Good Friends

I woke up this morning, opened one of my devotion books and today's devotion really touched my heart. First of all, it was centered around one of my most favorite verses in the Bible. Second of all, it immediately made me think of just how blessed I am that God placed a special group of people in my life. Soooo.....gonna share...gotta share!!!

THE IMPACT OF A GOOD FRIEND

by Dr. Charles Stanley

A friend loves at all times.

Proverbs 17:17

A good friend builds us up so that we want to become and to accomplish all that our friend believes we can be and do...

A good friend can help you become more productive, have a higher energy level, and have more enthusiasm for life. 

A good friend gives you the confidence to
take godly risks,

embrace new challenges, and move to the next level in your work or hobby. 

When you know that someone loves you and is standing with you and believes in you...

you are far more willing to step out in faith and develop your full potential physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 

A good friendship gives you an abiding confidence. A good friendship contains joy shared by both parties.

Real friends love at all times because it is a godly love that binds them together.

I am so blessed to have these godly women in my life.  Thank you Jesus for loving me so much.

Sharing Notes

First of all, know this...I LOVE MY CHURCH! It is the first church I have ever been in that I truly feel the Lord working. Godly preaching + amazing church family = wonderful house of God! Wednesday nights are some of the best sermons I hear. They are all good, no doubt, but there is just something special about Wednesday nights. 

I always take notes during church.  I love to re-read them over and over.  I gain so much by doing this.  Today, a good friend of mine had to deal with a very angry & bitter person. So when I got home from church, I immediately pulled these sermon notes.  SHARE, SHARE, SHARE...that's what I preach to my children and so I thought I would do the same!

JESUS' TEACHINGS ON ANGER AND BITTERNESS
Notes from a Wednesday night sermon by Pastor Jeremy Morton
@ http://www.discovercrosspoint.net/

Matthew 5:21-26 (NIV)

Murder

21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

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*Those who are guilty of unjust anger toward a brother are subject to judgment or are in danger of the fire of hell.

*Jesus says we have no business "NAME CALLING". HE says that name calling is just as bad as murder.

*HE understands that we will have times when we will be angry but
"BE ANGRY AND NOT SIN".

UNJUST ANGER WILL RUIN TWO THINGS:

1. our worship with God

2. our relationships with others

(both of these are very important to God and His plan for us)

THE WISDOM OF A MAN IS MEASURED BY THE SIZE

OF THE THING THAT MAKES HIM ANGRY.

*We must be sensitive to our emotions-keep them in check!
*Practice humility!

*Be quick to settle disputes within reason.

*Filter anger and bitterness through the GOSPEL.

OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCED:

Proverbs 14:17

A quick-tempered man does foolish things,

and a crafty man is hated.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:18

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,

but a patient man calms a quarrel.

Proverbs 22:24-25

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,

do not associate with one easily angered,

25 or you may learn his ways

and get yourself ensnared.

Proverbs 29:11

A fool gives full vent to his anger,

but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Ephesians 4:3

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit

through the bond of peace.

James 5:9

Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.

The Judge is standing at the door!


I will leave you with some words from one of
my most favorite songs...

And though these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!'

Staples from the Past

After the 5k race this past weekend, what better way to celebrate our accomplishment than to go to what was our favorite place to eat when we lived in Athens.  Eating here was a "staple" for my roommates and me. It is called  THE GRILL, but we call it "the Downtown Grill". 

The best food in Athens no doubt...OPEN 24 HOURS!

God is great; God is good.

Let us thank Him for our food.

By his hands, we are fed.

Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread.

Amen

The Grill is known for their cut fries & feta dressing.

It was and still is ...our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! 

What a way to end a PERFECT day!

Doing Life Together

Friends! I could spend all day speaking about mine. How blessed I am to have such wonderful people to share life with. One in particular is Hope, which was one of my roommates in Athens. I just thought we were close "back in the day" but reconnecting after many years I know we have a friendship that will last a lifetime. It's the type of friendship that doesn't fade away because of busy lives, or distance, time or whatever circumstances may be. 

When we lived together we had so much fun & many things in common...including our third roommate Darlene.."Dee" as we call her.  She was the wise one of the three...and definitely the mother hen.  Looking back now...I know in my heart that God brought us together for a reason in 1992. I feel that He was just paving the way for something really special to come.  The best part about our paths crossing again is that we have all discovered that we three share a deep faith and strong walk with God. 

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Several months ago, Hope called and asked if I would like to do the UGA Dawg Trot 5k Run with her. Of course, I said sure.  Mind you it was only months away and well...I haven't exactly been running lately.  We signed up and it was official. I guess I'm always up for some R&R,  rest & relaxation, Oh, no! .....roommate ridiculousness!!!"

Saturday morning (03/20/10) at 6am, we headed out for UGA. We ran into friends, ate one of our favorite breakfast...half green banana and a granola bar, checked in, pinned on our "if we are horizontal...call 911" signs (Ha) and headed for the start line.  The gun sounded and we were off.  5K? I kept saying to myself - no! It wasn't about a number and a letter.  Hope and I both know we are NOT runners! It was about friends and "doing life together".

1 Thessalonians 5:11-15

Along the way...some certain individual that we now call our "poparotsy" kept popping up all of the coarse snapping shots left and right.  Hope and I were scared to stop running in fear "he" would catch us.  Talk about pressure!!!

One of the times that we were visited, our "poparotsy" brought us a treat!  YUM...YUM...Jelly Belly Sport Beans.  These very well may have been one of two reasons we made it up the hills of Athens.  The other one is that we refused to be the last ones to finish the race!!!

All in all we had a wonderful time.  My first race with someone so very dear and special to me.  We had set a goal for ourselves and we beat that goal by ONE whole minute.  Just our style...whatever it takes!  Hope is a true testament of Proverbs 17:17..."a friend loves at all times".

What a wonderful memory made...many many more to come.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Mom's Crying Again

My last entry was about WORDS...and I just couldn't pass up sharing something I came across some time ago.  This is an awesome example of the POWER OF A MOM'S WORDS...and you mothers out there that truly love your little ones to pieces...know what I'm talking about.  Yes, get a tissue if you are anything like those sobbing women that cry about everything me!  I can be reading something funny, sweet, heart-warming, heart-breaking, it doesn't matter or watching some show or movie, listening to some song or speaker...and without fail...something will tug on my heart and the tears roll out.  It's an on-going joke with my boys now.  They used to walk by and say, "mom, what is wrong?"  And I would say, "Oh nothing babe, I'm just reading something" or "watching something". So now, they just walk by with that unphased look and joke with each other by saying, "MOM'S CRYING AGAIN!" and the other answers with "GET A TISSUE!"  So you may want to get a tissue before reading any futher! 

...sniffle sniffle, MEL

The Power of Words

This is the next sign going up on Keith Drive…Oh, how I wish!  We see the “Slow Children Playing” signs and they barely register with us these days. But seeing THIS sign, something else comes into play...EMOTION! You're pulled into the emotion that we all have for our children. The feeling tugs on your heart and you lay off the gas.

Words Are Powerful

Effective? Much! One of the mightiest forces in all creation: words. When God created the world and everything in it, He did so with words. He said, “Let there be,” and there was.

Words have the power to heal broken hearts and make dreams come true. They have the power to boost one’s self-esteem and put smiles on faces. They also have the power to break hearts, diminish hope, and to keep dreams from coming true. And of course, they have the power to tear someone down completely and cause them to feel completely worthless.

How forcible are right words! ~ Job 6:25 

I am striving to keep hate out of my heart and out of my mind. When hate moves into your heart or mind, rest assured no good will ever come from it. It’ll simply grow and grow – and eventually come flying out of your mouth or fingertips! SPEAKING OF FINGERTIPS… last Wednesday night as my two boys and I were on our way to church we were stopped by a traffic light. As we waited for the light to turn green, we were laughing about something my 11 year old said and I didn’t realize the light had turned. All of a sudden I hear a horn blow; I look up to my surprise to see in my rearview mirror a woman holding up her middle finger…needless to say my boys saw it too…eyes big as saucers. All the way to church this woman rode my bumper…did I mention that this was a four-lane road in which no one was in the lane beside me? This delightful human could have chosen another lane to do her hurried travels, but NO! She was bound to make a point I guess!?!?!? As we were approaching the turn-in to the church my oldest said…”bet she doesn’t follow us up in here, but she needs to.” WOW! How powerful were those words!

How sad is it for someone to say to someone else…”I HATE YOU!” Confucius said it best, “Words are the voice of the heart.” If your words are consistently critical, condemning, and unkind – guess what emotion dominates your heart?! It’s not just time to give your vocabulary an overhaul; it’s time to rethink your outlook on life.

I’ve often wondered if those who are hyper critical and overly judgmental are, on some level, very unhappy. Now I am convinced that it is a fact. It just seems to me that if you’re a happy, contented person who truly appreciates your blessings, you won’t have time to spit hatred or lies all over the place. I feel sorry for such people and I know a few. Hopefully, before they push the entire world away from them, they’ll find happiness. THEN, they can spread that instead of misery.

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." – Mother Teresa

Don’t take people for granted and never assume someone knows how you feel or what you think. They’ll only know for sure when you tell them.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

~ Proverbs 18:21

One Of Those Days

Not so long ago, I was having "ONE OF THOSE DAYS" and you know what I mean.  Nothing seemed to go right no matter what I did.  I had the worst outlook attitude...yes, I know...where was my JOY?!?!?  Well that day...JOY went on vacation without me!  I was letting many circumstances, issues, problems, people, money, work, etc.(you name it)... tug at me from all directions.  Then I thought to myself...when the mountains seem so big...why at times does my FAITH seem so small?  I finally stopped and pulled out one of my devotion books that I carry around.  Before I opened it, I prayed..."Lord just speak to me ...and speak LOUDLY!" ....and this was the devotion for that day. 

Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit...says the Lord. ~Zechariah 4:6

I want you to face the mountain

so that you can see,
when the mountain is out of the way

all there is left is Me.

Only I can move the mountain,

only I can push it away,

only I can conquer the problems

that you face today.

Your only job is to believe,

to listen to My voice,

and when you hear what I command,

obedience is your choice.

But I will not make it too difficult for

victory is already Mine,

and I will fill you with My Spirit and through

you My grace will shine.

Not when you are perfect,

like you think you need to be,

but when your heart is willing to become

more and more like Me.

Author Unknown

ENOUGH SAID HUH? 

It was amazing how quickly my day seemed to get better...

things really started looking "UP"...mainly ME!

A Personal Goal

This one is a tough one! Are you able to be joyful in all things? Not because you are happy with your life, but just because you trust God? That is my personal goal right now. To trust God with the plans and find joy in all things….and give thanks for it.

Hug the ones you are with today.

 Share your love and find the joy.

Blessed in the Midst of the Mess

Life is full of trouble. Debts pile up. Illness creeps through our bodies. We lose a job. Our marriages fall apart. We feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, even our friends abandon us. When no one else is there----GOD IS! We can curl up on his lap, like a child on the lap of a parent, and pour out our hearts to him. He gives us refuge, shielding us from the world. He gives us strength so we can get up and face it all again. And he stays with us so we don't have to be afraid anymore. 

Day by Day---by Charles Stanley

I spent most of my life worrying. Worrying about everything under the sun. Mainly because I did not have the faith or walk with God that I have today. I called myself a Christian, but God did not have every part of my life...just the parts I was willing to give him. Through a very trying on-going situation in my life, God has shown me so much. Thankfully, I am not the same person I used to be.

When this hurtful situation began, I felt like God had abandoned me. I felt unworthy of His love, I felt alone and so defeated. One day when I thought I was at the lowest of my lowest, I stumbled onto a little card that on one side had this Bible verse...

God is our refuge and strength, and every-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear...Psalm 46:1 

At that moment I felt that God knew I was at my breaking point, and He showed me that He had not abandoned me. Through that little card that I picked up, God spoke to me. A few months ago, I attended a Leadership Conference at my church. The keynote speaker said this...

"God has a vision for us and he places us in the valley to develop and shape us to become the person that will come out of the valley with the character that HE wants us to have in order to fulfill the vision."              Dr. Frank Cox

As much as I have prayed for God to just take this situation away from my life, I realize now that He is trying to shape me into the person that He wants me to be and have the character that He wants me to have. Through all of this I have seen doors open that I never in a million years would have thought were possible; I have received so much love from people I didn't even know by name; I have watched God do things that in my eyes were impossible; I have had people placed in my life that to this day I know could have only come from the works of GOD. God does provide. He may not take away the hurt & trials as fast as we want, but He provides us with all we need to make it through them, if we trust HIM.

An "old" friend gave me a book when I first divorced called God's Winks. To this day as I recognize and see God working in my life certain things will happen and I call these my "winks" from God. I could write for hours telling you of my modern day miracles that He has performed in my life just in the past year or two. No, he hasn't parted a sea for me, or set one of my bushes on fire, but he has done things that have left me speechless and without Him I would have never found TRUE JOY! Yes, I still cry and get upset, and wonder when will the hurt end...and the hurt comes from more than one direction I promise you. But, after I have my "FLESH" pity party, I get on my knees and it is HIM that comforts me. It is Him that gives me peace, guidance, and wisdom and the strength to handle the next attack from the devil.  He is teaching me how to turn "MOUNTAINS INTO MOLEHILLS!"  Oh! I am no pro yet at this M2M transformation.  Just today...it took a while to move a mountain, but I am learning!

He is our strength, our protector, and our provider.  He is our peace, comfort, and miracle worker. He is our teacher & our best friend.  HE NEVER LEAVES US!  He will get us through the valley if we only believe. So we plug away until the wonderful day we see Jesus' ...until then...I'm maintaining JOY...and I'm not afraid ANYMORE!

I KNOW I AM BLESSED! I am blessed in the midst of the MESS!