Wednesday, October 31, 2012

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

Friday, October 26, 2012

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.


www.domesticabuseshelter.org

Sunday, October 21, 2012

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
 

Monday, September 10, 2012

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?

 

                                                                                                                                                         

Thursday, August 9, 2012

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

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Goals


I have been reading a book about relaxation techniques. One of the things it discusses is setting goals. I decided to right out what I want to accomplish in the next three to five years.

1.)    Strengthen my relationship with God

2.)    Become a published author.

3.)    Put a down payment on a house.

4.)    Pay off my car.

5.)    Buy a boat.

6.)    Go back to karate and earn my yellow belt and maybe my orange.

7.)    Visit Arizona with Adam.

8.)    Find a company to volunteer for maybe Big Brothers and Sisters

9.)    Start a family of my own.

Share some of your goals in my comments.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

God's plans


“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I want to explain the poem I wrote last week. All of my life I have always had a plan. I had goals, dreams, and an extensive plan on how I would reach those goals. Of course my life rarely ever worked out the way I had planned it. As it turns out, God had different plans for my life, far greater plans than I could ever imagine. 

Even though I am following God, I do not like not knowing what his plans are for me. Even when he shows me a small piece of what he has in store for me, I just want to see the bigger picture.

I have been going to a bible study every other Friday. We have been doing an exercise that has been an excellent illustration of God’s guidance in my life. In our exercise, we were partnered up. Then we were blindfolded. Our partners had to tell us where to go without touching us. In the last exercise, we had to do an activity blindfolded. We had to glue pieces together and make a church magnet.

During these exercises, I noticed a few things. I noticed how difficult it is to follow someone else’s direction when you have no idea where they are  leading you. It takes discipline and commitment to drown out the distractions around you and put all of your trust in someone else. Sometimes it was easy for me to misunderstand what my partner was saying because I could not see her or what was ahead of me. She corrected me when I made a mistake, so that I could be back on track again.

This was a great illustration of God and his plans for us. Circumstances in life are often unexpected. We don’t  know what lies ahead of us. Sometimes when we ask God his direction, it takes a while for us to understand his directions. It is not that God wants us to be confused. He is not the author of confusion. He is the God of the Universe, but we are human. Sometimes the distractions of life prevent us from understanding him. Sometimes God is not ready to reveal the whole picture to us, because he is showing us something through the waiting process.  Regardless of the reason why we do not yet know God’s plans for him, we need to keep our focus on him.

It does not so much matter what our destination is. All we really need to know is that God has amazing plans for our lives. Sometimes we need to stop trying to figure everything out. When we are so focused on figuring everything out, we lose sight of the things that really matter. We need to take a step back and enjoy the journey God has laid out for us. Trust God and let him lead you to your destination. We don’t need to have everything planned or figured out because God already does!