Sundays Off

I have been on my Lent fast now for about two weeks, I have 20 plus more days to go.  So far so good.  Problem?  Sundays off.

Todays Question:  "Do you ever tell yourself that you will be moderate, self controlled and not lose it on your first day off from whatever it is you struggle with and have given up?"

To say....I DO...would be an understatement.  Havings Sunday's off is a wonderful blessing.  The first sunday I ate less than I thought I would, made healthy choices and treated myself to one of those 100 calorie chocolate bars and a few rolos.  Couldn't eat anymore, I was so impressed with myself.  This Sunday, the crazy bell went off in my head and I was ordering bread like the wheat farmers had announced a bread fast for the next ten years.  It was bad people...BAD...bad!  I had bread for breakfast, bread in taco shell form for lunch, it was a salad, and bread with bread for supper.  Tell me...who needs pizza bread with a bread strambolli?  Apparently I do.

I went to bread, did I say bread, I meant bed, with a bloated tummy and some voice of reason trying to penetrate my glazed over state, no doubt my mind was fogged by the yeast I'd consumed rising up from my belly to my brain.  I heard the voice asking; "Why do you do this to yourself?"  No answer, couldn't open my mouth because I was tired from chewing all that yummy crunchy bread.  However, I could still muster up enough emotion to be annoyed with myself.  There is hope for me.

Discovering once again that I'm a slow learner and a big sucky baby who wants what she wants when she wants it.  Pitiful I know.  And yet...I'm the same girl who has successfully been fasting for two weeks.  Something needs to come together in my head and combine this girl with a strong resolve, who is able to commit to things, and this chubby bread eating maniac who won't listen and create a balanced individual.  That is excatly what I need in my life.....BALANCE!!!!!

My Prayer:  "Please help us Lord when our true desires are defeated by our weaknesses and inability to deny ourselves.  Remind us of how truly great and willing You are to help us overcome in all our struggles."

Be Blessed with a Wonderful Day

Praise Report

I am just so thankful this morning as I sit sipping my tea in this snowy tundra I live in.  The sun is shinning and I'm sure the birds are singing somewhere, I've heard rumors it's happening in Edmonton. 

Today's Question:  "What are you thankful for?"

My praise reports is this:

My children are healthy....PTL!!!!!
My Grandchildren are healthy...PTL!!!!!
My husband loves me........PTL!!!!!
I can decide what I'll eat three times a day with snacks....PTL!!!!!
I have heat in my home and blankets....PTL!!!!
I have friends who love and support me....PTL!!!
I live in a Country where the majority of the people who protect me and my family are upright....PTL!!!

For those of you who may not know...PTL...Praise the Lord!!!!

The very same Lord whom I praise has prepared a place for me in glory, and if that wasn't enough, goes ahead of me on earth to prepare my way....PTL!!!!

I have never known what it is to be hungry...PTL!!!
I love my husband and he is my best friend...PTL!!!
I love Jesus...second to none....PTL!!!

I think you see why that when asked to give a praise report about what God has done, I never know where to start.  What He does that I can see and what I cannot is beyond description, cannot be reported because I have no idea exactly what He does to keep me, sustain me, protect me and all that I hold dear, on any given day.  And as remarkable as it seems He does exactly the same thing for you. 

I am blessed beyond measure, loved without condition and cared for in ways that I never thought possible.  I searched for many years to know a love like the one I have found in Christ and this love will last forever, it is a love without beginning and without end.  "Even before you were formed in the womb I knew you."  It is wonderful to be know fully and still loved endlessly...wonderful and for that I will to always PRAISE THE LORD.

My Prayer:  "That you would know the depths of love that our Father in heaven has for us, I pray you know how far He reached out to make you His own, and that His unconditional love would surround you and warm you as beautifully as the Son.  ;)

Be Blessed with a Wonderful Day

Sweet Mother of Pearl

We finally got some more things moved from the other house yesterday.  We are taking baby steps to get this done to say the least.  However, we are moving forward and things are selling and we had a very nice family show interest in the house last night...so upward with the prayers, I am finally ready to truly let our house go.  And I would love to know that children will be sliding down the stairs again should this couple buy it. 

Today's Question:  "Do you ever resist change, long for change, resist change, long for change...like I do?"

The title of today's blog is meant to move me, and you I hope you into action.  It's an expression I like to use when something wonderful happens, and since I believe that I do have some ability in me to make wonderful things happen...I am made in the image of my Creator...I intend to do that.  Wonderful for today will mean getting the junk sorted out of the stuff we move and have moved, and letting it go to someone else who will exclaim; "Sweet mother of pearl."  When they find a new treasure that will work wonderfully in their home.  It's a good goal.

I am feeling spring around the corner in spite of this last little attempt of winter to hold us captive.  Spring is coming and I would love nothing more than to have the clutter out of my house and wiped from my mind...to which I will exclaim with undying gratitude to my Lord, sweet mother of pearl.  :)

My Prayer:  "Lord help us to clean up our hearts, our minds and our homes, the places we truly live and the places where you reside."

Be Blessed with a Wonderful Day

Oh Lent...I relent.

And as the word relent defines, more lenient, compassionate and forgiving, milder, less severe etc., I shall endeavour to be those things to myself and others as we struggle in whatever form our bondage takes on.  Mine is definitely emotional eating. 

Today's Question:  "What will your soul searching and repentance lead you to change?"

As Lent began yesterday so I began my journey to change, turn, knock it off, smarten up.  Oops I relent, forgive yourself it's done, be compassionate you are human, don't be so hard on yourself or too severe.  Two words that work so well together to remind me that balance is good when making the necessary effort to change.  Two words that tie so wonderfully into the reason this Western Christian observes Lent. 

Sundays are a day of rest from whatever form your Lent takes, I love that we take them off because Sunday is Resurrection day.  The forty days with Sundays excluded reminds us of the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, hungry, cold, thirsty, lonely, perhaps angry, maybe a little depressed and maybe a little frustrated by the nature of the people He would die for.  But then the other "L" word comes to mind.  Love!!!!

Lent to me is about love, my love for Jesus and the sacrifices He has made for me.  I fast and think I'm so Christ like, I mean really fruits and vegetables people, ok I add rice, and some whole grains, alright nuts too.  Practically starving for sure.  Last night I had popcorn with only salt, no butter.  It was yummy, you see the things I do for the Lord.  I know I"m a sad case.  Remember Love. 

My first full day of Lent led me to a wonderful insight about what I truly need to become.  I was working hard to incorporate prayer into my Lent as God reminded me that I do fast, but I don't pray anymore than normal.  So I've been stopping to pray more.  I had gotten up from praying, due to kidneys and it was then that I felt the Spirit drop some wisdom into my head.  "You need to learn to make every conversation a prayer."  And there I sat thinking ...now you speak, while I'm...well I said I got up due to kidneys.  Then it hit me.  What would I be like if every conversation I had with any person was a prayer.  Not..."Oh Jesus and my friend hi, I pray you be blessed today, I'd love to chat but I don't know how to do that and pray at the same time.  But rather hearing every word spoken and appropriately applying prayer in the quiet of my mind whether I'm silent or speaking.  Wouldn't I be a better person?  Don't you think it would be difficult for me to keep praying and be critical at the same time.  Perhaps that gossip we do for the sake of prayer could be silenced if we believed our prayers were enough for that person who shares there pain and foolishly trust us with it. 

Oh relent Jenny please relent.  I think that a part of the battle I need to win is to silence my mind, to stop justifying my sin, to look at exactly who I am, love the good parts and continue to grow them, the not so lovely aspects of who I am, treat more severely but with compassion.  No point in beating myself up for my mistakes, the point is to change them, learn from them and for goodness sake....stop repeating them.

I love what Jesus did for us in that desert those forty days, we will never fully comprehend how great the victory was until that glorious day when we are face to face with Him.  We have a future and a hope and my prayer for all is that they would come to know the One who so willingly laid down His life for such an unholy and often selfish bunch.  Of which I am one.

Be blessed with a Wonderful Day  :)