OWN IT!

Last year I decided instead of making a New Years resolution I would chose a phrase.  Lasts years was Game On!  Well to be honest last year was more like holding on.  I should have called it the year of the struggle.  Don't get me wrong there was some great moments, but... Or maybe I should have called it the Year of Spiritual Growth...Year of the Battle...I think you can see where I am going here.  I let the enemy come in and steal my joy, my peace, and my comfort. With this in mind I chose to Own everything thing that the enemy took from me!! I am not a victim!  I am strong in the One who created me!  I am bold in the One who holds my future.  I my friend am the daughter of the King!  With His grace and strength I will walk like a GIANT! I will claim success for my family, friends, and fiances.

I claim this for you as well!  Take a moment to reflect on what you have lost and claim it back!  My warning to you is don't camp out on it.  Build a bridge and get over the stuff that happened in the past, this is why it is called the past.  I will claim victory for you as well.  You are meant to strive and not fail.  Rebuke the lies the enemy is telling you, look to the Light and let it shine through the darkness the enemy has you in.  This is not where you belong!  Don't continue to give the devil power, crush it's head with your heel! This were he belongs beneath you, not controlling you!  I challenge you to OWN IT!  You can find your own catch phrase for 2017.  Give it to God and ask Him to help you with it.  Dear friend, your are worthy don't forget it...Just my 2cents!

Ugh! Boundaries Who Needs Them?

Something that I have not been good at is setting boundaries...What is a boundary? A boundary is when someone oversteps your wishes.  An example of this would be, You have a friend who ask you if they can come over.  You tell them no because you are sick.  They show up unannounced with some chicken noodle soup.  At first glance this seems innocent and you should feel thankful.  Instead you are annoyed. Why? It is because you don't feel good and you said no.  No means no right? The person who brought the soup probably does not even realized they crossed a boundary.  They in their minds eye was doing the right thing, well they are not. How to avoid this from happening is to be gentle but firm with them.  Hey, thanks for bringing the soup over, but next time please call first.  (even though they already had) Another thing you could say is, "I know you meant well but it is really important to me that you honor my wishes.  You don't need to go into a long explanation, keep it simple and emotion free,  You even might have to have this conversation with them a time or two.

  So with all this being said, I am learning to say no and mean it.  I am learning to say no and not feel guilty about it.  I am always the one who says no, then I feel guilty about less than two seconds later.  I then call the person up and turn my no to a yes.  Then I spend the next hour or so silently yelling at myself for being wishy washy.

I am also learning to not let other people manipulate me.  Meaning that I don't always have to change my plans to fit their last minute lack of planning.  Too be honest, I know I need to give grace and be flexible with my schedule.  You see in the past someone would ask me to do something, and I would rearrange my schedule to make what they needed done work.  In the process I would become frustrated and lose my peace on so many levels.  Lesson learned!  I don't have to rearrange everything to accommodate them.  All I need to say is sorry this does not work for me, I wish I could help. It is even okay to say something like, "If I would have had a little notice, I could have helped you".

One thing that needs to be done when you say no to someone, say it with a good attitude and grace. The nicer you say things the better it will be received.  If it is that "certain" person that keeps pushing your boundaries, you might have to have a come to Jesus meeting with them.  Basically let them know you value their friendship.  When they don't honor your boundaries it is putting a strain on it.  Gently and firmly explain how you feel.  The part of this conversation is to listen to their response.  I always tell my kids listen with your ears not your mouth.  One suggestion I would make, it to say a prayer with them before talking with them.  Yes, it might get intense for a minute, but hang in there hold your ground and just listen to them.  Understand they might not realize what they are doing.  Another thing I would always tell my kids, "If I don't know it is broken, I can't fix it".  Communication and understanding plays a huge rule when you are tackling hard conversations with those who are close to you.  I also suggest that you take the matter to the Lord before you talk with tthem.  Ask the Lord to show you ways in which you can be humble.  Ask the Lord ways in which you should change, and ask Him to help you stand your ground,  As always thanks for reading and letting me share, Just My 2cents, Missie

I AM

I would like to share with you a revelation that hit me like a ton of bricks.  This revelation came about this past Sunday as we sang the chorus to David Crowder's song I AM

I am,

Holding

 

on 

to You.

I am,

Holding

 on

 

to You

.

In the middle

 of the storm,

I am

 Holding 

on,

I am

As we sang the last word in the chorus the word I AM stood out like it never had before.  What is God to us?  He is the great I AM. In the past I always felt like I was reaching out and holding on to God with all that I had.  I see the song in a new light now!  It is God singing to us!! He is holding on to us in the middle of the storm.  He is reaching out to us!  He is saying I have you, I am in control, I will not let you go. When these thoughts hit me, I felt a sudden peace overcome me.  I for the first time really understood what He meant when He was holding on.  Take a minute and breath it all in, breath out then let God be in charge.  He after all is the great I AM.  Just my 2cents, Missie 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXdIgEUsHg

Rest in His Presence

As I was worshiping in church today, the Lord gave me a word.  He does this sometimes, so this time I decided to write it down.  In that decision I made a promise to Him and myself that I would start writing His words as He speaks them to me.  Sometimes the words come with great urgency, because of this I am beginning to understand the importance behind them.  A lot of times they are for me, but I feel sometimes they might be for someone else as well.  Sometimes He will provide an image to go with what He is saying.  Here is today's...

The image is of a person walking thru the desert.  This person is lost, defeated, and tired.  They are looking searching for someone to bring them a sense of joy and a sense of peace.  In addition, they are looking for rest.

Then the Lord shows me water...His living water.  This  living water is endless and never dries.  Notice the greenery around it and notice the water fall flowing in to the water below.  The words He spoke to explain these images are:  Even though you are walking thru a dry water less land this is not the end or how I created life for you to be.  I created you to be an Overcomer!!  How you are to overcome is thru My Presence. Come drink from My living waters, I will fill you with a new joy and I will you with a new spirit. A new spirit will rise up in you, drink from my everlasting waters.  For I will and I able to sustain you.  Rest in My presence  relax and rest in My presence.  As you were created for My glory, I was created to help you overcome!  

As I share His words spoken to me, my prayer is that whomever reads this will be blessed with the intent of His words.  Life can gives us some serious blows, but we are not to take them alone.  We have an amazing Creator who died for us on the cross so that we may live. Rest in His presence and let Him help you be the Overcomer He created you to be...Just my 2cents, Missie

Inner Lion!! I found You!!

What I am about to share with you was a situation I was in that was hard for me.  At first glance it may seem like a bit of overacting on my part.  Yet as you read this see the importance of finding your personal lion...

I needed a school book for my next class.  I was not able to get my book, because the school needed a financial aid document that I was supposed to have provided a while back. When asked if I had the required document my response was no.  Then her response was I can’t give you the book until you have the document.  Right then and there everything was fine…Then the situation turned south.  You see there was another person in the room with us.  She proceeded to sarcastically express to me that I might as well blow school off because I dropped the ball in not getting all the needed information in.  To be honest it was probably not how she meant it, but that is how I took it.  Did you know life would be better sometimes if we did not let our emotions rule us?  In this moment that is exactly what was happening with me.  I was feeling guilty because I knew I had not done my part.  I was a little stressed because I needed the book for my class.  To top it off I was sensitive to the fact I thought she was being mean to mean.  My feelers were hurt.  I walked out of the room feeling ashamed.  Then something amazing started to happen inside of me.  As I walked closer to my classroom I felt a bold determination in my step.  I sat down at the computer with phone in hand and started the process of getting the required documents.  It was so easy to obtain I chastised myself for not doing it sooner.  At the same time a whisper turning into to a roaring told me that I needed to go back to the ladies and tell them how I felt.  I stood up on shaky legs and headed back to the office.  I knocked then entered the room, and in a quiet but firm voice I explained to them how I felt when I had left the room.  I acknowledged my wrongdoings and told them how hard it was for me to come forward and talk to them.  They both looked at me and smiled saying that they were sorry for what was said.  The one who had said it had a little bit of fire in her eyes, but she understood where I was coming from and said sorry. I feel this was a big step for me.  I normally would not have said something and moved on, but sometimes God prompts us to stand up for ourselves.  He awakens the inner lion in us to help us.  The key to remember is to stand up for you or for someone else with grace and dignity.  Do it in such a manner that brings respect and honor to all parties involved.  Just my 2cents~Missie  

Nelly episode one

Meet Nelly my son Jacob's cat.  She is so fun and sweet!  More episodes to come. :)

A Mother's Day Remembrance.

What you see portrayed in this picture is a love of two people.  They desperately want to share their love with the child of their own.  This has not happened, but they cling to the promise that God will someday provide.  In fact, they have experienced a loss of child before they were able to meet the little one.  With  Mother's Day approaching it is a reminder to my daughter of this loss.  Please take a moment to read her thoughts on this.

  Here is the link to her blog. http://jessjmercier.blogspot.com/2016/05/mothers-day-is-coming.html

   I ask you to take a moment and say a pray to all the mom's who have had experienced a loss of a child who was not born, or one that was taken before their time.

Listen...

Have you ever had a period in your life when you felt like no one was listening?  I have and to be honest with you it is so frustrating.  It even can be hurtful to you when you are trying to communicate a need or want, and you feel like you don't even exist.

 How about I back up a few steps and explain myself.  It was an amazing time of worship at church.  You could feel the presence of the Lord.  It was so refreshing like a cool glass of water on a sun parched day.  During the service a prayer was given, and we told to go before the Lord and ask Him to help us with anything that was keeping us from Him.  I laid some things down at the Cross and instantly He whispered in my soul that He was going to fight the battle for me.  I needed to relax and trust.  I felt a sense of peace come over me, one that I had not felt in a long time.  Like a warm gentle hug from your favorite person.  In grasped on the promise He gave for me and held it close to my heart.  I claimed the promise that God's word never returns void, and was reminded to put my trust in Him.  With every promise that God gives you the enemy is on the prowl to cancel.  To remind you that you are stupid and not worth anything.  Well, my friend these are lies and don't you dare believe them.  With all this being said I have been in a battle that I can't seem to overcome.  For every step forward I take I feel like that I am punched backwards a few hundred feet.  I have even spent time with the Lord crying out!! God!! You said to me, You promised me...Yes I have even uttered these words...WhY hAvE YOU left me???? The answer is He has not.  Did you noticed that I used the words I Have Been In a Battle...What I have done is taken God out of the battle and tried to fight it in my own strength.  He has not left me, I left Him.  I did not hold the promise He gave me about fighting my own battle as close as I thought I did.

Now as I try to grasp onto Him with all that I have, I take a moment and ponder what it means to listen to Him.  I imagine Him reaching down from the Heavens to me trying to wipe away my tears.  Waiting for me to let go and let Him take charge.  He gave me a promise and yearns to fulfill it.  I just need to take myself out of being in charge, and let Him be in control.  My friend it is no easy task to do.  I must admit I don't like it when I am not in  control.  Even worse if I can't fix the problem my whole world spins out of control. This is a feeling that I don't like at all.  Not on any level.  If you are like me in situations like these.  Take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee, and go find a quiet place where you can talk to the Lord.  Ask Him to show how to listen to Him.  Ask Him to have patience, because you are a work in progress.  Ask Him to help you trust in Him and what He has to offer you. If you have trouble finding that quiet time put on some worship music, sit quietly, and sing to Him.  He is willing and waiting for you to come to Him.  Remember He does not leave us, we leave Him.  In the process we end up trying to do things in our strength.  Our Father has big strong shoulders for us to lean on and take refugee.  Try it you will find what you are looking for.  Just my 2cents, Missie

Trust

Here is a story of two amazing people,my  daughter and her husband.  On Christmas day they found out that they were expecting.  They kept the news to themselves, because they wanted to make sure, and and tell everyone when the time is right.  At 9 weeks, I get a text message from my daughter asking is if I was working.  I replied yes, and then she told me her and Justin would be stopping by my work.  They have a gift for me.  They came to my work, handed me a the gift said it was mine, but I could not keep it.  I opened it and it was a infant size BSU jersey.  Imagine my joy when I realized what this meant!!  Pure joy was on their face!! Then a test of my faith was given to me.

A few days ago I got the call...mom...the baby does not have a heart beat.  My world turned upside down.  I prayed with Jessica and just listened to what she had to say.  What makes this news so hard is that it is her second miscarriage.  When I had heard the news that they were pregnant, I knew God had been listening and answered my prayers.  Now I turn to Him and try not to ask why, but to let Him be in control.  I must admit it is not easy.  Right now my focus is on my daughter and making sure she is okay.  I do daily check ins and we talk, I ask how Justin is doing.  Her response is we are good, we are both grieving, and we are okay. I know God has a plan, and I have put my trust in Him.  Just know that if you are in a journey you are not alone...Just my 2cents...

Here is the link to Jessica's blog post about the baby.

http://jessjmercier.blogspot.com/2016/02/dear-baby.html

Expectations...

     a belief that someone will or should achieve something...Expectations...has been definitely a life lesson for the year 2015. I did not realize until this year that I would set a certain expectation of someone, then get upset if they did not meet them. I must admit this was a very hard lesson for me to learn!!  I would get emotional and almost hold a grudge if things did not go the way I thought they should. I would not throw a fit or anything like that.  I would just get disappointed and then wait for the person to fail, which caused me to be disappointed again.  Do you see the stupid viscous circle I was traveling in?  Then to make it worse I could not let it go, I would replay the thing in my mind over and over and over and over...

    Then I when I finally realized it, I went the opposite direction...I went into everything is my fault mode, meaning since I realized the problem and I knew I was the cause of it.  The effect of that was, I would be too careful as not to take an offense or get upset if things did not go as I expected.  That was not healthy on any level, I shall call this phase denial.  Fortunately enough I did not stay in this place of mind for to long.  

     Instead my denial returned back towards anger, but on a different level...I took all the hurt, anger and self-berating out on the person...In my mind I was like so if they aren't willing to change, why should I?  I would try not to set anytype of expectaion, that way I could not get disappointed.  ( Let me throw in a quick disclaimer this is not about any one person, it is how I handle every life situation.) The funny thing is the person never really knew I was upset.  I would have a greater than thou attitude, I will call this my passive aggressive mindset.  

     What happened next is I had a come to Jesus meeting...or should I say He had a meeting with me?  Jesus reminded me what grace was.  How His grace is freely given, and that I should be doing the same.  A spiritual light bulb came on, or if you will say a renewal of what grace is.  I do now what I should have done then, when a situation arises and I am frustrated, I turn it back to Him.  I ask for me to have understanding, to see the situation or person as He does, and I ask for me to have peace.  I ask for His patience in the waiting, or to just be able to let it go.  I also ask for help in realizing that the expectation I may be setting is unrealistic.  My prayer also includes that the person has a Jesus given conviction.  Meaning if they need to work on something, God helps them see it.  This is not to make me right on any level, it is just that we all have areas we need help with.  This journey has been a long painful one, but one that needed to be traveled.  My challenge to you is that you go in prayer an ask God to help you in any area that you need it.  By doing this you can give it to Him to help you with it...Just my  2cents...

R.E.M.A.I.N

     One thing I have learned this past year is, to remain in Him.  God is my forever constant.  In times of trial I know that I can look to Him and He will always be there.  I have to be honest with you, I  didn't always let Him be in control.  There where times I would take things into my own hands, and then I would end up with a mess.  Sadly, this was not an overnight process of my coming to understand this.  No, I would go about my day with my world crashing around me.  Then I would finally realize that I needed to let go.  When I made that decision my life would get a lot easier.  I am not saying that all my problems would go away.  I just now know how to handle them...by me giving it to God.
   
     Part of this awakening was when it came to my personal relationships.  I came to a realization that I was putting a lot of effort into people that no longer wanted to be my friend.  I must admit this sting for a while, but then when God showed me what I was missing.  Was my family begging me to see them. They need me to see them for what they are, very precious gems that the Lord gave me.  I am learning  to keep things simple and not let the things of the world stress me out.  I apologized to my family and refocused my energies on them.  I thank God for letting me see what was going on.  I did not want my kids to grow up not really having a relationship with me.  I want them to realize they are extremely important.   I am asking God to help me restore my relationship with Him, asking Him to keep showing me how to remain in Him and Him only.  At night as I close my eyes to sleep I say a prayer of thanks for things that He has provided for me.  I ask Him to walk me through my day, to tell me about my success and my needs to improve on. I ask Him to continue to help me see my family the way that He does, and to remind me daily how precious they are to me.  I encourage you to do the say, ask God to show you how to remain in Him.  Ask Him to show you your daily success and your daily need to improve ons.  Just know that there is no doubt and condemnation that comes from Him.  Just open your heart to what He has to say, have the confidence He is talking to you in love.  Just my2cents

Sharing a Fav!

Ezekiel 37:1-14New Living Translation (NLT)

A Valley of Dry Bones

37 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lordto a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”

4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”

Through the eyes of man it seems

There's so much we have lost

As we look down the road where all

The prodigals have walked

And one by one the enemy 

Has whispered lies

And led them off as slaves

But I know that you are God,

Yours is the victory

We know there is more to come

That we may not yet see

So with the faith you've given us

We step into the valley unafraid

(Chorus)

We call out to dry bones,

Come alive, come alive

We call out to dead hearts,

Up out of the ashes,

Let us see an army rise

We call out to dry bones, come alive

God of endless mercy,

God of unrelenting love

Rescue every daughter

Bring us back the wayard sons

And by Your spirit breathe upon them

Show the world that You alone can save

You alone can save

(chorus)

So breathe, oh breath of God

Now breathe, oh breath of God

Breathe, of breath of God

Now breathe

(repeat 4x)

(Chorus)

We call out to dry bones come alive

Oh come alive

Oh come alive

~~Lauren Daigle~~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew53fdyVVrY

This is the link to her video, it explains the message behind the song.  I have posted this type of message before, but it is something The Lord has put on my heart again.  It was a personal wake up call from Him, saying I am here to revive your dry bones.  I am here to breathe a new life into you.  I am here to give you a new hope and passion.  So, you see even if life or life situations seem bleak, or you are just going through the motions.  You feel like you may have lost your way.  Not necessarily lost your love or faith in God, but maybe you just need a fresh breath of life. Take a moment and ask Him to breathe His life into you.  You will be amazed when He answers...just my  cents

I am That...Girl!

Today I volunteered for the Idaho Wine Run, while my best friend ran her first 10k.  When I first got there I was feeling intimidated by all the women who were walking around getting ready to run.  All I saw was fit girls who looked this was going to be a walk in the park.  My volunteer position was first aide station one.  We handed out water, Gatorade and fruit.  As the first runners came upon us we all started cheering, and a sense of community started to settle in around us.  We started getting word of thanks, my response was no thank you!!! YOU are doing an amazing job keep up the good work, you got this!.  I would hear other runners encourage each other.  When the 5k runners came to us, I started to see women who looked like me...little do they know that they gave me so much encouragement just by them running by me.  While Jennifer and I was driving home we were talking about the run.  We both agreed to try get more proactive in getting in shape for the next run which is in November. We both agreed the running community is pretty much amazing and very accepting of other people.  All I heard was encouragement.  I have done a 5k, but mostly walking it and I loved every minute of it, but that was last year.  I had lost my mojo to work out and keep living a healthier life style.  When I told some of the other volunteers a little bit about myself, they said don't give up. Thank you! You lighted a fire of hope in me, I had forgotten about.  Another thing Jennifer and I talked about how we had read something to the effect of  when experienced runner sees a new runner who was just starting out.  Has these thoughts going through her head:  I am so proud of you! When you run by me, don't look down...look me in the eye, so you can see how much I admire you.  Keep up what you are doing and you will get there.  Well now it is my turn to give you thanks...for I am that girl who is scared to look you in the eye.  I don't want you to see me struggling or to see me about to pass out.  Thank you for willing to give me hope.  Thank you for your kind words.  Thank you for giving me the extra push to keep going...I am That Girl!!! Who can't thank you enough...just my 2cents

      

A.N.G.E.R.R.R...

 

That moment when you get so angry you feel as if you are turning in to a green monster.  The outcome is not pleasant.  You feel a tornado of emotions running through you.  I get that...I have been there.  When I get this angry all I see is black...literally all I physically see is black. My voice drops down about 3 octaves and my eyebrows form a straight line, kinda of like a uni brow.  It is rare I get to this point, but when I do I have to put myself in time out.  I am a slow burner type of girl which is good, If you want to call any form of anger good. Is anger good one may ask.  Well yes and no.  What the bible says about anger that it is not a sin unless it is self motivated by pride.  It is a natural God given emotion.  An emotion when it is used correctly. For example, when  one is angry at the cause of injustice towards another, and is conveyed in a way to help the other it is not a sin.  Anger becomes a sin when it is allowed to boil over without restraint, resulting in a scenario in which hurt is multiplied.  Proverbs 29:11 states that a fool vents his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.  As a side note: this verse does not mean hold all your anger in, but just be wise how you vent it.  If this type of emotion is left unchecked or unresolved then when it is unleashed it can be damaging.  The damage is to the one receiving it, or emotionally damaging to the one holding it all in.  If you get that point of no return the best thing you can do is drop down on your knees and ask God to take over.  

Recently I was in a situation where I felt an injustice was being done to me.  At first I was hurt and when the situation was not being resolved in the way "I" thought it should be.  The hurt turned to anger...As the wrongdoing started to settle into my soul, the peace I usually felt was turning into turmoil.  I wanted to scream out loud, UNFAIR!!  This feeling lasted for about a day or two.  Then in a moment of clarity I realized that I was not giving it to God. I finally went to Him in prayer and asked Him to take the anger away.  In the same moment He helped me examine myself to take ownership of my part of the situation.  I must be honest I still don't like the results of what happened, but I now have peace.  In addition, it is very humbling when you have to admit to yourself that you are wrong.  Not always a good feeling, but if you handle it right it can a lesson that ends well.  What I found is from time to time if I ask God to reveal to me what needs adjusting.  Even though I know there might be some discomfort involved, it always ends well.  Just my 2cents, Missie.

  

Friendship and how Important it Is!

     I heard someone on the radio the other day talking about friendship.  The point the speaker was making no matter how busy you are in life, always remember to keep in touch with your friends.  Just as a plant needs to be nurtured, so does a friendship.  If you give a plant lack of water and food it dies.  If you don't sow into a friendship it dies.  Relationships are a two way street.  Both parties need to realize that even though life gets busy, the friendship they share is just as important.  One might find themselves in situation where a friend is needed. If they have not maintained their friendship, then in their time of need they might not have anyone there to help them.  In addition, once you find a true friend who is willing to stick with you through the thick and thin.  You need to be thankful for this person.  In a sense this person in some point of their life will put your needs above their's, and you will probably be willing to do the same.

     On a personal note:  I started to have a busy season in my life, I had met my future husband. While developing a foundation for our relationship, and maintaining my friendship proved to be a challenge. I look back now and realize that I was not doing a very good job of it.  I probably let some of my friends down, no more like I know I let some of my friends down.  When I realized what was happening it was to late for one of them.  Let me tell you the loss of a friend, is kin to loss of a family member.  The grief is the same and hard to get through.  I now pray for this person daily and hope the damaged can be repaired.  I hate that feeling that I have let someone down. To me that is a huge deal, I want to be the why can't everyone get along type person.  It was a hard lesson to learn, but now my outlook on friendship is different and reflects in a new light. A lesson in life I hope not to ever forget.

       Now I try to be the friend God has called me to be, to love as He loves, and to trust as He trust.  I try to return phone calls, texts messages,or any type of communication that I receive.  As I mentioned earlier it was a hard lesson to learn, and not one that I want to learn again.  Also, in the process I am learning what type of friends to keep close. Meaning that not everyone of my friends can best of buddies.  It seems to make life a little simpler that way.  I know realize that friendship is really is a give and take.  That if I set an expectation on how I think a friendship should be, does not mean the other person has that same expectation.  I need to extend the grace I am expecting to receive.  I need to learn how to just listen and be there for them in that moment of time.  I am learning how to build up another person in a different way that I have in the past.  There are times all a person needs is someone to listen, and try not to fix things.  Not to say everything is going to be okay, and give advice I am not sure I should give.  I do know that it is my job to direct my friend who may be in need back to God.  He is the One who can make things right, or help them get through the tough times.  I just need to pray for them, or if they  let me join them in prayer.

     Now here comes the hardest part of the lesson I learned...Letting go! Realizing that a person did not want to be friends with me.  I have never gone through something like this before, and It was hard for me to wrap my thoughts/heart around this concept.  What helped me a little was realizing that I had let the person down, and I needed to ask God to help me...then move on.  I am not perfect and I had put an expectation on a friendship that should have not been put there.  I must admit I had my angry what the heck happened moments.  The why is all sudden there is no returning of my calls, ect.  The confusion of what went wrong????  When there was a response it was everything was fine, but yet it wasn't...The hurt behind all this is still a little tender and real, but God whisperd in my ear...forgive as I forgave.  You don't know the struggles the person is going through.  Don't judge, just sit back and wait.  The door may open to the friendship again, or it may not.  Just trust in Me and I will make all things right.

         Then I asked Him to send me a best friend who I could turn to, to trust and to love.  He replied, I sent you Ray.  Ray whom I am now married to me is the best gift God has given to me along with my children.  I never thought I would ever be worthy of such a gift, but knew the desires of my heart and provided me with such a gift.

       Then my response was, because sometimes I like to push the limits without thinking.  I said a girl best friend.  The amazing thing about this is that I already have one, her name is Jennifer.  Remember her?  She was the co-founder of this blog when it first started up.  Now, Jennifer and I make a point of communicating with each other.  We work very hard to keep this friendship going.  We have known each other for four years, and have gone through a lot.  I would not change a thing.

     Just remember to ask God to help you in all situations and He will.  To guide you in all your friendships and He will.  Ask Him to show what kind of friend you are called to be.  He knows what you need and what you don't need...just my2cents

 

Meeting at the Well

When I hung up the phone or should I say slammed down the phone, I just wanted to scream out loud.  Not again! How can she be so rude? How can she be so uncaring?  The she was my mom...A part of me knew that I should turn the other cheek, take a deep breath and extend the grace that Christ has given me.  I must be honest giving grace was the farthest thing from my mind at the moment.  I had done nothing to evoke her behavior, in fact this was how our conversations usually went.  I just gotten to the point in my life where I had enough of people treating me this way.  My mom was just the tipping point.  I was getting tired of being nice and giving trust to people who in return would stomp on my emotions.  Then I realized that I was letting what other people though of me get to me.  I was not letting what God thought of me remind me of how important I really am.  Then I heard the story of the women at the well.  How Jesus met a woman at the well and offered her living water.  He looked past all her faults and saw the beauty and worth that she was capable of.  This story hit me in a different way that it had in the past.  It helped me have a new love for the people around me.  Now when I am on the phone with my mom, I just listen to what she has to say.  I try look past the harsh words and the sarcasm.  I try to  see the hurt that she is living with on a daily basis.  I try to see her as God sees her...wonderfully and beautifully made...in His image.  When someone is rude to me I try not to  take it personal, I turn it to God and say a small prayer for them.  This is not always an easy task.  I don't always turn my cheek and extend the grace I should. I have always heard the term ask Jesus to meet you at the cross...what if we took it a step farther or before the cross?  what if we meet people at the well?  It does not matter what a person is like or what their life is about.  We should be prepared to offer up the truth of the cross, which in sense is meeting them at the well and telling them about how they can receive living water which leads them to the cross.  Look past their faults, fears, and judgement they may be showing you.  It says in God's word to take the log out of your own eye before pointing out the splinter in an others eye. (Matt 7:3) You can also ask God to show you people who are hurting and a way to help them.  If you ever get nervous like I do when talking to someone you don't know about Jesus.  Take a deep breath and ask for His words not yours.  He will make it happen in a way that shows His truth and the peace He has to bring.  Just my 2cents, Missie



 Then Jesus made a bold promise: "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst" (John 4:14).

Dear Younger Me...

Dear younger me

 Where do I start?

If I could tell you

 Everything That I have 

Learned so far

Then you could be

one step ahead

 Of all the painful 

 Memories still

Running through my

 Head

I wonder how

 Much different 

Things would be

Dear younger me

Dear younger me

I cannot decide

Do I give some 

Speech about how to

Get the most out of

Your life

Or do I go deep

And try to change

The choices that you'll

Make cuz they're

Choices

That made me

Even though I

Love this crazy

Life

Sometimes I wish

It was a smoother 

Ride

Dear younger me

Dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now

Condemnation would have no 

Power

My joy my pain would've never

Been my worth

If I knew then what I know now

Would've not been hard to

Figure out

What I would've  changed if I had

Heard

Dear younger me

It's not your fault

You were never

Meant to carry this

Beyond the Cross

Dear younger me

You are holy

You are righteous

Your are one of the redeemed

Set apart a brand new heart

You are free indeed

Every mountain every

Valley

Thru each heartache you

Will see

Every moment brings

You closer

To who you were

Meant to be

Dear younger me

Dear younger me

You are holy

You are righteous

You are one of the redeemed

You are free indeed

Dear younger me

                               ~MercyMe~

Dear Younger me's just know you are my world. If I can do anything to make your world better just ask and it is done. I am so proud of each and every one of you, thank you for being who you are.  You have blessed me more than you know.  Just my 2cents...Love older you!