Stressing Less

I was sitting back this evening enjoying a fresh cool breeze as I found myself looking around at our cozy little place.  An enormous feeling of peacefulness rushed over me.  It wasn't long ago that I was worrying all the time and about every little thing.  Migraines were a daily part of my life and tears a regular part of my routine.  The devil was using the same people or situations to gain ground against me.  He was up to his old tricks today and I almost fell for them.  Just as the tears were ready to spill over, Billy snapped me back into reality with the truth.  I realized what he had to say was right. Things in life are going to happen, people will be just that- people .  It's how I react to those situations that matters.  Do I let them move me to tears or allow them to trigger a raging migraine?  It's better to accept each situation as it is and each person for who they are.  The way they act is a reflection on their self and for me to take on that reflection is falling into the devil's snares.  I don't always have to have the last word, not even when I know I'm right.  Sometimes it is best to hold my peace and allow the Holy Spirit to navigate the choppy water.  My daddy is a King, that makes me a princess.   I'm an heir to royalty.  Anyone can be inferior to me in their own eyes, what matters is how I see myself.  I don't need to be a power player that lifts myself above others because my God is THE power player and I am perfectly happy resting on His team.  It feels so good to enjoy life again.  I still have lots I could worry about and I am a work in progress so it still tries to creep back in. Every time the worry bug tries to bite I quote a Scripture and go back to stressing less and living more!

~ Chelle
    10/21/13

Philippians 4:4-13

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
⁵ Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
⁹ Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
¹¹ Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
¹² I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
³² (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The Enemy IS Defeated

What an awesome God we serve.  He's stronger than any sickness that tries to bury us.  He's bigger than any evil that presents itself against us.  He's greater than any financial storm that tries to hit us.  It doesn't matter the situation or form of attack, God has it all under control.  What the enemy means for harm, God can and WILL use for His good. Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Satan isn't very original, but he does know the areas of attack that will do the most harm to your spirit.  Once you recognize those areas in your life you can begin to fight them with God's Word.  Does he attack your health? Quote, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2:24. Perhaps he is taking aim at you personally? Quote, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13.  Attacking your finances? "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19.  You can find a Scripture for EVERY dart the enemy throws causing him to be defeated.

I was a little discouraged tonight.  I mediated on the situation for a bit and then I began to shake my head and wipe away my tears.  I should have been mediating on God's Word and speaking against the situation.  Silly devil, you got me for a moment and then the Holy Spirit quickened me to your ploy.

I am a child of the most high God.  His Spirit resides in me.  Whatever I set my hands to WILL prosper.  The enemy may try to plan my fall, but the deck can't be stacked against me because God sees ALL the cards.  An enemy can blend in for awhile, but when God turns the light on the truth rushes in like a flood.  When the water recedes only the true landscape remains. 

I've read so many posts from family and friends that are treading through the swampy waters of despair.  Seaweed has twist around your feet as you feel your health pulling you under.  Gators seem to be chomping at your heels while the mud of your finances are bogging you down.

Stand firm in who you are in Christ.  Have your life jacket ready and armed with Scriptures that force the devil and his minions back into the mire and muck.  That green dirty water your treading doesn't have to drown you.  Praise the Lord and feel His awesome power pulling you up into His boat of life.

Child of God, you are healthy. You are a success.  You are financially stable.  Your Daddy is THE King and He has all the resources you will ever need.  Don't just read it, don't just say it.  Believe in it, walk in it, and thank God for it!

~ Chelle
    10/15/13

A World of Worry

Worrying is the hardest habit in the world to break.  I'm not even sure how many years ago I picked this horrible habit up, for it seems as if I have always had it.  The worse is when I worry about things completely beyond my control. I worry about family, friends, money, work, the list is endless.  It is a habit I have been trying to conquer and in my latest move to Louisiana I have been "forced" to see some improvement in this area.  I've found sometimes God places you in a position where you are forced to put your trust in Him.  This is exactly where I am now and He has continued to meet every need along the way. 

I am used to being in complete control, I had to give that up for this move.  It meant leaving my security blanket, my job, behind.  I also left my comfortable apartment unsure of where we would land.  I found God not only taking the resources we had and stretching them, but providing new ones along the way.  We have a cozy place to call home, plenty to eat, and paychecks that will resume soon.  It's all been done in such a way that God gets ALL the glory.  He has used so many people along the way, but it was His hand that  has accomplished it all. 

Matthew 6:25-34 has been on my heart over these last few days as I have watched the Lord working in my life, "²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷ Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸ And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹ Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³² (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."  Powerful words to remember when worry tries to creep into your spirit.

God also placed a song in my spirit throughout this time, "One Day at a Time".  Every lyric touched my heart and my situation.  Amazing how God knew the perfect song for exact time it would be needed.  It is with those lyrics I leave you with tonight knowing, God has this, one day at a time!

One Day at a Time
Written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson


I'm only human, I'm just a woman.
Help me believe in what I could be
And all that I am.
Show me the stairway, I have to climb.
Lord for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time.

Chorus:
One day at a time sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

Do you remember, when you walked among men?
Well Jesus you know if you're looking below
It's worse now, than then.
Cheating and stealing, violence and crime
So for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time.

(Chorus)


Writing prompt #94, "write about a habit you find hard to break." http://creativewritingprompts.com/#

"FML"

"FML."  I see this a lot on my Facebook feed and it has always vexed my spirit a little.  Don't get me wrong,  I'm as guilty as the next of being down and reflecting it in my post on occasion.  Sometimes we all need a little encouragement and we all certainly need a place to vent and express our frustrations. I do that a lot in my writings as well.  There has even been times I have been tempted to type those 3 "little" letters, but then I think about the power behind them. They may seem small but they carry such a huge negative connotation that places a dark cloud of energy over you.  It's almost as if you invite the enemy in to wreak havoc on your life.  You might as well climb a mountain and yell, "come on devil, I'm at my lowest..." And believe me he has many minions out there ready to jump on you and add fuel to your fire.

God's Word has a pretty clear stance on the way we speak.  Proverbs 18:20-21 warns, ^"(20)A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. ⁽²¹⁾ Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."  The picture couldn't have been painted any clearer or the words any stronger.  You can speak life into your situation or you can speak death.  One might interject here, "it's just 3 letters, something said in aggravation."  True; however, it also true the enemy is most vigilant in those times and always ready to attack.  ^"8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8.

I'm not encouraging you not to vent, but to choose your words carefully while you do.  Even Jesus showed a righteous indignation when he threw the thieves out of the temple. Matthew 21:12-13,^"12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,¹³ And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."  He rebuked them firmly and righteously, allowing us to see anger is sometimes unavoidable.  It is our reaction to that anger or disappointment that controls the situation.

I would like to encourage you (and myself) to speak life into whatever situation you may encounter.  When you are so angry, hurt or disappointed and tempted to type "FML," remember Faithful My Lord."  He is faithful and sees all you are going through.  He will never leave or forsake you.  Remember, "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5  Express how you feel, but then say I got this because MY Jesus' got me!  Your release from the situation is going to come from your praise to God.  When you invite praise in, the devil can't stick around.  Be encouraged, thanks to Jesus (and through Jesus) YOU GOT THIS!

Lost in the Moment

Silvery flakes drifted down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The blackbird squawked from a nearly naked tree that had been stripped by the winds of fall.  You can almost hear the unique flakes touch the earth.  They seem to glisten as they fall onto the cold hard ground, sparkling like diamonds as the moon catches them from the corner of your eye.  It is quiet here, you can actually hear the snow hit as it lands.  Just as you start to get lost in the peace the blackbird announces his presence bringing you back into reality.  His call echo's and then silence nothing but the ping of snow piling around you. You begin to feel the bitter cold nipping at your nose, you had been almost warmed by the beauty you were taking in before your feathered friend snapped you back into the present.  Now the bits of snow and ice are pelting you, forcing you inside where you watch God's beauty from a distance.

Writing prompt 9 "Silvery flakes drifted down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. The blackbird…" http://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/25-creative-writing-prompts

Cold as Ice

This woman is as cold as they come.  Her curses and the way she speaks to people would make the devil blush.  She doesn't leave much to the eye, with her breast (bought and paid for my a male seeking attention) practically hanging out.  Her skirts are so short you can see the place where her panties should reside, but don't. Her nails are as fake as everything else on her.  She chooses long ones but has stained them with something, cigarettes perhaps.  She doesn't even cover the disgusting particles she has collected on them with a dark coat of paint.  What little clothing she wears is 2 sizes too small.  Her voice is shrill and her laughter could be compared to one of an evil witch.  You can feel the coldness oozing from her when she walks into a room. There is an evil like presence that surrounds her.  Be careful what you say when she is within earshot,  she will twist words in such a way you will not be able to recognize them.  Manipulation is the game she plays and she is an expert at it.  She is the Queen of lies.  Perhaps the bitterness in her heart for all the damage she has caused keeps her on this frozen path.  She has ice water is in her veins.  Her cold touch destroys every thing she touches. Heed my warning and keep your distance.  Upon contact with her your growth will freeze and when she finishes with you, all that she has not already destroyed will melt away.  Don't give her the chance, don't give her the satisfaction.  Walk away before she freezes you in your steps.  Let her coldness seclude her into an ice sculpture that time slowly chisels away.

~ Chelle
   10/10/13




Today's writing prompt is, "Free write for 3 minutes on this cliche: ice water in her veins." #152  http://creativewritingprompts.com/#

A Range of Emotion

I have given a a lot of thought as in what to write for tonight's entry.  So many things have crossed my path today.  Some evoked disappointment, others a kind of removed sadness, and yet others a peaceful happiness.  The range of emotion has been off the chart, I'm fairly sure PMDD has played an ugly role in this. 

Revenge has weighed heavy on my mind.  The more I thought this over, the more I realized the emotions were coming from my heart being too soft and easily hurt. This led to a disappointment that swept over me and edged me toward making others pay for the pain they had caused. Revenge would only portray me as bitter and in the end my tender heart would only end up feeling worse.  I truly believe people get back what they put out, so I really feel sorry for this select group of people. One can't prosper from two faced, back biting ways.  Sometimes we burn bridges not realizing we may need to cross them in the future.  Sadly, there is no bridge here to cross.  All but one burnt it to the ground.  I really do not care to hear any details of how they are fairing, be it good or bad.  The page has been turned, no need to re-read it or to create an alternate ending.  They are no longer part of my story, I wish them the best and lots of luck in stabbing each other in the back along the way.

It pains me to see my family and friends in turmoil. I am miles away, but feel their pain.  I find myself calling it a removed sadness.  I had to remove myself from certain situations to allow the people I tend to enable to grow.  It breaks my heart but removing myself allows me to be sad when reflecting on the situations yet redirect those feelings elsewhere after reflection so I do not drown in them. Today I wanted to shout "GROW UP" to a couple of women who are putting themselves before the needs of their children.  Recently, several situations have been placed into my path where the father and child need an advocate for their own rights.  We have went so far in one direction that women are too easily able to manipulate a system that was designed to help them. I think I am going to research how I can become an advocate for fathers, I don't think there are enough of them.

I sat back in a chair in my yard this evening and looked around at God's beauty.  The emotions of the day seemed to peel away and I was left with a peaceful happiness.  I am blessed beyond words and thankful for God's hand every step of the way.  Not everything has clearly came into focus but God sees the bigger picture.  My needs are met each day and I have family and friends who love me.  God is good and I am thankful.

~ Chelle
   10/9/13

A Bucket of Distaste

A beautiful bucket all shiny and new, painted a pretty shade of blue and decorated with tiny flowers in a mixture of bright hues.  Pleasant to the eye, intriguing to all who walks by.  What lies under the sealed cover must be something that would bring so much pleasure and delight.  Let's take a peek and see what lies beneath the bright lid closed tight.  What's this, it's dark and grungy in there?  How could this be when the outside has had such delicate care?  The ashes of hate, sludge of anger, and acid of unforgiveness seems to abide in there. Those feelings of mild distaste all crammed deep within stale air.  The ashes of hate are coating the clean bucket with dark flickers of disdain.  The sludge is weighing the bucket down, preventing it from moving to be used as it would like.  The acid of unforgiveness is causing a corrosion from the inside out.  The feelings of mild distaste are starting to grow, the bucket can't contain them all forever if someone doesn't let them go.  They will slowly begin to breach it's brim and spill over the top.  Perhaps at first it will just be a few drops, but if someone doesn't cleanse it from within this pretty bucket will begin to stain and slowly grow grim.  People will start to approach it with apprehension and eventually it will not be touched at all.   It's outward beauty will begin to fall as it becomes one with the evil ingredients it's harbored within.  The inside will inevitably reveal the bucket's true color's in the end.

~ Chelle
    10/8/13

Today's writing prompt is, "Write about a bucket of distaste." #239  http://creativewritingprompts.com/#

Settling In

Wow.  What a journey it has been.  Almost 900 miles, a week of hotels, and we finally have a place to call home.  Looking around, it is almost as if my life has come full circle.  Many years ago I was raised in an old small trailer, 14 wide.  I now find myself in a tiny trailer, 12 wide.  It too is rather old, 50's or 60's I'd guess.  You can see it's walls and ceilings didn't at all meet the test of time and had to be redone.  It's floors have certainly weathered many sets of feet across them.  I was sitting back looking it over the other day when it occurred to me, this place was once new to someone.  At one time, a family was on could nine as the trailer hosted everything pretty and new. I'm sure the walls within this place have memories filled from all the families it has kept in the past.  I find a peace wash over me. Sometimes I think you have to be reminded of where you started to appreciate where you are going.  I don't have a pool, yet take pleasure sitting outside and watching the birds sing.  A dishwasher can't be found here, yet I find myself enjoying the mundane things I had no time for over the last several years.  A smile sneaks across my face as I dry the dishes and put them into their new place.  There is a coziness in these rooms and I'm thankful to have settled in here.  My migraines are almost nonexistent. There is a peace that resides deep inside of me that transcends from my being and pours out into the environment around me.  God has truly blessed us with a safe haven to call home.

~ Chelle
   10/7/13