Hugs sent from God #Afternoon Acts of Kindness

  #Afternoon Acts of Kindness ~ In Ch. 12, Lysa encourages us to “fill our afternoons with His thoughts of love toward others” instead of wallowing in discouragement or frustration over our struggles. Do this and share how it does or does not help

So I tell myself Okay I can do this no problem. Maybe this will help me to not focus on the reason for my errands today and the anxiety I’m feeling about a procedure I have to have on Friday!  I’m headed to town and so far no real reason to show any acts of kindness but I’m smiling and happy anyway.

My last stop Wal-Mart. After picking up my Meds for Friday I’m headed to the car and it’s snowing again. We just don’t get that much snow here in the south so when it does everyone gets excited!! 

Walking to my car I had a smile on my face greeting strangers as we pass. I get into my car and start backing up when I’m half out of the parking space I see the car behind me starts backing out of their space.  I had just enough time to stop but nothing else. The car bumped me. Before I even got out of the car I had decided that it was such a small bump that there couldn’t be any real damage so no matter what I was going to have a “No Problem Attitude” and have thoughts of love toward this person who just backed into my car!

 So I got out smiled at the lady and asked if she was okay. She looked at my car then hers and said she didn’t see any damage and she was sorry and that she didn’t even see me. At first she seemed upset with herself but I smiled at her and said, “No problem.” I saw her composure change and she smiled. 

Then something strange and wonderful happened. We hugged each other! It was like the most natural thing to do, like we were best friends.  Nothing more was said, but it just warmed my heart so much. I feel certain that she is a Sister in the Lord, even though we did not talk about it.  

I think back on the events of yesterday as I’m writing this blog for #CraveGod  blog hop today and wonder how much the whole situation could have been different? 

 If I had not determined to take the challenge #Afternoon Acts of Kindness.  I wouldn’t have had that hug that just brightened my day. Who knows maybe she was an Angel sent to bump into me to remind me that God loves me and He is in control.

So for me this #Afternoon Acts of Kindness  did help and I’m always amazed at how God can reach down from heaven and use other people to touch our lives. Hopefully this woman went home with a smile and a warm spot in her heart as well.

Our verse for the week reminds us that in our weakness Christ’s strength is made perfect. It also assures us that His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Thanks for reading my blog and hugs to you my friend,

Beverly

Seek Truth

To seek truth when tempted to:

 "Take thy hand to thy mouth with food that is not on thy plan"

 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

I am loving this Facebook Bible study! Yes that's right a Facebook Bible study! It's not too late if you would like to check it out. 

http://proverbs31.org

#CraveGod

 

Vanity or #Peace

I was thinking about my Blog I drafted up last night for the blog hop #Peace. Then as I was getting ready this morning, I glanced at these Antique Vanity Mirror’s on my wall in the bedroom. I began to think about the different women who held these mirrors over time. I know one of them was my Aunt Cora Lee. I always consider her my Faith Patriot of the family. Surely she knew that God made her in His image I know she had Peace. But what about the others who held these mirrors?  

 Hopefully one day I will have a Grand Child so I will start praying now she/he will grow to understand this and know the Peace that comes from God. Maybe I will have it engraved on the glass. So here at my thoughts about our word of the week #Peace.

 

The noun שלומ (shalom), often translated as “peace,” comes from the verb שלמ (Sh.L.M). The verb shalam means to "restore" in the sense of replacing or providing what is needed in order to make someone or something whole and complete. The noun שלומ (shalom) is one who has, or has been provided, what is needed to be whole and complete.

Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

#Peace ~ Is is possible to make #peace with the realities of our bodies?
Yes it is possible because God create my physical body? Can I say God made an ugly body?  If God created me in His image? Can I say His image is worthless or ugly?

David praised and thanked God for the marvelous work that God had made (referring to his physical body):

Psalms 139:14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

How can I make peace with my body? If I consider myself as the Wonderful Creation that God made! If I remember what His word says about me, then I can have peace because He has provided what is needed for me to be whole and complete.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

I shall continue to Keep My Eyes on The Prize!

Thank you for reading my blog today. And I pray you have allowed yourself #Peace with your body.

#Determination and a Mouse Trap

I found this picture today and thought it funny how sometimes I am just like this mouse trying with #Determination to do something on my own. I mean really is that helmet going to help this little guy? How will he get out of the trap after he gets the cheese? I like the mouse need to rely on someone to help! This M2C study and all you ladies are my HELP! Thank You so much for being here with me through this study.

This has been a hard week for me. There have been a lot of “Life Issues” that I allowed to stop me from digging into this study this week.  At times I have felt overwhelmed! I really believe that the word for this week, #Determination, is what has been my encouragement through it all. I still have that Determination to make this time different! I am determined to have a closer walk with my Lord and to reach my goals.

This all brings me back to my very first Blog:

 January 16^th 2014

Philippians 3:14

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Greetings, 

It seems whenever my focus gets off spiritual things and caught up in the worldly things I trip up and fall.

Staying focused on Jesus! Last night at mid week  Bible Study it was said " If we could only remember on a daily basis that, this is not Our Home' Amen to that. This is my first blog and I pray for you and you pray for me. That Our Father in heaven will help us run this race called the Christian Life with our eyes fixed on Him.

Romans 9:16 Only 5% Chance!

5% Chance! That’s what I was told today about someone whom I love. If they don’t do surgery it will all be over in about 3-5 days.  What I heard in my mind was 0% no chance of survival either way!  I was told; “If you want to say good bye come quickly!” Are you kidding me, have you seen the condition of the roads I’ll have to travel?  Ice & snow!  So I pray and sing songs of hymns and reflect back on this new Bible study I have been doing #CraveGod  Feeling Empowered I am Okay. 

 This morning’s scripture: “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing, listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for you I pray, In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation: Psalm 5:1-3

 5 minutes from the hospital.  I get the call. I missed the opportunity, the surgery team have all ready taken my love one down to surgery. Still I’m okay a little shaken but I’m okay. I’m trusting God no matter what.

As I meet with family I learn more about the details.  As I Hugged the Son, with tears in his eyes he says to me; "I pray the outcome is good and that that we get more time but it’s only 5% chance of survival! Did I do the right thing?"

With no thought the words come to me. "That it is 5% which means there is a chance no matter how small it’s a chance! The Doctors would not have told you 5% if it were not true." I am so thankful that at the right moment without thinking, God changed that 0% I heard earlier in my mind to, "YES you did the right thing, 5% is a good chance." God gives hope to the hopeless.

A little while later the anesthesiologist came to let us know that the patient was doing good and had survived the surgery! I Praise God for that 5%! I will never ever look at 5% without remembering this Miracle of God. Today God was glorified!

 Romans 9:16 “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”

 Yes, we still have a long road ahead and there are other complication’s to deal with as well. And yes maybe God will decide that tomorrow is the day for the Pearly Gates to open wide. But for now we have one more day. Thank you Jesus, that you are not done yet.

So instead of that missed opportunity to say Good bye, I was able instead to say;  "Hello, I love you!"

 Prayer please God know who this is. We are still in ICU and have other life threatening concerns. At age 80+ the body is wearing out.  

God is good! 

 

#EMPOWERED

#EMPOWERED!  Wow! What a Journey this has been already! In five days I have gone through all kinds of realizations emotions and then the Aa-Ha moments! I laughed at myself trying to learn how to do some of these new things with this Bible Study, like Blogging, Tweeting, and today I tackled Instagram (thanks to my Son and Daughter In law for patiently helping me!)

I had to Examined myself and face the fact that the excuses of always later or tomorrow will be a better day have not worked! As Doctor Phil says; “How’s that working for you?”

I have decided my Cravings could not be described as: comfort, reward, joy, stress, sadness or happiness. But emptiness, boredom, habit, or just because I know it’s there. I have this compulsion that if a snack is in the house I have to EAT IT ALL RIGHT NOW! This is not being EMPOWERED!

1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify

The fact that God made me to crave Him is a truth I already knew. I mean I have used that when I am sharing my testimony. How I felt like an empty leaking tea cup, I was constantly trying to fill it with worldly things but was never full. Then after I trusted Jesus I no longer needed those worldly things to fill my life. The search had been found.

 I had been EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit!

So why am I now a born again Christian craving food when I should be craving God?  I had never looked at my Cravings in this way before. Page 24 reads ‘Truth is powerful. The more saturated we are with truth the more powerful we’ll be in resisting our temptations.’ This was one of those Ah-Ha moments.                                                                                                                Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Christ STRENGTHENS = EMPOWERED!

I am going to EMPOWER myself by using prayer and Gods written word, His truth to help me make new healthier habits, resist temptations and in doing so will be building my relationship with God a closer one.

Yes I know I will stumble and I am fighting back untruths the evil one tries to whisper to me.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”

EMPOWERED by God!

I love a plan and have already begun to put it into place. For I have my “Eyes on the Prize!”