Home made cleanser frenzy

In the last few weeks, I wrote many posts in my head, clever and inspirational things about Christmas, but I was busy, and then my computer crashed, I mean really crashed. It's ok, Dell gave me a new hard drive, but I have not yet been able to retrieve my data from the old one. What that has to do with this blog is this; all of my usernames and passwords were saved on the old hard drive, not so much in my memory. So, I finally figured out how to write and post something. I have plans to wrote something about the new year, but I can do that later.

I have become obsessed with making cleansers! yes, I have. I have always used the newest , strongest chemicals for cleaning. Generally, I have felt that if I could still breathe easily and was not dizzy, then my house could to be truly clean. But, Pinterest has changed my life. I saw a shower cleaner that had rave reviews. I made it and used it, and my sinks and tubs sparkle. I am especially happy about finding this natural cleaner to use on my fiberglass jacuzzi tub that I am not supposed to use chemicals on.
Ready? Here is the secret recipe: (from food.com)
12 oz vinegar
12 oz Dawn dishwashing soap
Heat the vinegar in the microwave, put it in a spray bottle, add the Dawn, shake. USE it on everything. It's like magic.

I was so inspired I tried a few more.

Stain remover. Two parts hydrogen peroxide, one part blue Dawn dish liquid. This worked great on some stains on the carpet, and took grease stains from a dressy tshirt.

Detergent (a little more complicated, but really good and cheap), from Being Creative to Keep my Sanity.
76 oz box of Borax
4 lb box of baking soda
55lb box of Arm and Hammer washing soda
2 bars pink Zoe soap or 3 bars Fels-naptha soap, grated (I tried several things, ended up using my salad shooter)
1 or 2 small containers of powdered oxyclean.
Mix everything together. I used my big Tupperware cake taker and it completely filled it.
Use 1 or 2 tablespoon per load. I got all of the ingredients at Walmart for les than $15, and it will last a loooong time.

While at that blog, I checked out a recipe for dish detergent:
1 box Borax
1 big box baking soda
3 cups Epsom salt
24 packages unsweetened lemonade mix ( yes, those little koolade type packs)
Mix together in a LARGE bowl. se 2 tablespoons.
Important NOTE- you MUST use a rinse aid such as Lemi shine with this. If not, all the dishes have a film. It still saves a lot of money.

Then, I cleaned my toilets; I shook some baking soda in, poured some lemon juice, then some vinegar and scrubbed! Clean and shiny!
And, for furniture polish, I mixed a little olive oil and lemon juice, beautiful.

I am pretty excited about using these natural cleaners. A note to my daughters, this is really me. Michelle Dugger didn't take over my blog!

Journal from Zanzibar

Cottonwood sent a group to Zanzibar recently to visit our missionaries there, distribute mosquito nets, and to connect with the Zanzibari people. Belinda Koestle shared a little snipet from the trip which was so meaningful, I asked permission to share it on the blog. Below is an entry taken from her journal on while she was in Zanzibar.

When we were getting ready for this trip,Dave gave us some insight into making this trip as meaningful and pleasant as possible. Besides stressing the value of being flexible, he wanted to prepare us for all the very noticeable differences we would experience while we were here, compared to life in the United States. He encouraged us to see this difference not as bad or wrong – but to view it for what it really is – it is just different. I wanted to be a model team member so I decided I would be very intentional on this trip to be very flexible and embrace different – even enjoy the differences. I wanted God to reveal more about himself to me in the differences. So, as we were flying in, I thought about God and his creation. He created the seasons, 4 very different seasons. He created diverse terrain. Mountains like Mount Killamenjara, which we flew beside, talk about seeing God’s majesty on display. God created the rain forest, the desert, even land below sea level that cities have been built on. All of this is God’s doing. If God delights in different – I should too! I was ready to go out and soak in all the differences in the Zanzibar culture yesterday while distributing mesquite nets. So Dave really caught me off guard yesterday while at the village he asked me if I saw any similarities between village life in Zanzibar and my life in Stephenville, TX, USA. My first thought before I answered him was “Is this a trick question?” Wasn’t he suppose to ask me about the differences I had so boldly noticed and accepted as just different, not bad or wrong – just different? I could have given him 25 examples just off the top of my head if he had just asked me that question. But God knew that I was missing seeing Him by not looking at what I needed to be focused on. So Dave did ask me the correct question and I thought about Psalm 139:13-16. This passage is David expressing who God is for him, but these words are true for every single person whether we know it as truth or not.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

No matter where you live, what you look like, what you have, or who you know, God’s character goes into the creation of every person, and he desires to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. So those of us who have experienced that relationship – how can we not share and desire that for all people? Yesterday, I saw men working to provide for their families, I saw mother’s caring for their babies. I saw children playing in the school yard. The people here feel the pain from a pulled tooth and want relief from that pain just like I do. I saw women washing clothes, cooking a family meal and cleaning house. We talked to a man whose face lit up with joy when he talked to us about his children and his desire to have a total of 13 kids. He joked with Dave about only having 3 kids. Yes, the people here even have a sense of humor, and you don’t have to understand their language to enjoy their laughter. I see an island full of people who need a savior and I see Jesus dying on the cross, being buried and rising on the 3^rd day to be their savior. I see a people God loves and longs to walk with. Each person is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, he knew each one of us before we were born, whether we live in the United States, Zanzibar, China or anywhere else in the world. We are all created by God and we’re really not so different after all.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This is the family picture from our Thanksgiving today. Our gathering was smaller than usual, with several family members were missing, but we had a great time. I am very thankful for this family. My parents are in the middle, my 95 year old Dad in the gray suit, my 96 year old Mom in the white shirt and black slacks. I am standing behind my Dad, and my three sisters are lined up next to me. My daughters, sons in law, and grandchildren are scattered around. I am very thankful for a wonderful family, and I am grateful to have them so close.

Dealing with Pain

We just completed a study of When the Hurt Runs Deep by Kay Arthur. This book is filled with principles from God’s Word, and with insights that Kay has learned from living through pain in her own life. At the end of the book, she has an appendix called A Few Practical Helps, which I felt was worth passing on. If you don’t have time to read the whole book, maybe you can get a little help from these practical tips which I have summarized.

How do you get through the day and the night that follows when the hurt runs so terribly deep?

1. Make sure you consciously inject, include, acknowledge God in every situation.

In Philippians 4:13, Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” In Thessalonians he told the Christians who were suffering persecution to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in everything. These verses tell us to draw strength from God, take everything to Him, acknowledge that He is in control and working in every situation, and to take joy in Him.

2. Find what lifts your spirits.

Many people recommend journaling during times of deep pain. That is a great idea, if it works for you. You may pour your heart out through poetry or writing songs. Kay Arthur wrote that her greatest help and comfort comes from quietly bathing herself in God’s word, just reading and letting it wash over her. She also is helped by reading biographies of other Christians.  For me, I can lose myself in study, reading a passage and looking up words, running references, searching for other  verses that relate. Find what works for you and do it.

3. Make sure you give your body what it needs.

Hurt, stress, and anxiety all affect us physically. We need to take good care of our bodies during difficult times. Rest, proper nutrition, exercise, and sunlight are important to our health. It is hard to think clearly or keep together emotionally when you are tired. Getting out of your house to walk in the sunshine. Sunlight triggers your body to lift its mood and secrete the chemicals you need.

4. Resist the tendency to isolate yourself.

As tempting as it might be to close yourself off from everyone else, you can’t stay there and get well. Galatians 6:2 says we are to “bear one another's burdens”. Ecclesiastes 4 tells us that two are better than one because if one falls, the other can help him up, if two lie down together they can keep warm, and two together are stronger.  You may have to call someone. Don’t sit and wait and feel sorry for yourself if no one comes to you. Take the necessary steps to get out among people, call someone to share your burden.

5. Master your thoughts, or your thoughts will master you.

2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. Bring all of your thoughts into line with God’s Word. You are in warfare, and your enemy, the devil, wants to direct your thinking, to fill your thoughts with lies, deceptions, and tormenting thoughts. Refuse to accept his attacks on your mind. Proverbs 23:7 tells us ?For as he things within himself, so he is.” Your emotions are fed by your thoughts. You can master your thought life, but it takes discipline and hard work.

6. Read the Psalms.

Whatever pain and brokenness you have experienced, the Psalms will minister to you. The writers of these songs pour out their deepest heart hurts, their praises, their thanksgivings, their questions, even their anger, through genuine, raw emotions. Reading them is salve to the soul and strength to the spirit.

7. Play music, sing, and (if you can) laugh.

Listen to music that sooths or lifts your spirit. Put on your favorite CD and dance. Sing along, even if you don’t feel like it. Laugh. Even when the hurt runs deep, find a reason to laugh. Read funny stories. Watch a movie that is uplifting and funny.  Proverbs 17:22 tells us, “A joyful hear is good medicine”.  Laughter releases God-created feel-good chemicals.

8. Hug someone.

Touch is healing. Researchers have found that safe, caring touches are good for the mind, body, and spirit of an individual. Touch reduces stress, boosts immunity, lessens the blues, and eases pain as it stimulates the brain to produce endorphins.

Walk Right In

Heb 10:10, 19-23                                                                                                                   We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…19  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

I have been thinking about this verse the last few days, really appreciating the fact that because of the sacrifice of Jesus, I can go into the presence of the Most Holy God with confidence! Confidence! No fear, no guilt, no shadow, no anxiety, no quesy feeling in my stomach. That is really an amazing fact. 
When Les and I go to a movie or anything that requires payment to enter, he usually goes ahead of me and pays for both of us. I walk in without paying, but I am not afraid or worried that I will be thrown out, that I don’t belong there. I did not pay my way, but someone else did.
Even if we went to the best museum in the world, like maybe the Louvre in Paris. If Les paid for my ticket, I could walk right in without paying. I would be in awe of the beauty of the building. I would be respectful of the art work. But, I would walk around freely and with confidence that I belonged there. I would enjoy being there, and want to fully experience the beauty and the majesty there. I would not miss one minute of enjoyment by worrying that I would be kicked out because I did not deserve to be there.
Because Jesus “bought my ticket” by the shedding of His blood, I can go into God’s presence any time. God beckons me to walk right in and enjoy everything about Him. 

What I see may not be what actually is!

There is an interesting story in the Bible.

Mark 8:23-25
And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"  24 And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
I find this story fascinating. First, Jesus spit on is eyes. Wow, why that? But that is not my point  here. After Jesus touched him, he said, “I see men, but they look like trees, walking.” The objective fact is that he was looking at men. But, because he could not see clearly, to him they looked like trees walking around. Jesus touched him again and he saw everything clearly.

The fact is, without a new, fresh touch from Jesus, we don’t see people clearly. All of us see things through very personal lenses. We perceive the things that are spoken and the circumstances of our lives based on our past experiences, on our individual personalities, our teachings, our culture, our family culture…

If you had a teacher who was unkind to you, you think that teachers are unkind. A teacher can make a very innocent comment, but you perceive it as unkind because of the lens you filter it through.

OK, I have written another paragraph 5 times, and deleted it. There are just too many examples. I will leave it to any reader to look into your own life and mind and see if you agree.

Helping or Trying to Fix?

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?  5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” Matt 7:3-5

As Christians, we care about people. We see our friends having problems and we want to help them out. Often, our desire to help becomes a need to fix. It is not our job to fix anyone. We think that if we see a problem, then we need to point out to our friend what the problem is and how that can be solved. The thing is, people don’t respond well to that, they usually become defensive, angry, or depressed. What we need to do is create an environment in which people feel safe, a place where people feel loved and accepted, where they can face their problems. When we express God’s love to other people, we help them have the courage and strength to go to God and allow Him to reveal their problems and issues, and show them how to deal with them. Only God can truly help anyone solve their problems, get over their issues, and repent of sin.

2 Cor 3:18 says that as we look at Jesus, we become more and more like Him. The fact is, people become like whatever they focus on. People who focus on their faults don’t overcome those faults. If I spent my time with people pointing out their faults, I would be hindering any progress they might make. Instead, if I point them to Jesus, and help them keep their eyes on Him, I am truly helping them.

Jesus calls us to follow Him, which means looking at Him, listening to Him, focusing on Him. Jesus is the center of our lives. As we focus our attention on Jesus and experience His love and acceptance, we will become confident people without the need to find and fix another person’s faults. Then, the love and acceptance that flows from our lives will be the catalyst for other people to look to Jesus for themselves and become more like Him. 

Free from Judgment, and Free from Judging

Recently, my thinking has been challenged on Matt 7:1-2 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

I have always understood this to mean that if I judge other people, then God will judge me. The verse does not actually say that. It just says I will be judged. The next verses deal with human relationship; don’t try to take a speck out of your brothers eye, don’t give dogs what is holy. Maybe this verse means that if I judge other people, then other people are going to judge me.

Luke 6:37-38 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."

This also may be dealing with human relationships. In dealing with people, if I judge and condemn, then other people are going to judge me and if I forgive, then other people also will forgive me; and the way I treat others will come back to me pressed down and running over. When I am harsh and critical with someone, they usually return even more harsh and critical. If my treatment of other people is gentle and merciful, that is what I will get in return.

Judging may be negative, but not always, mostly, to judge is to decide what is the inner motivation of a person, to think I understand why a person does the things that he does. It is not judgmental to have a thought like, “That person is really dirty.” That may be an observation with no values placed on it. We can’t help but observe the things that are around us. The judgment comes when I think, “He should have put on clean clothes before going out” or even, “I bet he works really hard for a living.” I don’t know why he is dirty and I don’t need to have an opinion about the fact. Then, there may be the temptation to think, “He just does not care what he looks like in public”, which would be to judge the persons heart or mind based on what I observed. I really can’t know what is going on inside a person.

I have really worked hard to stop making any kind of judgment on people, and I will say it  is really freeing. I am training myself to just observe the facts and recognize when I cross over into making judgments by placing a value on what I see.

National Orphan Sunday

You may not know this, but today is National Orphan Sunday.

Estimates vary, but  between138 million and 163 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents. There are 500,000 children are in foster care in the United States; 118,000 are eligible for adoption

These are heartbreaking numbers, and there are more; 18,000 children die every from starvation, another 6,000 die from preventable diseases related to poverty. Of course, not all of these children are orphans. Many are in areas of the world suffering from severe drought and famine where entire families are starving, but the plight of the orphan is especially severe.

What does that have to do with us?

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means
caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let
the world corrupt you.”
James 1:27 (NLT)

God cares about the orphans, and He has called us to take care of them. This is something that is very dear to my heart. I have 4 grandchildren who would have been orphans, who God placed in our family through adoption. Three of these precious children were born in Korea and came to our family through international adoption, one came to the family through the Texas foster system.

I cannot imagine that any of these 4 could have been left in distress, living without hope for a better future.

If you want to see their stories, here are blog posts from their moms.

http://cherrycokecruising.com/?p=1489

http://psalm139verse14.blogspot.com/2011/02/2-years-ago-email-changed-our-family.html

I know not everyone can adopt, and you probably want to know other ways you can help the orphans. One way is to help through a good organization. We sponsor children through World Vision. I know that almost all of  the money really does go to help the children and the communities they live in. I also have pictures and we get updates and even letters from the children. Here is the link.

http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/pages/sponsor-a-child?open&campaign=1193512&cmp=KNC-1193512

You can encourage families who want to adopt, and consider helping them out. International adoptions cost around $20,000 and many families need help to cover that. 

One last thing you can do is not be too quick to decide that you can’t adopt. Maybe God has a child somewhere who belongs in your family. Katie Davis is a 23 year old American who now lives in Uganda and has adopted 13 children. I know, that’s pretty extreme. A family in our church has adopted 14 children through the foster system. Families with more than one biological children have adopted. Adoption is not a last resort option.  Adoption is one very wonderful way that God brings people together to build families.

No Comparison

As children of God, we tend to be tempted to compare ourselves with others; compare our faith, our obedience, our walk, our circumstances. Jesus speaks about this to Peter in John 21.

John 21:15-23

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." … 18  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go."  19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."… (Peter turns to look at John)…21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" 

First, Jesus asked Peter about Peter’s love. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these.” Peter brought the others into comparison in Matt 26:30-34. “ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee."  33  Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."

Peter not only asserts that he would not deny Jesus, but seems to indicate that he considers that he will be more faithful than the others. So, I wonder if Jesus was reminding Peter of that attitude. I’m just “thinking out loud” here, but I wonder if Jesus was asking Peter, “What do you say now, do you still think that you love me more than the others do?” Maybe Jesus is reminding Peter that he is wrong to ever question another followers love for Him or faithfulness.

Back in John 21, Jesus told Peter that there would be a time that he would be taken where he did not want to go. Peter asked Jesus, “What about John?”  Jesus said, “Don’t worry about John, just follow me yourself.”

In this conversation, Jesus directs Peter to keep his eyes on Jesus, to pursue greater love for Him, and to be faithful in following Jesus without being worried about what his friends were doing.

Ladies “13-103” Dinner

Tonight was our second annual “13-103” dinner. The women under 30 did all the work! They planned the event, cooked, served the food, lead worship, entertained with a game, and cleaned. The purpose is to encourage fellowship among the younger and the older women. We had a great time. I love that the younger women want to do this. A big Thank you to Tara Gower for leading and planning this both years.

Here are a few pictures of our event. 

  Some of the workers.

  Signing in. Great worship team.

 

 

Yahoo, It’s a Celebration!

Last night at Celebrate Recovery we had a real celebration. We had a great pot luck dinner to comemerate our two year anniversary.

After our dinner and fellowship time our great little C.R. Praise Team led us in a few songs, beginning with a couple of surprises.

First song, think back to 1982ish and see if you can remember where these words come from:

Making your way through the world today

Takes everything you’ve got.   

Taking a break from all your worries

Sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

And they’re always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see,

Our troubles are all the same.

You wanna be

Where everybody knows your name.

Recognize those words? It is the theme song from the TV show Cheers. Hope no one is offended by that, but the words are perfect for C.R. That is exactly how we feel about coming to C.R. where we know each other and are always glad to get together.

Now, for the next song, first you have to get the tune in your head. Back to the early 80’s again. Kool and the Gang…Celebration. Now, sing these words to that tune:

Yahoo! It’s a celebration                                                                                        Cel-e-brate Re-cov-er-y!                                                                                               Cel-e-brate Re-cov-er-y!

There’s a party goin on right here.                                                                         A celebration that’s lasted two years.                                                                 So bring your heartaches, and your hangups too                                            We’re gonna celebrate recovery with you, come on now

Celebration..Let’s all shout aloud “He’s setting us free!”

Celebration…Just let Him love you—that’s the way to be.

It’s time to come together,                                                                                      It’s up to you—life a treasure                                                                               Where everyone is Family, come on

Yahoo! It’s a celebration                                                                                        Cel-e-brate Re-cov-er-y!                                                                                               Cel-e-brate Re-cov-er-y!

Thanks to Les Maxwell and the C.R Praise team for two great new songs! 

Celebrate Recovery; the words that describe it

We are celebrating two years of Celebrate Recovery at Cottonwood this week. I've been thinking about that all week, ready to share some thoughts with you all.

When we started Celebrate Recovery, we did not know much about it. A friend told me about it. I checked it out and felt that God was leading me toward this. I went to the elders, shared my burden to provide ministry for those struggling and hurting, got permission and support. A few of us went to the CR in Brownwood to visit, spent some time with the leader there. It was mid summer, and we felt that we couldn't waste any time, we needed to get this started. That August, we began preparing and training. I was overwhelmed with the number of people that showed up to help, this seemed to strike a chord with many people. We learned what C.R. is and how to do it, we prayed and did everything we could to prepare, then we opened the doors. And we have been blessed!

There are a number of words that come to mind when I think of C.R.:

Grateful. I am so very very grateful to be a part of this ministry. I am overwhelmed when I consider everything that God has done in these 2 years. I am grateful for every one of our volunteers. Many of the people who help with C.R. now were at the very first meeting. I appreciate them all sooooo much. That includes my husband. He had no burden for CR, no idea of what it is or what it would be, but he was willing to join me and lead worship. I am grateful for every person that has come to CR these last two years grateful for new friendships, soooo grateful for having the opportunity to see God at work, to see people being transformed, growing, being set free, restored...

Family. I had few expectations of CR. Really, only that God would work because I knew He had put it on our hearts. One thing I did not expect was the sense of family we have. Since the very beginning. In those first weeks, before we really started, when it was just us volunteers coming together every week, we experienced being family. Very precious.

Acceptance. This was the key word from the beginning. We made the decision that every one who comes through those doors would know that they are accepted, welcomed, no matter what. We committed to receive without ever judging or condemning. I have heard many people say that the first time they came, they felt accepted for who they are, without the need to put up walls or pretend to be something they are not. The result is that every one of us feel it. When I stand up to teach, I feel completely comfortable. I am going to do my very beat to follow God and share what he gives me, and do it the best way I can, but I’m not perfect, not great, just willing, and I just feel accepted.

Commitment. The first week we met with just volunteers, I said that we would be here every Thursday night until the Lord comes back! I have heard people repeat that many times.  I have seen a level of commitment that is rare. The leaders are here every week. If someone is sick or out of town, I know about it. I know that many times we have leaders, including worship leaders, who are here when they don't feel like it. Tired, sick, down, frustrated...but they are here. Man, that is amazing.

Love. Love is a word that is so overused that I almost didn't use it. But I have to. We love each other. Not a mushy, "Love you!" kind of love, but a love that is profound, deep, and real. I have seen this demonstrated over and over. Many times, I hear of a need of one of the CR family, in the context of what is being done to meet the need. “Someone needs a car, so a few of us are getting money together to try to help him get one.”  “Someone is moving, so we are meeting Sat.morning to do the work”...”I was worried about Wilbur, so I called and found out he is not doing well”...amazing how love is shown in very practical ways. 

Tools. I have learned that to walk in freedom we need tools. Jesus promised freedom, and He is ready to help us walk in it, but it is sometimes not so easy. CR steps are tools. CR share group is a tool. I have learned a lot of tools in these 2 years. CR curriculum has been very helpful, provides a lot. I have seen the need for more help, found a lot of tools out there that are helpful for specific issues. These tools have helped us go deeper and further in some areas.

Newness. There is a freshness and newness about CR. Often, we see a new person walking up the sidewalk, looking like they don't want to be here, looking tired and weary. After a few weeks, they are walking with a spring in their step, a smile on their face, ready to come, excited. Not healed and whole and free, but making progress. They are experiencing something new.  God said that he is in the business of making everything new, and we are seeing Him do that. 

Of course, freedom, health, recovery. I believe that we are finding new freedom every week. Jesus said that He came to set us free. He came to give us a life that is abundant. He wants each of us to be free to be the person that He created us to be. He died so that we can live, but not just exist. LIVE. He said that he will give us his joy, that we can have full joy with Him. He promises a peace that passes understanding, a life that is full of purpose, that is satisfying. He plans for us to have confidence. He said that perfect love casts out fear. His love is perfect, so he came to cast out all fear. He said to come to him when we are tired and weary and our load is too much for us. He said He will take our load and give us rest. CR brings to mind all of I shared those things at our last CR meeting of the year (CR year begins Oct 1, so this week was the end of the CR year.) I asked if there were other words that describe Celebrate Recovery, and here are some of the answers.

Home Base. When we were kids and played Hide & Seek, you hide and you’re scared, until you get to run to home, and you are safe. That’s what CR feels like.

Valued. At CR everyone is valued for who they are.

Unstuck. I’m not stuck in my addiction any moren.

Fulfilled. Serving in CR makes me feel fulfilled.

Real Church. This is what church is supposed to be.

Forgiven. 

A buffet. Everything you could want is here, and lots of it.

Learning to love.

Hope.

Fun. We didn’t expect that!

Refreshing. Sometimes I am really tired when I come and I feel great after our worship.

Transparent. No hiding, we are open and honest.

In the past two years, I have seen God work in our lives. I have seen some be saved; receive the gift of eternal life by giving their lives to Jesus. I have seen many people set free from addictions. Some who were depressed, grieving,  and broken hearted are walking in joy. Some have been freed from fear, from worry, from anger, from bitterness. I am so excited, so happy, so grateful. I am so blessed to be a part of CR. God is not through. He has plans for next year that we can't even imagine yet.

We are all ready to start the new year!

I KNEW Laughter was good for you!

I just finished a very interesting book by Dr. Caroline Leaf, The Gift in You. The book deals with how our brains operate, how “toxic” thoughts create a chain reaction with emotional and physical responses that make rob our health and happiness. Maybe I can write more about the book another time, but right now, I am eager to share her great insights on the health benefits of laughter.

It releases an instant flood of feel-good chemicals that boost the immune system. Amost instantly, it reduces levels of stress hormones. A really good belly laugh can make cortisol drop by 39%, adrenalin by 70% and the “feel good hormone,” endorphin, increase by 29%. It can even make growth hormones skyrocket by 87%! Other research shows how laughter boosts your immune system by increasing levels of immunity and disease-fighting cells…

In fact, according to research, laughing 100 to 200 times a day is equal to 10 minutes of rowing or jogging!…

Laughter quite literally dissolves distressing toxic emotions because you can’t feel mad or sad when you laugh. When you laugh and have fun, endorphins are released which make you feel so great and at peace, those toxic thoughts can’t get out of your brain fast enough. Fun protects your heart because when you laugh and enjoy yourself, your body releases chemicals that improve the function of blood vessels and increase blood flow, protective against heart attack.  Fun reduces damaging stress chemicals quickly, which, if they hang around in your body for too long, will make you mentally and physically sick. Fun and laughter also increase your energy levels.

Scientific proof that “A cheerful heart is good medicine”                          Proverbs 17:22

Special Earrings

Lately, I picked up some old earrings and began wearing them regularly. There is a sweet story that makes these earrings special.

For ten years, when we were a young family, Les and were in a VERY strict, conservative, legalistic church. I often refer to this as our cult years. Maybe it was  a cult, maybe not, but we found ourselves under a great deal of pressure to conform to certain standards.

In this group, the women dressed in an ultra conservative manner. We only wore dresses or skirts, wore no make-up and no jewelry, except simple wedding rings. Even using products like skin cream seemed a worldly thing to do. The worst part of this environment was the extreme focus on the church. At a time when we should have been learning to love each other and nurturing our children, all of our energy went into serving this church.

One day, right in the middle of our years with this group, my husband Les walked in with a gift for me. (We did not celebrate Christmas or birthdays for adults, so receiving any kind of gift was very unusual.)  When I opened the small box, I was shocked to see a pair of diamond post earrings. This was shocking to me for several reasons. First, I did not wear jewelry. It was against our religious beliefs! I surely did not wear expensive, fancy jewelry. Besides the religious things, there was also the money. We didn’t have any. It took everything we had to raise three children on one income. We barely could pay our mortgage, car payment, and other necessities (which included tithe and offerings).  The diamonds were tiny, but, still, diamond earrings were certainly a very extravagant gift.

Les was so proud of that gift. And I was so proud to wear them. I wore them every day, and with no guilt whatsoever. So what if no one else wore earrings, my husband gave them to me and he wanted me to wear them. A few years later, he bought a pair of hoops that go with the posts. I haven’t worn them much the last few years, because, since we left the superconservitivecultishkindofchurh, he has bought me a lot of other, more flashy earrings.  But, recently, I brought them out and have been enjoying them again.

When we can’t look up

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.  When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability."  And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.                Luke 13:10-14

Here we are told of a woman who had been sick for eighteen years, bent over and not able to straighten herself. She was destined to look at the ground, to see the dirt, the rocks and stones, the feet and shoes of the people. Looking up was hard. She was bent over and looked down all the time. This woman was suffering. Jesus saw her. He noticed her. He didn’t stare at her because of her disability. He didn’t look at her and wonder what she had done wrong to end up in that condition. He saw the person inside the bent body. And he spoke to her. He called her over. He told her to come to Him.

Then, He said words that she never expected to hear. “Woman, you are freed.” What amazing words to hear, after eighteen years of bondage. Then, Jesus laid his hands on her. The words of Jesus, now the touch of Jesus. He required nothing of her. Sometimes, Jesus asked questions of people before He healed. Sometimes people had to take some action; touch His garment, call out to Him, show faith. This woman was not able to do anything. Jesus had so much mercy, called her over, spoke to her, laid hands on her. Immediately she was made straight. After eighteen years, a word from Jesus, and a touch, and she is free. The Bible says, “…and she glorified God.” Almost like an afterthought. Oh, yes, and she glorified God. After eighteen years of being bent over, unable to straighten up, I bet she made some noise in her praising God!

Sometimes we get bent over in our soul. Sometimes pain, suffering, illness, hurts, worry, stress…cause us to be bent over, weary, unable to help ourselves. Sometimes we are not able to even look up. Our eyes are downcast, only seeing the things that are on the ground; the dirt, the rocks, the ugly and hard things of this life. We only see the feet of our friends and family. We can’t look them in the eye, we look down when we see them. Hurt, pain, and shame cause us to keep our eyes downcast. When we get into that place, we can’t help ourselves. We get stuck in that position. People may tell us to “look up”, but we are just not able to do that.

Then, Jesus comes along. In His mercy, He calls to us, he says, “Come to me.” That is all He requires. Just get to Jesus, limp, stumble or crawl to Him. Jesus speaks to us. He speaks words to us that bring freedom and strength, and He reaches out and touches us. His touch heals. Suddenly, we are able to look up! We can see the sky, the beautiful things around us. We can look people in the eyes. The pain may still be there, the problem, the struggle; but we are free from the bondage of being bent over. The shame and fear are gone.

And then, we glorify God. We are set free from bondage to praise our God.

God missed the walks in the Garden

I started a new class last Wednesday night, a study on the major stories of the Old Testament. Of course, we began with the story of creation, in Genesis 1-2.

Last night, we studied Genesis 3-5. I have loved it. You know, these are very familiar stories, but God has shown me lots of cool new things already. The material is not real familiar to some of the women. They are hungry and excited, and it is so much fun to see the Bible through their eyes.  The discussion we had last night about the two trees in the garden was priceless.

The best part, though, was at the very end.

Gen 5:21-24 “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.  Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.  Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.  Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”

We read those verses, and I said that Enoch walked with God every day, and one day, God said, “Just come on home with me today.”

One of our really excited women, Jennifer, said, “Oh, it was because God missed that. You know, how Adam walked with God in the garden in the beginning. No one had done that since.”

I have thought about that ever since. God missed having a human walk with him. Of course, she is right.

A New Name

Last night at our Kick-off, we talked about names; how we got our names, what we like and don’t like about our names, what name we have wanted to be called, and what our names mean.

I like my name, Jeannette. I think it is a pretty name. It means gracious, or gift from God, and I like that. BUT, somehow, it does not seem right for me. It is too long and sounds too formal. Often, when I hear it, I feel like I am in trouble, because it sounds harsh.

Our names are important, but they are given to us by our parents before they know what kind of person we will be. The name may not reflect the person at all.

According to the Bible, God has a remedy for that.

Isa 62:2…and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.

Rev 2:17  To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.'

God often changed the name of people in the Bible. He gave them new names that reflected their new character or their new calling. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, Saul became Paul. I think that God has a new name for each one of us. I imagine that at the time of the coming of the New Heaven and New Earth, that He will tell each of us our new name. It will be a special name that only He knows, a name that will perfectly reflect each of us, a name that will connect with your heart. Each of us will have a unique name. In heaven, if I say Nancy or Emily, I won’t have to say which Nancy or Emily. There will be only one. God has infinite wisdom and infinite creativity, so there is no end of names, so He won’t have to repeat. Each individual person, with unique gifts and abilities, unique ways of thinking and processing things, each one will have a unique name that God made up just for you!

I love thinking about that.

“I Really Like It When People Compare Me To You”

Today is the anniversary of 9/11.This week, I watched a moving program on ABC called The Children of 9/11, about the children who lost their fathers in the attack on the World Trade Center. Diane Sawyer had done a show focusing on these children shortly after the attack, interviewing some of them and their mothers, and taking a group picture. Many of these children are close friends, with a profound bond brought about by a shared tragedy.

I was immensely impressed with these children, who ranged in age from 10 years to early 20’s. Of the ones interviewed for the show, most were mature, grounded, and articulate. There seemed to be an amazing lack of anger and bitterness. But, the one thing that came across more than any other was their desire to be like their fathers. Again and again, these children said that the thing that made them most proud was when someone would say that they were like their father in some way.  Many played a sport that their father played. Seventeen children became firefighters, many younger ones plan to be, because their fathers had been. These children and young adults strive to be like their fathers. They smiled as they talked about the things they have achieved that they know would have made their fathers proud.

I have thought about that show for a few days, considering the words of 1 John 3:1-2.“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears  we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Patrick Mate Lyons, who was born Oct. 7, 2001, wrote this in an open letter to his father, Patrick, one of those killed in the World Trade Center:

“I want you to know that Mommy is doing a great job of loving me and raising me in a happy home," Patrick said. "I play flag football in the same league as you, and in the same position as you, as quarterback. In baseball, I pitch, just like you did. I really like it when people compare me to you."

Some Senior Adult Humor

On Monday, Les and I went to Ft. Worth and picked up my parents to take them to see Melody’s new house. As we drove, my 94 year old Dad said, “The lady from Wheel of Fortune came by last week and told us that we qualify to have a nurse come and check on us every couple of months.”

I thought, Vana White came to their house? That can’t be right. Is my Dad’s mind finally going? Up to this point, he has had a clear and keen mind. NO, I get it. I said, “Daddy, I think you meant that the lady from Meals on Wheels came by, right?”

My dad is not a funny man. He has always been conservative, cautious, dependable, you know the type. But, has he has gotten older, he has loosened up and developed quit a wit.

A few years ago, he was walking in the mall and was approached by a salesman from a jewelry kiosk. Daddy said he was not interested in buying anything. The man said, “Wouldn’t you like to take something home to surprise your wife?” My dad replied, “I’m 83 years old, my wife is surprised when I come home alive.”

Spa Day Pictures

Last Sunday was our annual Single Mom’s Spa Day, and our great photographer, Melissa Sones brought the pictures to me today. 

Of course, we have great refreshments to properly pamper single moms.

 

 

Professional haircuts, exactly what each woman asked for!     

FANCY manicures! 

 

 

The ultimate in pampering…pedicures!

 

Facials…where are the facials, no pictures??? Facials were in a restroom on the far side, I guess the photog didn’t know! Sorry.

So, after the facials, make up!

 

Single Mom Story

Sunday was our annual Single Mom’s Spa Day. This has become a very special Cottonwood tradition. It is one way that we reach out to the local community to share the love of God in a tangible, practical way.

This year we had 26 single moms, less than the last few years, but still very good. The number was a bit more manageable. The women looked beautiful when they left, all fixed up, and happy and refreshed. They were so grateful for the special day.

I would like to share one woman’s story.

This woman’s daughter was killed in an accident 2 years ago, and she was given complete custody of her granddaughter. When her daughter died, she called 4 different churches in Alabama where she lived, looking for support; not money, just emotional and practical support to deal with the loss of her daughter and the reality of suddenly having a 2 year old. By every church, she was told that they could not help because she was not a member of their church. She has not been in a church since then. She was very moved by our care, and said that maybe she should give church another chance. That kind of story makes the effort worth it.

The Best Years

Today is my man’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Honey! (He won’t see this, he never reads this blog.) Anyway, he won’t mind if I tell you he is 62 years old (I am not anywhere near that old.) I admire him a lot. He is a man of great integrity, he is dependable and faithful. If you need something done, he would be the one to call. He would take care of it.

Two years ago, I asked if he would lead worship for Celebrate Recovery. Wow, did he ever take that job seriously. He is always listening for new songs that would be good for C.R, then he learns them, then teaches them to the C.R. praise team. Les and the team have been such a blessing. But that is not what I was going to write about.

About 7 years ago, Les started thinking about what the next years of his life would look like. He determined that life was not ending when he reached retirement, that these years are the “available years”, a time of life when we would have more free time to do greater things for God’s kingdom. When we were raising four children, he had to work a lot of extra hours to provide for us. Even after I started working full time 20 (what??) years ago, it took a lot to keep the household going.

This year, Les has decided to officially retire. That does not mean he will quit working. We aren’t set up for that yet. He will draw Social Security, but keep working to supplement our income. That leaves him more free time. Free time to work on music and to serve in new and creative ways. He is a very talented musician and has written several songs.  His dream is to write more songs. He dreams of having someone help him get them out to bless God's people.

Les is determined that the next years will be the best ones, that God would use the wisdom and experience he has gained to minister to other people, and that we would have new, exciting adventures.  I am pumped to see what God will do with us in the next season of our lives.

A Few of My Heroes

Our  new building is complete. God provided waaaay beyond our expectations to give us a beautiful, although certainly not extravagant building. We had excellent contractors, who we are very grateful for.

However, we would not have this building without a lot of extraordinary volunteers.

We have 2 men who volunteer to oversee our building and maintenance needs. Tim Parke and Ricky Salyer devote so many hours every week without any compensation, I am sure as many hours as many paid maintenance personel at other churches.

My true heroes are Ricky Salyers wife and daughters. Teresa, 13 year old Tamara and 11 year old Tara put in more hours of HARD physical labor than most men would be able to do (at least in my estimation).This picture is not very clear, but it is Ricky, his wife, and their 11 year old daughter. They are spreading concrete for a new sidewalk. 

Here is Teresa hard at work. After working hard all morning spreading concrete, Ricky, Teresa, and their girls had to go home and milk cows for the family dairy they own. I worked 2 days with Tamara at the new building. One Saturday, Tamara was given the job of scraping the grout of the concrete. She worked until she had blisters on her hands. I took over for her, but I did not last very long. When I stopped, she went right back to work. She worked until her mother made her quit. Those girls work without complaint, doing work that is hard. When I met with some women to wipe down chairs, I asked little Tori Salyer if she wanted to help. She was thrilled to stop riding her tricycle and have a job to do. So, my heroes today are the Salyer women; Teresa, Tamar, Tara, and Tory.  

…”They are Precious in His Sight”

God cares about orphans. He does. The Bible is clear that he cares about orphans, widows, and the needy.

Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place…He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 22:3-4,16

God is very serious about the responsibility of His people to take care of those who are not able to take care of themselves. Here are a few more verses to back that up.

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

"You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.  Exodus 22:21-24

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  James 1:27

There are app. 163 million orphans in the world today. Children without parents, children on the streets in Mexico City, in the garbage dumps of Cairo, in orphanages in Romania. I can’t picture 163 million of anything. That number is too huge. 26,000 children die every day from preventable diseases related to lack of food and clean water.

God says we are supposed to do something about that. I know, you and I can’t adopt all of those children. But we can give money to worthy organizations that help them.  Cottonwood supports Kids Across Cultures. My family sponsors children through World Vision. Check out their websites for information, or pick another one.

Closer to home, in Texas, there are over 5000 children waiting to be adopted. Parental rights are already terminated, they are waiting to for a family. I checked out the internet site and looked at some of these children’s pictures. My heart broke. You can see them here; http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption_and_Foster_Care/Child_Search/default.asp.

Maybe you can’t adopt, but maybe you can be a foster parent or help someone who is. I don’t have a lot of answers, just a deep sense that God cares about these children and we should too.

WAS THAT GOD SPEAKING TO ME?

I have such a great life. Really. I mean, I get paid to do things that I would want to do if I did not need to work. Is that not the best?

Last week, I spent Monday through Friday, all day each day at the Gateway Church Freedom Ministry Training. AMAZING. And, I attended with 4 close friendS, and 3 of us stayed at my daughter Katy’s house  and got to visit with her. We learned so much. So many tools that will be very help us lead people into more freedom.

One of the biggest tools we learned was to listen to God. God has not stopped speaking. I love the Bible and know that the Bible is the ultimate word of God. But, God is still speaking to His people.

Rom 10:17  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes by hearing. Faith does not come from us. We don’t work up faith.  That does not say, Faith came by having heard. Yes, we heard the Word of God and that produced faith, but we still hear God speak, and every time we hear, we grow in faith.

Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"

Living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, both the Bible and personal speaking from God. We have to tune in to hear God.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

God speaks to us, He infuses us with spirit and life. That is His goal.       We go to God and ask, “Tell me what to do and where to go.” God wants to talk to you about what you believe and who you are. He does often want to tell us things He wants us to do, but God is concerned much more about your believing the truth about God, and about who you are. When we tune it to hear His voice but all we want to hear is direction, we will miss Him.

Hearing God’s voice is the primary way we disconnect from the old source and connect to God as our source. He gives much more than information and instruction. The word of God is living and active, and delivers what we need.  When God speaks “Peace” He brings peace. God calls things that are not into being. His word contains the very thing that makes us what we are. Peter told Jesus, where else would we go for words of life.

Recognize the voice of God.

It is a Spirit to spirit exchange. He communicates from His heart to our inside person. It may not be words, but a sense or a picture. Some people learn best by visual, some by words, some by doing. God speaks to our inner man in the way that we can understand; picture, words, or a sense.

Discerning the Voice of God.

So, how can you be sure that what you hear really is God?

1. Does it line up with scripture?                                                                             It may be that it agrees with scripture, but may not agree with your interpretation or your doctrine.

2. Does it line up with the nature of God revealed in the Bible?

3. Does it produce the fruit of the Spirit ((Gal 5:22-22 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control)? In you and in people you share it with.

4. Does it bring freedom? Not necessarily freedom from a circumstance, but from being controlled by the circumstance.

And sometimes, I just use the process of elimination. Like this. If I have a sense that I am supposed to give money to support a ministry, but I am not sure if it is God, I figure that Satan does not want me to support a ministry, and I figure that my flesh sure does not want to give my money away, so it must be God speaking. Same process if I feel I am supposed to start a conversation with a stranger, or offer to pray for a friend… Makes sense to me.

I suggest you try an exercise.

Be still, be quite, get comfortable. Close your eyes. Ask God a question, then wait quietly for Him to answer you. Be silent and wait, and just listen for God to speak. Give yourself enough time to work through the process, to sort through all the thoughts and voices in your head. Probably you will go through thoughts like this:

“This is stupid. I am embarrassed. What if I don’t hear anything? How long do I  just sit here? Was that God? No, probably just me. Wait, I heard it again, maybe it is God. I felt something, maybe that is God. No, just indigestion. No, I feel really good, comfortable. I think God is speaking. I see in my mind…could that be God?”

Lots of thoughts will float through your mind. Just ask God to clear your mind and help you to hear from Him.

Ask God:

1. What do You want to tell or show me about Yourself today?

 

2.What do You want to tell or show me about myself?

 

3.Is there anything in my heart that you want to talk to me about?

 

Leave a comment and let me know what you heard!

Theology of a Child

I love to hear children talk about God. A friend recently told me the sweetest story. Her son Lewis, (I think he is 6) told his mother that he knows what God looks like. He said that God is REALLY big, and He is full of light, shining everywhere, and He has red hearts ALL over Him. He takes a red heart off and reaches out to a person, takes the persons black, sick heart and gives him the new, red heart in exchange.

Wow, what a great concept. What great insight, and very Biblical. Don’t you love the simple theology of children.

This reminds me of one of my favorite childhood stories of our daughters. When Katy was 3 and 4, she listened well to her Sunday School lessons and would often tell us the stories. One day, I asked her what the lesson was that morning. She said that the story was about George and the Gypsies. I did not remember a story about Gypsies, or even a George in the Bible, so I asked her about it. She said that George’s father made him a beautiful coat with a lot of colors. His brothers were jealous and sold him to the Gypsies.

Well, sometimes kids don’t get it right, but it is still fun.

Winning the Battle

I am so grateful that Paul did not end his letter when he finished Romans chapter 7. Even though it ends on a high note, it leaves a lot of questions. After reading the long discussion about his struggles, I am always excited when he gets to the end and says, “Thank God for Jesus.” (well, that is the gist of it)  But I almost am left thinking, “But Paul, I’m still struggling. I get it that I can’t do it on my own, but do I just sit and wait for Jesus to deliver me?” Pretty sure that is not what Paul means. Then, I go to the next chapter, which is FULL of practical tips on how to live a life of victory. Here are just a few things that I see in this wonderful chapter.

1. Do not live under condemnation

Romans 8:1 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

I believe that the biggest hindrance to living in victory is condemnation. Guilt will rob you of joy and confidence. If you belong to Christ, you have given your life to Him, you are not condemned. When you do something that is disobedient to God, you realize it, you feel bad about it, you should be genuinely sorry;  but you confess it and accept His complete forgiveness. When you feel guilty, you just want to hide. You walk with down and your relationship is damaged. You are powerless to make healthy changes.

2. Gain control of your thoughts

Romans 8:5-6 “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the SPIRIT have their minds set on what the SPIRIT desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the SPIRIT is life and peace.”

When we set our mind on anything, we dwell on it, think about it all the time. I might think about eating an Oreo…and I keep thinking about how the Oreo is sweet and delicious, the wafers are crisp and chocolaty, the inside is creamy and sweet. That is setting my mind on the Oreo. BUT, maybe I decide I WILL NOT eat the Oreo. I consider that the Oreo is not good for me, it is full of sugar and preservatives, it will make me gain weight, the chocolate will get all over my teeth…I am still setting my mind on the Oreo.

Dreaming about committing a sin brings mental and spiritual death. Dwelling on NOT committing that sin also brings mental and spiritual death. Instead, determine to think about things of God; verses you know, the things that God is doing, what God is speaking to you or asking you to do.

3. Let God take control and follow Him

Rom 8:9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)                                                                            Rom 8:12-14 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

You do not HAVE to do what the flesh wants to do. You choose. God wants to help you. Let him lead you. Make a commitment to just obey.

4. Cry out to God when you are in trouble

Rom 8:15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father."

Abba is the Greek name that we would use “Daddy”! That is the first cry of a child in trouble. The almighty God is ready to come when we cry out, and He wants us to call Him “Daddy”.  When tempted, cry out.

5. Believe that God has plans for you

Rom 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

You may have a lot of bad choices in your past. You may have a lot of hurts in your past. And you may have consequences that are painful. But, God still has a plan, and he will use all of those things to work together for your good.

6. Be confident that God is FOR you

Rom 8:31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

God, God who created the universe with his voice, God who controls the oceans. God who put the stars in the sky. God is FOR you.

7. Believe that God loves you

Rom 8:35-39 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God loves you all the time. He never stops loving you. Even on your worst days, he still loves you. 

A Losing Battle?

“ I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree with what is good…So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God's law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”

How many times have we all had those thoughts, and often wondered, “How can I be a real Christian and struggle like this? Am I the only one who does this?”

You probably recognize that paragraph as the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7. The Apostle Paul battled with sin. Wow. Possibly the greatest follower of Jesus who ever lived. He evangelized much of the Middle East and Europe. He wrote 14 letters which are books of the Bible…and he battled with sin.

The strain of trying to do things in your own power is exhausting, and that is what Paul is talking about in Romans 7. This chapter is about the defeated life. We have all been there. The defeated life is exhausting . And, there is a huge emotional cost we pay when we live there. A few of the emotions we deal with are;

Confusion.

Verse 15, “ I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Did you notice the number of times Paul used “I” in that verse, 6 times. I…I..I.  Paul had to learn, as we all do, that “I” can’t live a victorious life. 

Paul did not have all the answers, so it is ok if we don’t. Sometimes we just don’t understand why we do the things we do. Struggling to do what you can with your own will power causes confusion.

Guilt and shame

“I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking.” Vs. 16

Paul said he knew what he was doing was wrong, so he had a bad conscience. You know what you are doing is wrong. I know I shouldn’t eat this, say this, look at this, do this, use this, go there…but I do it anyway. That causes a problem with your conscience, which causes you to have guilt and shame.

Compulsions and Addictions.

A compulsion is a habit that you do so often that it gets out of control. You do something so much that you can’t NOT do it.

“But I can't help myself because I'm no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am, that makes me do these evil things.” Vs. 17

Paul is not making excuses, he is just stating the fact. We have a natural inclination not to do the right thing, but to do the easy thing, the comfortable, the popular, the quick.

We start the day saying, “Today is going to be different. I am not going to do… or today, I am going to…” but, at the end of the day, we find that today is just like yesterday, another failure. So then, we end up with:

Self condemnation.

“I know I am rotten inside as far as my old sinful nature is concerned.” Vs. 18a Paul is condemning himself. There is a difference in confessing your sin or your problem, which is healthy, and judging and condemning yourself. Some of you are really good at this. Because you still have the same struggles, you begin to condemn yourself. “I am no good.” “I am hopeless.”

Frustration.

“No matter which way I turn I can't make myself do right. I want to but I can't! When I want to do good, I don't; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway! Now if I am doing what I don't want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.” Vs. 18b-20

The law of sin pulls you down. Like gravity pulls you down.What if I decided to fly, I could flap my arms all day and never fly because the law of gravity is stronger than my arms. Same as trying to change by will power. I decide to change and I try to change and I may do it for a while, but eventually I am going to fail. Just as the law of gravity is stronger than my arms, the law of sin is stronger than my will power. This lack of victory causes frustration, which leads to discouragement.

Discouragement and despair.

“It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong…In my mind I want to be God's willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.” Vs. 21 +23

Paul is desperate. He has been fighting and fighting and losing. Finally he says, I GIVE UP. I can’t do this. That is when we get to the answer.

“Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Rom. 7:24-25

Paul said “WHO” because the answer is not a thing, but who. The answer is not a program, a book, a method…the answer is Jesus.

Surprise! Meals!

I just read my daughter’s blog about meal planning (http://cherrycokecruising.com/.  She gave detailed steps to careful planning for 2. I realized that weekly meal planning is long gone in my life. When I was a stay at home mom raising 4 children planning meals, making careful shopping lists, and clipping coupons were all important duties.

Now, my life is just not quite so organized. As the Women’s Minister, I host various dinners, showers, brunches, and lunches very often. So, I have leftovers which we eat for a while, then I recycle some into new dishes, and freeze some to use later. (sometimes I remember to label the things I freeze, sometimes I don’t).

And, I also lead Celebrate Recovery. We serve snacks every week, a meal once a month, and regular special occasion dinners. So, the word around the church is, when there are leftovers from any event, “Give it to Jeannette. C.R. will use it.” So, my freezer is full of strange food items all the time. In fact, after reading Katy’s blog, I found some unidentified meat in my freezer. I plan to cook it and find out what it is! I need to go look for recipes now!

ZIP LINE

It has been a busy summer!

Our trip to Costa Rica was wonderful. The highlight of the trip was the zip line. Flying through the trees a hundred feet in the air, looking over beautiful green valleys and mountains was exhilarating and exciting.  We have not always been “thrill seekers”.  We want this stage of our life to be the best.

A couple of years ago, my husband was contemplating the first miracle of Jesus, found in John

Jesus was at a wedding feast when the couple ran out of wine. Jesus commanded that the servants fill pots with water, which He turned into wine. The wedding host tasted the new wine and said  "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."
Les felt that God was speaking to him, that although the world thinks  that the best time of life is youth, that God is saving the best for last, that our best times are still ahead of us.

That has sort of been our motto since that time. In the last few years, we hike more than ever, we canoe when we can, we travel more, we make time with friends a priority, we sit on the front porch a lot, we try new things,  and, given the opportunity we zip line!