Friday Fall ~ Pumpkin Spice

Photo by Heidi Kaden

Fall would be nothing without PUMPKINS.  Just the smell puts me in a crisp mood.  It jumps forward to having pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner.  My cousin, Andy, and I have blown out birthday candles on more than one pumpkin pie.  The smell also takes me back to the fall festival at St. Bernards. Who doesn't loves a good pie, I mean, cakewalk?

The smell of a pumpkin spice candle can send a warm, calming feeling throughout the home.

OK, OK, let's talk about the best thing about pumpkin spice...

COFFEE!!!

Whether it's hot or iced, sweet or bitter: many of us love pumpkin spiced coffee.  It's a party for our senses; letting them know that the holidays are just around the corner!

Now, I really want a pumpkin spice frape! 

IT'S THANKFUL THURSDAY - MY HUSBAND - MY SOUL MATE

 

Photo by Google User Content

Shh!  Don't tell him, but I LOVE BARRETT.

It takes effort to have a relationship with anyone; especially if one of those individuals is disabled and especially if it is an intimate relationship. 

My husband is unique.  We drive each other crazy.  Well, I drive him crazy because I am already crazy.

We've known each other for 25 years.  On November 7th, we'll be married for 24 years. 

He's been through the best and worst with me.

Every disability has its own set of challenges.  When those collide with the individual's personalities; they ebb and flow with each other like a river and when you add other disabilities, such as a mental illness, you get the perfect storm.

There is a quote from Legends of the Fall that describes this ideal situation perfectly:

She is like the water that freezes inside the rock and breaks it apart.  It was no more her fault than it is the fault of the water when the rock shatters.

You won't find too many people who can be there in the midst of the storm and are willing to be there through the good times and the bad.  It's not because they don't want to, sometimes people just can't carry someone else's burdens along with their own.  

It reminds me of a cartoon waitress, carrying multiple trays  

Photo by Favpng

However, if you are blessed to find such a gem, cherish them.  Forgive them even when they don't ask for it.  Pray for them always.   Be patient with them and pray they are patient with them.  Remember this isn't just your disability, it's theirs too.  You didn't choose your disabilities,  but to some extent they did; regardless of whether it's your parents, family, friends, or significant other.    Where you need and expect them to take care of you,  you always need to be thankful for those who help and/or take care of us.  It's easy for us to get frustrated with our disability and take it out on the person or people who are taking care of us. 

 It's been said that we hurt the ones we love the most.  I think it's because we naturally assume that the people around us, love us and we take advantage of them.

That's why I'm so thankful and love Barrett so much!

Wednesday's Word = FAITH

Photo by Needpix

 According to Life, Hope & Truth:

Faith is the substance or assurance of things hoped for, but have not yet received. 

Faith is a very personal thing that's unique to each individual.  No one can "give you" faith.  I can share my faith with someone, but I can't make them believe what I believe.

We believe in what we see as sensible. For instance, I don't believe in a  ONE-EYED, ONE-HORNED, FLYING, PURPLE PEOPLE EATER. (I just always wanted to use it in a blog!!!) My mind just can't comprehend that.  But, if I saw evidence of one, I'd be more likely to believe in it.  I can read the scriptures, I can travel to Israel and see physical evidence and I can listen to how God has worked in other people's lives.  It is up to me to choose whether to believe or not.

Faith is simple in some aspects, but it can also be difficult too.  You have to give up control and allow yourself to feel vulnerable to someone or something that you don't completely know and understand. Many of us, probably most of us, have control issues.  We want to be the one in control so that we know things are getting done the RIGHT (OUR) way. If you want something done right, do it yourself!

I'm not a type A, perfectionist, OCD type of person.  I think being disabled has humbled me in some ways and I know I'm not in control of most things in my life.  I fall, slur my speech, and spill EVERYTHING on my clothes. (Please see my I Am Who You Say I Am post.)

When you give up control, you experience freedom.  No one can't explain to you what freedom is like; just like no one can make you believe what they believe.

In the movie, Mask (such a good movie!!!) the main character,  Rocky, wanted to show Diana, his visually impaired girlfriend, colors.  He gave her a hot potato to represent "RED" and ice to represent "BLUE".   She got so excited because she got a "glimpse" of what colors look like.  In her excitement, she cried: "I get it! I get it!" 

Faith (in anything) is like "seeing" colors for the first time.  Once you understand whatever you believe, you're able to make your own conclusions and stand firm on them.  

Now, I'm not saying that I believe whatever you have faith in will save you and give you eternal life because I DON'T!!! However, whatever you have faith in, own it, and don't be ashamed.

About Me Tuesday: My If-Money-Was-No-Object Bucket List

 

 

Photo by PNG Find

If the $money$ genie gave you an endless amount of money, what would you do with it?

I would:

- Get a wheelchair-accessible van  

-Help out Dalton, Megan, and Bobbye

-Go to Paris

-Go to Israel

-Barrett can retire

-Give to charities

-Buy  Mama a new house

-Get help with stuff I need for dealing with my CP

-Go to Italy

- Get my master's and Ph.D. in Social Work

So, what on your if- money-was-no-object bucket list?

Comment below...

Mental Health Monday - King David's Sadness Over a Lost Child

 

Photo by Pixabay

Depression and mental illness are not new concepts.  There are several examples of people in the bible who dealt with these issues.  David gives us an example:

David's life was one filled with great joy and deep sorrows.  The boy who killed Golalith was the same man who had had an affair with Bathsheba, impregnated her, and then had her husband killed so no one would know that he wasn't the child's father.

They married and the baby was born sick because of their sin.    When he was told that his son was sick, David prayed for the baby, fasted, and lay face down on his bedroom floor.  He lay there for 7 days.

When the baby died, the servants were afraid to tell the king because they didn't know how he would react.  

 But surprisingly, he got up and showered, worshiped God, and then ate.  I find it interesting that after the baby died, David stopped grieving.  Most people grieve when someone dies but rejoices when a baby is born.

However, Ecclesiastes 7 says:

"...The day someone dies is better than the day they were born."

It wasn't that David was happy that the baby died - I don't think he was.  I think he knew there was nothing else he could do.  His next mission was to comfort Bathsheba. 

One of the things about mental illness - mine at least - is no one can understand it.  You can't explain it.  It can cause people to act in a way that is totally opposite to how society expects them to act.

There is a condition called the Pseudobulbar affect (PBA).   "It is a condition that's characterized by episodes of uncontrollable or  inappropriate laughing or crying."  Mayo Clinic

I got in trouble more than once for laughing in church.  Someone would say something funny, and the congregation would laugh and then settle down.  Well, every time I would think of what was said and start bellowing again.

Now, when I laugh, I can laugh until I cry.  Now, I'm not talking about a normal till tears stream down your face pretty cry.  This is that ugly laugh that you laugh until you cry; where you go from being happy to truly upset in a matter of minutes and you have no idea why.  This leaves whoever you're talking with stunned and unsure of what happened.

I think that was kind of what David was going through.    Maybe he couldn't explain how he was acting; except that at the moment; it just made sense to him.

What GOD Has Taught Me Sunday: I Am who HE Says I Am

 Photo off of Pixaba 

So, today after class I had a chocolate doughnut.  Then Barrett had a deacon's meeting and I had a cookie n cream milkshake from Steak n Shake. Well, needless to say I got stuff all over my shirt.  As I sat there watching people watch me get stuff all over myself, my first instinct was to be embarrassed.  Then I started thinking about a song that we had sung that morning.  I want to say it went like this "I am because the I AM says I am."  

Being disabled, I've spent most of my life feeling like I was inadequate.  No matter how often my parents, teachers or friends told me how special, smart, or loved I am/was, I never thought I was good enough.  {it is only been since I was in my forties that I've realized most people feel  EXACTLY the same way!}  However, people have felt this way since the beginning of time.  Cain did kill his own brother because God said his sacrifice didn't equal Able's.  

Truth is, none of us measure up...We can't...Once Adam and Eve sinned and lost their footing with GOD,  we did too.  It's only the blood of CHRIST that can save us from sin so that we can be reunited with GOD and spend eternity with HIM in HEAVEN.  We don't have to try to be someone we are not.HE meets and accepts us where we are.  We can't be good enough; we can't wash a stained shirt and have it come out quite as white as it was when we first go it.  I find it uncanny that one of the elements that cause the worst stains; blood, is the same element that Jesus used to save us from our sins.  

 Better than Oxy Clean!

Friday Fall - Gospel of the Candy Corn

  Holy Trinty.pdf

Candy corn is one of my favorite fall treats - probably one of my favorite candies EVER (next to peeps, of course!!!)

The Gospel of the Candy Corn goes like this:

The yellow is the base - GOD the FATHER

The orange represents the JESUS. the SON:  GOD, the FATHER sent JESUS HIS SON to suffer and die for our sins.  HE rose on the 3rd day so that we can live with GOD in Heaven  forever

The white stands for the HOLY SPIRIT:  When JESUS ascended into HEAVEN, HE promised to send a helper, a comforter.   This Comforter is our GUIDE here on earth until it is time for us to live with GOD the FATHER and JESUS the SON .

The TRINTY is made up of GOD the FATHER, JESUS the SON, and the HOLY SPIRIT:  they are three different identities, but they make up one BEING. 

 

So next time you're eating candy corn, remember the FATHER, the SPIRIT, and the SON! 

 

Thankful Thursday: Why its Important to Be Thankful

Sometimes, it may be difficult to identify one certain that you're thankful for.  You know there are million different things, but maybe because of your mood and/or the situation you're in at the time, you may find it hard to pinpoint an exact thing you're grateful for.

Sigh...That's where I am today.

To be thankful is a verb.  I am going to choose something to be thankful for...

I am thankful that we had a good tech today.  Her name is Dominique.  She is our regular tech Monday thru Friday from 6 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon.  She knows how to do her job well and efficiently.  She always has a good attitude towards us and does not make us feel bad when we need something.

I think it's important to tell people we appreciate them.  Sometimes it may be the only bright spot in their day.  Too many of us feel that we are entitled to things and don't have to say "THANK YOU", especially to those people whose job is to "serve us".

BUT... When we are the ones who serve, we expect to be thanked and are offended when we aren't.

We...are...HYPOCRITS! 

Doesn't everyone deserve kindness?  Even if; especially if, they don't deserve it.

Mathew 5:38-40(NIV)

"You have heard it said: 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.  If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek also.  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well."

I think if we all treated each other life we like we would want to be treated, the world would be a much better place.

 

Wednesday' s Word - Determination

We all have it...

It is that small voice that lives deep within the soul that tells us we can do something.  I have had a strong sense of determination since the moment I took my first breath or didn't take my first breath; however, you choose to look at it.  (I was strangled by the umbilical cord when I was born.)  So, I literally had to fight for my first breath.  The doctors gave my parents a laundry list of things that, if I survived, I would never be able to do.  They even gave my parents an "out" by telling them they should abandon me at the hospital and walk away; free and clear.

Nothing enlights determination mort than telling you that you "CAN'T" do something.  Whether you call it a strong will, fight or flight, or something else, our natural instinct is to fight for our life. I've heard people say that if you try to hold your breath in order to take your own life,  you'll eventually pass out and start breathing again.

With my parents' support and determination, I was able to achieve and surpass most of my dream; I'm still not a world-renowned ballerina!!!

We think of determination as a positive thing, and it is, but I think it can also be negative. Sir Issac Newton says "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  If you're not striving to succeed, while you're not necessarily saying I don't want to succeed, it may be saying I don't have enough determination for a particular thing.

I think we have to remember our interests and abilities.  Something you want may be something I could care less about, and my 100% may be your 20%.  This is how God wired us.

***Please note if you try hard and strive for what you and don't get it, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!!!***

We may be determined to succeed at something but don't get whatever we pursue.  The fact that we did not accomplish what we set out to achieve may not have anything to do with the determination that we have in our hearts.  Too many people have determination and success inner twined so tight that the heart gets lost behind the vines

I do everything from my heart, so of course, My determination is in sync with how my heart feels.  I have learned in a short 48 years that I can't get or do everything I want-yeah, (Am I a slow learner or am I very determined???).

So what do you want or need and determined are you to get it?

About Me Tuesday - Ms. Sharber

I have had many strong women in my life, so I'll be blogging about many of them.  Today I want to talk about Mrs. Sharber.

Ms. Eula Sharber was an elderly African American woman whou taught Sunday Scool in our church (St. Pius X) She was prodably in her mid 70's when I first met her.  I only mention her race because at the time 1 knew her, her race did effect her manorism.

She was one of the godliest women I've ever known  All you had to do was to look into her smiling face and you knew you were in thwe presence of God!   I went to a Catholic school, so I ddn't "have" to go to Sunday School; but I loved it and went every chance I got.

St. Pius went once a month to Broduex hospital.     You had  to be 13 to go.  So, as soon as I turned 13, she started taking me.  It was here where my passion for the elderly started.  This led me to study Social Work and Gerentology at MTSU  I believe that  studing these subjects prepared me for living in a nursing home.

One of my greatest memories of Sunday School was going to St. Mary's Bookstore on West End.  Every year they would open for ]one Sunday before Christmas.  Going St. Mary's always made me feel so special!

Ms. Sharber gave me my first "adult" bible

When she turned 85 (I think) Mama & Daddy let me give her a "surprize"   party.  (I think Mama did tell her, so she wasn't "shocked" to death.  I think she had a great time.  She got me back when she gave me a surprise sweet 16 party a few months later.

Daddy was the one who told me when she died.

Her funeral aboustltly broke my heart.   I think there were less than 20 people there and less than that at the cementary.  All I could think of how sad it was thet some who had blessed people sho much when she was alive.  (Yes, I know a funeral is for the living, but it was still sad.)

Ms. Sharber difinely had a hand in the (godly, I hope) woman I am today.

 

Mental Health Mondays - Self Harms

 

*Disclaimer-I am NOT talking about suicide here.- Disclaimer*

Self-harm is a hard subject to talk about.  People naturally think; Why would anyone  to hurt themselves.  I think it may be easier to accept a person taking their own life than to know someone who physically hurt themselves.

All I can do is speak for myself.  

For me it wasn't really about physically hurting myself, it was more of a psychological release.   I get all these pent up negative that keep building up in side of me.  I didn't want to physically hurt others, so hurting myself was the only logical solution.

I think it started out with the biting..  It was the easiest thing to do when I was little.  I never bit myself hard enough to cause pain,  It a cry out of frustration.  Biting myself was easy.  The a close proximity of my arm to my mouth allowed me to bite myself, often without anyone even noticing. 

Hitting myself was, is, a 2 ply reaction.  The is the natural, in the moment, state of hitting the side of the head with close fists.  This wast more obvious and was used when I wanted people to see my frustrations.

Then there was the there was the head banging.  I would literally bang my head against the wall.  I  mostly did this one in private. I believed, and I wish I could say this belief was only when I was little, that if brain damage caused the CP and all its problem , then maybe it I caused more brain damage would reverse it...(Yeah, didn't think one out clearly.).

My latest vice is pulling my hair out.  This goes from simply my hair gently pulling my hair one strand at a time to ripping out fistfuls of hair.  .  This too can be done in a minuscule way so no one knows you doing it.  If I keep my hair put up, I'm less likely to pull it

So, that's the ugly, uglier and ugliest of self harm.

Verse of the week: Sin's Crouching at the Door

Sin is crouching at the door... but you must rule over it.

Gen 4:7(CSB)

OK, Is it wried that I like the word crouch?  (I think it's a writer's thing just to find some words interesting. (No comments needed from the Norman Boys!!))  When someone is crouching they are deep in thought, ready to pounce or plan something strategically and sometimes even sneaky.  It requires great precision.  This is how Satan is with sin.  He waits until just the right time with just the right bait in order to entice us into sin.  What may cause me to sin, may not be the same thing that causes you to sin

This is why we all need our own personal relationship with God so that we have what we need to stand firm against the enemy.  

 

REFLECTION SATURDAY -SUSAN

 

Today, I got to see one of my dearest friends, Susan.  We met in 4th grade at St. Bernards.  She has Epilepsy.  She's one of the sweetest, kindest souls you'll ever meet.   Epilepsy and Ceberal Palsy are 2 very different disablities. unfrrtunatley some people group all disabilities under one umbrella   School can be very difficult when you're disabled. (No, let's face it, school's hard on EVERYONE!!!)  There were people who weren't so nice to us and some people that I wasn't so nice to. ~ I can't imagine Susan not `being nice to anyone.  That's just she is.  She can melt your heart and set you at ease with just her smile.  Although our lives have led us on very journies, she'll always be one of my favorite people 

Thankful Thursday -For A Smile

 

I am thankful for the ability to smile.  The art of smiling goes beyond the physical act.  A smile

starts in the heart.  It grows and grows; until the moment's joy fills over and can't be contained by the heart any longer.

I don't think people smile enough; Many people claim there is nothing to smile about.

Smile is a verb...It's a choice...

Granted, there are times when we don't feel like smiling or it's inappropriate to smile and that's OK.  God gave us emotions for a reason.  HE knew we would have times of grief and sorrow.

But, joy comes in the morning!!!

Proverbs 15:13 {NIV} says "A happy heart makes a face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."

Grief and sadness take a toll on the body, mind, and soul

Just as...

Happiness causes the body, mind, and soul to heal and to be at peace.   

We learn in Ecclesiastes 6:1-a (NIV)  that there is a time for EVERYTHING!

For everything, there is a season, a time for everything under the sun

A time to be born & to die

A time to plant & a time to harvest

A time to kill & a time to heal

A time to tear down & a time  to build up

*A time to laugh  & a time to cry*

Will you choose to smile today?

Wednesday's Word ~ Fulfilled

 

Are you fulfilled?

The definition of fulfilled is to be satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character.

If I'm honest, I do not feel fulfilled.   There are things that I think need to be fulfilled. If I only had that or if he only acted like that of if she had said that...IF! IF! IF! {If if and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas!!! 🎅}

Truth is, we can't be fulfilled by another person: even if they give us everything we want or need.  Only GOD can fulfill us!  It's only through reading HIS word and talking to HIM through prayer that we can know HIM and be fulfilled.

So many of us, all of us, have an idea of what would make us happy. It may be food, sex, money, baseball cards, whatever.  You fill in the blank.  We all think we know what is best for us, and we hate being told any differently.  

It has been said we can't pour into others when we, ourselves, are empty vessels.    

How can we encourage others if we aren't being encouraged?

How can we counsel others if we aren't being counseled?

How can we love others if we aren't being loved

WE  CAN'T

We have to choose to let GOD pour into us or we can't be fulfilled at all.

Mental Health Mondays - A Reasoning for my Thinking

 

It is hard to be a Christain when you have a mental illness.  You are often made to feel guilty because it takes you out of the neat little box that Christians are " supposed" to fit into. We are told that if we pray more, read our bibles more, and had more "godly" friends, we wouldn't feel the way we do.

Honesty, if it was the state of your mental health that was determined by these factors, well... I probably wouldn't be writing this post.

But I am.

It's embarrassing to admit that...you're not happy even though you have everything you could possibly need or want...You can be happy and laughing one minute and crying and sad the next...You think of making choices that you think will help people but in reality, will cause them grief.

It's a constant struggle between how you feel and what you know to be true - and it's a toss-up as to which one will win.

You may be made to feel like if you think this way you are wrong because "normal" people don't have constant thoughts of unhappiness, doubt, and even fear.  

These thoughts are not something that you can turn off like a faucet; even though some people think you can.    

Many times, most times for me, you live minute by minute, breath by breath; Like a fall leaf swirling in the wind, you can only guess which side it will land.

You smile and try to convince people that you're OK, but inside you're being tortured, silently yelling out in pain. 

But in the end, you do what needs to be done and what you've always done...you keep it bottled up.  You don't want to embarrass anyone or cause them to be inconvenienced.  You apologize for anything and everything you do that interrupts what they are doing at the time; even a simple thing as spilling water can cause you to feel worthless because at some point in time you were made to feel bad and/or guilty because of this. 

THANKFUL THURSDAY - MY VOICE

 

My parents were told I would never talk, but I did.

I hate my VOICE.

It has been compared to fingernails screeching down a chalkboard.  I actually like the sound.  Our 3rd and 4th-grade math teacher, Sister Helen would make us work problems on the chalkboard.  I guess because of the way I wrote, my nails scraped it.  It irritated her.  (I may or may not have done it on purpose.)

Psalm 98:4 says:

"Make a joyful sound unto the LORD, all the earth:  make a loud noise; rejoice and sing and praise."

I've never been accused of this.  You know you're a bad singer when your 5-year-old begs you to stop. (Barrett said we just had to have kids.😂😂😂)

Having a speech impediment isn't easy.  About a month ago we had a tech who yelled at me because I was trying to tell him I have to speak loud and annunciate my words to be understood.  He had no right to yell at me~`even if I yell at him. (I'm not saying I should.)   The speech therapist put a sign above my bed that reads:

"When I annunciate my words, my voice gets louder.  Please note I am not yelling."

It's kinda ironic that I am married to a radio broadcaster, who minored in speech.

As I get older, my speech will get worse. but there are some things I can do to improve it.

I keep telling Barret the more I talk the better my speech will be, but...

However, the reasons I am thankful for are because:

Welcome a new resident

Be a friend to someone in need

Go get help for someone if they need something

Thank the staff for what they do for us

Speak up for those who can't speak  for themselves

Tell Barret I love him

Tell Dalton and Megan I love them

Tell Bobbye I love her

But, most importantly,

Telle GOD I love HIM

Regardless of who likes my 

"JOYFUL NOISE"

Wednesday's Words - Quotes I Love

 

"We should live as though Christ is coming this afternoon." Jimmy Carter

"If you can't say anything nice; don't say nothing at all." Thumper in Bambi

"That that doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Clarice in Steel Magnolias

"You worship the quicksand I walk (roll) on." Clarice in Steel Magnolias

"Peace begins with a smile." Mother Teresa
" Life is what happens while you're making other plans." John Lennon

"The key to success is failure." Micheal Jordan

"Hate the sin, love the sinner." Gandhi

"You have heard the law say 'Love your neighbor and hate the enemy.'  But I say 'Love you, enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you.'" Jesus (Mathew 5:43-44)

"We meet no ordinary people in our lives." C S Lewis

"He died not for men. but each man.  If each man had been the only man made, HE would have done no less." C S Lewis

"Love means never having to say you're sorry."  Love Story

"Don't walk in front of me...I may not follow.   Don't walk behind me...I may not lead.  Walk beside me...Just be my friend."  Albert Camus

A friend is someone who knows all about you, and still loves you." Elbert Hubbard

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Mother Teresa 

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." (Atticus) To Kill a Mockingbird

"You is kind...You is smart...You is important." The Help

10 Thing to Know About Me

I love GOD

I have Cerebral Palsy

I have 5 brothers & two sisters

1 have been married almost 24 years to Barrett

I have 2 kids: Dalton & Bobbye

Megan is my daughter-in-love

My favorite book is Ruth

I live in a nursing home

My 3 favorite "chick" flicks are

Steel Magnolias

Beaches

and 

Step Mom

My favorite drink is cherry vanilla Dr.  Pepper

 (from Sonic, of course)

 

Happy Birthday Bobbye!

September 5th, 2002 is one of my 3 favorite dates ever!  It's Bobbye's birthday.  I can't believe 20!!!  She hates when I tell the story, so...I talked about this a little bit the other day in my  post; a \letter to my 21 year old self 

Her due date was estimated between the last of September and the first of October.  She wonders why I don't remember her actual due date..It was 20 years and it was a high-risk pregnancy...And, oh yeah, did I mention...IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO?!?!?!

It was the first anniversary after 9/11 and I didn't want her to be born on the 11th.  I didn't want her to have to deal with the stigma of what happened that day being associated with her birthday.   Everyone deserves to have a unique and happy day on their birthday.  

We got to choose the day (night) she was born and even the doctor and nurses who delivered her.

The nurses gave me a surprise baby shower the night before.  They gave Dalon an "I'm a big brother shirt".

Bobbye is a beautiful girl inside and out.  She works in a veterinary office and has joined the National  Guard.  She will be going to basic training soon.

So, Bobbye, Happy Birthday, and I can't wait to see what GOD does in your life!  I love you!!!1

Learning To Be Gracious

o

 

It is better to give than receive.

This is drilled into many of us since birth and while I believe there is a lot of truth in this,  we can feel guilty when someone does something for us or especially if they give us something.

Do you need to learn how to be GRACIOUS???

It's hard because we don't want to feel like we "owe" someone  If someone does something for us, we automatically look for something we can do for them.  If  someone gives us a gift, we start looking for something to give them back; usually something bigger or more expensive.

$1,000,000 is spent by Americans every December to buy gifts for people; a lot of them we don't even know that well.  Gifts that, by mid-January, most people can't even tell you what they got.

Now, I like gifts as much as anyone. (Hint, hint Barrett. {I'm not talking about gifts from my husband here. LOL!!!})

We need to learn how to say "thank you".  Many times these simple words are greater than anything we can ever give them.  Because it's now about the gift they gave us or the time they spent with us.

It's about...us.  It's about how much they love and care for us.  It's about them sharing part of themself with us.  It's about them being able to bless us.

When we aren't able to or unwilling to be gracious, we may be keeping others from doing the will of GOD and subsequentially keeping them from being blessed.

I DO NOT want to stand in the way of anyone being blessed by GOD.

The greatest gift can never be repaid...all we have to do is accept it.

When Jesus came to save us from our sin...from ourselves.  Only HIS blood was sufficient to pay the debt  that we so rightly deserve to die for and be banished to the darkness of hell and away from HIM

The only thing GOD asks of us is to accept HIS love and to share HIM with others.

Can we be gracious enough to do that?

Thankful Thursday -

 

My life verse(s) is Psalm 139:13-14:

"You made all my body's delicate, inner parts and knit me together in mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderful and complete. Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it."

I love these 2 verses for many reasons...

First and foremost, GOD gave me the most incredible mama ever!  I wasn't the easiest child to raise; (Shh, don't tell those Norman boys!!!).  The idea that GOD chose to gift me with my Mama amazes me.  My Mama is about 5" tall and you would never know she had 7 kids (5 boys and 3 girls [she was blessed with a daughter when she married my stepdad, Garry]).  She did everything for us.  She made it look easy.  It wasn't until I had my 2 kids that I caught a glimpse of what it meant to love someone so much from the depths of your soul that you feel love for them in every breath you take...

Thank you, Mama, for loving me like that!

The other reason I chose these as my life verse(s) is that with my Ceberal Palsy, but especially with the Bipolar, sometimes I can't understand why GOD allowed me to be wired like this.  (I know everyone feels this way now and then!)  I get stuck inside my head and it can be hard to tunnel my way out.

I think I naturally associate GOD with goodness and I can't/dodon't measure up.  I'm broken and because I can't see anyone elses' brokenness, I feel shame and guilt. I feel like I've disappointed everyone,  especially GOD. But Mama always "God doesn't make (no) Junk!!!

Still, I see flaws in myself, but not flaws in others.  I can forgive flaws in others that I can't or won't forgive flaws in myself.

Musician Adam Jones said: "I am my worst critic and I think everyone in the band is a perfectionist."

This quote is a perfect example of what we all think but won't say out loud. 

Why can't we see ourselves as GOD sees us?  After all, we are made in HIS image.

DA...DA...DA...SIN!!!

Sin broke the mirror that allowed us to see ourselves as GOD sees us.

It's only through accepting Jesus' love and the hope that HE will restore and fix the mirror for us so that once again we can look into the mirror and see the image of GOD reflecting back to us.