go back to San Antonio and ride the water taxi

52.) See a Broadway play

53.) Make candles

54.) Attend a hockey game

55.) Learn Spanish

56.) Learn Italian

57.) Learn Sign Language

58.) Go Scuba Diving

59.) See a Dolphin

60.) See a kangaroo

61.) Go back to Colorado

62.) Go Pennsylvania

63.) Go to a safari

64.) Go to Spain

65.) See the Statue of Liberty

66.) Kiss the Blarney Stone

67.) Make a quilt

68.) Finish a scrapbook

69.) Adopt or foster needy kids

70.) See Big Ben

71.) Buy a fedora

72.) Invent my own style

73.) Have a movie made from my books

74.) Watch Casablanca

75.) Get out of debt

76.) Own my own car

77.) Own a pink beetle with a peace sign

78.) Have a pie fight

79.) Save money for my children

80.) Own a camp house

81.) See a castle

82.) See the Macy Parade

83.) Go on a Haunted Store

84.) See a live taping of a show

85.) Fly first class

86.) Make jewelry

87.) Make a duct tape wallet

88.) Throw a Halloween Party

89.) Do Yoga

90.) Be a Big Sister

91.) Make plaques with my poetry on it

92.) Read my poetry in a reading

93.) Go to another western town

94.) Go to the Renaissance Festival

95.) Go ice skating in an outdoor skating ring

96.) Go to Murder Mystery Dinner

97.) Volunteer for a soup kitchen with my family on Thanksgiving

98.) Catch a fish

99.) See a shooting star

100.)                     Go to the French market

101.)                     Become a motivational speaker

102.)                     Name a star after my kids