Saturday, January 31, 2015

Life Beyond Abuse, by Joyce Meyer

I was sexually, mentally, emotionally and verbally abused by my father as far back as I can remember until I left home at the age of eighteen. He did many terrible things…some which are too distasteful for me to talk about publicly. But I want to share my testimony because so many people have been hurt, and they need to realize that someone has made it through their...
struggles so they can have hope.
More than anything, I want you to know and really understand that anyone who has been abused can fully recover if they will give their life completely to Jesus.
What Does “Abuse” Mean?
Abuse is defined as “to be misused, used improperly or to be wasted; to use in such a way as to cause harm or damage; to be treated cruelly.” Any time we are misused or used for a purpose other than what God intended, it’s damaging. And I realize many people can relate to this. For some of you reading this article, I’m just telling your story. You know what it’s like to live with a terrible secret that is eating you alive.

My father was a mean, controlling and manipulative person for most of his life. He was unpredictable and unstable. As a result, the atmosphere of our home was super-charged with fear because you never knew if what you did would make him mad or not.

We always did what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it. We watched what he wanted to watch on TV, went to bed when he went to bed, got up when he got up, and ate the meals he wanted us to eat…everything in our home was determined by his moods and what he wanted.

The sexual abuse started when I was very young, and when he decided I was mature enough, he took things even further. From this point until I was eighteen, he raped me at least once a week. My father, whom I was supposed to be able to trust and who was supposed to keep me safe, was the person I came to fear the most.
Feelings of Shame and Loneliness
I was so profoundly ashamed because of this. I was ashamed of me, and I was ashamed of my father and what he did. I was also constantly afraid. There was no place I ever felt safe growing up. I don’t think we can even begin to imagine what kind of damage this does to a child.
At school I pretended I had a normal life, but I felt lonely all the time and different from everyone else. I never felt like I fit in, and I wasn’t allowed to participate in after-school activities, go to sports events or parties or date boys. Many times I had to make up stories about why I couldn’t do anything with my classmates. For so long I lived with pretense and lies.
What I learned about love was actually perversion. My father told me what he did to me was special and because he loved me. He said everything he did was good, but it had to be our secret because no one else would understand and it would cause problems in the family. It became my burden not to let my pain cause problems in our family. And as long as I kept this secret, I couldn’t get free from the pain of it.
You may be wondering, Joyce, where was God in all of this? He was there. He didn’t get me out of the situation when I was a child, but He did give me the strength to get through it. It’s true my father abused me and didn’t love and protect me the way he should have, and at times it seemed no one would ever help me and it would never end.
But God always had a plan for my life, and He has redeemed me. He has taken what Satan meant for harm and turned it into something good (see Romans 8:28). He has taken away my shame and given me a double reward and recompense (see Isaiah 61:7).
God Can Heal and Restore You
It may seem impossible, but God’s truth has set me free from a life of pretense and lies and has restored my soul. I am living proof that nothing is too hard for God. And no matter what you’ve been through or how bad you hurt, there is hope!
That’s why I’m telling my story. You need to know how good God is and that your struggle is worth it. If you will give your life to Christ and really trust God, you can be completely healed and restored so you can live the life Jesus died for you to have. Don’t give up!

This article is taken from Joyce’s testimony on DVD, One Life, and was originally published in the May 2012 issue of Enjoying Everyday Life® magazine. 

Friday, January 30, 2015

Sandwich Buns

1/3 cup milk, warm 
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup oil
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, not drained
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper...
1 tablespoon honey dijon mustard
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon yeast
4 1/4 cups flour

Stir together milk, butter, oil, pineapple, and sugar in a bowl.  Whisk in salt, pepper, dijon mustard, and well beaten eggs.  Add 3 cups of flour and yeast,  Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour as needed. Dough should be slightly sticky.  Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.  Punch down, form buns, and place in a well greased 9" by 13" pan.  Let rise again until almost doubled in bulk.  Brush buns with an egg wash. (whisk an egg and 2 tablespoons water).  Bake in 350ยบ oven for 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Brush tops with melted butter if desired.  Yield: 12 buns


I've been enjoying Recipes from the Blog Mennonite Girls Can Cook for a while now...and since I was making one of their recipes for dinner tonite, I thought I'd share the Recipe with you.  If you haven't seen their blog you can visit them here.



Thursday, January 29, 2015

Hold Your Tongue

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it! 
—Psalm 34:13-14

"You really have the gift of gab," one man told me many years ago, when I first started in the ministry. He had pointed out something that I already knew: God had given me "a ready tongue," that is, I speak easily. Words are...
my tools. The Lord first gave me that gift, and then He called me into the ministry to use that ability to work for Him.
I have no trouble talking. That's my gift; that’s also been my greatest problem. Because I seem to always have something to say, I have struggled many, many years over the right use of my tongue.
It has not been an easy battle.
Over the years, I heard various people saying things like, "Hold your tongue." "Do you have to speak every word that comes to your mind?" "Do you always speak first and think later?" "Must you sound so harsh?" Had I truly listened to what people were saying, I might have realized that God was trying to tell me something. But I ignored their comments and continued in my own stubborn ways.
I know I have wounded people with my words in the past, and I am sorry for that. I'm also grateful that God has forgiven me.
Several years ago, I realized that if God was going to use my life, I had to gain control of my tongue not to just stop talking, but to keep my tongue from evil, and my lips from speaking deceit, as the psalmist David says.

I had a choice. I could hurt people with my words and I could do that well or I could bring my lips into subjection to God. Obviously, I wanted to be subject to the Lord, but it was still a battle.
Our words are expressions of our hearts of what's going on inside us. If we want to know who a person really is, all we need to do is listen to their words. If we listen long enough, we learn a lot about them.
As I learned to listen to my own words, I also began to learn a lot about myself. Some of the things I learned did not please me, but they did help me realize that I had a character flaw that needed to be addressed. My words were not pleasing God, and I wanted them to. Once I confessed my failure to God, the victory came, not all at once and not perfectly, but God is patient with me. I'm growing, and part of my growth is keeping my lips from evil.
No matter how negative you are or have been, or how long you've been that way, God wants to change you. In the early days after my confession to God, I still failed more often than I succeeded, but every time I did succeed, I knew I was closer to God's plan for my life. God can do the same for you.
It won't be easy, but you can win. And the effort will be worth it.
Lord, help me use my mouth for right things. Put a watch over my mouth lest I sin against You with my tongue. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You. I ask it in Jesus' wonderful name. Amen.


From the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2006 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Find the Love, Peace & Joy You're Looking For

Do You Love Yourself?
Take a minute to think about it.  It's an important question because your answer will determine how much love you are able to give to others.  You see, if you don't love yourself in a healthy, balanced way, then you won't be able to spread the love of God to those around you because you...
can't give away something you don't have to begin with.

Now, I’m not talking about a selfish, self-centered kind of love for yourself that is arrogant and puffed up. That is not what I’m saying. There is a balanced way to develop a godly appreciation for who you are and the abilities God has given you.
I talk about this a lot because I think one of the biggest problems we have today is how we feel about ourselves. It seems many people have a broken record playing in their head that keeps repeating, “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with me?”
One reason for this is we compare ourselves to other people and wonder why we can’t look or act like they do. Or we believe that God is mad at us for some reason…and then fall into the trap of thinking we need to try harder to measure up.
Don’t Be Misled
The devil wants us to feel bad about ourselves. He tries to mess with our thinking so we are always wondering why something is wrong with us. And many times we make the mistake of getting mad at ourselves because of it.
But God’s Word says that those who are in Christ have been made righteous. Second Corinthians 5:21 (AMP) says, “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become…the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].”
I like the Amplified version of this verse because it helps us understand the meaning of righteousness. As the verse says, it means that in Christ, we are as we ought to be. God created us. He approves and accepts us by His love and goodness.
Get Completely in God’s Will
As soon as you accept Christ, His love is poured into your heart.  In fact, He loved you before you ever accepted Him as your Savior.
I really want you to get this because the fact that God loves you is one of the most important truths you need to know. Loving God and then yourself in a healthy, balanced way is the first step toward fulfilling your destiny and becoming a vessel of God’s love so you can spread His love to others. It’s also the key to having everything Jesus died for you to have, like His righteousness, peace and joy.
I love what Romans 14:17 (AMP) says, “[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
That verse says the kingdom of God is not food or drink. I like to say that God is not about stuff. And He wants to give us something much more important—righteousness, peace and joy.
Are You Living in God’s Kingdom?
How much joy do you have? It’s pretty much impossible to have joy if you don’t know God loves you as you are and have peace with yourself. If you lack joy, maybe it’s because of the way you see yourself. Do you enjoy spending time with yourself? Some people get overly involved in activities because they can’t stand to be alone. And some folks are angry with themselves, so they avoid their own presence.
A good place to start growing in the area of balanced, godly self-love that includes a healthy attitude about yourself is by meditating on Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT): “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Remember that God loves you unconditionally. He created your temperament, your talents, and all your other traits. But we all have specific areas we can grow in and things to work on. That’s okay. The Holy Spirit is willing and able to help you grow in areas of weakness. Like I often say, “I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be!”
Wherever you are in your relationship with God, know that He has singled you out and chosen you to be His child. He is pleased with how He made you and His love surrounds you. You are the apple of His eye.

This article is taken from Joyce's four-CD series, Calm, Cool & Collected.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Be Still, by Joyce Meyer

Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today . . . The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.  —Exodus 14:13-14
When troubled times come our way, one of our biggest challenges is to stay calm. Our natural tendencies are to fear, to worry, and to try to do something to fix the situation or solve the problem. But we must learn to get our emotions under control so we can think clearly, act wisely, and pray in faith.  Moses often had to help the Israelites calm down. When Pharaoh's army was gaining ground on...
them, they kept running, but knew they were headed straight into the Red Sea. Death seemed certain! Exodus tells us the people were frightened and angry with Moses, and they decided they would have been better off as slaves to the Egyptians than trying to outrun Pharaoh's forces. Moses was saying in today's scripture, "Stop it! I know the situation looks hopeless, but don't be afraid. Just be still for a minute and watch what God is going to do for you."  Before Pharaoh's army reached the Israelites, God rolled back the waters of the Red Sea so His people could cross over on dry land. When they were all on the other side, the sea closed again and Pharaoh's fight¬ers drowned. This same miracle-working God is on your side today. He still fights for His people. Your job, if you belong to Him, is simply to "hold your peace and remain at rest."

Love God Today: "Lord, I will not fear. I will stand still, stay calm, and watch what You will do on my behalf."

From the book Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2011 by Joyce Meyer. 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Change

Come on in and sit down with me, I have a Blog Story to share with you - while it involves Change, it has a beautiful Fairy Blog Mother involved, too! 

Have you noticed the changes I've been making throughout the month of January, here on my Blog? I created my Banner and everything you see...all the little "pretties" and all!  And now, I'm finally finished.  I'm not one...
for "settling" until everything feels right and comfy to me.  Do you do that too?  It's kind of like fluffling the pillows on the sofa!!

Besides the big name change that came on New Years Eve...from The Comfort of a Safe Place to Jan's Place...I've done alot of editing and rearranging.  So, I thought I would share some things with you today.

I hope you all know Linda from Life and Linda - if you don't, stop by and visit her.  She is full of great Blog information, beautiful Tablescapes and Decorating Ideas too...plus alot more.



The home of the Bestest Fairy Blog Mother of them all - LINDA! 

I haven't had Linda re-do my Blog...or even make me a Banner...but I love her work and think very highly of all that she does...I just LOVE doing my own.  But Linda helped me with a huge problem.  I got my blog all set up - new Banner and everything in place, but I couldn't get the Date or Comments or labels onto my individual posts and I really worked at correcting it...then finally shouted out to Linda.  The Fairy Blog Mother came to my rescue.  Thanks Linda!  In no time she had it all working again.

She does wonderful work.  She also designs blogs!  Some of the most popular Blogs that I visit, have Blog "outfits", designed by her.  Stop by and check it out.

While she worked on my Blog problem, she left me with an extra little something - {originally called "Sitemap"}, which I have renamed ARCHIVES.

My Navigation Bar, that you will see under my Banner at the top of my Blog isn't fancy, but it's a wealth of information!

From left to right...is the...

Home Button - will take you back to the main page of my Blog
About Me - which you can read and learn a bit more about me
 Archives Button - shows you a list of all Posts, by Category of the label I use on them.  It makes it so easy to find something you're looking for on my blog
Contact Me - there is a form for you to fill in, with all the information needed to send a private message to me
Open House Tours - all of my posts of Homes For Sale and their Tours
Recipes Button - takes you to My ReciPage - which is full of my (and a few friends' recipes), complete with a photo and directions and the capability of printing each recipe for yourself.
Tutorials Button - there are some beautiful tutorials listed there, with the link to the blogger who made them

Go ahead and click on them and find out for yourself how much information is there!


And then of course, a Link/Photo to my Fairy Blog Mothers' Blog.  
Stop by and visit Linda!

I hope this little tour around my Blog will help you find things easier and make your visit even more enjoyable. 

Friday, January 23, 2015

Help Is Here, by Joyce Meyer

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), that He may remain with you forever. —John 14:16
Many people have received Jesus as Savior and Lord. They will go to heaven, but never draw on the full capacity of the Holy Spirit that is available to them or experience the true success God wants them to enjoy on Earth. Simply put, many will be on their way to heaven, but they won't enjoy the trip.  We often look at those who have wealth, position, power, fame, and other resources in...
abundance and we consider them "successful." But many people who are considered successful still lack good relationships, good health, peace, joy, contentment, and other true blessings through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Such people are still independent; they have never learned to depend completely on the power of the Holy Spirit.
People who are self-sufficient often think depending on God is a sign of weakness. But the truth is that by drawing on the ability of the Holy Spirit, they can accomplish more in their lives than they ever could by working in their own strength. God created us in such a way that although we do have strengths, we also have weaknesses and we need His help. We know He wants to help us because He sent a Divine Helper, the Holy Spirit, to live inside us (see 1 Corinthians 6:19).  We often struggle needlessly because we do not receive the help available to us. I encourage you to depend on Him, not on your own strength. Whatever you are facing, you don't have to go through it alone.


From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2010 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Yarn Ball Wreath

Yvonne, from Stone Gable Shares Her TUTORIAL for this beautiful Wreath, so You can Make It Yourself!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

What Jesus Did

"A good tree does not give bad fruit. Also, a bad tree does not give good fruit. Each tree is known by the fruit it gives. People don't gather figs from thorny weeds. And they don't get grapes from bushes! A good person has good things saved in his heart. And so he brings good things out of his heart. But an evil person has evil things saved in his heart. So he brings out bad things. A...
person speaks the things that are in his heart." 
Luke 6:43-45

Key Thought
Ultimately, all the principles Jesus talks about in Luke 6 are heart issues. Our hearts, not just our actions, need to be conformed to God's will. Yes, our actions are crucial. Yes, obedience is necessary. However, that obedience needs to be heartfelt and heart-driven. When it is, then our hearts determine the fruit we bear. So let's ask God to guard our hearts, cleanse our hearts, and conform our hearts to his own. 

Today's Prayer
Holy God, purify my heart. Remove from it all bitterness and rivalry. Get rid of self-interest and evil. Fill my heart with your love by the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

from Heartlight

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

God's Peace Is For You, by Joyce Meyer

“I’m so frustrated! That just aggravates me!”...How often have you said or thought those words? I know I’ve felt this way many times. But I’ve learned that we can come to a point in our lives where we don’t experience being aggravated and frustrated every day. In fact, aggravated and frustrated is not the condition God wants us to live in. Let me show you what I mean.  In John 14:27 (AMP), Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you: My [own] peace I now give…to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]”
Now, there’s a worldly peace we have when everything is going our way. But the peace Jesus gives is a totally different quality of peace than what the world gives. It’s a peace that passes our understanding; it makes us peaceful when all natural reasoning says we should be upset.
You Can Decide to Be Peaceful
We can make the decision to stop allowing ourselves to get upset, aggravated and frustrated. Although we may think, “I can’t help it,” according to Jesus, we can help it. He offers us peace that can keep us from getting this way.  It’s important for us to realize that we have a responsibility to not let our hearts be troubled or afraid. We will never break loose from anything we’re struggling with until we take personal responsibility for where we are now.  Most people just want to blame someone or something else for their problems – a bad childhood, their lack of education, their nationality, their personality – and make excuses for the way they are. But we can’t let the things from our past, or present, become an excuse to stay there. Believe me…I know.
I grew up in a home full of turmoil. It was a very unstable, unpleasant atmosphere, filled with alcohol, anger and all kinds of abuse. However, I learned that I had to take responsibility for my actions if my life would ever be different than what I experienced throughout my childhood.
I remember when I realized that living with frustration, aggravation and worry really just did me no good at all. All I ever got from being this way was a headache, a back ache, a grouchy attitude, and regret for saying things I never should have said.
As I began to take responsibility and say, “God will help me to do something about this if I really want Him to,” things began to change. It wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen overnight, but as I trusted God more and more to help me, and then made right choices to act like Christ instead of the way I felt like acting when I was upset or didn’t get my way, I changed. I learned to live with the peace Jesus gives.
God’s Peace Is for YOU!
And you can too. We can have anything God says we can have. He is no respecter of persons. The promises of God are for “whosoever will” (see Acts 10:34-35). We’re all “whosoevers,” but not all of us are willing to do what we need to do to inherit the promises of God. We may be willing to hear the truth, but are we willing to do what it says?
I want to challenge you to decide right now to be determined and persistent in seeking God and being obedient to what He’s telling you to do. Our enemy, the devil, is persistent and will do whatever he can to wear us out and keep us from God’s will. But we need to have the same tenacity in Christ to never give up – by God’s grace – and make him sorry he ever bothered us.
Remember, as a born-again Christian, you are full of the Spirit of the living God, who makes us more than conquerors. We should plan ahead to stay peaceful during trials. Everything is not going to go our way all the time, and when it doesn’t, we can be prepared to stay in peace in the midst of it all.
Let your confession be: “With God’s help, I don’t have to be aggravated or frustrated. I can stay calm and hold my peace.” The ability to display stability and remain calm in troubled times can be one of our greatest testimonies to a troubled world.

This article is taken from Joyce's four-part audio series, Don't Worry...God Is In Control!

Monday, January 19, 2015

From Stumped...To This

As I sit here at the computer, I wonder what I should post about or how I should reply to an email.  I find both equally difficult - so if I haven't responded to your email, that's why.  I'm just going to see where this goes here.  I would like to post about something, but I'm just not sure what I should post about.  I think...oh I"ll post something funny...or I'll post a recipe...or post...
something about the pups...but I don't feel "funny", don't have a recipe and the pups are fine!  Then, I think ok, I'll post more about what's going on around here...but I don't know what more there is to say.  I don't know if I want to talk about it.  I don't know if anyone wants to hear more.

I do want to thank everyone for the comments, prayers and kind emails I've received.  I'm stumped!

Since Tom was diagnosed with lung cancer that has matastases in the liver and quite possibly the brain just 4 days ago, our lives have been turned upside down.  If you didn't see earlier posts about this...click HERE to read them.  Most of the time, I feel ok...like I'm doing alright.  Then there are times when I just want to scream!   Like right now!  I've even felt angry...angry that he didn't go to the doctor all the times I tried to get him to go.  Angry that nothing I said ever got through to him.  Angry that I put up with all of the nastiness and abuse instead of putting my foot down and insisting something be done.

Then there is everything that has never been done around here...and we've lived in this house nearly 9 years.  I'm somewhat limited as to what I can and can not do.  I find it very difficult to climb a ladder...whether it's to change a lightbulb, dust the top of a cabinet or to paint.  But, there are rooms in our home that have never been painted.  I need curtain rods to be put up, which I've had sitting in the corner of the rooms where they go, for probably 2 years.  "I'll get to it later" is what I've always heard.  There are things that need to be repaired...a bathroom sink that can't be used and hasn't been used for probably 4 years...and more.

It's not like I have the money to hire a painter or handy-man...so, if we can't get it done before things change {and I know they will...I just know}...it will all be on me.  

Move?  I've thought about that.  I've also thought we should sell the house and move to my home state of Wisconsin.  I've thought about moving our house, that's one of the nice things about it being a manufactured home, it can be taken apart and transported in half, by truck.


I've thought about a Tiny House.

But we had this house built in 2006, knowing it would be our last house...and we weren't in it hoping to gain equity, because these houses don't.  If we were to sell our house...we'd get far less than what we paid for it.  Far less - like less than half what we paid for it.

At a time like this, besides praying, one must be practical.  With just the ER visit the other day, which consisted of a cat scan and x-rays, and who knows what else {I wasn't there, didn't know it would turn out the way it did, or I would have been}, we have nearly $10,000 in expenses and they all haven't been tallied yet, billing said.  It sure does add up quickly.  Medicare pays 80/20 after you pay your deductible.  So, we could be at $3500-$4000.  Now there are 2 cat scans, a bone scan, an MRI and a biopsy that will be done in the coming days.  Then the oncologist's fees.  And who knows what after that.


I've always been the care-giver...whether it be when someone's sick...or when things are going badly...everyone looks to me to take care of it...all of it!  I don't know if it's that I'm getting older...or that I've been taking care of so much for so many years.  I've done this all of my life...since I was a young child.  But, I know certain things need to get done...and since I'm not the affected one...I know it's going to be me.  

Part of me says I can handle it.  I've handled it before.  I can do it again.  I'll be all the stronger for it...after all, I have God walking along side me.  And I don't like to whine...it's irritating!

But, then there's the side of me who wants to flee.  I know I won't/can't...but boy, it would certainly be a relief.

This week, I have to take Rosie, our Toy Poodle who will be 4 years old on Valentine's Day to the Vet.  She got 2 lumps on her...one on her backside and one on her shoulder.  Hopefully, it won't be anything serious...and that she'll be OK.

You know how most of us pick a word for the NEW YEAR before it begins...and I was waiting to see what might come to me for mine...when I got alot more than just one word.  If you look at my Blog Banner, you'll see it.  

Breathe     Be present in the "Now"     Relax

The evening of Tom's diagnosis, I sat here, staring at my computer...my blog and looked at those words.  I know without God, I couldn't possibly do all that!  And I know I got those words from Him to be reminded throughout this coming journey...to Breathe and not hold things in.  To be present in the "Now", so that I can grasp all that is happening...and to Relax in Jesus' arms.


With all that's going on...I have Jesus by my side.  That's the only way I will get through it.

My prayer right now is that my husband and I can help each other through this battle.  I know the cancer could be making him behave the way he is and have been for years.  This is so hard.  Can I ask you to please pray with me?

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Tea Towels

Ann at On Sutton Place Shows You How to Make These Pretty Tea Towels in this TUTORIAL

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Tom's Update...


This morning, Tom took a call from his daughter.  First words out of his mouth were I've decided to do the tests and everything!  Imagine my shock surprise when I heard that!!  He hadn't told me yet.  After the call, I asked him when he decided that...and he said lastnight, while we were sitting in the Great Room watching TV. When I asked why he hadn't told me...he said, "are you sure I didn't tell you?"  I said NO.  Then came question after question...
repeated and repeated.  Only to occur again and again in the past half hour.  This is quite hurtful...and I'm trying not to take it personally.

[Tom's photo is from 6 or 7 years ago...when he was healthier - both physically and mentally]

I know these signs could be caused by the liver cancer, which can cause jaundice {which I've seen a couple of times in the past week}, bleeding easily {which has happened to him alot, more recently}, and changes in mental function, such as drowsiness, agitation, or confusion.  

I appreciate the prayers...keep them coming!

Friday, January 16, 2015

Pray and Say God's Word, by Joyce Meyer

We must accept the fact that fear is a human emotion—we all experience it to some degree, but we also know we can live boldly and courageously because God has told us He is always with us. And because of that, we can choose to not live according to the fear we feel.  God taught me to use what I call the "power twins" to help me defeat the spirit of fear. They are "I pray" and...
"I say." When I feel fear, I begin to pray and ask for God's help, then I say, "I will not fear!" Use these power twins as soon as you feel fearful about anything, and you will be able to keep fear from controlling you. We can learn to manage the emotion of fear and not let it manage us.
Power Thought: I will not live in fear.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2013 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Update - Prayer Request...

After Tom refused for years, to see a Doctor, he finally decided he needed to see one today.  He's been sick with a cough and some pain in his upper chest on one side...for 2 1/2 weeks.  He's had no energy.  He doctored himself.  Then his cough got worse.  He and I barely slept lastnight, with all his coughing.  He was very restless...and so was I.

This morning he told me he was going to go to the ER in Toledo.  They did tests and informed him that he has a cancer in his lung, with...
 metastases to the liver...and...pneumonia.  The doctors wanted him to be admitted to the hospital, but Tom wanted to come home tonite.  He said he had alot of things to do and get straightened out before either checking into the hospital or seeing the doctors whose phone numbers he was given.  He left home in the morning at 10am and didn't return until nearly 5:00pm.  He'd been given an intravenous with what he said, should give him some energy.

When he got home, he was a bit confused as to what exactly his condition was.  He said pneumonia and that he would see the oncologist to see if any of what they saw in the MRI, CT Scan and X-rays could be cancer.  Yet his paperwork from hospital ER says his Diagnosis is:  Cancer with Mets and Secondary Diagnosis: Pneumonia.  He says the doctors can't diagnose cancer, the oncologist will.  He sees the oncologist Friday 8am and at that time she will explain the test results and what all of it means and he'll also find out what treatment she recommends.  I am going with him.

Please continue the prayers.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Life's Speed Bumps

Although I understand their purpose, I am not a fan of speed bumps. A speed bump is to slow traffic or reduce through-traffic. You typically find speed bumps on streets or in shopping center parking lots. They work. Hit a speed bump moving at too high rate of speed and you get bumped. I understand the purpose and appreciate the effectiveness of speed bumps, but I do not like them.  The reason I do not like speed bumps is because they...
slow me down when I don't want to be slowed down. The street is a shortcut to where I am headed. If I cut through I will make better time. Until they installed speed bumps. The restaurant I am going to is at the far end of the shopping center. I am ready to eat lunch. Because of the speed bumps, I must slow down. I am in a hurry. I do not want to slow down. Speed bumps get on my nerves.  Life is filled with speed bumps. Life's speed bumps, like regular speed bumps, appear in places and at times that are inconvenient and particularly unappreciated.  You are moving through life unimpeded and with great ease. Dreams seem to become reality with more consistency than you ever dreamed possible. Then, you hit a speed bump. What was to be a routine trip to the doctor to get a prescription filled for what you assumed was a simple seasonal cough. You hit the bump when you heard the doctor say, "I am a little concerned about what I am hearing. I would like to run a few tests to rule out some things."

You have worked hard your entire career to reach a point when you can retire and you and your wife can travel, visit the grandkids, and go places you have always dreamed about going. You are moving smoothly in that direction when the president of the company invites you to walk with him to his office. "The slumping economy has hurt us all. Our company, though surviving, is having to make some adjustments." You walk slowly back toward your office in shock. The dreams get put on hold.

The person who has experienced loss knows about speed bumps. You have had some really difficult days and nights. You wondered if you would ever feel like breathing again. Gradually life returned. You were feeling better. When asked, you would respond, "I'm doing better. I'm doing much better. I think I'm through the worst part." Then, bam! It hits. A song, a smell, a movie, a place, or a passing thought jostles your whole being. "Wow! I didn't see that coming.

Your family has gone through some tough times, but you have worked through them with the help of good friends and your church family. You can feel the blessing of healing with each passing day. You thank God everyday for what He has done to save your family from destruction. Then, in the middle of the night, you get a call from the police.

Speed bumps. You find the in the streets and the parking lots, and you find them in your life. How do you handle them? 

Like bumps in the road, you have choices. You can look for another route. Usually there is no other route. You can speed over the hoping that will soften the blow. It does not. So, what do you do with life's speed bumps?

Consider how Paul approached his speed bump.

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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. That is why, for Christ?s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Recognize what is happening.

Remember that the bump in your path is more than like the work of Satan and not the Father. Paul's thorn was given to 'torment' him. The same is true for that speed bump. Satan has put it there because he knows it irritates you, frightens you, discourages you, frustrates you, and has the potential of keeping you from your goal. Do not assume the worst about God. He is not out to get you. He wants to help you. He is on your side. The speed bump can help you slow down and check your options, adjust your direction, and realign your focus.

Rely on God's power.

Paul admits that he would have preferred to go a different route. He asked for a different plan. When he realized there was no option, he accepted and drew on God's power when he was weak to sustain him. He even came to "delight is weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and I difficulties." When you hit one of life's speed bumps rely on God's power to carry you over it.

As you travel through your day, pay attention. When you come to a speed bump, do not be surprised. Take it slow and move on. When you are weak, then you are strong.

Tom
A Norvell Note
Copyright 2012. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved
www.anorvellnote.com

Transferring An Image to Wood

Maria Elena at Our Home Away From Home Blog says, "This is nothing new, it has been done over and over again, but it is new to me since I never tried to transfer an image  to wood.  I took it a step further and after a little investigating online :) I figured out how to transfer one of my own pictures. It's super easy!"   Want to know how to do it yourself?  Here is the...Tutorial

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Pray and Obey, by Joyce Meyer

You have given me the capacity to hear and obey.  —Psalm 40:6
For many years, I wanted God to speak to me, but I wanted to pick and choose what things to obey. I wanted to do what He said to do if it was easy and I thought it was a good idea, but if I didn’t like what I heard, I acted...
like it wasn’t from God!  Some of what God says to you will be very exciting. Other things He says may not be so thrilling, but that doesn't mean they won't work out for your good if you will simply obey. For example, if God tells you that you need to apologize because you were rude to someone, it won't work for you to respond, "Well, that person was rude to me too!" If you talk back to Him with excuses, you may have prayed and even heard God's voice, but you didn't obey.
Looking back at more than three decades of walking with God and being in ministry, I have to say that the simplest explanation for the success we have enjoyed is that we have learned to pray, hear from God, and then do what He tells us to do. Over the years, as I have sought God and pressed forward in what I feel He has told me to do, I can say that what I have done more than anything else is simply to pray and obey. Doing so has not always been popular, but it has worked. 

If you want God's plan for your life, I can give you the recipe in its most basic form: pray and obey. God has given you the capacity to do both, and if you do it continually, you will be moving right along in His will for your life.


From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2010 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.