To Stress or Not To Stress

Bench-press a Buick?

Really? Please how about an eighteen wheeler at least. Stress? I have an aching body, a sick husband, a broken washing machine & an upside down house that I just keep moving things from one room to the other, maybe I need another room. It all started a little over a month ago when Pop, my sick hubby, wanted me to change his recliner for a straight chair in the living room as he couldn't get out of his recliner. I looked at him thinking "Are you crazy?" I can't pick that chair up. Not wanting to upset Pop I just go in there to pick this big ol' chair up, to heavy so I turn it on the side dragging it into den & Pop looks at me & wants to know what I'm doing. Well I'm doing what you told me to do. He proceeds to tell me I shouldn't be pulling on that chair you would get hurt, so I drop the chair right on my big toe which is now black. Then in this sweet little voice he tells me he didn't mean that chair he meant his dinning chair. Well hello, did you have to wait until I was almost to the den before you said anything. Ok Gwen chill, breathe & step back & get the chair back in the living room. 

***THIS IS NOW TWO WEEKS LATER***

I have a working washing machine now thanks to my grandchildren, Matt & Kristi & Russell(my son-in-law) that fixes everything for everybody & after he finished making sure the washer worked, doing his speciality, taking things that doesn't work to the point of working. Man I thought that was the best looking washing machine in town. One trip to the laundromat was enough for me. Here I was putting basket of clothes on my  walker, after putting soap in the seat of the walker, pushing, praying I wouldn't turn it over & I didn't I just tripped with my walker going down the ramp & this sweet little old lady just grabbed it & held on til I could get it. Thank You Jesus for this Angel as I had her in my mind when the attendant so rudely told me I couldn't leave my clothes washing while I was going two blocks to get my meds, so I was able to smile ever so sweetly & told her thank you for telling me that when in all reality I wanted to ask her where was she when I was chasing my clothes? After two hours or so later I took my wet clothes home, dried them, folded & put them up. The next morning after getting Pop his coffee, watching the news he started laughing. Well that's not normal, remember this is a sick man that hasn't been laughing at hardly anything until then. He looked at me & asked if I was missing any underwear? I don't know, I didn't count them. He informed me that I had accidentally put a pair of my underwear in his drawer, so he just grabbed a pair, put them on and realized they didn't have a "Pee Hole" as he called it. I guess this is an instance that it's good to have "grannie panties" big enough that he could wear. We both got so tickled, washing away all the stress that had been piling higher & higher reminding me that no matter how much stress we have, The Holy Spirit will give us joy to replace the afflictions in our lives. 1st Thessalonians 1:6. 

Even when you are old, I will take care of you, * even when you have gray hair, I will carry you. I made you and I will support you; I will carry you and rescue you. *Isaiah 46:4

Praises to God in heaven that He will never leave nor forsake us, as we definitely need all the help we can get.  

Running to Jesus

How many times have you read the story of "The Prodigal Son"? In this you see a son leaving his family after demanding his share of the family wealth. He not only cuts himself off from his family leaving a heartbroken father. After leaving, losing everything, he had to go back to his home. Here is where the community would shame him, announce to all that in their eyes of all including his family he was dead in their eyes. The father never gave up hope & when he saw him coming down the road, he ran to him embracing him,taking the shame for his son. Now God's Word tells us that this is how Our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally & His arms are wide open, just Run to Jesus I have prayed about this for days to make sure what I am about to share is from a pure heart, to encourage others that might have to face this in their lives. You see this story was used by my family when I "left their family"abandoning the family of Jehovah's Witnesses, writing a letter for every member of my family to sign this declaration of my "death" to them as I turned my back on Jehovah God & was no part of my family, which included all of the witnesses, that the shame I put on them was like the prodigal son. The problem with what they were saying was not the truth, actually it was just the opposite. I most certainly was not turning from Jehovah, I was turning to Him where He showed me how to run to Jesus, how He loved me unconditionally without having to earn that love. The fact is we can't earn His love as we are all "filthy rags" until we are cleansed by the blood of our Savior, Jesus. Did this make me perfect? By no means, as being imperfect I sin everyday, doesn't have to be a BIG SIN as a SIN is a SIN in God's eyes. This is the awesomeness of this new Person I have become is I don't have to carry that great burden of guilt on my shoulders that had weighed me down the first thirty-five years of my life, Jesus Christ walked before me,loved me before I existed, came to the earth suffering the cruelest death just because He loves me & releasing me of the guilt & shame of feeling unworthy of His approval. Yes I was stamped as "the prodigal daughter", they just forgot to finish the story of how the father took his son's shame publicly embarrassing him lovingly. As Jesus loves me unconditionally, I can honestly say I love my family, praying every day for a reconciliation of being a family again, but my Jehovah God through His Son Jesus have instilled in me The Holy Spirit that was given to me freely the moment I knew Him. I am so Blessed that I have this amazing Savior that tells me each & everyday to "Come here little one, run to your Father." I know many doesn't approve of the way I look at if, but that's ok as I love you anyway but to me I feel Him saying, " Run to Your Daddy, I'm here for you & if you are hurting just climb up in my lap & let Me kiss your boo-boo until it's gone." I am not making light of the Holiness of my Lord & Savior, Im giving Him Honor, Praise, Glory & my love to to Him, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that no matter where I am or what circumstances are He has my Hand giving me Peace that only He can give through His Grace & Love. Proverbs31 has a devotion of The Prodigal Son that will be a blessing to all. Web site: proverbs31.org, click on devotion then for May 27 . I know many of you know this story but I encourage you to read it again putting yourself right in the middle knowing at anytime you can run to your Father, your comforter, you rock that is waiting, watching for you to run to Him. This is found in Luke 15:11-32. Once again I just want to emphasize this is in hope of someone who needs to be reminded that God loves us & always will if we accept Him knowing as sinners we are forgiven simply by knowing His Son, Jesus loves us unconditionally, died for us frees us from our guilt & shame. I love you all & pray for God's blessings be with each & everyone of you. Psalm103:13-14: "As a father has compassion for his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we ars formed, He remembers that we are dust."(NIV) **Added note: Yesterday at Sarah Thomas's Graduation PARTY, my little great granddaughter, Tenley, came running up to me & said " Mena, I have a boo-boo on my foot." She wanted me to hold her & kiss her boo_boo so it would feel better. Without thinking for a minute I lifted that little dirty foot(she had been playing outside) & kissed it all better. She got down & went back to play but when we started to leave she came back in going to the car with me to put a band-aid on it which I did. The important thing is I was thrilled when she wanted me to make it all better, feeling so blessed that she loved me so much & knowing that Nena was going to do it. I believe that is how God feels when we need Him to make things better & we run to Him with complete assurance that He will be waiting to make it all better.

Making Stepping Stones out of Stumbling Blocks

After much prayer, wanting to keep this on a positive entry & after passing one of the biggest kidney stones ever the title jumped out to me. I had a bookmark years ago that had that quote in it & seemed fitting to use as my title today. Yes, I am praising The Lord My Rock, Yahweh Tsuri, my Fortress,my Deliverer, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, my Savior, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2) as Pop & I face the storms in our lives we have the assurance that God's presence will give us the shelter & protection we need, picking us up when we stumble or fall. Usually that is in reference to "things" in our life but with us it is also literal. I have to remind myself that there is nothing that we have or will face that God hasn't already gone before us, smoothing our paths with stepping stones. I believe from the depth of my soul that He has a plan & a purpose for each of us, and when I just can't understand the whys I know that my Father is The King,and I know that I know that He is my Rock, my Redeemer and we can face tomorrow "Because He Lives." That song has a very deep special meaning to me but that for another day. We thank You Lord for holding my hand as I passed the stone & praise Your Holy name for the rest You gave Pop this afternoon after a really bad night. We are claiming the Victory that we know You will give to us, so we pray for patience as Your time may not be our time but Yours is the perfect time. We love You, praise Your Holy Name giving You the Glory for it all. Amen. Pop & Grandma

Lupus Awareness Month

This is Lupus Awareness Month and as a member of this very "Exclusive Club" I pray that the day will come when people will realize this is real that attacks your body as it is an auto-immune deficiency so you can catch anything besides the organs that is being attacked. Today I am having one of the things that stems from the Lupus & that is I once again have a kidney stone. Praying for healing & the fact Sunday night I start on my methotrexate which makes me very sick the next day or two. Thank You Lord that You are all around me. That is from Michael W Smith's new album, Sovereign , song "Christ Be All Around Me". Highly recommend this album!! 

Blessed Beyond Belief

Blessed Beyond Belief is my blog & satan you WILL NOT have the victory.My God that gave me the words will give them to me again only better!!

Welcome

Thank you for coming to my blog. For the past several years, God has been laying on my heart to share how He has graciously and over abundantly poured HIS goodness, mercies & grace all over my life.  So here I am!!! My prayer is that through my trials, tribulations, joys, & blessings I will be able to encourage others. I truly believe that is God's plan for this blog. I am completely leaving this to God and will only share what He lays on my heart. Praying for you as you pray for me!

"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 a hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)