Pushing Too Hard

I have never been a patient person. Just ask my family. I like things to be completed and done, way before most of them can be.  Of course that is how I am being with my new knee. I would love for life to just be moving on as if nothing has happened. Rodney knows how cooped up I have been feeling so he thought he would do something sweet for me and take me out to dinner the other evening to a sit down restaurant.

At first I thought "hey this is going to be ok", but as I sat in the restaurant , with my leg propped up, the pain came and so did the fatigue. By the time we got back home I was so ready for PJs and the couch. I guess the doctors and the therapists know what they are saying with the 2 to 3 week time frame of staying put.

We humans just do not seem to be able to wait on anything. In this microwave, drive through, and internet world we really are used to instant everything. Patience is not in our beings. If only we could see the big picture for our lives. The one that God can see. Then maybe we would be able to peacefully wait for things to work out. He can see our future and how we can make a difference where we are and how this all works with the world around us. He tells us, in Jeremiah, exactly this........

Jeremiah 29:11

Common English Bible (CEB)

11 I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.

I know I needed this reminder of peace and hope, today. How about you? 

Patience Sweet Friends!

Blessings!

Friends,

Rodney and I have known for a long time that we live in a wonderful small town and that we have made some really good friends since we have lived here. But over the last few days I have been reminded of our good favor once again.


As you may know, I have been laid up on the couch recuperating from a knee replacement since last Friday. During this time several people have visited and called. Some have even brought food over for us.

Two days ago, Riley made breakfast and dinner out of the left overs from the last night's brought in meal.  During the course of the day, yesterday, I heard from 10 people, plus, one person came to dust, one came to visit and then came back with gluten free brownies, one picked up Riley for choir practice, one even brought me a diet coke, knowing that that is a special treat. Last night we even had one make sure Riley made it to his last pep band playing for the season. I have also received many little gifts that have brightened my boring, mundane, somewhat painful healing on the couch.

I am sure God has a big hand in the placing of these wonderful people in our lives, right now and over the years. I bet if you look at your own lives you will see that God has given you some wonderful friends too. 

Paul had some friends who stuck by him through anything and everything. 2 Timothy 4:21 tells of the ones who where with him clear to the end. But over the course of his travels and teachings,  Paul mentions many without whom he would not have made it....... 

AQUILLA, PRISCILLA, ARISTARCHUS, BARNABAS, EPAPHRAS, GAIUS, LUKE, JUSTUS, TIMOTHY,  TITUS, and MARCUS, just to name a few. 

The one common denominator with all of these people from the past and in the present, is that they love and loved our God and are and were available to be used by Him to be the kind of friend that gets written about.

My life may not depend on my friends, like Paul's did, but I can tell you that, to me, they are just as God sent. 

I hope that we all can be friends like that.

Blessings!

Telling The Story

I am having a little bit of trouble with a knee which requires me to use a crutch for some extra support. With this comes questions from everyone who knows me asking about what happened that caused this. I really do not like feeling helpless or weak.  So I tend to get a little embarrassed when I tell and retell the story.



This has gotten me to thinking about how we feel about sharing the story of our Lord. Do we get embarrassed or too shy to share Him with others? Do we think that others will think we are weak if we do?

Paul, in the scriptures tells us that he has no problems sharing the message of what God's plan for us is.....

Romans 1:16

The Message (MSG)

16-17 It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! 

Wouldn't it be a different world if we all could go out boldly and tell others about what our Lord has done for us. Instead of being too timid, or proud, or worried about what everyone thinks of us. It was a good thing that Jesus didn't back down from all He did for us. 

In this season of giving why not give the most wonderful present anyone could ever get. Tell them about how the Savior came as a babe, and would grow up and go to the cross to give all of us the chance for eternal life with our God. 

Let's not be like me, let's not be too shy or embarrassed to tell and retell the story.

Have a blessed Christmas season!