What to Do When You Have Nothing Left To Give

This is exactly what I feel like at the moment. I thought I would try and find some information on the www about it and luckily for me I came across this.
Paula Moldenhauer, Contributing Writer
Monday, March 06, 2006
"I have nothing left to give. The thought bounced around in my mind as I took a deep breath, prayed for God’s empowerment, . . . and gave some more.
Most homeschool moms have been there. We keep going on sheer will when we’ve had little sleep, too many demands, and are pulled from every direction. The question I often have is: should I pray for more strength or just take a nap?
I wish I had a magical potion to solve this problem. You know, maybe a jar of something that tastes like chocolate truffles and says, When you feel you have nothing left to give, take 2 Tablespoons and wait for surge of joy, energy, and passion for task at hand.
My life would be much more simple. But, then I guess I wouldn’t be so often reminded that I need Jesus. Every day. Every minute of this journey. Showing me how to respond to the struggles of life.
I certainly don’t have all the answers for this very real problem. If I did, my tired eyes wouldn’t be squinting as I type this article. But, I have discovered some things that help me when I feel all worn out. Maybe they’ll help you, too."
Please click on the link below to read the full article:
http://www.crosswalk.com/family/homeschool/what-to-do-when-you-have-nothing-left-to-give-1381840.html?ps=0

Patience

Is waiting patiently for my new Bible and neckless. Trying not to be sad as it was for Christmas. I suppose it is coming all the way from America!

Verse of the day!

Psalm 139:1-3 (NIV)
O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my way

Lost a follower

I feel terrible, I have lost a follower, someone who seemed really lovely, I think I have offended them by swearing on my last post. Gosh that really is not good. I am so sorry If I have offended you. x O 0 (

I did this site to gain followers not lose them. I feel rather sad!

My head is a mess

How on earth do you deal with supporting your husband because he is going to his grandfathers funereal tomorrow, but scared ******* because you have had some possible bad news about your sister and you need to get your head around that and support her.!!!

Why Worrying is a Failure to Grasp the Gospel - BibleTool

Why Worrying is a Failure to Grasp the Gospel
Trevin Wax, Author, Pastor



"Don't be a worry wart!" people say… and those of us prone to anxiety promptly begin worrying about worrying too much.
I know the feeling. I worry too. I'm not the "lie awake at night" kind of person. But I notice that when I have a lot on my plate, I give an inordinate amount of attention to little details. Worry consumes me in a variety of ways: I lose patience quickly, I snap at my wife and kids, or I lose my sense of empathy for others. Worry turns my focus to Me.
For a while, I thought that worry was caused by my failure to seek first the kingdom. If I would only fix my eyes on Jesus more, then I would stop worrying. If I would only think about the kingdom more, then anxiety wouldn't be an issue.
Certainly, those who are seeking the kingdom above all things are not preoccupied with food, and drink, and clothing (as Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount). And yes, seeking the kingdom first is a good action plan if we find ourselves worrying.
But seeking first the kingdom comes after we have been sought by the King. The root cause of worry is not misplaced priorities. It's misplaced faith. It's a failure to grasp the gospel of a God worthy of our trust.
So worry shows up whenever my view of God is diminished and my view of myself gets too big. I worry because my vision of God is skewed. I rest when my vision is fixed.
"Look at the birds of the air!" Jesus said. "God gives them food, even if they don't work and earn their way." There's more to this parallel than a mere animal-to-human comparison about how much more God will care for us. There's gospel here. God has given undeserved favor to the birds. He blesses them apart from their merits.
God's grace and mercy is sustaining us too. Everything we have comes from God's hand. Salvation belongs to the Lord. And the powerful God who saved us is the loving Father who sustains us.
When I reflect on the gospel of a priceless Savior giving his all for undeserving sinners like you and me, then I am assured that our value in the eyes of God does not shift with the economic tides. Our worth is not measured in what we do for God, but what God has done for us.
This is God the Father who sent his only Son to the cross that we deserved.
This is God the Son who willingly took on flesh, lived among us, and died in our place.
This is God the Spirit who prompts our hearts and brings us back into unending fellowship with our Maker.
It is the costly actions of God that give us our value.
In these difficult times, we - the people of God's kingdom - need to be reminded of our true citizenship and true identity. The uneasiness of worry surfaces in our hearts when we lose sight of the gospel of God's grace to the undeserving. Failure to grasp the gospel is what causes us to take our eyes off the kingdom and forget who we are in Christ.
United to Christ, we are part of a royal family. Our older Brother is the King of the world.
Thou art coming to a King,
large petitions with thee bring,
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.
- John Newton

Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com

Gosh this seems really harsh to me.
Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com
December 21, 2011 - New International Version
Colossians 3:18-25
Rules for Christian Households
3:18-4:1pp -- Eph 5:22-6:9 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism

The signs are back yippee

After having a bad week, feeling down, unappreciated and going off on the wrong path, I am back. Thanks to Caroline and my book. Oh boy, it feels good, just in time for Christmas.
Felt very lost last night, I had my dinner, the kids were all in bed and I had completed my tasks for the night. But I still felt lost. So I got snuggled into bed and started reading one of my new books.

All I can say, like every Sunday at church the book was talking to me, how fabulous. It was describing exactly how I am feeling at the moment, exactly how I describe my situation to Caroline yesterday. Well all I can say is I am so grateful I chose to start reading this book. Thank you. x

Daily Bible Reading - Very appt as I need to get back on the right path!

Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com
December 20, 2011 - New International Version
Colossians 2:20-23 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 3:1-17
Rules for Holy Living 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Doubt!

I WANTED TO POST THIS AS I CAME ACROSS THIS ON A OPEN FORM .THIS IS FROM The Little Princess - http://misselizabethmary.wordpress.com/

Each Christian is probably going to go through a time in their lives where things seem pretty tough. New christians this often occurs as the initial "high" (if I dare call it that) wears down and we come face-to-face with the "awsomeness of being human". Please let me reasure you that this is a perfectly normal experience.

1) PERSONALITY: Some people are prone to doubt.
"And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted." (Matthew 28:17)

2) THE PAST: People are complex beings who have leant and grown from every experience - sometimes these can have positive impacts upon us while sometimes their consequence can be negative.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

3) MEDICAL CAUSES: Often people experience chemical imbalances in thier brains (which can then in turn alter the way they think and affect thier relationship with God as there is a vital connection between the brain and soul).

"A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22) 4) PHYSICAL CAUSES: A lack of sleep, lack of exercise or poor diet, etc. can all result in someone experiencing feelings of doubt and spiritual isolation.
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me." (Psalm 3:5)

5) STRESSFUL CAUSES: When we have too much going on and our mind is full of worry (exams? job? relationships? etc.)
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."(Matthew 11:28-30)

6) THEOLOGICAL CAUSES: Sometimes Christians, especially those who are new in the faith, have a poor understanding of who God is and as such we may assume things about Him that are not true.
"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it." (1 Cor 3:1-2)

7) SINFUL CAUSES: Sometimes the reason that Christians may feel distant from God is due to a specific sin that they are living with. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7–8).

“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).

Isn't it encouraging to think of JUST HOW MUCH God LOVES YOU -- he is a forgiving God who is patient with his children.

Thank you Little Princess this has really help me through this doubting period I seem to be going through today!

Are You Struggling With Your New Found Faith In Jesus?

Are You Struggling With Your New Found Faith In Jesus? - http://www.christianblog.com/blog/following/are-you-struggling-with-your-new-found-faith-in-jesus/

Having a Down Day!

http://eswar.hubpages.com/hub/You-can-Control-Stress

This is not my average down day!! When I feel tired, or fed up with the daily drudgery of daily life and I can just pick myself up by having a 10 second deep breath, or praying. For some reason I have woken up at 5am feeling really tearful and completely doubtful that God really exists! Terrible I know. The trouble is, I feel like I do everything for everyone else. Thing is I like doing everything for everyone else it makes me feel alive, feel wanted, makes me feel like a human being. However, surely their comes a time when you cannot give give give give all the time. Part of me says I should be concentrating on thanksgiving. Giving thanks for everything I have in my life, grateful that I have a lot more than other people. Yes I have done this all week and it has been amazing, it has made me feel great and alive.
Trouble is I seem to be looking after everyone, worrying about how they feel, what can I do to make them feel better when they are sad. Look don't get me wrong I know my friends worry about me, are always there when I need them, this feels different some how. It all boils down to making time for me, taking time out from my daily life, feeling like I am having me time, no not having a hot bath, or reading a book, nor going to the Alpha course, while it is great and self absorbing it is not want I am wanting at the moment. I need time for me!
Maybe I need to look at what the bible says about the way I am feeling this morning, I have a poorly Daddy this morning because he had his Xmas party last night (I can hear jealousy in my head, God does not allow that), I have kids running riot and I feel like I want to run away. Forget the cleaning and up keep of the house I really don't care about it this morning. Gosh I sounds like I am wallowing in self-pity which the bible says you should not do. The bible would say it is Satan taking over my Spirit, I say I just need a break. I am experiencing all the bad things that the bible says I should not feel, that will take me away from God, and yet somehow the last thing I want to do right now is pray, how bad it that. Maybe by writing this down here  (forgetting I started to run a bath for myself an hour ago and my hubby is shouting at me) may make me feel better, it certain will direct me to bible verses that hopeful will rein me back in again and put me back on the right path. So here goes, let see what I can find. One thing I know I can do is get my self an evening out whether it be with a friend or even on my own, who cares, just as long as I take myself away from it all and get away. I feel bad right now as my poor hubby had a night out, feel rather worst for where the last thing he needs is to look after three children while I wallow in self-pity writing my blog.
Just had a thought, how can I be so sad and miserable when I have a great life, great opportunities. Somehow in the mist of all these tears and frustration this doesn't help. Is it possible that you can over work yourself mentally and emotional to the point of exhaustion, where you just need to take a breath, recuperate, refresh yourself so you can then pick yourself up and be happy again, vibrant joyous, kind and loving to the universe and everything in it.?
I know I am grateful for one thing right now and that is for my hubby, thank you hubby for letting me have an hour out while you feel terrible and are struggle yourself. See I have already let him down by not being there for him letting him have a sleep in to nursing his poor fragile head, but right at this moment in time I find I cannot be there for him.
To be continued..................................
Christianity “is not an easy path” but a “demanding climb,” says Pope
1 Corinthians 10:11-13
New Living Translation (NLT)
11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
 12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
How come I have managed to keep calm, peaceful and patient all week and now I am just plain cross and angry. Fed up, exhausted and tired. I am naturally a very selfless person and I just want some me time even to read the bible or work on this blog!

Ten Guidelines for Effective Prayer - Christview Ministries

Thought this would be perfect for anyone wanting to know if they are praying correctly ; http://www.christviewmin.org/spiritual.growth/guidelines.prayer.php 

Ten Guidelines for Effective Prayer
Guideline 1. Effective prayer is based on the revealed word of God.
Because all the scriptures are fulfilled in Christ and help to form our lives in Christlikeness, praying appropriately chosen words of scripture is one effective way to pray. But whether we use the Bible's words or our own words, our prayers should be consistent with the purposes and promises of God as they are revealed in the Bible. Luke 24:44-49; 2 Corinthians 1:18-22; Ephesians 6:17-18; 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
Guideline 2. Effective prayer is grounded in our faith in the reign of God.
Jesus’ basic gospel was that the reign of God is at hand (available to us) if we will repent and believe the good news. Jesus’ miracles revealed the kingdom’s presence. Answers to our prayers also demonstrate the kingdom’s presence. We are to pray with confidence that God is in charge and is prepared to answer faithful prayers. Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 12:28; Luke 7:20-23.
Guideline 3. Effective prayer is directed toward making the reign of God visible.
Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He taught us to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” trusting that all our needs would be fulfilled as the kingdom takes first place in our lives. We are commanded to make the kingdom visible in our ministries, and we are blessed by the results. Matthew 6:10, 33; Luke 10:1-12, 23-24.
Guideline 4. Effective prayer is “in the name of Jesus.”
“In the name of Jesus” is more than a verbal formula tacked onto the end of our prayers. It means that the request is offered with the intent that it be found fitting to Jesus’ compassionate character and redeeming, reconciling mission. We pray in the name of Jesus because we are his ambassadors in this world, already speaking and acting as his representatives. John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24; Acts 3:16; 4:8-12; 16:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 4:32—5:2; 5:18-21; Colossians 3:12-17.
Guideline 5. Effective prayer begins with seeking the Holy Spirit.
God wants to give us good gifts. The very best gift that he can give us is his loving, purifying, guiding, and empowering presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructs us to ask, seek, and knock fr this gift. When we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit will teach us how to pray. When we cannot put our prayers into sensible words, the Holy Spirit will carry the sense of our unintelligible groanings to the throne of God. Luke 11:9-13; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:17-18.
Guideline 6. Effective prayer is offered from purified hearts.
James notes that sometimes we do not have because we have not asked, and sometimes we do not have because we have asked wrongly to spend the answer on our own passions, our own desires that flow from divided hearts. We cannot be wavering between godly solutions and ungodly solutions and expect that our prayers will be answered. James counsels us to purify our hearts, to get single minds about our trust in God and his wisdom. James 3:13—4:10.
Guideline 7. Effective prayer is offered in the context of the community of faith.
When two or three of us gather in the name of Jesus for the sake of his mission and agree in prayer, based on the leading of the Holy Spirit, the effect of the prayer is powerful. Since significant agreement among any group of human beings does not come easily, the mere fact of agreement sometimes is evidence that we are listening to the Holy Spirit. Consistent with Guidelines 5 and 6, we must be sure that our agreement flows fron the Holy Spirit and not from the spirit of this world. Matthew 18:19-20; James 5:13-18.
Guideline 8. Effective prayer persists.
This is not to say that we need to treat God as an unrighteous judge that we must wear down with our constant pleading. The point is that, if an unrighteous judge can be worn down by repeated pleadings, then God who is already favorably disposed toward the good of his children can be trusted not to forget our needs. We can wait with confidence that our prayers will be answered in the right time and in the right way. We may wish to check back in from time to time to reaffirm our faith in what we have asked and to continue to listen to see if God would redirect our prayer in some way. In the end, even if we must wait through this life, we want to be found still trusting the goodness of God and his power to answer our prayer in the best possible way. Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8.
Guideline 9. Effective prayer puts its faith in God and not in our own faith.
It is not the quantity of our faith, but the fact that we are willing to put whatever faith we have into play that counts. Even faith as small as a grain of mustard seed will suffice when we take our stand on it. Mark 9:14-29; Luke 17:5-6.
Guideline 10. Effective prayer is something that any believer can do.
Some people may have special spiritual gifts for intercession, healing, miracles, etc. But all Christians can pray effectively. None of us are experts at prayer. All of us will have some learning moments in prayer. But not one of us is excluded from lifting up the concerns of people in need before the throne of God. The key point is that there is no insufficiency in God’s love, grace, power, or wisdom, and that is what determines the results. Therefore, all of us may pray effectively. Just do it. Philippians 4:4-7; Colossians 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:1-7.

Gratefulness

http://www.purposeful-parenting.com/

I am a bit sad that only one other person besides me on my Facebook page has joined in and contributed to my list of ten things today to be grateful for. Really, are we really that ungrateful. And, I say and, the world is so ungrateful, no wonder we are all so sad all the time.
“The question of ‘is there something simple we can do to be happier?’ yes let's start being grateful for the things we have rather than the things we do not have.
Go on I dare you to just write a list of ten things to be gratefully for every day, it take a mere 2 minutes. “It helps us express and enjoy, appreciate, be thankful and satisfied with a little effort. We all have it, and we need to use it to improve our quality of life.” It is surprising how your happiness returns and your smiles increase when you reread what you have written.

So come on just do it, I dare you. Add your list of ten things here in my comment box.

Never assume anything

"Never assume anything
"To assume is to make an assumption"
Always challenge the norm and seek out the answers for yourself. Follow no one blindly. Do nothing without first seeking to understand why. Always keep an open mind. Most importantly, believe in yourself and the fact that you are different and what you think matters more than what society says.
Alan Alda’s advice makes for a fitting conclusion: “Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in." http://www.motivation-for-dreamers.com/never-assume.html
will write more about this later........children are calling me!!!
I have been corrected. Thank you........that would have been embarrassing!!! well I am a newbie after all.
So I have reinvestigated the word assumption in Christianity and this is what I have found.
The bible doesn't actually say anything about the word itself, it does say the following, correct me if I am wrong.
"Don’t Assume Your Problems Can’t Be SolvedJohn 6:5-7
When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” (NRSV)"
"Don’t Assume The Worst In Other People
1 Chronicles 19:2-3
“David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” (TNIV)"

Bible Reading - Shining as Stars

http://stickr.com

Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com
December 15, 2011 - New International Version
Philippians 2:12-30
Shining as Stars
 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Thought this was worth sharing!!! Owing God!

The Spiritual Starter Kit - # 8 Hi Alison Having a relationship with God can be a wonderful experience. Or extremely frustrating. There are land mines. I remember the first year or so after asking Jesus into my life. I loved getting to know God. I'd spend hours in the Gospels, captivated by Jesus' life and how he interacted with people. The more I read, the more I appreciated him. But I also found myself reading things in the Bible that took me off-guard. Certain actions were identified as *sins* that I had never viewed that way! I also found commands like: "be patient, tenderhearted, forgiving," which were far easier to read than to do. In frustration, I thought, "It was much easier being an atheist." Then, over the next several months, I started feeling like I owed God payback for all the great things he was doing in my life. I thought, "Now that I know God is there, I should be talking to him more. I should be reading the Bible more. I should be talking to my friends who don't know him. I should be, I should be...." Ok. Let me tell you -- that is NOT how God wants us to live out our relationship with him. He has not asked us to open our arms, brace our footing, and catch some enormous, cosmic to-do list. He also is not asking us to prove that we are worthy to know him -- we're not! And he's perfectly ok with that. God has an entirely different perspective on our relationship with him. I'd love for you to grab this now. (I wish I had realized this much sooner.) This is important. I put together for you a short, 5-part series I've simply called, "Skip the Stress." Here's the link: http://www.everystudent.com/skipstress.html If you would like to receive it, just fill in the form at the end of that page. This could save you a lot of frustration! Sincerely, Marilyn Adamson

Facing Dissapiontment

Gosh, in the last half an hour I have been disappointed three times, It is surprising how it can make you feel. I just want to wallow in self-pity. Trying to think of how I can get ride of these horrible feelings that eat away at me. Apart from asking God to take the feelings away. I suppose this is where gratefulness comes into play. I should just be grateful that I have had a fabulous day at the Church Toddler Christmas Party with the Children. I know that writing my thoughts and feelings down here will hopefully make me start feeling better. I should relish the fact that the last few days have been brilliant becuase the household seems to be much happier.
Philippians 4:6-7
English Standard Version (ESV)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Just come across this too from the following website; http://bible.org/seriespage/chapter-14-dealing-disappointment
"Satan has a strategy to invade our spirits and bring us down until we are defeated. The tip of the wedge seems so harmless. It is simply disappointment.But if we let our disappointment fester, the wedge is driven in a little farther, and we experience discouragement. Unchecked, discouragement because disillusionment. Then the wedge invades even more territory as it proceeds to depression. Ultimately, we end in defeat. How do we prevent the penetration of this deadly wedge into our spirits? We find the answer in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances."

I might have to purchase this book to read it looks very useful, anyone read this?

Thought of the Morning

Smile and the world will smile with you. It is amazing how your own temperament and feelings can affect those around you. I am on this Journey to make myself a better and happier person. It seems to be working. I am much more calmer and grateful, in turn making me a nicer person to be around. My husband is so nice to me and willing to do lots of stuff for me. Amazing it's it. Thank you I am truly grateful.
New International Version (©1984)
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Films

Just glancing down my DVD Bookcase to find a film for the children to watch while they have their wind down time and saw my Favorite film.

Just wanted to share with you, to all you romantics out there, this is a very heartfelt film, I so want to live and grow old together with my amazing husband. He is my soul mate, best friend and my lover!!
Found this bible verse and thought it was very apt for me, I should read it when I am stressed with daily life and motherhood.
Proverbs 17:9
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (NLT)

Bible Class

I must say what a wonder group of ladies. I had a brilliant time at bible class today. I managed to be brave and leave the children. The topic is one that I am learning about now, so all great!
Thank you Ladies for a wonderful time.

So excited.

After being disappointed about ordering a book, it arriving and realising that it would only take me 30 minutes to read it, which in fact I did. I have just received my other 2 books which my amazing, kind and loving husband had brought me.

and this one;

Not sure when I will get time to read them. Still very excited.

My first bit of homework - Bible and what it says about Anger

Will post my finishing assignment I have given myself to do!
Bible Study Questions - Thanks to the Internet Bible College.
1. What are the two main reasons Christians are defeated by anger and bad temper?
2. What does Galatians 5:20 and Matthew 5:21-22 warn us about anger?
3. Explain why those who have bad tempers are actually people who pay back evil with evil.
4. What do the following verses teach about anger:
a) Proverbs 15:18
b) Proverbs 17:19
c) Proverbs 22:24-25
d) Proverbs 21:19
e) Proverbs 17:14?
I must interpret these
verses myself.
5. What does James 1:20 teach?
6. What is the only type of human anger which God does not regard as sin

Give God Control

http://3.bp.blogspot.com

I want to surrender to God fully and I don't think I have done that yet, I don't know how? I have read these 2 sites and gather some great advise.

http://www.religiouslyincorrect.com/Articles/NewCreation.shtml
http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/devotionals/givingGodcontrol.asp
Prayer: Lord, I'm tired of being in control of my life. Today, I surrender my whole self to You, and I ask that You help me to fulfill my God-given purpose and potential. Teach me how to do my part by seeking Your guidance and grace daily through prayer and the reading of Your Word. Thank You that Your promise is true--"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him"! (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV)

I am going to truly say this pray to God and see what happens. Maybe I am asking for a miracle as I am a total control freak just like my twin sister. Funnerly enough, she commented on her Facebook today that she wishes she wasn't one as she thinks she has screwed up again. Wish I so could show her this sight, but she would think I was a looney tunes!!!

Godly Wife.

http://agodlywoman.org

http://christian.families.com/blog/a-godly-wife#

Concentrating on the Positives not the Negatives.

http://www.amareway.org

I love this site and this lady, I have only been reading her blog for the last 2 days, but I am already hooked and in love with her beauty and happiness for life.
http://10stepstofindingyourhappyplace.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html
She has 10 steps to finding your happy place, please click on Galen's blog link above to view. I am going to start with one of them this week. Hope you do not mind Galen Pearl.
Gratitude, I am going to try to live, breath, read and write about it the same as Galen did, see if it has any significant improvement on my negative feeling and train of thought.
Wish me luck starting with church tomorrow. x
Continuation......


Found this great site which discusses Positives taking place of Negatives. Thought I might share with you. http://www.bible-knowledge.com/renewing-of-your-mind/

"Once you know the Bible tells you to have self-control over your bad temper (just going to butt in here, boy oh boy oh boy, I have a terrible temper and my children and husband gets the brunt of it) and over your condescending and critical attitudes – then it will be your job at this point to make some kind of concerted effort to actually “put away” these kinds of negative and destructive qualities from your personality." Bible.knowledge.com

Physical and Mental Abuse in childhood

http://dleigh1509.xanga.com

I came across this website tonight and found it very true, while I am not quite ready to deal with these issues as yet I thought the following words describe what I seem to try and tackle all the time.

Rossocomedy states on the Daily Strength Webiste "Good grief Charlie Brown! Punishment of children with beatings and humiliation like this do more than inflict pain on the body, they strip away self esteem, and inflict a lifetime sentence of damage to the victim"
I never want to be classed as a victim but I would so agree with the stripping away of self esteem, boy, oh boy, oh boy, I so have issues with self esteem. I can totally understand why now after reading this article.
http://www.dailystrength.org/health_blogs/cyndi/article/long-term-effects-of-physical-abuse-and-severe-corporal-punishment
It will be very interesting to see what Christianity has to say about this subject, another time perhaps.

How I feel today!

This is all I have to say about today and how I feel. I will explain why another day!! Thought this was quite appropriate. makes me feel much better.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
New International Version (NIV)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Please God, I pray, guide me and give me the strength to learn patience, not an easy task for me and my soul, but I am learning fast. A Men.

Verse of the day

http://christianfaithatwork.com

Bible study tool.....
Mark 11:25 (NIV)
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. "

Thought of the evening!

I just want to be purely inspired and to be an inspiration to others.!!.

The blessing of encouragement

http://jennakristine.blogspot.com

http://jennakristine.blogspot.com/2010/11/blessing-of-encouragement.html

Love this site and the article called blessing of encouragement may just help you when your feeling down. x

Pain to Purpose: A movie that will change your life and marriage

Pain to Purpose: A movie that will change your life and marriage

The most beautiful song for my most beautiful friend.

http://selfempowermentsecrets.com

This is for you my bestest beautiful friend kellie, I have known for the longest time. You are amazing, thank you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24z7DDYgpJ8

Today's Verse

Luke 21:9 (NIV)
When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
How appropriate to how I am feeling at the moment.

Just so heart felt - Brian Crain Dream of Flying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAJcApOKVQs&feature=related

Made me cry.

"Faith hope love", Thank you for coming onto my blog and reading. I clicked on your blog and and tears steamed down my face what a beautiful piece of music I just want to listen to it over and over again. Thank you. I just love music that moves the soul.

Click here to go on the blog and listen and read. http://thenetherlands3.blogspot.com/
There really is some beautiful people out in the world and I hope I have the absolute pleasure in meeting you as you come across this site. I am truly thank full. God bless. x

City of Angels

I love this film and the music. Caroline you mentioned it the other day.

http://youtu.be/ByOZWuC3vFE

Beautfuil.

http://maryannsmerrygoround.blogspot.com/2011/11/today-you-can-living-life-with-thankful.html

Struggling with my Journey into happiness and Godliness

http://suns-club.blogspot.com/

I was under no illusion that this Journey would easy, when your trying to better yourself and be happy, it is far from easy. If it were easy, everyone would be happy.

I think I have been doing the Alpha Course for about 8 weeks now and going to my fabulous church for 3 months.  It has been the most amazing, magical Journey of my life, apart from meeting my husband, who is my hero and soul mate of all time. And, having my beautiful children what a magical gift. However like everything magical and amazing you need to place your feet firmly back on the ground and then just learn to be at peace with the world. This is what I feel is happening to me, I know that it is now time to look at myself and work out way I feel so sad, angry and not at peace with the world all the time. I think I have managed to hide it for such a long time I am not quite sure how to deal with it, even the thought of looking at why.

Motherhood is such a strong influence on how you feel, how you were brought up and even your relationship with your own mother. There you go another, ouch, sore subject, I really really do not want to deal with right now. Right at this moment in time I so want a mummy hug, to know I am loved, and cherished for who I am. I want my mum to be proud of what I have become. Ya right, that is never gonna happen, so how do I deal with that! To add more insult to injury, there is the subject of my father, now, that is, another entirely different matter.

I have known for quite sometime that I would have to deal with all these awful emotional memories and dysfunctions but never sure of how to. Gosh, I have read every possible book you can on these issues, but nothing ever really helped me.  I was in discussions with my Reverend and he did say this would be one big emotional rollercoaster ride, I just need to have the courage to get on the ride, how do I get that courage when I feel so alone all the time.

I have my beautiful "Ipswich" friends, Caroline, Emma, Rosie and Tracey (some of whom are Christian or doing the Alpha course with me) but it is not a Father, Mother or Sister figure, someone who loves me unconditional. Now, I hear you all say, yes but you do have someone who loves you unconditional, someone who is proud of everything you do; who even died on the cross for you to forgive your sins and wash away all the badness; Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit which lives in your heart. Yes I do agree but for some reason even though I have taken such a great leap into faith over the last few months, I feel, just as I am getting closer to opening up and letting go, I have in turn taken ten thousand steps back, right back to the beginning even to the beginning of my childhood. Now that is scary.

http://www.englishbaby.com

I met a lovely lady at the church toddler group today who was just amazing; she was so welcoming, warm hearted and kind. Thank you Rachel I hope you don’t mind me mentioning you on this site and I am hoping I will have the courage to also show you this site too. Rachel mentioned about having someone to talk to about all my problems or shall I say issues. I am hoping I can find someone from a Christian back ground that would be willing to counsel or mentor me through this very tough time

Atheism on what basis?

Richard Watson states in his 1831 book, A Biblical and Theological Dictionary: “Atheist, in the strict and proper sense of the word, is one who does not believe in the existence of a god, or who owns no being superior to nature.”
and;
Robert Flint, in his 1885 book Anti-Theistic Theories states: “Every man is an atheist who does not believe that there is a God.
How can I have called myself an Atheist, all my life, when actually, I never even knew much about it Christianity, the history behind it or even read the bible. I know I did Religious Studies at school many moons ago, however it seems strange to me that we call ourselves or give ourselves this title "Atheist" when, surely for someone to truly be a true Atheist they need to have studied the bible and Christianity first, then claim they are an Atheist.
Now please, these are just my naive thoughts, do not take what I say literally and say I am wrong. I am just thinking out loud and interested about your thoughts and ideas on the matter!!

Thought of the day!

Walking Away from God

How could you turn your back on God once you had found him and been filled with the Holy Spirit. How could you want to go back to your old life with all that hurt and pain eating up inside you. I deal every day with doubt about God as it is all new, but deep down inside my heart something always happens to make me believe this is right and right for right now too!. How could I walk away from all of this strength that lives in me and makes me feel so happy, calm and inspired.

If you did walk away, would you not be forever thinking, I liked that person I was becoming I want more. It would bug you for the rest of your living days!

Relationships and what people think

http://www.lightomega.org/Ind/Pure/Soul-Relationships.html

I just had to write this here as I am completely shocked and quite scared actually. I love researching, finding information.  My brain is like a massive sponge when I come across something that is of interest to me. I suppose it’s a bit like everyone else really. However, I know that God says that when you start your Journey into Godliness you will come up against Satan and Bad Spirits, I really didn't take this serious enough. 

I do completely understand that I am so new to knowing God, and forgive me world but yes Christianity, because I know a lot of people out there who are very passionate about knowing Christ, feel very strongly about the way in which they worship him. For me, I have no interest in how other people worship him. My main concern is how I build a relationship with him no matter what and how I do it. I became a Christian because I felt unloved by the world and almost neglected. I spent a lot of hard work, effort and love finding people and building relationships with them for the sake of me and my family, but always getting let down in some way. I felt that people just didn't live by kind and loving and unselfish rules that I like to think I did. My sisters would agree with me, we all seems to expect people to treat us the way we treat them, with love and kindness, I am afraid the world just is not like this. Sometimes I don’t think other people even realised how hurt I felt maybe I didn't treat people how they wanted to be treated, I suppose it does work both ways. I am not blaming other people for the way I felt but it can be a very lonely world out there sometimes, I know of this loneliness only to well.

I lived this lonely existence from the age of 14 up until I met my amazing husband when I was 28.. With no friends and family around me I always felt a strong urge to bond with other human beings. Even more so now I am a mum to my three beautiful children and a wife to my amazing husband.  I feel it is so important to have a mother or father figure in your life, even a sister or brother so you can for once feel, like a family unit with all the love and support you would or should normal get.

So to conclude this little bit of babble after reading some comments on a site I found interesting last night, but found me rather scared. I will not be scared and embarrassed about what other people think about me and my new found freedom or even what they think about God and they way people live their Godly life, I will except and love with open arms, all the new and amazing people I have already met, and will meet through Christianity and maybe it is actually the Holy Spirit working his magic, because I have asked him to take control of my life. I know longer want the stress and anger of it all. And I pray that God will guide me in my search of new found knowledge to know what is right from wrong. I also thank you for all the amazing information and Knowledge that I have found out there in the big wide world and I will only take information that is of interest to me. I also want to thank God for the amazing people I have met through church over the last few days, knowing god is all about building relationship the thing I have always craved in life.

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul - Book

Saw this book and have read a few pages; wow it sounds great I wish I had it now to go to bed with and read until I fell asleep. I can imagine I would finish the whole book before I went to sleep.
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul
http://www.amazon.com/Captivating-Unveiling-Mystery-Womans-Soul/dp/1400200385%3FSubscriptionId%3D14H876SFAKFS0EHBYQ02%26tag%3Dchristinekv-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1400200385

Leaving my children.

http://www.free-photos.biz

I’ve just had a flash back of my childhood. Scary. And realised why I have issues with leaving my children with anyone, let alone with the crèche in the church I go to. I have been going to my church weekly for about 2/3 months now and naturally I still feel uncomfortable leaving them with people I don’t know. I really enjoy going to church; in fact I look forward to it all week. It gives me a chance to be on my own, to concentrate on myself and learn more about God and how he works within each of us. Because I feel I am being rather selfish and want to concentrate on my journey to godliness I tend to go to church on my own. However, last week I found it quite lonely, so I decided this week to take baby Wilson to keep me company. Not such a good idea!

It was Holy Communion, which 1) I have only ever done once before about 3 weeks ago and it was a very enlightening experience; and 2) I wanted to give my all this time, which was not possible with a wriggling boy. With this in mind I decided to be brave and take him to the church crèche. I was heart-broken at the thought of leaving him and could not hold back my tears. I felt very silly in front of all the people in the little room but braved it on, put him down on the floor, and left the room.

The talk by the vicar was extremely interesting about how we make choices, whether right or wrong, and how they shape us into who we are today. I thought at the time “this is surreal, this is all about me”. I wanted to take in as much as possible.

Thinking about it now, I have come to realize one of the reasons why I find it so difficult to leave my children is that I have a very hard time cutting the cord, all down to childhood. You would think third time round it would be a bit easier. I have left Wilson for a short while with one of my friends and his grandparents, but not people in the church who, to me, are complete strangers.

Now let’s get back to this flash back. It was when I was only a little girl, 11 years old to be exact. I was looking after my one year old little sister at the time and had been asked by a Christian School Friend Angel to come along to her church. I jumped at the chance, bearing in mind, when I was little, although my family did not like Christianity or church; I seemed to have been drawn to Christianity. I went to Christian Fellowship at high school, studied religious Studies for my G.C.S.E’s and went to Sunday school with my brothers and sisters when we got kicked out the house.

I remember dressing up my little baby sister in her beautiful christening gown. She looked beautiful. I loved my little sister and enjoyed looking after her all the time. When we got to church the adults insisted that they take her away from me and put her in the crèche. I did not like this at all, but what could I have done? I was just a little girl myself. I was brought up to respect adults, so unwilling and with tears in my eyes I handed her over. I felt so sick and empty inside I really did not want to be there. I didn’t know what to do. Ten minutes into the church services one of the church elders came back with my little sister and said she had been crying hysterically for the whole time. Well that made me feel even worst. I had been given the responsibly of looking after her and I had failed in my mothers eyes and my little baby sister eyes too. How could they have forgiven me? Of course I never told my mother, she didn’t even know I had gone to church; in fact I don’t think she even cared.

No wonder I felt emotional about leaving Wilson in the church Crèche. It is amazing how we have no idea what our past and our memories can do to us, to our mind and soul, tormenting us without even realizing it. So, to conclude this little article, I now think and understand why this Journey into Christianity is going to be so emotional. There will be a lot of these flash backs and emotions that have been hidden away tightly under lock and key.

I think I need to remain positive about these experiences and know that the journey into Christianity will be a bit like riding a massive emotional rollercoaster; will be tough at times; but ultimately rewarding.

Replacing my Rose Quartz Necklace for this Beautiful One.

http://www.alohajewelers.com/Christian%20Heart%20Print/Jesus1.htm

Wanted: Bible - Cannot find anywhere

Nlt Life Application Study Bible Personal Black/ Vintage Cream Floral Fabric, unless I want to pay £339.00 on Amazon for it. Think that is a silly price.

Angel's

All about the Bible, www.allaboutthebible.net

Thought I would link to this article as the discussion at last night's Alpha Course was about "How can I Resist Evil" and we talked about Angel's good and bad!

http://bible.org/article/angels-god%E2%80%99s-ministering-spirits

Upbringing not the norm.

I am now coming to the realization that my up bringing was definitely not the norm. It is when you’re having a discussion with people and you comment about some particular moment in your childhood and then realize people are looking at you as if you have gone mad. A great example of this is when I am talking to my husband about flash backs I get about my past when I was a child. He actually looks at me as if I am insane. His reply, "you're lying, don't be silly". My sisters and brother would agree with me, however they may not even see this BLOG SITE as they will never know my journey into Christianity. Well not at the moment anyway.

In my alpha group last night when discussing "How Can I Resist Evil" I mentioned about my father's suicide. That was pretty emotional, though managed to hold back my tears on that one. We were also on the subject of Christmas (this time of year I always get rather emotional remembering my childhood) and Christmas decorations. I mentioned that although my mother wasn't the best one in the world she did spend time at Christmas making decoration for the tree. It was when I asked "Did anyone else make the decorations from cigarette boxes and match boxes?" that I got that look from them all, the same one my husband gives me when I talk about my childhood.

I would never say I wished I had had a different childhood other wise I would not be the person I am today, however there are a lot of issues that need to be dealt with that have be locked away in a safe place. Looks like now is the time to open that door and let them all out. Am I really ready for that? Well, if God guides me then hey! Why not? I'm not looking forward to it but definitely a great way to go forward in my life.

Philippians 3:13,14 - English Standard Version
"13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Letting Go Of Your Past

This is not going to be an easy Journey!

A Mountain of Laundry

Love this story, not quite sure I want to ask God to help with my laundry just yet! lol xx

A Mountain of Laundry

It’s Up to You

It’s Up to You