INSIDE THE SHRINK

LISTEN TO THAT INNER VOICE

2011-12-16T05:10:00.000-06:00

How many times have we ignored that inner voice telling us to do something that seems pointless, odd, or impossible? It's time for us to listen to that inner voice. Wouldn't we rather be embarassed that we were mistaken about it than to find out in eternity that we ignored and prevented a wonderous miracle of God? Watch this brief video of a doctor who listened to the inner voice.

http://www.godvine.com/Man-Dies-and-Returns-to-Life-on-the-Operating-Table-420.html
Watch More Christian Videos on GodVine.com

SEEING GOD

2011-11-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

Normally, I don't like to submit a blog that consists of someone else's article, but there are times when I read something that just hits me in the core of my soul. I don't feel I can hide this article in my own soul as I will burst. I have to share it with anyone who will take time to read it and let it sink in to their hearts. This article was written by Dr. Tim Clinton, President of the American Association of Christian Counselors. All credit for this article goes to him and to our Lord Jesus Christ for giving Dr. Clinton the anointing to write it. God's grace and mercy are everlasting. - Bobbi

SEEING GOD by Dr. Tim Clinton, President of AACC

November 1 – November 7

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things…” Psalm 119:18

By the “createdness” of things, man knows there is a God…

Too often we fail to see God. We miss out on seeing the sacred that He has placed right in front of us.

Helen Keller, whose only ability to "see" was through touch once wrote:

“I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.

I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough shaggy bark of a pine….

I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions; and something of the miracle… is revealed to me.

At times my heart cries out with longing to see these things. If I can get so much pleasure from mere touch, how much more beauty must be revealed by sight.

Yet, those who have eyes apparently see little. The panorama of color and action which fills the world is taken for granted….

It is a great pity that, in the world of light, the gift of sight is used only as a mere convenience rather than as a means of adding fullness to life.”

The gift of sight – being able to “see” what’s around us – and I’ll add, more importantly, spiritually seeing Him!

On a flight home recently, as we began our final approach, I glanced out of the window. The late evening sun highlighted fall’s vivid colors all along the Blue Ridge Mountains. I closed my iPad, put away my notes, and took in the breathtaking canvas that only our Creator-God could paint.

Unfortunately, the press of life, and the pressure of deadlines have caused me to miss many “God-moments”.

Romans Chapter 1 contains a profound truth. “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God hath shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” (19-20 ESV)

Approach life with a “Spirit of Expectation” — to see Him!!

God’s Invisible Attributes.

His Eternal Power.

His Divine Nature.

Clearly evident and visible in His Creation.

“The heavens declare the Glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 ESV

Has the pace of life robbed you of enjoying His handiwork? Are the pressures of your daily grind stealing His eternal power from your soul? Has pain left you feeling that His divine nature could never fill your hurting heart?

If so, slow down. No – STOP! Whatever you are doing right now, just stop.

Get outside. Enjoy a “Festival of Fall” in your life. Play in the leaves with your kids. Pick some apples. Take a “Sunday” drive through the mountains. Enjoy His handiwork.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God” — because He is!!

Allow the precious gift of sight to add fullness to your life.

It just might turn your life around.

By Dr. Tim Clinton, President of the American Association of Christian Counselors

http://www.aacc.net/2011/11/01/seeing-god/

DON'T BE DECEIVED

2011-10-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

I was given a book to read by a former female minister of a mainline denominational church. She has delved into different religions including Buddism. She avows that the god this book describes is a god she can believe in. I am appalled at her lack of spiritual discernment and her fall into deception. This book is beyond a shadow of a doubt New Age and is contrary to the Word of God. It is a #1 best seller on the New York Times List. Don't buy this book.

Conversations With God - Neale Donald Walsch

Here is a note from James Dobson about the book. There is also a book out by the same author called Conversations With God for Teens.

From James Dobson:

Educators, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV and in movie theaters and the music they listen to ... but we must also be alert regarding the books they read.

Two particular books, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale Donald Walsch sound harmless enough by their titles alone. These books have been on the New York Times best seller list for a number of weeks. These publications make truth of the statement "Don't judge a book by its cover/title". The author purports to answer various questions from kids using the "voice of God." However, the "answers" that he gives are not biblically based and in fact go against the very infallible Word of God.

For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question "why am I a lesbian?" his answer is that she was born that way because of genetics just as you were born right-handed, with blue eyes, etc. Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences. Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?" His reply is "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."

Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply - "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone. I do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong because the rule is 'Judge not lest ye be judged'." And the list goes on. Not only are these books the false doctrine of devils but in some instances even quote (in error) the Word of God. These books (and others like it) are being sold to school children (The Scholastic Book Club) and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children. Our children are under attack so I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your kids the true Word of God and guarding their exposure to worldly media because our adversary, the devil, "roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). And how many of us know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.

Pass this on to every believer you know.
God bless.

James Dobson, Ph.D.

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/dobsonwalsch.html

LISTEN TO THE TRUTH

2011-10-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Our lives are surrounded with flashes of fear and seemingly hopeless situations. The Lord is teaching me day by day to keep my eyes off the tribulations in my personal life and in this world. He is showing me how to keep my eyes on Him so that I don't become immobilized for fear of the future or become overwhelmed at what goes on around me. He brings His Word to my mind and instills it in my heart so that I can keep going on with courage and peace.

I have family relationships that are very troubling. I endure physical problems that no end can be seen. I am aware of the condition of this world and the direction it is headed. All these things could so overpower me that I would be useless as a witness and encourager of my fellow Christians.

Thank you Lord, for giving me Your Word that You are in control, that I don't have to be afraid. All I have to do is believe and keep walking in Your grace.

Lyrics to "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crown

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You you'll never win

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth

For more inspirational posts click on the Spiritual Sundays icon on my sidebar to the right. God bless,

SURVIVOR TREE 9/11/01

2011-09-10T12:47:00.001-05:00

Do you feel like just throwing in the towel? Have you waited far too long for something good to happen? Don't give up, my friend. If you keep walking, you will find what you have been waiting for.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20101222/downtown/911-survivor-tree-spreads-its-branches-over-world-trade-center-once-again

More great worship and inspirations here: Spiritual Sundays

CAN MORALITY BE LEGISLATED?

2011-07-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

An interesting article to provoke thought for Christians and Americans.

Can Morality Be Legislated?
By Dan Wafford

Often, when people disagree with Christian principles, they trot out the phrase, "You can't legislate morality." This claim is typically used in an effort to short-circuit discussions regarding such issues as drug use, homosexuality, and others where there is generally not a long history or tradition of legislation. "Well, that's a personal choice: you can't legislate morality." Or "What I do in the privacy of my own home is nobody's business: you can't legislate morality."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Those who use this argument will readily acknowledge the validity of such laws as those prohibiting theft or murder. "Things like that are obviously wrong, because they harm someone else: that's the kind of laws we should stick to, and leave moral issues up to personal decision."

Such arguments are based on the principle that harming someone else physically or financially is inherently wrong. But that, too, is a moral judgment, based upon the principle that all people have equal rights.

There can be, and frequently have been, societies where laws were not based on such a system of values. One obvious example would be the South before the Civil War. Then and there, it was perfectly legal for a white man to buy or sell a black man, to steal his labor, to injure him physically, to rape his wife or his children, and generally even to murder him with impunity. If those acts were not illegal under the laws of the land, then what made them wrong, if not the moral principle that all people should be entitled to the same rights, regardless of the color of their skin or their station in life? Equality of races is a moral principle. Sanctity of life is a moral principle.

Until early in the twentieth century, American women were not allowed to vote. If that was perfectly legal at that time, then what made it wrong, if not the moral judgment that all people should be equally entitled to the right to vote, regardless of their gender? Equality of sexes is a moral principle.

When Muslims control a society, Islamic law enforces a tax, called jizya or jizyah, solely upon non-Muslims. If this is perfectly legal under the legislation of that Islamic society, what makes it wrong, if not the moral judgment that people should not be penalized for their choice of religion? Equality of those with differing religious beliefs is a moral principle.

Until early in the twentieth century, children in most industrialized nations were brutally exploited in factories, working twelve, fourteen, or even more hours per day under extremely unpleasant, unsanitary and unsafe conditions, and receiving only pennies for their services. If that was perfectly legal under the existing laws, then what made it wrong, if not the moral judgment that those who are smaller, weaker and poorer should not be abused and exploited? Preventing exploitation of the weak and poor is a moral principle.

I could name many more examples, but these are sufficient to prove the point. Again, nothing could be further from the truth: not only is it possible to legislate morality, it can very nearly be said that the only thing you can legislate is morality. What makes anything right or wrong, if that judgment is not based upon a system of values, a set of moral principles?

It is small wonder that many in our modern society fail to recognize this moral foundation of the legal system: it is basically ingrained in our perceptions through not just a lifetime, but many generations who have accepted it as a fundamentally inherent characteristic of life.

And rightly so: a society without a moral foundation is like a ship without a rudder: it will simply be tossed to and fro by the waves and pushed along whichever way the wind happens to blow. It is only by comparison to an unshakeable set of moral principles that we can ever truly know wrong from right.

The majority of moral principles that are generally accepted by modern American society come directly from the Bible. It is there that we learn the sanctity of life: Thou shalt not kill. It is there that we learn to respect the right of others to their own property: Thou shalt not steal.

But much of our modern society wants to embrace those moral principles in the Bible that they find convenient, while rejecting those that would limit their illicit desires. They are quite happy to claim as inherent rights the protection of their person, property and freedom. Yet they protest vigorously any instruction that they should honor the marriage covenant: Thou shalt not commit adultery; that they should deal honestly with their fellow man: Thou shalt not bear false witness; that they should honor the institution of family: Honor thy father and thy mother; and most of all, that they should honor the God Who created them: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Our society has essentially rejected God's sovereignty and authority. People today place no value on a moral principle simply because it was commanded by God. The only portions of His law they give any respect are those that protect their own interests.

The moral decay of our society is becoming more apparent with every passing day. It is not that decay has not been occurring in the past, but rather that it has been less visible. When ours was essentially a Christian society, the majority of people accepted all of God's moral law as necessary to a peaceful and ordered life. When people first began to abandon God, they felt a degree of constraint from those who still reverenced Him. For the most part, they hid their sins in shame.

But as the rebellious learned to enjoy their sins more and to fear the constraints of society less, they became bolder, openly flaunting their rebellion. They have learned to attack rather than hide. They have succeeded in shutting God out of our schools, yet they wonder why sexually transmitted diseases, drug addiction and mass murders have replaced reading, writing and arithmetic. They are succeeding at legitimizing homosexuality and destroying the family, yet they are amazed by the exploding divorce rate. They are succeeding at forcefully ripping away from our government any connection with or reverence to the God Who made their freedom possible, yet they wonder why our prisons are bursting at the seams.

They are succeeding at disseminating the lie that "you can't legislate morality," and in the process are destroying what few vestiges of morality remain in this once-great country.

Dan Wafford lives in beautiful coastal Georgia. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from Stanford University. He writes Christian articles, essays, songs and books, as well as novels and popular music. His book The DiVine Code, which reveals details of encoded messages in the Bible, is currently available at Amazon.com. More information about The DiVine Code is available at http://thedivinecodebook.com

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITER-MAKE A WEBSITE

WOW, WHAT A WAKE UP!

2011-05-16T07:12:00.000-05:00

WOW, WHAT A WAKE UP!

Dear God:

Why didn't you save the school children at:

Bath , Michigan1927

Houston, TX 1959

MosesLake , Washington 2/2/96
Bethel , Alaska 2/19/97
Pearl , Mississippi 10/1/97
West Paducah , Kentucky 12/1/97
Stamp, Arkansas 12/15/97
Jonesboro , Arkansas 3/24/98
Edinboro , Pennsylvania 4/24/98
Fayetteville , Tennessee 5/19/98
Springfield , Oregon 5/21/98
Richmond , Virginia 6/15/98
Littleton , Colorado 4/20/99
Taber , Alberta , Canada 5/28/99
Conyers , Georgia 5/20/99
Deming , New Mexico 11/19/99
Fort Gibson , Oklahoma 12/6/99
Santee , California 3/ 5/01
El Cajon , California 3/22/01?

and

Blacksburg, Virginia 4/16/07?

Sincerely,

Concerned Student

-----------------------------------------------------

Reply:

Dear Concerned Student:

I am not allowed in schools.

Sincerely,

God

----------------------------------------------------------

How did this get started?...

-----------------

Let's see,
I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained
she didn't want any prayer in our schools.

And we said, OK..

------------------

Then,
someone said you better not read the Bible in school,
the Bible that says
"thou shalt not kill,
thou shalt not steal,
and love your neighbors as yourself,"

And we said, OK...

-----------------

Dr. Benjamin Spock said
we shouldn't spank our children
when they misbehaved
because their little personalities
would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem.

And we said,
an expert should know what he's talking about
so we won't spank them anymore..

------------------

Then someone said
teachers and principals better not
discipline our children when they misbehave.
And the school administrators said
no faculty member in this school
better touch a student when they misbehave
because we don't want any bad publicity,
and we surely don't want to be sued.

And we accepted their reasoning...

------------------

Then someone said,
let's let our daughters have abortions if they want,
and they won't even have to tell their parents.

And we said, that's a grand idea...

------------------

Then some wise school board member said,
since boys will be boys
and they're going to do it anyway,
let's give our sons all the condoms they want,
so they can have all the fun they desire,
and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school.

And we said, that's another great idea...

------------------

Then some of our top elected officials said
it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs.

And we said,
it doesn't matter what anybody,
including the President,
does in private as long as we have jobs and the economy is good....

------------------

And someone else took that appreciation a step further
and published pictures of nude children
and then stepped further still by
making them available on the Internet.

And we said, everyone's entitled to free speech....

------------------

And the entertainment industry said,
let's make TV shows and movies that promote
profanity, violence and illicit sex...
And let's record music that encourages
rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes...

And we said,
it's just entertainment
and it has no adverse effect
and nobody takes it seriously anyway,
so go right ahead.

------------------

Now we're asking ourselves
why our children have no conscience,
why they don't know right from wrong,
and why it doesn't bother them to
kill strangers, classmates or even themselves.

------------------

Undoubtedly,
if we thought about it long and hard enough,
we could figure it out.
I'm sure it has a great deal to do with...

"WE REAP WHAT WE SOW,"

------------------

Unknown Author

THOUGHTS ABOUT MOMS

2011-05-07T15:37:00.002-05:00

I'm always remembering my mom - how she worked so hard to keep the house looking nice - how she instilled in us kids the importance of honesty and respect for others. The greatest gift my mother gave to me was living the Christian life that she so wanted all her children to live. Mama lived to see all her children living for the Lord, except for my brother, who gave his heart to the Lord a year afte she passed away. God heard her daily prayers for our souls.

Martha O. Clayton

June 18, 1912 to December 31, 1992

I often think about the mother I have been to my two sons. If I think too long on the mistakes I made, I get depressed. I still think I feel inadequate as a mother, but the way my boys turned out as adult men, I have to say they are mighty resilient or I at least did a few things right. We are still very close and they continue to call me "Mama."

Jeremy Clay Woolsey

February 6, 1972

Ryan Thomas Woolsey

April 13, 1977

Then I think about the kind of parents these sons would be. Jeremy and his wife, Deena, have made the decision to remain childless. They do parent a wonderful 4-legged doggie, Lou. I believe they would both make good parents, but I respect their decision and love them so much.

Ryan has a 10 month old son, Evan. He shares parenting with his wife, Jenn, as they both have careers. Ryan is a more wonderful father than I could have ever imagined. Between Ryan and Jenn, little Evan is going to know he is loved and know how to love. It brings me joy to watch this new family as they experience the wonders of raising a child.

Ryan Thomas Woolsey &

Evan Thomas Woolsey

Mother's Day is quite important to me as I recall and experience the joys of motherhood. I miss my Mama, but she is waiting at the feet of Jesus. I vow to be the best mom I can be to my children and grandchildren. And I pray that my children will be awesome parents. Thank you Lord for your many blessings to me.

Hooking up with Spiritual Sundays. Visit there for great inspiration.

OPEN LETTER

2011-04-17T16:47:00.000-05:00

The following is a personal letter sent from a loving father to his growing daughter. It tells about life and the purpose of family.

Dearest Joanne,

Those beautiful quaking aspens that you've seen in the forest as we have driven along have one purpose in life. I would like to tell you about them because they remind me a lot of Mommy and you kids and me.

Those aspens are born and grown just to protect the spruce tree when it's born. As the spruce tree grows bigger and bigger, the aspens gradually grow old and tired and they even die after a while. But the spruce, which has had its tender self protected in its childhood, grows into one of the forest's most wonderful trees.

Now think about Mommy and me as aspens standing there quaking ourselves in the winds that blow, catching the cold snows of life, bearing the hot rays of the sun, all to protect you from those things until you are strong enough and wise enough to do them yourself. We aren't quaking from fear, but from the joy of being able to see your life develop and grow into a tall, straight woman.

Just like the spruce, you have almost reached the point where you don't need us much as you used to. Now you stand like the young spruce, a pretty, straight, young thing whose head is beginning to peep above the protection of Mommy and Daddy's watchfulness.

I'm telling you all this because from now on, a lot of what you eventually become--a lovely woman, a happy woman, and a brilliant, popular woman--depends on you.

You can't go through life being these things and at the same time frowning. You can't achieve these things and be grumpy. You have to grow so that your every deed and look reflect the glory that is now in your heart and soul.

Smile. Think right. Believe in God and His worldwide forest of men and women. It's up to you.

I love you,

Daddy

Written by Senator Barry Goldwater to his daughter on June 11, 1948

PUBLISHED

2011-03-12T10:38:00.002-06:00

I've written many short stories and thousands of devotional, even have several books started, hundreds of pages. Finally I can say I am published. I submitted a devotion to Christian Devotions.com and they accepted it. It was published on March 11th, 2011. It's not like I made the top 10 author list or got a contract with Simon and Schuster, but to me it is a real victory. God is faithful and gracious to me in spite of my lack of faithfulness to Him. I'm so greatful for the blood of the Lamb. It covers all my lack.

Here is the site where you can read the devotion: http://christiandevotions.us/tag/bobbicraigmyle/

Visit Spiritual Sundays for wonderful praise and worship.

WHAT GREATER LOVE

2011-02-13T13:41:00.002-06:00

This post was written for last weekend's Spiritual Sunday, but the sign up program was not working, so I am entering this post this weekend. It is an example of true love and commitment in the face of adversity, just like God's love for us.

It was another morning, just like all the other mornings that had taken place over the last seven and a half years. Chet and Elaine had just finished their usual breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, a roll, and of course, coffee. They were making their way to the living room as they were expecting the Covington's over for a brief time of chatting and catching up on the things that went on since their last get together.

Let's go back to four hours earlier that morning, just to help you understand the significance of the event that was about to take place on this particular morning.

Chet was up at his usual time, 4:30 a.m. He stretched his lanky arms as he walked down the hallway to the kitchen where the coffee pot sat waiting. Chet had carefully laid out 2 cups along with the creamer and sugar bowls. He poured himself a cup of coffee and filled the creamer making sure it was ready. He made his way back to the bathroom to complete his morning shower routine, but Chet never put on the clothes he intended to wear for the day. He put on a long sleeved cotton robe that zipped up the front. After his last sip of his first cup of coffee, he reached for the latex gloves from the box lying on the top shelf. Chet was ready to start the day with his beautiful bride of 53 years.

Entering Elaine's room had become somewhat bittersweet for Chet. But he faithfully went through the steps of a regimen that only love could withstand. Elaine was awake but not quite aware of Chet's presence. He softly called out her name so as not to startle her. "Elaine, sweetheart, it's me, Chet."
With only movement of her arms and no reply, Chet went over and began removing the soiled nightgown that had caught the overflow of the disposable undergarment. This was a particularly rough night for Elaine as her bowels seemed to work overtime and the entire bed was covered with the foul waste, as were her hands and face. Chet sponged off what he could and got her to the shower.

There, he gently washed her gaunt, wrinkled body until she was fresh and clean. After he patted her dry with the softest of towels he saved for her use, he helped her to the seat where he could get her dressed. She wasn't combatant this morning as she was some mornings. Chet was greatful for that. He picked out the light blue dress with the little purple flowers because he knew that was Elaine's favorite dress to wear when she was socializing. After he put on her fresh disposable undergarment and the rest of those regular "women's things" Chet slipped on that dress on Elaine, stepped back and gazed at her as if she were a lovely painting. He said to her, "Elaine, you look so beautiful today. As beautiful as ever."

By now, Chet had learned how to fix Elaine's hair much the way she had fixed it herself. She was always one for simplicity, so it was not difficult to replicate. Never, never, never, would Elaine be seen by others without her make up on. That was just something she felt very strongly about. So, Chet set about to powder her nose and chin, topped with a hint of blush. A little mascara and a stroke or two on the eyebrows. Chet whispered that he still had the most beautiful bride in the world.

Elaine sat in her wheelchair, while Chet sang her favorite song, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," and began cleaning up the night's mess. He sang and whistled the tune. Every once in a while, he would call out to Elaine and tell her how much he loved her. Chet did this even though his only response was a glassy stare. When the bedroom was once again ready for another night, and he was properly dressed himself, Chet took Elaine strolling down the hall singing and humming bringing her to the kitchen table. Elaine sat motionless while Chet made them breakfast.

They made their way into the living room that was all dusted and proper. Chet helped Elaine out of the wheelchair and into her favorite stuffed living room chair near the sofa. About that time, the doorbell rang. It was the Covington's who had come to visit. Opening the door, Chet smiled and invited their long time friends into the room. Mr. Covington began the conversation and said to Chet, "Well, Chet, my friend, how has the good Lord been treating you?"

Chet gave a genuine grin and replied, "Oh, the good Lord has surely blessed us with another beautiful day to be together and spend time with friends." So they wiled away the hour with musings and news as they had so many times over the years.

- Bobbi J. Craigmyle, Psy.D.
February, 2011

"Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God and everyone who loveth is born of God and knoweth God." 1 John 4:7

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

"Now the three of these remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate." John 19:4-6

Please visit Spiritual Sundays and open your heart to the wonderful words and music of praise and worship. You'll be glad you did.

THE CLOTHESLINE

2011-01-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES (if you don't know what clotheslines are, better skip this)

I always wondered where my Mom got the rules for hanging clothes. That is the way she made me hang them. Funny, you have to be a certain age to appreciate this, but I can hear my mamma now!

1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes- walk the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first. Longer, heavier things in the back. Shorter things in the front so the wind could blow through it all.

3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think? Pin lightly on the seams.

4. Wash day on a Monday! . . Never hang clothes on the weekend, or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather . .. Clothes would "freeze-dry."

7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

9. Clothes off the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?! Well, that's a whole other subject!

A POEM

A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths"
With intricate designs.

The line announced a baby's birth
From folks who lived inside -
As brand new infant clothes were hung,
So carefully with pride!

The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed,
You'd know how much they'd grown!

It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,>
Haphazardly were strung.

It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare!

New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way . . .

But clotheslines now are of the past,
For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess!

I really miss that way of life
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best >
By what hung on the line!
- Unknown Author

THE BEST THINGS TO GIVE

2011-01-30T11:10:00.000-06:00

The best things to give:

To your friend --- loyalty

To your enemy --- forgiveness

To your boss --- service

To a child --- a good example

To your parents --- gratitude and devotion

To your wedded mate --- love and faithfulness

To all men --- charity

To God --- your life

Author Unknown

Find more inspirational words, pictures, music, and thoughts at Spiritual Sundays.

CURSE GOD AND DIE!

2011-01-08T09:45:00.003-06:00

This weekend, I wanted to do something for Spiritual Sundays on this blog. I have 4 different daily devotional applications on my phone and one of them this morning struck me as something I should share with my blog friends and visitors. I'm so painfully aware of how easy it is to give up when life seems to have taken everything good away and there is nothing left but misery and hopelessness. Jesus tells us about this in the Gospel of St. John: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." NIV

This devotion is taken from the devotion called Today. It was written by Norm Prenger. I pray that the Lord will speak to you through His Holy Spirit so that you may be comforted, encouraged, and able to do likewise to those who may need it. God bless, Dr. Bobbi

CURSE GOD AND DIE

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Job 2:9

My heart goes out to Job’s wife. She lost so much—beautiful sons and daughters, a substantial lifestyle, her security and dignity. Now her husband was covered in terrible sores and mumbling praises to God with ash-covered lips. Job’s own skin had become for her a living canvas depicting life’s cruelty and religion’s futility. Something inside of her snapped.

She is not alone. It’s ironic, but many folks drift away from faith in God for one of two reasons: life can be either too pleasant or too painful. Both ways of experiencing life can lead us to forget our Creator. A life of ease can lead to laziness, and a life of pain can lead to bitter despair. Satan is happy when we experience either outcome.

The gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t promise a life of ease. It’s not some sort of spiritual painkiller to take away suffering. In fact, to embrace the truth can mean embracing even more pain—for Jesus’ sake. Leaving behind lives that are built around sin and selfishness will feel like dying. But death won’t have the last word.

Dear woman, look again at your husband, Job. See in his suffering a hint of the coming suffering of your Savior. See in Job’s faithfulness to God, despite so much suffering, an expression of the integrity of faith to which we are all called. All is not lost, and all can be forgiven.

Prayer

Lord, forgive us when we give in to despair. We trust the One who endured the cross for love’s better day. With him, may we let it all go into our Father’s hands. Amen.

Norm Prenger

http://thisistoday.com/archives/curses-into-blessings-2011-01-08/

Galatians 2:20

CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE

2011-01-05T05:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning was one of those normal mornings. After my 3rd cup of coffee I gathered myself together and trotted off to the shower.

Let me backtrack just a bit. Over the weekend I had put together several Daily Grace devotions and one of them was using the scripture from Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." In the devotion I talked about how this day is a gift and there are many who did not receive the gift of today. Because we have the gift of today, we can experience many new things and watch the wonderful working of God. That is certainly something to be happy about.

Back to my shower story: As I was stepping out of the shower I looked at myself in the huge wall sized mirror that hangs over my vanity. As usual, my initial response is "ugh." Looking at my 60 year old body sort of does something to the female ego inside me and it isn't good.

But something was different this day as I looked at my time worn body. I began to feel greatful that I was healthy. I can walk, get in the floor with the grandchildren, use both my hands and arms. All five senses work and I have fairly good use of my brain and thought processes. Most of all, I have the Lord to guide me and protect me.

After thinking these things, which took only a few moments, I began to thank the Lord for that 60 year old body I was looking at in the mirror. I had been putting down this body for so long because it didn't look like the body it did 40 years ago. The Lord brought the devotion from Psalm to my mind and instead of saying, "Ugh!" I spoke out loud, "This is the body that Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad with it."

I can't begin to describe the burden that lifted off me and the blessing and joy I felt as I realized what a gift I have. No, I'm not going to be seeking a chance to be America's next top model, but I'm going to give what I have back to the Lord in service and rejoice in what He has given to me.

ABBA FATHER

2010-11-20T18:58:00.000-06:00

It is so amazing that words written so long ago are totally full of same meaning as when they were written. This is an old, old hymn, one I never knew, but the words are as familiar to my heart as ever. Singing of His marvelous grace and mercy that He would love so much to save even me. And He would clothe me in splendor and seat me at His banquet table to dine wtih him. And then I will be singing praises to Him for eternity. God bless you as you read these words that never lose their power.

ABBA, FATHER! WE APPROACH THEE

“Abba, Father!” We approach Thee

In our Savior’s precious Name;

We, Thy children, here assembled,

Now Thy promised blessing claim;

From our sins His blood hath washed us,

’Tis through Him our souls draw nigh,

And Thy Spirit, too, hath taught us,

“Abba, Father,” thus to cry.

Once as prodigals we wandered

In our folly far from Thee,

But Thy grace, o’er sin abounding,

Rescued us from misery;

Thou Thy prodigals hast pardoned,

Kissed us with a Father’s love,

Spread the festive board, and called us,

E’er to dwell with Thee above.

Clothed in garments of salvation,

At Thy table is our place,

We rejoice, and Thou rejoicest,

In the riches of Thy grace;

“It is meet,” we hear Thee saying,

“We should merry and be glad,

I have found My once lost children,

Now they live who once were dead.”

“Abba, Father!” all adore Thee,

All rejoice in Heav’n above,

While in us they learn the wonders

Of Thy wisdom, grace, and love;

Soon before Thy throne assembled,

All Thy children shall proclaim,

“Glory, everlasting glory,

Be to God and to the Lamb!”

James G. Deck 1841

Noah's Ark Baby Afghan

2010-11-16T05:53:00.000-06:00

Among other things I have been an avid crocheter for 35 years. This is one of my latest projects. It is a single crochet baby afghan with the Noah's Ark theme. It was fun doing this afghan for my little granson who was born on July 3rd this year.

My biggest challenge with crocheting is that I am left handed. It took me forever to learn to even chain. All my "teachers" were right handed and the directions are all for right handed people. I finally had my sister-in-law sit across from me and I just mirrored what she did. I caught on almost instantly and I just took off from there. While all you right handers are crocheting from right to left, I'm going from left to right. It all works out in the end.

My next project after I finish 5 tie blankets, is crocheting a rug from old T-shirts. If you want to know how to do that here is the web site to show you how. http://www.craftstylish.com/item/39345/how-to-crochet-a-rug-out-of-t-shirts

After working 11-12 hours a day at my clinic, this is a great way to relax and still be productive. I'd love to connect with blogs of others who have some crafty ideas. God bless you all,

Joyful Parenting

2010-11-16T05:38:00.000-06:00

My niece, Tara McClanahan, has a web site dedicated to Christian Parenting. Here is a great article she wrote concerning ridding your home of toxic negativity and filling it with the joy of the Lord.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/11/10-point-manifesto-of-joyful-parenting-free-printable/

You can visit Tara's site at: http://taramcclenahan.com/

STANDING ON THE PROMISES

2010-11-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." Galatians 3:14

"The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:39

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient wtih you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9

"Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." Romans 4:21

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:4

God bless you as you visit the wonderful praise and worship sites through Spiritual Sundays.

IRREVERENCE? NO QUESTION

2010-10-30T09:18:00.001-05:00

Recently I came across an announcement by a pastor of a very large church stating, "Everybody come out to the service Sunday night, we're going to be dunking people." As I read it, I thought perhaps the church was having some sort of carnival or harvest celebration and they were going to have the tank where a person throws balls to hit the target and the person is dropped into the tank of water. To my utter shock, this pastor was referring to a baptism service. There was a note to this pastor from a lady in his church which said, "Hey pastor, thanks for dunking XXXXX Sunday night."

Some might say that I'm being old fashioned, not staying with the times, or making a big deal out of nothing. However, I will openly admit that I was offended by this flippant reference to a holy sacrement that warrants total respect and the utmost of humility and reverence. Furthermore, this church has an attendence of several thousand people who are being influenced by this kind of irreverence.

I understand that the words "dunk" and "immerse" are quite similar in meaning.

DUNK: (slang)
–verb (used with object)

1. to dip (a doughnut, cake, etc.) into coffee, milk, or the like, before eating.

2. to submerge in a liquid: She dunked the curtains in the dye.

3. Basketball . to attempt to thrust (a ball) through the basket using a dunk shot.

Synonyms:

saturate

submerge

immerse

duck

soak

IMMERSE:
–verb (used with object), -mersed, -mers·ing.

1. to plunge into or place under a liquid; dip; sink.

2. to involve deeply; absorb: She is totally immersed in her law practice.

3. to baptize by immersion.

4. to embed; bury.

Synonyms:

saturate

interest

engross

involve

plunge

absorb

engage

"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the gloryof the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:3,4 (NIV)

I don't believe I am being rigid here. I believe that the world changes and people change and attitudes change, but the things of God, His Word and His commands to us remain the same and as Christians our attitude and approach to the things of God also remain the same as the Lord Jesus Christ's attitude and approach.

AM I BEING OLD FASHIONED OR WAS THIS PASTOR BEING IRREVERENT? I'd really like to hear from you all and how you see this issue. God bless, Dr. Bobbi

Please visit Spiritual Sundays for great blogs of worship and praise. God will bless you and your comments will bless others. Sign on with your blog and share the wonders of your spiritual walk with our Lord.

THE SHRINK'S HEART

2010-10-10T10:07:00.001-05:00

I sit here on a beautiful, autumm, Sunday morning. I should have been just getting home from church, but I didn't go this morning. I did take Indivi for a short walk down the street and I worshipped the Lord and put my burden into His hands. I know He will take care of it. There is no thing in this world that can take care of it. Only Him. And He is able. Now I can go on with the day in joy and peace. But there is still a lingering sadness, a bit of depression, the urge to cry. I'm not sure if it is for myself or if it is for the one who is bound in miserable hatred and bitterness. It is hard to watch someone slowly dying inside from such a horrible bondage. It is hard to live with someone with this horrible bondage. So maybe it's a bit for both of us that I feel this sadness. I will place this sadness in His hands as well. He will take of that too. I will put all of these things that try to rob me my joy into His hands. And I will have a God filled day, a day of peace and praise, because the Lord is working on my behalf and is taking care of everything.

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

CREATION

2010-10-03T14:31:00.000-05:00

I took a 6 minute trip this afternoon. It was the most inspiring trip I've ever taken. I want to share it with you if you will take 6 minutes of your time to spend on a truly amazing and inspirational journey. God is awesome.

http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html

Vistit Spiritual Sundays for more great praise and worship.

WHERE IS THAT SINGING COMING FROM?

2010-09-17T22:26:00.001-05:00

by Tara McClenahan

Last week I was getting Little Man ready for bed and putting on his jammies. He hadn’t had a nap that day (something we are struggling with since taking away the pacifier) so he was grumpy and fighting me and I was quickly losing my patience! Then a thought popped into my head: “I can sing to him!”

I’ve sung to Little Man since he was in the womb! I love to sing and was on my church’s praise team for almost six years including while I was pregnant. I made up a song when he was a newborn and would sing it to him every night as I was “loving him down” to sleep. The song is what he calls “Bye-o Bye-o Baby” (and he requests it OFTEN!).

I started singing this song in a soft voice to my uncooperative toddler and it had an almost instantaneous effect! He immediately stopped squirming around, visibly relaxed every muscle in his body and his eyes became droopy. WOW! I should find a way to bottle this!

It did get me to thinking about this verse in Zephaniah 3:17:

“The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

I was blown away – God sings over me! Can you picture that? Even when we are fighting and grumpy and uncooperative, He shows His love and sings over us! And when we stop long enough to listen, we too will relax and allow Him to do the work He wants to do in us.

Are you out of sorts? Fighting against something? Distracted? Too busy? Overwhelmed?

Listen….God is singing over you!

Tara McClenahan is a devoted mom to a two-year-old “little man” and enjoys discovering how God has “packed his suitcase”. As an associate with iBloom, she has a heart for inspiring, encouraging and equipping moms to become “Proverbs 31 mamas” and raise their children according to Biblical principles and guidelines using the Bible and other tools. Tara adores falling leaves, sweatshirts, Starbucks White Chocolate Mochas and the first curly BBQ chip from the bag! Make sure to visit Tara’s website to download your free Christian mom resource!

See more great Christian articles and information at heartofthematteronline.com

Please visit Spiritual Sundays for more uplifting worship and praise.

THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT

2010-09-11T00:10:00.002-05:00

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26 (NIV)

Please visit Spiritual Sundays to share in the praise and worship of our Lord.

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

2010-09-04T09:27:00.000-05:00

There's just something about the old hymns that reach down into the center of the soul and spirit. The Old Rugged Cross was my Mom's favorite hymn. I would guess that of her as she was a very humble and deeply spiritual woman. The words to this song are rich with praise and worship to the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us and our acceptance of that sacrifice. Let's open our hearts to true worship and we read and listen to this great hymn. God bless, Bobbi

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

Continue on to Spiritual Sundays where worship and praise is flowing. Step in and be blessed.

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

2010-08-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

For more worship and praise visit Spiritual Sundays. The Lord will bless you for taking the time for worship.

NO MORE CAFFEINE

2010-08-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

Some years ago, I had switched from being a 5 cup a morning coffee drinker to a 2 cup green tea drinker. For whatever reason, over the last 3 years or so I have gone back to the coffee, only about 3 cups a morning.

However, my body is not handling the caffeine like it used to do. I have been praying and asking the Lord to show me ways to reduce my stress. I've been looking with blinders at my time schedule only. Yes, there is still some work to be done there. But the Lord is showing me clearly that the caffeine is directly affecting my nervous system and creating anxiety.

Therefore, this was my last day for coffee as I know it. Both my husband and I will be making a pot of green mint tea every morning. We don't drink soda pop anyway, so that won't be another change we have to make. We do drink water throughout the day.

I want to give thanks and praise to the Lord for answering my prayer and for allowing me to look with openness instead of insisting on my blinders, that He is showing me how to get the stress out of my life and that the stress comes from many sources. I'm looking forward to feeling better with this change of habit, after the headaches from the withdrawal go away. The word "withdrawal" should be a clue that caffeine is not good for me.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

2010-08-21T05:21:00.000-05:00

The Lord Is My Shepherd,

I shall not want.

He maketh me lie down in green pastures.

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul.

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil.

For Thou art with me,

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.

Thou anointest my head with oil.

My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

-Psalm 23 (KJV)

Please visit Spiritual Sundays for more precious worship of our Lord. God bless,

PRAISE TO OUR GOD

2010-08-13T23:59:00.001-05:00

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
Make his praise glorious!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
That your enemies cringe before you;
All the earth bows down to you;
They sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name."
Psalm 66:1-4

Visit Spiritual Sundays for uplifting and

inspiring worship.

WORSHIP

2010-08-06T21:56:00.001-05:00

Just take a couple of minutes to worship the Lord. He took
the time to die for us.

Visit Spiritual Sundays for more beautiful worship blogs.
Blessings, Dr. Bobbi

BE GLORIFIED

2010-07-31T07:57:00.000-05:00

How blessed we are to be able to freely worship
our Lord and Saviour! Visit Spiritual Sundays to
find worship and blessings that will lift your spirit
into the hands of the Lord. God bless you as you
worship Him.

DEFENSES

2010-07-28T06:25:00.000-05:00

Survival is the most basic instinct of all living things. Of course humans have some very sophisticated ways of ensuring their suvival. For the most part, when we think of survival, we think of self defense. When I think of self defense I think of some type of martial arts, weapons, and pepper spray.

But, there are many other types of self defense we as humans use to protect our fragile inner selves rather than our physical bodies. These defenses kick in gear when we feel threatened, wronged, put on the spot, angered, or emotionally challenged.

I am planning to go into a bit more depth about these different defenses beginning this weekend on my blog PSYCHOBABBLE, but right now I need to talk a bit about how I got into this state of fatigue that has about brought me to a virtual stand still.

First of all, as a Christian, my first line of defense is to hide in the shelter of the Most High, place my whole being in the Hands of the Lord, trust in the Lord with all my heart. It's pretty apparent I failed to do this as I should have and I feel somewhat hippocritical that I haven't practiced totally what I preach (I am not a preacher, that is a figure of speech).

I believe I relied and trusted in the Lord to a degree, but I have to confess I took the driver's seat enough of the time that I got myself in mental and physical trouble.

Rather than fully trusting in the Lord and being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and that includes the Lord speaking to me through precious friends, I used what we Psychologists call Rationalization and Humor to ignore what was happening to me and to be able to keep going down an unhealthy path.

Rationalizing: I found ways in my mind to feel confident and comfortable that what I was doing was God's will. I was writing two books which I feel would be very important help to struggling Christians. Wouldn't the Lord want this kind of writing out there to help His children? Didn't He give me the ability to write and communicate about Him? So not only did I write on the books, I did hours and hours of research on how to prepare and submit a manuscript for publication.

I collaborated with a dear friend in writing short Christian children's stories that took time to edit and get correctly formatted.

I maintained 4 blogs, one of which I deleted, so I kept up with 3 blogs that included visiting my followers, followers of followers, and those who commented on my blogs.

I create and send out the daily devotional, Daily Grace, by email to several hundred people each day. It takes me hours to prepare these each week and I've done this for over 2 years now.

I am working on a 60 credit hour certification through the American Association of Christian Counselors to become a certified Professional Christian Counselor.

I have a full time career as a Clinical Psychologist. I work 4 days a week and about 11 hours each of those days.

Top all that with 10 grandchildren, going to the lake on weekends in the summer, having a disabled husband, and chronic neck pain.

I digress. All these things I have convinced myself by carefully directing my thoughts to the place where I believed the Lord was having me do all these things. In and of themselves they are all very noble and even Godly. But God doesn't pile so many things on a person and sit back to watch them collapse under the load. I failed to listen to the Lord about what I should be doing and took these things on out of my own desires and interests and in my own time. I do believe the Lord has given me these things to do, but I don't believe He meant for me to dive into all of them at once. I got ahead of Him.

After my mind and body went on strike several weeks ago and my doctor threatened to put me in the hospital if I didn't stop everything and rest, I was able to hear the Lord patiently and lovingly still speaking to me. Bobbi, you have been given these gifts to use for Me, in My way, in My time, not yours. Wait on Me, Trust Me, Stop making excuses that these things must be done now.

So I have confessed this to the Lord and I am resting, spending much time with the Lord and my family. I will wait for His direction. Right now, Daily Grace continues. I am going to the clinic working my regular hours. Everything else I do is with conscious awareness of God's leading and relying on the Holy Spirit as my first line of defense. I have traded rationalism for faith. A lesson I've taught for years, but had to "relearn" the hard way. God is faithful. He loves me so much that He takes the time to discipline and correct me. Thank you Lord.

UDATE

2010-07-22T06:06:00.000-05:00

I've been kind of scarce here the last several weeks. I just wanted to give an update on what's going on with me.

I have been doing as my Primary Care Physician has ordered by putting all my "extracurricular activities" on the back burner. She diagnosed me with mental and physical exhaustion the week prior to the 4th of July.

At that time I was unable to do much more than get out of bed and make it to my chair in the family room. I am now going to work every day, which is Mon - Thurs from 8 am to 7 pm. Mentally, I'm guarding myself against any unnecessary stress and seem to be handling things much better. Physically, I have more energy but realize I'm still very much "exhausted."

I'm now battling a rash, my RN daughter-in-law tells me it's psoriasis, on the back of my neck and up in my hair. This is the 5th time I've had this "rash." It presents itself after a stressful time. It follows the exact same pattern each time. The only thing it responds to is Benedryl. That stops the itching. It just has to take its' course.

I miss visiting all your blogs, learning and commenting. I do keep up with Daily Grace and join in with Spiritual Sundays. I appreciate all of you who continue to visit and take the time to comment. It means more to me than you know.

I will be back to some kind of normal before long. Until then, know that I visit you from time to time and pray for all of you. Keep blogging. I'll catch up with y'all real soon.

Bobbi

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

2010-07-17T07:00:00.006-05:00

There is no greater way to worship with my friends on Spiritual Sundays than to praise the Lord!
This short video will inspire and take you into His presence. God bless, Dr. Bobbi

HE'S MY KING
http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/4/Thats-My-King

GRANDSON IS HERE!!!

2010-07-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

Evan Thomas Wooley
Arrived Friday, July 3, 2010 @ 2:30 pm
Weight 7 lbs 4 oz
Height 20 1/2 inches
5 weeks premature (due date Aug 5th)
Mommy had gestational diabetes so he was big.
Born sunny side up so his nose was broken.
Evan is already home. I'm on my way over with
the home made cradle Grandpa made for him.

This is a happy Grandma! I'm supposed to be at complete bed rest, but how can anything be more important than this. God is so good!

Thank you all for your prayers for me. God is working! I am doing better. God bless, Dr. Bobbi

I'M STILL HERE

2010-06-30T08:29:00.000-05:00

I haven't been on blogger very much in the last couple of weeks. I have slowly been winding down into a state of exhaustion. I have not been to work for the past few days. I will be seeing my doctor this morning to find out what's going on. If you can think of a symptoms, physical or mental, I have it, except no fever, no water rentions and no chest pains. My gut tells me I have been driving myself beyond my limits and everything is going on strike.
The little lady in this picture is running circles around me in that picture. If that gives you any indication of where I am.

Please don't abandon me, I am just incapacitated at the moment. I covet your prayers because I know God and what He can do. I know that the prayers of His people accomplish much. I have been able to keep Daily Grace current. I praise the Lord for that.

Love you all and hope to be up and running soon.

Dr. Bobbi

TRUE WORSHIP

2010-06-18T23:55:00.001-05:00

Do we seek to worship the Lord or do we seek the Lord for a blessing? I find at times that I read the different worship posts and am so blessed by them. Rather than reading with a spirit of worship, I read with a spirit of "did that bless me or not?" I am determined to spend time reading the worship posts with a spirit of true worship with an open heart that draws me closer to Him and allows His blessings to flow through me to others, not just stop with me so I can go away blessed.

I had no idea what I was going to write when I opened this New Post page, but I knew it was for Weekend of Worship and Spiritual Sundays. That's what came out of my heart. Here is an Oswald Chambers devotion that speaks of this very thing. I just happened onto it a few minutes ago. God bless you all, Bobbi

WORSHIP GOD WITH THE BEST

Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful
what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing
from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate
before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act
of worship. If you hoard a thing of blessing for yourself, it will
turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded
[Exodus 16]. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for
yourself, it has to be given back to Him that he may make it a
blessing to others.

- Oswald Chambers, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST, Barbour &
Company (http://www.barbourbooks.com/). Selected mostly from talks
given during the years 1911-1915, these devotionals were first
published in 1935 by Dodd, Mead & Co., renewed in 1963 by
Oswald Chambers Publication Association, Ltd.

Weekends of Worship click here.

Spiritual Sundays click here.

MAKING THE WORD MY OWN

2010-06-12T03:00:00.003-05:00

When we read the Word of God, it is relevant to each of us in our personal lives and our personal relationship to Jesus Christ. Sometimes as we read, we fail to make the words our own and instead we understand the passages as general to all mankind or all Christians. While the Word is meant for all, God desires us to identify with His Word and make it our own. The following passage from Ephesians describes our condition before we were saved and the result of our salvation through faith. Read the passage from the Word here. If you prefer another translation, feel free to get your Bible and read it from there. After reading this passage, we will personalize it and make it our own.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

1. "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2. in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--3. among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4. But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5. even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--6. and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7. so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9. not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

To personalize this passage, replace "you" with "I", "me", or "my". As you do this, notice what you are reading, the words. Allow the Lord to speak to you. As you read, you can freely worship and know that the marvelous grace and mercy of God is meant for YOU. I will personalize the passage so you can experience personally what God has done.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

1. "And I was dead in the trespasses and sins 2. in which I once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--3. among whom I once lived in the passions of my flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and was by nature a child of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4. But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved me, 5. even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ--by grace I have been saved--6. and raised me up with him and seated me with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7. so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward me in Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace I have been saved through faith. And this is not my own doing; it is the gift of God, 9. not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10. For I am his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them."

What an awesome gift of love and grace my God showed to ME!

THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD

2010-06-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

Being a part of Blogger world is an awesome experience. I am meeting some wonderful people and some precious brothers and sisters in Christ. I write my 3 blogs because God moves me to do so. It is by His grace and mercy that I live and breathe.

One of my brother's in Christ, Stan Butler @ According To The Book honored me by awarding me and 14 others out of his 700+ followers with The Versatile Blogger award. Thank you, Stan, and God bless you richly. Now it's my turn to share this award with 15 of my followers who follow one or more of my three blogs: Inside the Shrink, Daily Grace, and Psychobabble. This is not going to be easy. I value each and every one of my followers and readers.

The rules for this award are that when you receive this award, you must share seven things about yourself and then pass it on to fifteen blog's (that's a lot) you've recently discovered you enjoy! So here goes the seven things about myself:

1) God Almighty is 1st in my life. I am a born again, Spirit filled Christian and have been since July 1975. My desire is to share the Gospel with all I meet and to have them know Him as their Saviour.

2) I treasure my family: My husband of 24 years, my 2 sons and their wives, my 3 step-children and their spouses, my 9 step-grandchildren, my soon to arrive grandson (August 5th), and my 2 great-step-granchildren.

3) I am a Missouri licensed Clinical Psychologist and practice as a Christian Psychologist. God called me to this work at the age of 15. Every day is like having church in my office. Praise God.

4) I am an aspiring and inspired writer. I have 4 WIPS (works in progress). 1. A one-year devotional of Daily Grace 2 & 3: Christian non-fiction "How To Overcome Adveristy" and "Walking In the Aftermath of Reaping What Should Have Never Been Sown." 4. Christian stories for children that I co-author with my precious friend.

5) I crave and cling to the Word of God. I study and read the Bible every day. My prayer life is a consant ongoing conversation with the Lord.

6) I am in love with my 4 year old little female ShihTzu, Indivi (short for individual). I love every dog. I am a dog lover. I understand dogs. They like me. That's just the way it is.

7) I love getting out on the lake in our boat during the warm months. I love writing and reading. I have crocheted for over 30 years now. (I had to teach myself because I'm left handed.) I enjoy music and singing. I am 5'10" tall and have natural curly blonde hair (ok, I get it hightlighted). I am so blessed. God is so awesome!

Here are the fifteen blog's that I nominate for this award!
Right click on the award... Save picture as...then "copy and paste" to your blog.

1.   Patty Ann        http://pttyann.wordpress.com/

2.   Alleluiabelle    http://alleluiabelle.blogspot.com/

3.   Triumphant Victorious Reminders    http://triumphantvictoriousreminders.blogspot.com/

4.   DeanO     http://doubletakecreations.blogspot.com/

5.   Steve     http://rejoicinginhishope.blogspot.com/

6.   Velvet Over Steel     http://velvetoversteel.blogspot.com/

7.   RCUBES     http://offthebeatentrek.blogspot.com/

8. Doris Plaster    http://doris-socialworker.blogspot.com/

9. Jack Foster     http://mrbiblehead.blogspot.com/

10. Lynda Young    http://lyndayoung.blogspot.com/

11. Steve Hawley      http://stevehawley.blogspot.com/

12. Deb    http://dtrant.blogspot.com/

13. Elaine Jany Barbanti     http://jesuscristoemminhavida.blogspot.com/

14. Grandma L     http://petpeevesandotherrantings.blogspot.com/

15. Roland D. Yeomans     http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.com/

IN THE GARDEN

2010-06-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

I have been in church where the worship is contemporary. I find it very uplifting and condusive to worship. I enjoy the music worship times so very much. But there is that part of me that yearns to return the days when we sang the great hymns of the church. One of my very favorites, which there are many, is In The Garden. I thought it would be good to share this God breathed hymn with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that you will make a trip as you watch and listen, back to the garden where only you and the Lord visit. God bless.

Lyrics | Brad Paisley lyrics - In The Garden lyrics

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Visit the site and enjoy

the uplifting sites that

participate in the great

blog gathering. God

will bless you

QUIET PLEASE

2010-06-02T20:45:00.001-05:00

For the past several months I have become so aware of the amount of stress that noise creates for me. It seems there is seldom a time or place that is free of noise. White noise can even create stress. I've tried to make some changes to reduce the amount of stress I experience and I believe it has had a positive effect. There are some noises over which I have no control, but for the ones I do, I have deleted them from my daily life. Some of those noises I have eliminated are:

1. I do not turn on my car stereo when I drive.

2. I turn off the vent fan as soon as I step out of the shower.

3. I mute the TV when no one else is in the room watching it.

4. I keep the sound turned off on my computer.

There are several more I just can't think of them at the moment. But each of these makes a difference in my level of stress.

I especially enjoy getting up early in the morning before my husband and dog are up. The quiet is very calming and peaceful. I enjoy going to bed at night when it's dark and quiet.

A Quiet Place.....

Went for a walk along a dirt road,

kicking pebbles as I went along.

After a while I could see in the distance,

trees surrounding a lake peaceful and strong.

Continued walking closer to the lake,

looking around for a quiet place.

Too many problems, nerves on edge,

slow down, relax, unwind, not race.

A spot to sit under a willow tree,

lean back, relax enjoy the day.

A gentle breeze passing overhead,

lost, but will I find my way?

Opaque clouds all sizes and shapes

slowly, silently floating above.

If I open my eyes what will I see,

a horseshoe, seashell, maybe a dove.

Slapping bouncing rocks in its way,

sound of water not moving fast.

Air smells so clean, pure, untouched,

a pebble over the water I cast.

Lean over to see all the wet stones,

reach in, feels cool, refreshing to touch.

Opening my eyes, must have been a dream,

surely I did not sleep too much.

Written by:

Karen Palumbo

Here are some scriptures that speak of quietness and that give me peace: (ESV)

"He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside STILL waters." Psalm 23:2

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a might one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will QUIET you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17

"First of all, the, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and QUIET life, godly and dignified in every way." 1 Timothy 2:1,2

"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and QUIET spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:4

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in QUIETNESS and in trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15

"And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, QUIETNESS and trust forever." Isaiah 32:17

When you stop to think about it, the world is a very noisy place. Some people really like the hubbub and the action with sound. Are you one of those? Or are you like me, preferring quiet times? We all experience both and maybe prefer one or the other at different times, but overall, most of us lean toward one or the other. Which way do you lean: toward the noisy life or toward the quiet times and places?

MERCY

2010-05-29T23:00:00.001-05:00

Do I have compassion on one who is unfortunate beyond his own control?

Am I moved by sorrow to help one who is trapped in the pit of sin, rebellion, and worldly ways?

Am I able to see beyond injury someone did to me, and, in sorrow, be moved to help that one, not just because he wronged me, but that he had it in his heart to wrong me?

Those things are mercy. Mercy never asks if someone deserves mercy, it only asks "is he suffering?"

If it weren't for God's mercy to me, I would still be in those conditions.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

Enjoy the spiritual beauty given out

by those who love the Lord.

Visit Spiritual Sundays

God bless,

SUNSHINE AWARD

2010-05-28T17:49:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was honored with the Sunshine Award from Helen Ginger at STRAIGHT FROM HEL. It was truly an honor to be given that recognition from an established author, freelance editor, and writers' teacher, coach, and advisor. Thank you so much Helen, I am truly honored.

The Sunshine Award is passed on to followers who bring a ray of sunshine and inspiration to your blog. That would include everyone who follows and/or comments here on INSIDE THE SHRINK, DAILY GRACE, OR PSYCHOBABBLE.

I am proud to pass this award along to two fellow bloggers who inspire me and bring sunshine to my day. The Sunshine Award goes to:

THE OLD GEEZER BLOG Ron White is a seasoned Christian with a fantastic sense of humor. He is a frequent blogger and brings information, food for thought, and challenges to his readers. Hats off to you, Ron. Keep blogging and God bless.

SOLID ROCK OR SINKING SAND Lloyd Cannaday is a committed Christian who is faithful to uplift, encourage, and share his faith. His blog covers a large spectrum of topics that are relevant to everyone living in these times. Applause to you, Lloyd. Keep letting your light shine and God bless.

Take a moment to visit these blogs. You'll be glad you did.

HOW I OVERCOME ADVERSITY

2010-05-22T23:00:00.001-05:00

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS

MY PRESCRIPTION FOR OVERCOMING ADVERSITY

How do I recover from a personal setback or traumatic experience? The Holy Spirit has revealed to me “the most excellent way” from 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, focusing on verse 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (NIV)

When my faith receives a quick blow, it becomes shaken and I lose my spiritual balance. After the initial shock, which befalls nearly all humans who experience trauma, I begin the recovery process. I believe this process is God inspired and will help all those who choose to follow it.

FAITH

Re-establishing my faith is the first course of action to recovery from trauma. God's Word states in Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (NIV) This is why many people fail to recover or continue to struggle in their recovery. Their faith is not set on the foundation of “the Word,” but is fixed on the trauma that has devastated them. Establishing my faith means I will do my best to put my total trust into the Lord’s will, away from my own selfish will. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NIV).

HOPE

When my faith begins to strengthen me, I then shift my focus from my problem to the Lord Jesus, whose ways are just. He has been waiting for me to get my faith renewed, so that He can plant seeds of hope within my spirit. It is then that I am able to have strength to “reverse” my sense of loss and desperation. Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (NIV) Hope assures me that my Lord will work things out for me.

LOVE

At this point, you can see I am still thinking about myself. In order to rise above my situation, I must understand what is written in Genesis 50:20: “You (Satan) intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (NIV) I am obligated to share my faith and hope in spite of my adversity and loss by reaching out to others in love. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” (NIV)

Applying the Word of God in this way releases comfort and gives meaning to my adversity. As His child, I have the privilege and duty to obey in faith, hope, and love, with the greatest of these being love.

Bobbi J. Craigmyle, Psy.D. ©1999, ©2010

PRIORITES

2010-05-22T08:21:00.002-05:00

Do you really want to know what is inside this shrink? Well, I am a bit overwhelmed at all the things in my life that need my time and attention. My mind is constantly catalogging and re-catalogging because at any given moment one of my many "priorities" races itself to the forefront. I have a basic rule-of-thumb priority, but for some reason it gets bumped and shaken at times.

Here are some of the things I'm experiencing physically and emotionally as a result of over

extending myself:

low energy level stomach problems

worry anxiety

increased neck pain          decreased productivity
poor memory                    inability to focus
fragile emotions                tense/preoccupied

My basic rule-of-thumb priority schedule is:
1. God and my relationship to Him
2. My Family (husband, children, grandchildren, & my Shi Tzu, Indivi)
3. My career & extended career (writing)
4. My friends
5. Health & Leisure Activities

I believe the things that suffer the most on my priority list are my family, my friends, and my health & leisure. Because of that, I have this pervasive feeling of guilt alway lurking around that I should change something, but I don't know what and I don't know how. In fact, I am sure that this state of my priority list causes me to be less efficient and successful in my spiritual life and my career goals.

SO.....I have prayerfully sought God and what He would have me to do so that I can set aside those things that easily beset me, get more organized and be able to have the balanced and productive life He wants me to have.

I have several options to deal with my over extended condition.

1. I could do what others and situations in life keep tugging at me to do. But then I would end up in a "heap" unable to even remember my name.

2. I could do what I believe to be the best for my life. Well, that's how I got in this mess in the first place. Obviously, I don't know what is best for myself or I was too busy to really notice I was drowning in my own busyness. I wasn't even aware that I was doing things my own way. Now that's being way too busy and stressed out.

3. I could let God lead me in the things that are His will for me, like I should have been doing all along, like I wanted to think I was doing all along. When I focus on that for just a moment I can think of several different things right off the bat that I can leave behind.

I am choosing course #3. It may be hard for me to change some of the things I'm doing. It may cause other people to be a little "disgruntled" with me that I'm not doing as I did before. It might feel a bit strange to be doing things differently. But that's okay. God has a plan for my life and I have to follow His plan, I will follow His plan. And I will be closer to Him, closer to my family and friends, and be a better Psychologist and aspiring writer.

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

DEAR DR. BOBBI

2010-05-19T05:52:00.000-05:00

Dear Dr. Bobbi,

I recently read an article in the Healthy Living Magazine that gave some tips on how to rid your life of stress. One of the tips was to keep yourself surrounded by positive people and to take charge by staying away from negative people. The article went on to say that negative people affect us whether we realize it or not. I have a problem. I live with a negative person. Avoiding, staying away from this person is not exactly possible. I find myself in the line of fire by this negative person and it leaves me feeling pretty "beat up" and drained. Okay, I am married to this person so it isn't as easy as just moving to get away. I'm feeling a bit trapped here. Can you help me?
                                                                      -Stuck In Standfield

Dear Stuck;

That is a difficult situation, but not an impossible one. Here are a few suggestions that may help you decide what you need to do.

1. Seek God by prayer and Bible reading. This will give you inner strength to cope and will allow the Lord to shield you from the darts of negativity. Your spouse has a real problem and it's not you. Although the anger is dumped on you, you don't have to accept it.

2. When the negativity begins, don't get hooked into an argument. It goes nowhere and just escalates the anger. Walk away if possible. Say nothing, or speak kind words softly, such as "I can see this has bothered you a lot."

3.  Suggest to your spouse that (s)he get help for the negativity/anger. This one usually is rejected or provokes more anger so approach it with caution.

4. Give your spouse an ultimatum: Stop the negativity or we can't be together anymore. This is a drastic step and should only be used if there is danger of violence.

5. Leave. The one is to be used only if nothing else has worked and the negativity is destroying your health or has become violent.

God bless you as you prayerfully consider what God wants you to do.

                                                                 Regards, Dr. Bobbi

To the readers out there, is there any other advice you can give to "Stuck"? I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.

SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS: A SIMPLE PRAYER

2010-05-16T09:03:00.002-05:00

GOD SAID, "NO"

I asked God to take away my habit.

God said, No.

It is not for me to take away,

But for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.

God said, No..

His spirit is whole,

his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.

God said, No.

Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;

It isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said, No.

I give you blessings;

Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.

God said, No.

Suffering draws you apart from Worldly cares

And brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said, No

You must grow on your own,

But I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things That I might enjoy life.

God said, No.

I will give you life,

So that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others,

as much as He loves me.

God said... Ahhhh,

Finally you have the idea.

Author Unknown

BLOG JOG DAY

2010-05-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

“Thank you for stopping by my Blog!

Feel free to leave a comment or even better become a Follower!

Please explore all this Blog has to offer, then jog on over to http://missvspeaks.blogspot.com/

If you would like to visit a different Blog in the jog, go to http://blogjogday.blogspot.com/.”

I WANNA BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR

2010-05-08T17:00:00.002-05:00

I've always loved writing and have had numerous people urge me to write. I've written many short non-fiction pieces, most of which have gotten lost in the moves and such. During graduate and post-graduate education, I could whip out a 20-page paper in no time flat, complete with references, in perfect APA style.

I have felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to write especially in the last 3 or 4 years. I have two books well under way that are geared directly to Christian living and Christian growth. In addition to this, a dear friend and I are co-authoring Christian Children's picture books. We have about five that are ready to go and many more on the way. Okay, now what is the first thing we need to do in order to get them published.

Whoa! Was I ever shocked at the process involved in submitting a book for publication. Several book are recommended to get started. These are not little brochure type "how to's" these are huge books. Then there is the search for an AGENT that can help get your work really ready and be the go between for you and the publisher. But one has to send a QUERY letter to the AGENT and the AGENT must be interested in what you have to offer before the AGENT will ask for a PROPOSAL that pretty much summarizes your book and is usually anywhere from 10 - 100 pages.

Do you know there are at least a trillion articles and books out there on how to write a QUERY letter and a book PROPOSAL? I've been collecting and reading and reading. . . . .phewwwww!!
While I'm still in that process of learning how to do a bang up job on those, I found I need to show that I'm qualified to write these works and send small clips or newspaper articles of work I've already published. Already published? What is an AGENT gonna say to my QUERY letter when I say I have never had anything published, but I got a real winner here if you'll just look at it? So now I have to scrounge around my office and computer to locate some writings that will work to send in to some magazines or monthly publications. That's a whole other project in itself. Those sources have their own submission rules and they're all different. UGH!

Now, during my wading through some of this information, I find that I need to make sure I'm not writing something that's already been written or that would not be of interest or that would not bring something new to the market. In order to do that, it is strongly suggested that I become thoroughly familiar with "BOOKS IN PRINT" and "PUBLISHERS WEEKLY" to familiarize myself with what's already out there and what seems to be selling. More reading and returning to those resources because they change and add new information all the time.

I forgot to add that it is essential to belong to one or more writer's organizations and to attend writers' conferences on a fairly regular basis to interact with other writers, potential agents, and just rubbing elbows with those like myself. Let's see, I'm 59 years old now, I estimate I will have accomplished all the above in about 10 - 20 years or so. That puts me up there with Grandma Moses, that is, if I found an AGENT who accepted my QUERY letter and asked for a PROPOSAL and it got past the EDITORIAL COMMITTEE and the PUBLISHING company was willing to take a chance with me.

You know what? I still wanna be a published author. God has called me to do it. I have a message for people. It is worth every second, every ounce of energy, and every tiny hassle to make it happen. God opens doors and no one can shut them. I pray for His favor as I embark on this adventure. I am confident that this is what He wants me to do and He will give me the grace, the ability, and the courage to do it.

I AM WOMAN HEAR ME SUBMIT

2010-04-30T09:27:00.000-05:00

The role of women in American culture is drastically different than Biblical times. Have we ignored scriptures that state women are subserviant to men, that they are the weaker vessel? Was that just meant for the Jewish culture of that time? If part of the Bible is relevant for us today and part of it isn't, how do we know which is relevant and which isn't? This place of women in the kingdom of God is an issue that has been glossed over, excused, ignored, and taken to extremes both ways.

Women have become leaders over men, become teachers over men, even in our churches. Women are seen as humans just as capable as men. Women fight along side of men in our military. On the other hand, in Eastern cultures, especially in the Middle East, we see women degraded and treated lower than dogs. What does the Bible have to say about the role of women and what is God's perfect plan for role of women in this world?

Here are some scriptures that speak to this relevant issue. I would love to hear what others have to say about women and what their role should be in our society.

All Bible quotes from the ESV:

"And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man." Genesis 2:22

"A woman shal not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woma's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 22:5

"And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman." Ruth 3:11

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

"For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage." Romans 7:2

"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corinthians 11:3

"Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?" 1 Corinthians 11:13

"Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness." 1 Timothy 2:11

"the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church." 1 Corinthians 14:34,35

"For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands." 1 Peter 3:5

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit." Joel 2:28,29

I am woman. Hear me give praises to the Lord God Almighty and hear me speak words of love to my husband and to all living things that God has made. I am woman.

BOOK REVIEW PART 2

2010-04-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

The authors of this book spent another chapter elaborating more specifically about distinguishing characteristics of the three religious perspectives. I will summarize them here in alphabetical order:

A. CHRISIANITY
1. Believes God rules the universe.
2. Believes God rules in the realm of mankind.
3. Believes God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4. Believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that it can be applied quite directly to our lives.
5. Rejects any traditions of men negating the power of God.
6. Believes the Holy Spirit is joined to believers spirit and divine anointing flows out through the heart of the believer.
7. Believes in revelation knowledge rather than rationalism.

NEW AGE MOVEMENT
1. Believes the Evocative Other rules the universe.
2. Believes man creates his own destiny.
3. Believes God is a force to be use for man's own desires.
4. Believes the Bible is simply a book.
5. Believes man can be empowered by connecting to the Evocative Other.
6. Believes the force of the universe is present in everything.
7. Believes there is a wisdom man can receive from "the force."

PHARISEEISM
1. Believes God rules the universe.
2. Believes satan rules in the realm of mankind.
3. Believes God's power is quite limited in the Church age.
4. Believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God, however, most of it doesn't apply directly to our lives.
5. Teaches many traditions of men limiting God's power in this dispensation.
6. Believes Christ lives in the heart of the believer, but ignores or rejects the power of the Holy Spirit.
7. Believes God gave man a mind and he is supposed to use it (rationalism).

BOOK REVIEW: 3 PERSPECTIVES

2010-04-22T21:32:00.001-05:00

Part of the work involved in writing a book is reading the works of others who have explored the subject of which you are interested in learning more about so that you are more informed and have references for your book.

Am I Being Deceived is a book I am currently reading and I am so "blown away" by what I have read so far that I am compelled to share some of the ideas and perspectives of the authors Mark and Patti Virkler. I may be writing several blogs based on this book because the content is crucially relevant for Christians now.

The basic gist of the book is a comparison between true Christianity, Phariseeism, and the New Age movement. A brief description of the three is presented in the introductory chapter of the book and goes something like this:

PHARISEEISM: (p. XV) The Bible without the Spirit
1. Claiming to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

2. Not expecting any feelings because that is emotionalism.

3. Never expect to hear God's voice because we now have the Bible.

4. No expectation of His vision, because dreams and visions were for the older Bible times and not for today.

5. No expectation of the anointing power of God because "the age of miracles has passed."

THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT: (p. XVII) The Spirit without the Bible

1. Rejects the Bible as the inerrant Word of God.

2. No absolute truth -- truth is relative

3. Whatever is experienced in the spirit world dictates to be true is true and is god.

TRUE CHRISTIANITY: (p.XVIII) The Spirit and the Bible

1. Seek a genuine personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

2. God still speaks and moves in His power as He did from the beginning of time. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) "For I, the Lord, do not change; ...." Malachi 3:6 (ESV)

3. The Holy Spirit is God. We are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit ("When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, but whatever He hears He will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." John 16:13 ESV) and be filled with the Holy Spirit ("And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18 ESV)

4. The Bible is the true, inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God. ("All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16,17 ESV)

There is enough truth embedded in false doctrine and philosophies that it becomes believable. If a person is not grounded in the Word of God and walking in the Holy Spirit, he is in extreme danger of being deceived, believing lies.

Phariseeism: Bible without the Spirit
New Age Movement: Spirit without the Bible
True Christianity: Spirit and the Bible

Two of these religious philosophies will take you to hell. One will take you to eternal life.

A BORROWED POEM

2010-04-18T14:35:00.000-05:00

I snagged this from a blog I stumbled on. It is full of emotion, sadness and hope. Credit given to the author at the end.

As I sit in silence wondering why

Everyone's left me here to cry

I'm filled with so much deep emotion

Not knowing what caused so much commotion

Everything happens so very fast

But something is here that will surely last

Words that have been sorely spoken

Too many times a heart been broken

Deep within the walls of home

I find myself very much alone

For things must change, I'm at wits end

Slowly crying without a friend

For deep within the walls of home

I find myself very much alone

I love my children but they can't see

How very much they're a part of me

I carry with me their love at heart

For my children are the most important part

Of my life each day as I go on

Remembering what's come and gone

My children are so very dear

But as I think I shed a tear

For they do not know what lies ahead

They only know what's in their head

They only see from within their eyes

They only hear despite my cries

What they want to hear

And it's not clear

We try to plan and guide them through

With the best that we know how to do

But somehow that's just not enough

For life can be so very tough

Tough to keep up with all the rest

Tough to do our very best

Tough to strive and play the part

Tough to keep within the heart

The bond of family as it should be

Strong and loving for all to see

But I am saddened because today

That bond of family has led astray

Parents and children fighting each other

Sister to sister, brother to brother

To think that we are doing our best

But our hearts never seem to get any rest

Constantly worrying what will come next

In a time that's too short and very complex

I worry for the family

I worry what will become of me

I worry that time's slipping by

I'm saddened when the children cry

Because we need to change our ways

And be more loving with each new day

We need to be small kindred souls

Within a world of deep, dark holes

Renew your faith, please do it now

For God is here to show you how

Please take his hand and walk the mile

For his generous love and rewarding smile

He will guide you through life's deepest trials

He'll carry you through your many denials

Acknowledge that God's there for you

Please speak his Word and love him too.

Written by: Alleluiabelle (N.C.)

Summer 1997

LEARN THE 90/10 PRINCIPLE

2010-04-17T15:08:00.002-05:00

REPOST: INSPIRING WORDS FROM GOD

2010-04-15T21:03:00.001-05:00

MY DEAREST ONE

You may not know Me, but I know everything about you. Psalms 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all of your ways. Psalms 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you are made in My image. Genesis 1:27

In Me you live and move and have your being. Act 17:28

I knew you before you were conceived! Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose YOU when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days were written in my book. Psalms 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 149:13

I knitted you together in your mothers womb. Psalm 138:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:16

So now you know...how much I love you!

Posted by Crystal Mary at Thursday, April 15, 2010

IMPORTANT THINGS

2010-04-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

The importance of Spiritual matters can be likened to the flow of blood in the body. The arteries are the primary and foremost carriers of the blood, the most critical. Spiritually, God reconciling man to Himself through His son Jesus Christ is the critical issue. Too many times we get caught up in debating and pursuading of small issues that, left alone, would correct themselves. Focusing on doctrines, theological philosophies, and Biblical viewpoints is like focusing on a capillaries, spending energy and time debating about them, while the person has a punctured artery and is bleeding to death.

We are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not win over converts to our way of thinking.

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:17,18 (NIV)

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumsision, but a new creation," Galatians 6:14,15 (ESV)

A CRY OUT TO GOD

2010-04-04T06:55:00.003-05:00

Early this morning I was reading this blog and was impressed to share it with other on my blog. The author's blog page address is hyperlinked at the bottom. Please read it, but more important listen to the true cry out to God then the cry out to others.

My Cry

"Father I just want to stop for a minute & say I love You. I just want to thank You for being patient with me; for giving me another chance. You've always been there for me."

I would be selfish beyond recovery if I were to sit here in my little Christian corner & enjoy Christ for myself.

I know what it feels like to want more...
I know how it feels to realise that no friend, parent, loved one, gift or amount of money can satisfy the soul 100%. Even as a Christian I've had my days [correction: months] of feeling hopeless. I've questioned God...just like you might have. My friends could tell you that I've made enough mistakes to last... for a while & well, like yourself, I think I've had my fair share of pain. I've been on the road of confusion and loneliness many a times. But at the end of it all, (or maybe I should say "in the midst of it all") GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL. I just want to say that again... GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL no matter what your circumstnces look like or no matter what your emotions tell you. Friends, no one is more faithful than He is. Trust me, no one loves you like He does. All that you've ever wanted lies in His touch. His embrace can heal your heart. His voice can enlighten your darkness. His BLOOD can save you. =)

I know you've heard this before but GOD IS PERFECT. He isn't like us. He doesn't know what it is to mess up & I can't help but find comfort in that. This life isn't perfect and so pain will be inevitable but what if you did not have to endure it on your own? Don't you want to understand the freedom there is when we cast our burdens on Him? If your burden is not light, give it to God. I really mean give Him EVERYTHING and He will give you comfort.
Give God a chance. Please. He's given us many. Break down those walls of doubt, fear, pride and skepticism that prevent you from running to the One who loved you first. Give Him a chance to have your whole life this time. Don't ever think that things are too bad for God to handle. Just tell Him that you need Him and that you are His and have faith that He will take you on a new journey.

If you've never given your life to Christ or if you've only given Him a part of your life, then join me in taking a stance. Choose to dedicate or re-dedicate your life to the only Saviour. If there's a part of you that is not completely fulfilled, if there's a part of you that still desires something more from life, then that means there's a part of you that knows you should draw closer to Christ.

Salvation was not made available to us because Christ randomly felt like leaving His throne to experience the 'thrill' of crucifixion on Earth.
HE DID IT FOR YOU.
He was not forced. He CHOSE to do it for YOU.
God- the king of the world; the creator of Heaven- became flesh [FOR YOU]
He subjected Himself to every kind of pain possible [FOR YOU]
He allowed sinners to ridicule Him and de-crown Him [FOR YOU]
He allowed men to spit on Him and abuse Him [FOR YOU]
He allowed a crown of THORNS to be placed on His royal head and His sides to be pierced [YUP...that would be FOR YOU as well]
He endured the pain and the humiliation [just because HE WANTS YOU]
Yes, it's unbelievable but it's true!
Don't believe me?
I bet you've never wondered then why He did not call it off, why He did not cry "You've taken this too far. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!" ?
You see, He knew all along that you'd be worth it.
God became like an insect in His OWN company [for OUR SAKE].

He is waiting...God is waiting on you to come to Him, to receive His gift ( and if you've already received it, then to enjoy His gift). He's waiting on you to get closer to Him.

I can picture Him glancing at those nail-pierced hands daily, with no regret in His heart and only love in His eyes, as He whispers to an angel "It was worth it. You see, I'm just waiting on this one to realise that I am MORE THAN ENOUGH."

Posted by ~* Souled Out *~ at 10:32 PM
Labels: crucifixion, easter, salvation, testimony

http://desperate4christ.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-cry.html

PSYCHOLOGY IS . . . . . . . . . .

2010-04-02T06:35:00.005-05:00

In the modern Christian culture I am still very much aware that the role of a psychologist is seen, by some, as as equal to or worse than the roles of false prophets, sorcerers, spiritists, mediums, necromancers, etc. And we are aware of how God views those types of practices:

Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Jeremiah 14:14

"I will set my face against the person who turns to meduims and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people." Leviticus 20:6

I understand that the field of psychology had humanistic beginnings that excluded the things of God. However, when the Lord chooses to enter into an entity by His Holy Spirit it is changed and becomes useful for the Master.

The psychology that I practice, like many of my collegues, would not be recognizable to the fathers of psychology nor to people of today who still hang on to the idea that psychology is "of the devil."

In my bios, that explains my areas of expertise and practice, I am listed as a Christian Psychologist and a Psychologist the takes a Biblical and Christian approach to mental and emotional healing.

I cannot begin to count the times, on a daily basis, that the Lord opens opportunities by the Holy Spirit to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and lead people to the Lord. I actually have patients who bring their Bibles and we study the Word of God together and pray about the issues that are of concern to them. There have been countless times when the Holy Spirit just took over and the patient would say, "God is here." Many times my days work is more like spending the day in fellowship with His people who are wounded and need encouragment and like being in His presence because He cares about people who are hurting.

I am humbled and blessed to be able to reach people who so desparately need to just be pointed in the direction of the Lord. To let them know He is the answer to their problem.

Being healthy includes mind, soul, body, and spirit. No one, except a few groups, think anything of visiting their Primary Care Physician with a physical malady. People have maladies of emotions and mentality as well. The mind and the spirit can become as ill as the body can.

As a psychologist, I specialize in the mind and spirit as opposed to the physician who specializes in the body.

A few years ago I was ostracized from working at my church of 10 years for volunteering to take attenance at a support group for grief recovery. I was accused of trying to bring the philosophies of Freud and other evil practices into the church. It was a very large church and these people had not even met me. They just knew I was a licensed psychologist. That's all it took. My intent was to be of service to the King of Kings. Subsequently, I volunteered for the nursery and sang hymns to infants and toddlers.

Regardless of the remaining stigma of psychology, the Lord is my basis of "orientation" and I follow Biblical principles to guide the course of treatment. I fully believe that God is the God of the emotionally and mentally troubled as much as those who are suffering in any other way. Jesus is the great physician. I always pray for wisdom and to be merely an open vessel through which He can touch people who need Him.

I often refer to the scripture in Matthew where Jesus was seen by the Scribes and Pharisees eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners. They criticized and questioned Him for engaging in this activity, which to them, was "of the devil." Notice here, these were not lepers, lame, or blind that Jesus was with, these were people who were in need of God, whose sins were ruling their lives. Jesus calmly and confidently replied to the Scribes and Pharisees, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." (Matthew 9:12)

I am interested in knowing the opinions of others about psychologists and/or perspectives on my philosophy of what a Christian psychologist is. I've already been told on numerous occasians that my career and field of practice is of the devil, so no one is going to hurt my feelings. Feel free to speak what is on your mind. God bless you all.

The Lord's Prayer

2010-03-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

This is so inspiring. Just thought I'd share.

The Lord's Prayer

THOUGHT ON EMBRACING THE CROSS

2010-03-20T09:19:00.003-05:00

A very dear friend of mine sent this blog to me. I don't remember who made the quote but it says that a good writer is someone who does not give you new information or facts, but puts into words what you already knew to be true but were never able to verbalize. The writer of this article is one of those writers. This is a powerful message and I wanted to share it with all of you. The link to this blog is located the bottom of this page.

Zondervan Blog

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extreme Measures

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 06:29 AM PDT

Thoughts on Embracing the Cross

by Michael E. Wittmer, Ph.D.

If desperate situations call for extreme measures, then extreme measures are a sign that we are in a desperate situation. When a police car flashes its lights behind me, my wife turns to me and says in her disapproving voice, “What did you do?” If my car is surrounded by police cars and a television helicopter is hovering overhead, my wife’s tone will become more accusatory, “What did you do?” If a fighter jet joins the chase, dropping bombs in the direction of our car, my wife might scream like the leading lady in a Schwarzenegger movie, “What did you do?!”

Consider what God did to save us. He didn’t hand us a brochure or ask us to attend a seminar, as if our problem was merely ignorance. He didn’t hold an intervention or send us to boot camp, as if our problem was merely stubbornness. He answered our need with the cross, which can only mean that we have really messed up. If the cross is necessary to save us, then What did we do?

The cross is a dagger through the happy talk of “you’re okay, I’m okay” and through the belief that if we just try harder we can get past our issues and change the world. The center of history is a weapon of torture—imagine holding hands around a guillotine or electric chair and you’ll get the idea. The cross informs us that things have gone horribly wrong, and they won’t be right unless somebody dies.

That somebody is Jesus. It’s fashionable to deny that Jesus died to pay the debt which we owed to God (the penal substitution view of the atonement). I agree that penal substitution doesn’t explain everything that happened on the cross (Jesus also defeated Satan and left us an example), but it does express the most important thing. Take away penal substitution, and you can’t explain what happened there.

Consider William Channing, a Unitarian who said that his liberal friends “have no desire to conceal the fact that a difference of opinion exists among us in regard to an interesting part of Christ’s mediation,—I mean, in regard to the precise influence of his death on our forgiveness” (The Works of William E. Channing, 378).

Or Greg Boyd, whose Christus Victor view contributes a necessary aspect of the atonement. Nevertheless, without penal substitution, Boyd is forced to concede that “Obviously, this account [Christus Victor] leaves unanswered a number of questions we might like answered. E.g., precisely how did Calvary and the resurrection defeat the powers? …at the end of the day we must humbly acknowledge that our understanding is severely limited” (The Nature of the Atonement, 37).

Perhaps the reluctance to embrace penal substitution—despite its explanatory power—lies in part in an overly optimistic view of ourselves. We don’t think we’re really that bad, surely not bad enough to deserve God’s wrath, and so we are unable to say precisely why Jesus died.

Jesus died instead of us but not without us. We don’t get away scot free, but are called to take up our cross and be crucified with Christ (Matt. 16:24; Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:1-14). Karl Barth explains: “That Jesus Christ died for us does not mean, therefore, that we do not have to die, but that we have died in and with him, that as the people we were we have been done away and destroyed, that we are no longer there and have no more future” (Church Dogmatics IV/2, 295).

Salvation is free but it’s not cheap. It cost Jesus his life, and if you accept his gift, it will cost yours.

About the Author:
Mike Wittmer's latest book Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough is an urgent call for both right practice and right belief. Wittmer's first book, Heaven Is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God, gently but firmly strips away common misconceptions about the value of this world and the meaning of the Christian life. As of this writing, at mikewittmer.wordpress.com he is blogging through the questions in Brian McLaren's latest book.

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IT'S A BOY

2010-03-17T05:36:00.002-05:00

Baby Woolsey now has a name. He will be called Evan Thomas Woolsey. I had the awesome privilege of attending the 20 week ultrasound with my son, Ryan, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer. This was the one they were waiting for, since the gender of the baby would be able to be determined. I watched the screen as the ultrasound began and just stared in awe at the images of a little life moving innocently about in the safety of mommy's womb. We saw his spine, that was perfect. It looked so strong. We saw his heart, beating with perfect rhythm, strong. We saw his little hands, legs, and feet, moving, moving, moving. The radiologist switched to the 3D mode, and the image we saw of his little face just did something inside me that I cannot explain.

When the radiologist announced and simultaneously showed us the gender of this little boy, I let out a scream. I would have done that no matter which gender the baby was, but it just came out of me. I did apologize for that, but the kids were gracious with this old grandma.

I had gone last weekend and bought a pink fuzzy lamb and a blue one and stuck them in my bag. When we knew that it was a boy, I pulled out the blue soft fuzzy lamb and put it on Jenn's shoulder.

Thanks for letting me share such a personal and deeply touching moment in my life. Now I gotta crochet that last section of blue on the baby blanket I'm making. Praise God for His miracle of conception and birth. Amazing!

THE CROSS

2010-03-13T10:55:00.006-06:00

I was doing some Bible study and came across a thought provoking revelation. There are several symbols we use to denote our Christianity. Among them, and possibly the most popular is the cross necklace. I can't get away from the revelation I received that we have lost sight of the purpose of wearing that cross. Is it because we want to be bold in our witness and let others know we are Christians? Is it that we like the symbol of the cross, what it stands for, and want to wear it? Is it just a charming and popular thing to wear? After all, they can be quite fashionable and unique in style. Mine has open lines in it, somewhat decorative.

In Jesus' day, death by crucifixion was the most degrading and cruelest way to die. It was reserved for the lowest of the low. Who receives the death penalty in our day? The ones who commit the most heinous crimes.

My point here is, for Christians, wearing the cross is not something to be taken lightly. It not only symbolizes the horror Christ endured for our sins, but it signifies that we are willing to take up our cross and follow Him, even to death.

"Then He said to them all: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23 (NIV)

MY PRESCRIPTION FOR SURVIVING ADVERSITY

2010-03-07T08:33:00.009-06:00

How do I recover from a setback or traumatic experience? The Holy Spirit has revealed to me “the most excellent way” from 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, focusing on verse 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

When my faith receives a sudden, quick blow, it becomes shaken. In order to recover, I must reestablish or confirm my faith though the Word of God, as stated in Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” This is why many people fail to recover or continue to struggle in their recovery. Their faith was not set on the foundation of “the Word,” but was set on a person, place, or situation that has been changed or taken from them. Establishing my faith means I must put my total trust into the Lord’s will, away from my own selfish will. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,” Galations 2:20.

The next thing I need to do is shift my focus from my problem and myself to the Lord Jesus,whose ways are just. He has been waiting for me to get my faith renewed, so that He could plant seeds of hope within my spirit. It is then that I am able to have strength to “reverse” my loss. Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” Hope assures me that my Lord will work things out for me.

But, you see, I am still thinking about myself. In order to rise above my situation, I must understand what is written in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” I am obligated to share my faith and hope, in spite of my adversity and loss, by reaching out to others in love. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”

The Lord has given meaning, then, to my adversity and as a child of His, I have the privilege and duty to obey in faith, hope, and love, with the greatest of these being love.

Bobbi J. Craigmyle, ©1999

IN TRAINING

2010-02-28T08:11:00.003-06:00

People ask "why do you put up with the things you do?" I hear other comments like, I don't know how you do it. If you really stop to consider it, the fact is that every person on this earth has some sort of "ball and chain" to pull along in life. Let's call it a burden to bear. It all makes perfect sense to me. When runners are training for a marathon or race, they put weights on their ankles. When baseball players practice swinging the bat they have a weight on the end of the bat. When it's time to "show your stuff" the weights are removed and the running and swinging of the bat suddenly become easy and unhindered.

It is the same with the burdens and trials of this life. They are only "practice helps" to give us more strength and endurance. Once these burdens and trials are lifted from us, whether that is in this life or in eternal life, we will literally be able to fly with the heavy burden gone. There will be nothing to hold us down. We will soar like eagles, never growing weary, never fainting.

If we can change our attitude about our "burden(s)" and look at them as "practice gear" for our future, we will not have to ask "How can you live with this or that?"

Romans 8:18-21

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed, For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." (NIV)