Accept Dignity And Value You Have

Has a label been put on your life?

Incapable? Inferior? Failure? People are labelled all the time!

But the Bible is higher than any natural or man-made law. It tells you who you are and what you can do and what you can have!

God says "He will never leave us nor forske us." Hang on to that promise. Even if you are doing very difficult tasks....remember keep your dignity high and value yourself as being very confident in what you are tasking....I love to research -- most people would not label me as a researcher....but I have the patience, intelligence and a way to find the answer in a right way before I go goofing off and mess things up. I value my brilliancy to do that and I know I'm great at it!

I will be researching some information that will be of tremendous value to me and my hubby! And don't even worrry one bit about me, because I know I can do it! I value my wisdom and feel very challenged to find out what's right!!!! I know I am very successful in the area of research! Yea God on that one!!!! He gives me confidence, plus I value what our kids say and they say go Mom (as well as hubby)...yea!!! I can do this! I'll post about it at a later date! All I need is your prayers. Have a happy Monday!

Facing Giants!

At times I am eager to reach a goal but afraid to face the "giants." We all face giants such as financial difficulties, temptations of the flesh, and selfish desires. One of my scariest giants appeared when my husband decided to "retire." That means a possible move, a change in many things, and just a lot of decisions to make. I have found, though, that the abundant love of family and friends who have helped us get closer to decisions, is helping to dispel doubts and has given us strength to face and conquer our giants so that we can serve more fully!

I've never been a selfish person; my life exists on OTHERS...so to constantly have a "what about me?" attitude makes me feel like a giant is there saying "You can't do this...what are you thinking about?" Doubt, doubt, doubt! But, the greatest thing is I don't live my life on doubt but on trust and confidence that I serve a GREAT God who can give me a mind set of not letting the giants get in the way! Yea!!!!

An encouraging thought is God gives us the strength to conquer our fears and our giants! (Numbers 13:28) so never fear, He will remove all giant doubts and give us understanding and victory as we still make the "what's next?" decisions.

A New Fish!!!! Also, Prayer......Communication with God

Okay - this is way earlier than usual, but I got up to get a drink of water and walked by the acquarium and my fish had her babies!!!! So, of course, I'm staying up to watch the cutest snow white fish you ever saw! Awe....how cool is that. Now I cannot wait for hubby to get up and see! How sweet it is!!!!

I hope you all got to watch the Neil Diamond NYC concert last night on TV! Awesome, awesome, awesome! Back in our days dating, we fell in love watching or listening to this dynamite singer!!! Yippee...still sings so wonderfully! He was raised in New York and gave his background story. My hubby has every single song he sang on his recording equipment! Wow!

I also have encouraging thoughts on Prayer today:

Prayer: What I like about prayer is that it is a means of communication with God. You can speak to Him any time, night or morning, and you can know with certainty that He is listening to you!

There is no set formula for calling up to God and just say "hello," you can ask for something. You can tell Him that things are going rough and you need reinforcements! You can also call him and thank Him for the things He has done for you. You can tell Him you are baffled, bewildered, discouraged or that you are the happiest person in the world!

For me, in personal living, in fulfilling our place in the world, prayer is the hub that holds the wheel together. Without our contact with God we are nothing. With it we are "a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor!" Enjoy your day!

Discover Your Dream

No one can define your dream but you. God gives your dream to you alone.

One of the greatest gifts you have in your life is the ability to see beyond your present state - to dream.

As long as you are alive, you do have a dream. You might not label it as such, but there is a dream within you. My dream was always to get married and have one of each, a girl and a guy and that we did. From the very second our Son was born, I began praying for a Daughter and viola.....my dream came true!!! It's all about God's great purposes and plans. Just think of the lives that have been touched as I fulfilled the destiny He had designed for me with adding to.....a Son and a Daughter, and now that has multiplied with two a precious Granddaughter and Grandson!

Should we always have a dream? Yes, most definitely! I'm working on my dream right now. If you want to see it, go see the movie Julia/Julia. The actress who kept cooking the food for the American Julia Child recipies is me......When my husband and I first married, I worried oh good grief am I going to be a great cook, because I never had any training whatsover on that! Now, he says not only am I the greatest cook in the world, but I need to write a cookbook on all I know about cooking. We recently (together) fixed our kitchen "User Friendly" - after being married 42 years....I had all my gourmet cooking electric appliances besides tucked away - out of sight, out of mind. Now I have them all in sight and we have had the greatest time using them!!!! So, if you should come to our home, you'll get some awesome food, cooked by the person who has had a 42-year dream; to please whomever is eating it and ENJOY a great meal, but I still have my dream after all these years.

My husband constantly raves about my being the greatest cook in America, so I think I'll keep this dream alive and working!!! How about you? What's your dream? I'd love to hear it! By the way, the actress in the movie was an avid blogger with no comments.....a-ha, if that isn't me...what is? Oh well, have a super Friday!!!!!

Definite Encouraging Thoughts

The story is told about a Psychology 101 Class that had an assignment. The assignment was to start a Compliment Club. Every day they were to pay an honest compliment to each of three different persons. They could increase that number if they wished, but to qualify for a class grade, it had to be 3. Then at the end of the 30 days they were to write a theme paper on this experiment.

Some students totally resisted this assignment. Some complained that they wouldn't know what to say. Others were afraid of being rejected. And a few thought it would be dishonest to compliment someone they didn't like. "Suppose you meet somebody you dislike, wouldn't it be insincere to praise your enemy?"

No it is not insincerity when you compliment your enemy - nobody is entirely devoid of merit or virtue. Your praise may raise the morale of lonely souls who are almost ready to give up the struggle of good deeds. You never know when your casual compliment may catch a person at the critical point when he or she would otherwise toss in the sponge!

I call it the Elevator Principle - we can lift people up or take people down in our relationships. This makes us proactive. The world is starving for appreciation and hungry for compliments. But somebody MUST start the ball rolling by speaking first and say a nice thing to someone. The Bible says "We must account for every idle word." Wouldn't you just love to make someone's day today? I sure would.

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love!

How To Get Your Husband To Talk To You

I had a lady text, call on phone, e-mail me, and put it on her Facebook - "Carol, how do I get my husband to talk to me?"

Frame what you are saying within musculine interest area he has.

Respond proactively to what your husband shares - pomoting more sharing!

If he comes home and says "I had a horrible day at work." He just told you! So, don't say "Tell me about it." Don't push him for details. His is short and sweet....but as ladies....our's is drawn out.

Remember: Men and women communicate differently! + there has to be a lot of trust! (Both ways) Question is: Can you be trusted with his feelings?

Men express love by doing. Gen. 2:8-15....it started with Adam.....

P.S. Clue #1: Please give him processing time. This requires patience! When he begins talking, L-I-S-T-E-N....that's a definite MUST! Come on - I know you can do it! It takes practice, lots of love, and understanding! In a marriage, communicate rocks! If you want a rock-solid marriage, you have to commit yourself to not being a nag or stirring up arguments. Come on. I know you can do it, so he'll talk if you just become interested in what he has to say! Blessings as you get him to talk! I know you can!

801 Post - Here We Go!

Okay - I'm wound up today....God gave me an excellent night's sleep and yes, I do encourage Facebook to a certain extent,,,,,,,but do Jr. High Pics of ladies who are awesome lovely now, have to be posted on there? Now, I know why Moms aren't always accepted as a friend (on Facebook, that is and that's okay with me). They have the pics (I think). Maybe it's for fun...guess I'm more of an up-to-date Mom. There's nothing one can do about the past, so if the pics are what they are, nothing can change it. But, I don't agree in posting pics of especially Jr. High pics. Maybe because mine are weird. My freckles stand out like a sore thumb....I look hidious....sorry, it was not a great time in my life. But, if anyone wants to post current pics, yep that would be extremely acceptable!

So, that's my take - and I have to share my heart in defense of lovely ladies who have attended my W.O.W. class and yep, I know it is somewhat fun for someone to do that, it would humiliate me! As a note of encouragement today....just remember to look in the mirror and see God's wonderful handiwork how gorgeous you are today and what has become a beautiful wife and Mom and devout friend to so many. Look on the bright and happy side, because YOU DESERVE this awesome compliment!

800th POST!!! WOOHOO!!!

That's a lot of brainpower!!!!...and encouragement!

Today I want to encourage all ladies who endure suffering.

1. Keep a prayer record (or journal) and become aware of when you write the request, pray and leave it there.
2. Refrain from making too many crucial commitments or decisions during the time that you know is the worse suffering.
3. Try not to get behind in daily chores.
4. Avoid brooding over problems in self-pity sessions...unless both are venting.
5. Make a list of special small acts of love and kindness toward your husband and family which you can do during this time.
6. When you feel the suffering is over, thank God that it taught you to hang in there and you fully relied on Him!

The Bible says "Suffering will only be .... for a while ....." Find things to
give you a mind change, so you won't always feel like you suffer endlessly. Recently I did too much yard work and suffered with sore muscles. It seemed an eternity that my body would get back in normal shape...maybe a day or two, but trust me...my list of irritations kept getting longer and longer. I took a dose of Prov. 3:5-6....trust in the Lord....not me to heal, but Him! It will probably happen again, but this time I have a plan to keep dis......couragement....away and encouragement in the Word to get me through! Happy Monday!!!!! I know you will have a great Monday!

Rise Up And Praise Him!

I love that song! Rise up and praise Him! Being the Worship Leader, I loved it when that song was on the program! How about you? Because I know on Sunday is HIS DAY and we must find a way to praise Him for all the marvelous answers to prayers and blessings He gives us.. Remarkable!!! We are trusting His love, mercy, and grace to remain in His will!

He gives us our personal power to truly live for Him. And this is a great Lord's Day to do just that! Praise Him for all his bountiful blessings and His great love for each one of us that we will succeed in all things!

Let this day be a blessing to all!! Give Him all the glory!!!! (& praise!!)

Trouble

Trouble is an incubator for greatness!

The Lord knew exactly the pressure you need to get you to the place you are.

He knows the pressure it will take for you to birth what He has for you in your future.

He knows exactly what forces need to come against you and how to deliver you from them, so that by your coming up against those forces and experiencing God's super power, you are strengthened for what lies ahead.

It is the presssure you have experienced that pushes you into God's power and that my dear friend, will make you great!

I'm so happy my 'puter is back up....yea!! Thanks for all your prayers!

My Favorite Subject Regarding Love

Everyone's read my blogs....they know my favorite subject is LOVE. Besides your relationship with the Lord, the most important relationship you can have is your relationship with guess who??? Yourself. What you believe about yourself and the way you tret yourself will determine what you believe about others and the way you treat them!

Begin to celebrate yourself. When I worked with the ladies at church I would say "Have a Geneva Day" and that meant go out and celebrate yourself...buy yourself something even if it's ten cents! And do exactly what you want to do....only you want...what you enjoy. Only you know how far you have come to be the "you" that you are!!!

We love people to the degree that we love ourselves!

Embrace Your God-Given Strengths!

Don't let anyone make you but God. Don't let the world put you in its cookie-cutter mold. If you give into the way the world defines you, you will miss out on y our unique qualities - the very qualities that make you valuable. What makes an antique or an artifact valuable? The fact that it is rare and distinct!

If God made you beautiful, use your beauty.

If God made you brainy, work your brain.

If God made y ou a computer genius, then work behind the computer to the glory of God!

If God made you a "natural" at business, then make a billion dollars to further of the kingdom of God!

BUILT ON WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU - GREAT STRENGTHS!!!!!
(....from W.O.W. Carol's teaching Women of Worth Class @ Lighthouse Church : )

Anger Emotion (continued from 7/31.....)

WE all know that Alexander the Great conquered the world. But what few people know is that this mighty general could not conquer himself! Cletus, a dear friend of Alexander's and a general in his army, became intoxicated and ridiculed the emperor in front of his men. Blinded by anger, Alexander snatched a spear from the hand of a solder and hurled it at Cletus. The spear took the life of his childhood friend. Deep remorse followed his anger; overcome with guilt, he tried to take his own life with the same spear, but he was stopped by his men.

When resentments, frustrations, hurt feelings, and simple fatigue accumulate, we explode. Is there actually a time to get good and angry? Paul (the Apostle in Acts) reminds us "Be angry and sin not...." "Do not let the sun go down on your anger...." Ephesians 4:26-27.

There's uncontrolled anger...it stifles your spiritual growth. We had a couple in one of our churches we Pastored who didn't want the church to grow - they were angry every time someone new came into the picture. They wanted deliverance because they wanted to be spared the embarrassment of jealousy. Angry at life itself, or someone getting close to the Pastor. That would be uncontrolled anger that gives place to Satan. (Causes irrational behavior).

1. Admit anger
2. Don't clam up.
3. Pray to God and ask for forgiveness that you lost control; confess to God that you pointed to tension and ask God to help you to grow away from anger but to forgive and forget.
4. Please don't carry a grudge....it will eat you alive! Admit being angered and ask for forgiveness. Clear the air. Anger and not resolved will cause you to become bitter, hostile, and will cause sickness if sizzles too long! Confess, and ask forgiveness and clear the air. Honestly, no one wants to be around an angry person; so I encourage you to say "I was wrong in getting so angry with you...it wasn't right, so please forgive me." Happy Lord's Day and serve Him and give Him the glory!!!

Changing Subject Today

I'll get back to the Managing Your Emotions real soon....I'm changing subjects today to a "lighter" choice.

The subject is LOVE. I have found that to love is to be loved. Love is my decision to make your problem my concern. And if you love someone, you definitely care about them! How many of us share that love? With our husband, our family, our friends, our animals?

Spread a little love around......today! I Cor. 13 is a great chapter to live regarding the love subject! Just show your love! Live it!!!!

Emotional Stability

This is a subject on managing your emotions. I was with a lady yesterday who tried to convince me it couldn't be done! I'm here to tell you, it can!!!! Get your cup of coffee and take some time to digest what I have to say:

God created us with emotions so that we might be able to enjoy Him and His creation. Often we have been tempted to consider our feelings as a bother, a hindrance to living a life of faith. I believe God gave us emotions so that we might live a well-balanced and wholesome life. After all, God Himself is an emotional being who expressed anger, pleasure, and compassion. Our goal, then, ought not to be to support our emotions, but rather to achieve emotional wholeness through finding God's answers to our emotional needs. Take for instance the emotion of sorrow. A loss.....we have to learn to COPE. So many women have the impression that their emotions are an embarrassment...an unwanted appendage.

We can benefit from negative emotions. Husbands have often developed insensitivity toward their wives by simply repeating what they have heard in church - that your feelings should be rejected. YET THOSE FEELINGS ARE IMPORTANT. They are a part of our total being.

I've known angry people who deny their anger; they are unable to admit such feelings. Others deny hostility, bitterness, or sorrow, thinking that Christians should not have such feelings; they insist that they are free from them. The result is that deep feelings often smolder beneath the surface of their personalities. I am convinced that emotional wholeness cannot be achieved through denying the deep emotions that we all have. (Including men and women!!!)

There is a drug for virtually every physical pain, every emotional disturbance. If you feel down, take "uppers," if you're emotionally excitable, take "downers"...but at all costs, feel good!!! Society dictates....if you have a sexual urge, fulfill it, if you have anger, express it, if you feel tied down, walk away from your responsibilities. At any rate, it's your life and you're number one, so do as you please.

The biblical balance would be to admit to ourselves and to God how we feel (someetimes we should admit our feelings to others too) and ask ourselves: Why do I feel the way I do? The past must be forgiven by God and we must be cleansed from its influence.

Joy is an emotional stability for me - it comes as a result of Christ rule instead of self-rule (in other words Christ is completely in charge) ....Galatians 5:22-23 - these are qualities that the Holy Spirit wants to form in us AS WE OBEY GOD'S WORD. Christ obeyed as He went to the Cross although He (in the flesh) did not want to. He obeyed though He didn't feel like it; the feelings came later. We can't expect a life without emotional turbulence, but there can be emotional healing; as the Spirit can work even amid our ups and downs. God wans us to manage our emotions. He's assured us that they need not manage us.

I've seen a lot of women who get stuck on the angry emotion and they don't think anyone can see it....I'll blog on that tomorrow....like a teapot....starts boiling slowly and ends up really boiling and they are stuck in the "I don't want to talk about it" mode.....a good ole communication of venting would be most helpful....because I believe it just festers and makes anyone around that person miserable. Wear the "joy" emotion just one day and I mean really wear it with your attitude and you will see a change and love it!!!! Have a joyful Friday!!!
Remember: Women are emotional and men are "fixers." Embrace emotional stability....yea and be thankful....who wants to be a dull, almost statue lady who shows ZERO emotional and no one wants to be around that person!!!! I know I won't ever be that dull!!!!

What Would You Call A Friend?

I would say a friend is someone who keeps in touch and reciprocates -- for instance, instead of you having to contact them, they contact you to see how it is and basically cares.

Truthful

Trustworthy

Happy for your answers to prayer!!!!

Real; not phoney

Encouraging

Friends sharpen the mind of each other.

What amazes me; I have well over one hundred people who want to be my friend on Facebook, but I never hear from them. That concerns me.

Prov. 27:17 says Iron sharpens iron....friends sharpen each other and are happy for great things that happen to them.

Have a blessed Thursday -- God has blessed me to give the encouragement I need to give and I know I will have a blessed day! I'm up early because a friend invited me to an early breakfast....now that's a friend, knowing I dearly love mornings and usually get up at the crack of dawn! : )

Grab Hold Of Your Destiny!

God redeemed us for a reason. He redeemed you for a purpose. He redeemed you so you can fulfill the assignment for your life. God sees you as useful. He has a mission for you to accomplish!

He designed you from start to finish. Even before anybody else accepted you, He accepted you.

Even before anybody else loved you, He loved you!

Grab hold....'cause He won't let go!!! Yea!! Enjoy your Wednesday!

Audit Your Priorities

I purposely got up early to read a story about a Pastor's wife who is getting married very soon. She is charming! She was married to a fabulous Pastor and has six kids! Her husband and 13 year old son were killed in a plane crash. And now she has met Mr. Right who was a single Pastor (never married) and they are tieing the knot soon. They make a lovely couple and with the three teenage girls and two boys left for him to "father" - he is super excited. And the way they found each other is over texting and a cup of Starbuck's. That is so cool! She was talking about it's been a bittersweet romance because with five kids left, she has given so much of herself that she can give! And she felt like sooner or later someone was going the "crumbs" instead of a "piece of pie."

My comments after reading her story, set realistic expectations for yourself. Know what you can do and know how much you can do. I love inspiring stories. I will definitely audit my priorities and slow down enough to catch up on reading. It is a great feeling - feeding one's soul!

See God For Who God Is

The more you see who God is the more you see who He is to you!

The more y ou see who God is to you, the more you see how valuable you are to Him!

I see God as being all powerful, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal.

I also see Him as my rock among the shifting sands of life.

Also, as a balm of Gilead in the midst of any sickness.

Most of all, as my provider in the midst of my lack!

We all need to see Him as ETERNAL and UNCHANGING in the midst of all of our busy lives! Do not be afraid. He will never leave you nor forsake you!

Dominant Thoughts

Naturally our dominant thoughts as a Mom go towards our kids, grandkids, all their animals, our animals, (including fishies), our family members (all inclusive), our previos church attendeees, friends, and all other people we think of. At the same time God cares a great deal about how we think! ....and what our dominant thoughts are! That's why in the Bible he says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil 2:5.

Let your thoughts reflect Christ and others.

Let His attitudes become your attitudes and live like you are a Christian.

Let Him confirm your actions.

And I think of love and forgiveness. (My favorite subjects.) Go ahead....love your adorable hubby and show him that you are there for him and will stand by him!!! woohoo!!! Those are terrific dominant thoughts!