another disciple class

I always come away from my Wednesday night class with a little new tidbit...a new enlightenment.
Tonight we studied the second half of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11 was my scripture that got me through the past two years.
"I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper you, not to harm you.  Plans to give you a future."  This was originally written by Jeremiah as the word of the Lord to the Israelites in exile in Babylonia.  But it is really for anyone in the dark times.  The times you think there is no tomorrow.  It is a ray of hope.  A confirmation of God's unconditional and eternal love for each of us.  It is personal.

What I did not know through all of this...was there are the scriptures of 5-9 that proceed it.
In those scriptures God tells the Israelites to bloom where they are planted.  They may be in exile but he tells them:
"Build houses and live in them...plant gardens...eat your produce.  Take wives and become fathers of sons and daughters.  Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands...,multiply there (in Babylon) and do not decrease.  Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you...pray to the Lord on its behalf... in it's welfare you will have welfare."

This scripture tells me...be happy where you are!  Do what I tell you.  You have to be strong to move on, so stay here and build strength.    It may not be where you want to be...but this is where you are!  Now live there...be the best you can be in the situation you find yourself....quit your whining and plant a garden.  You have to go through here to get to the plans he has for you. Pray for where you are and after that comes the plans he has for you!!!  What a lesson for me!

The plans verse is followed by
"Call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen...You will seek me and you will find me."

Doesn't that bring comfort?  God gives you the plan and gives you the results.  He also gives you the how to.
Wow! 
There is always a rest of the story.

victim no more

I am soooooo lazy today...I went and walked this morning but just can NOT get moving...

Today I thought I would talk about being a victim...you know as you go through a divorce you want folks to feel sorry for you.  I am the one that was done wrong.  I am the only one hurting.  I have been betrayed.  When folks find out about it they fawn over you....poor lil Kim....and for awhile it feels pretty good and sort of feeds into the ego...but then there comes a time when you get mad and you are really tired of being the victim.

I remember saying to my counselor Tom, "I am tired of being the victim" and his response was....
"about time, now what are you going to do with the rest of your life"...wow...I had to plan ahead and think ahead.  I had to think past this life changing event and think into the future.  What did I want to do.  It had been a LOOOOONG time since I had set goals for myself.  He made me make a list and do one thing from that list.  I picked stained glass...that's another story!

Have you asked yourself that question lately? What do you want to do with the rest of your life.  I have always known God had a plan for me.  I used to laugh and say if I had listened to God all along it would have taken me less time to get to his plan...but I eventually ended up there.  So not only did I have to think what I wanted for myself (and only myself...this is the one time it is OK to be selfish) I had to ask what God wanted from me, too. 

Remember those voices...every time I would ask God..."What do you want from me?"...he would say "You'll know"...I don't know what it is yet....but I am still listening...I know what I want for myself...something to do with book stores, out west, artsy fartsy town, and family.  Is that God's plan? I will know....when it does or doesn't happen but right now I like the feel of dreaming, setting goals and planning.  It makes me feel alive.

Goals for myself this year...continue getting in shape, exercise more, take more risks!, go rappelling, learn to  kayak and enjoy myself!  All the while listening...for that tiny voice..."You'll know"  God you do have a sense of humor don't you!!!

scripture in the strangest places!

Many times it is through scripture reading that God speaks.  Scripture has been my friend through this as I search for answers...It is the age old question of why bad things happen to good people...that may be a bit pretentious but I try to be good...As I said, in the beginning it was Job and that was depressing but I read a lot of God's replies to Job...those "who do you think you are" scriptures...which humbled me...but I know my God is a loving God, so I wanted the reassurance which is when I turned to the Psalms.  David was a jerk but he also was attuned to God.  Psalm 23 became about hardships more than death for me. Psalm 139 reassured me that God knows ME.  He knows what is happening with ME...and has from the beginning.

My friend Lora would text me scripture whenever she thought of me...Jeremiah 29:11 became my mantra ...'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, ' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' What peace you can find in that!! As I type that scripture is hanging in front of me and in my car it is on my dash.

With healing came different scripture...Proverbs has such wisdom!  Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath..." and Isaiah brings hope, "those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."

Years ago Traci got me a little box full of tiny little cards with daily scripture reading and I started reading one every morning and going to my bible and looking up what is around it...also there is a prayer on the other side of the little card...it is usually right on target with what I am feeling...

Last night around 2:00am I let the dogs out and as I slipped back in bed there was something stuck to my butt...guess what...it was one of those little cards from my daily scripture reading...so I figured God really wanted me to get this one!!! Matthew 5:4 " Blessed are they that mourn; for they will be comforted." 
 I was having one of those crying moments yesterday....someone said something nice to me (about my cleavage) and on the way home I burst into tears wondering why my husband never spoke to me like that and realizing I felt ugly for a long time...Maybe God is telling me...you've mourned and I've comforted...now move on girlfriend!!! Thank you Barry it wasn't sexual harassment and I did look in the mirror!!!
I think I can really say God gave me a kick in the butt...isn't he funny!!