Keepsake Hearts!

Victory in Christ!

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25 NKJV

I heard this today while casually listening to a minister on television and immediately I looked up when the minister spoke this scripture in his benediction! I said to myself “WOW’! Because just before he said that, I felt myself becoming anxious! God knows just the right time to give us the words we need to hear!

Worry, worry, worry, is all we do. We worry about our children’s safety, we worry about bills being paid, we worry about what others think about us, we worry about not having a job, we worry if we will offend anyone, we worry if the food we just cooked taste okay, and on and on and on! With all that worry, no wonder we have anxiety ~ and I only named a few!

Well I am a “first hand witness” that worrying does not give you victory! It does the opposite ~ some of us are stress eaters, so we gain weight and become more depressed, some of us call everybody we can think of to “load our burdens on”, and some of us disengage ourselves from others. Personally, I would have a pity party! Whatever your handicap is with worrying, it's just that~ a handicap that is not life threatening!

This picture shows how a person's face swells with the sun allergy. My eyes would swell shut and my cheeks were twice as swollen as hers ~ just to give you an image of my allergy!

I suffered a sun allergy for 18 years. I had to wear long sleeves year round, a hat and carry an umbrella. I had to travel and walk when the sun was going down or before it came up; and when I went to work, I could not sit by a window or go outside on sun shiny days! No it was not easy and there were times, I felt depressed ~ WAIT~ many times! But by studying God’s word and daily reading it, with my hands and face swollen beyond recognition on occasion, I did not give up on God, because He did not give up on me! 

I am happy to say August 30, 2013; God healed me of the sun allergy! *I still have to be careful around excessive sun exposure (like being on a boat or in a pool), excessive dust, paper particles, and chemicals like bleach*

The only thing that has sustained me through my long suffering has been the Word! You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. Psalm 71:20-21 KJV

When I feel anxious, I usually get out and take a long walk until it subsides! Do something you enjoy to get your mind off of you and off your worries. It also helps to go and do something good for a stranger ~ it is truly liberating and after it's all said and done, you truly forget what it was you were worrying about! I have had to lean on family and friends for a place to live and money. However, if it wasn't for them, I would be on the streets. So I tell myself ~ Thank God I have family members that are able to provide food and shelter for me. I know God sees their good deeds and will bless them accordingly! 

I pray many of you are being encouraged by this blog; because I write them just as much for myself as I do for all of God’s children. I too, go through trials and tribulations like anyone else. And God’s word says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. II Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Ever battle I have faced has made me stronger in character, knowledgeable of the word, and establish my own relationship with God!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7 NIV

Catch Me I'm Falling!

So many of us fall prey to thinking our way of doing things is the best way. It doesn’t matter if it is deteriorating our mind, body and spirit; nor does it matter if we create disaster in our lives and others around us. It can be defined as stubborn or I like to call it being “prideful”!

“I don’t need your help"!   I can do it myself”!     “I made this money on my own”!    “I can do what I want to, it’s my life”!        

“No one helped me get to where I’m at, I did it by myself!

Yep, the Bible says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall". Proverbs 16:18 NIV

I know that there are many of us who go through life that have seen family or friends shot, you yourself have been beaten, raped, gone hungry for days, lived in foster homes, and many other painful events in life that lead to building an emotional cement wall to keep others out and ourselves in. I have one question. How long will your wall withstand life's storms before it too becomes weak?

Please, knock the wall down and let go and let God be in your life! Constantly reliving the past and the past hurts only leads to internal turmoil and self destruction! If you are not willing to believe me, look at how many of our loved ones, television stars, and neighbors have destroyed their lives from doing it the “world’s way” and they are not here to tell you to stop the nonsense of believing in your mind you have no help for the pain! 

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 NIV

He will never leave you nor forsake you! Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV Accept Christ into your life today!

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25 ESV

Remarkable!

When you wake up in the morning how many of you say, “Hello Beautiful”! I know I didn’t say that to myself for years, but now that I am more grounded, more confident in Christ and understand that I am perfect just the way God made me - - - -  and no one else is like me in any way! That’s something to rejoice and be glad about! I am more accepting of myself and; therefore more accepting of others!

Yes make-up does enhance our beautiful “unique” features of our “unique” faces, the proper fit and style of clothes enhance our “wonderful” figure, and proper hair care and styles is also another incentive to make us look and feel beautiful ~ on the outside.  (Please don’t stop putting on make-up, going to the hair salon, and dressing nice, these are a big start to feeling good about you) But what makes you “beautiful” on the inside?

Start with self-acceptance, finding what you do like about you; and daily look in the mirror and say, “God loves me! He made me and in His eyes, I am wonderfully and perfectly made!

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14 NIV

I'm Alive!

I understand that growing old is inevitable; however, we don’t have to be old. My sister met a wonderful lady over 25 years ago who died in her 90’s; however, in her 70’s and 80’s she signed up for water aerobics, was still driving, until she wrecked her car ~ then she found out how to utilize the bus line in Atlanta, GA; and at least 4 days a week she had a social engagement to attend. She refused to live limited because of her age. She said, “I’m not dead yet! As long as God has given me breathe; I’m going to enjoy life”!

I know there is some correlation to being active and healthy, and again, a good balance of resting, exercising, socializing and daily reading the word will keep your body, mind, and spirit in “good” working condition so much ~ that you can’t tell if you are 50 years old or 80 years old.

This woman is 90 years old and still doing Yoga!

No we are not going to live forever, nor do we want to. Unforeseen things do happen, but if you are able to pursue good health do so! And you do want to live a quality life here on earth that is free of limitations to run the race Christ has set before you. So keep on running, walking, riding bikes, or yoga ~whatever exercise you enjoy~ so you are able to help others in need!

 “Now, as you see, from that time until now the Lord has kept me alive and well for all these forty-five years since crisscrossing the wilderness, and today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent us on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then! Joshua 14:10,11 TLB

How Could You?

“Oh my goodness; when are they going to change”?

I know I have said this before about a relative, a co-worker, or a friend. It just dawned on me that I am focused on what was instead of what could be.

It’s important to see the good in everyone and pray for those who have areas in their life that is hindering them from growth. But what is more important, is to allow God to change you!

People notice growth by your actions. For example: how you carry yourself, the kindness you show those you used to detest. Yes, you have had someone you detested! Now, you can be in their presence and even enjoy their company. That’s God! He has done a change in you and NOW, you can see the change in others that before was blocked by your inconsistent emotions and dislike~ not theirs!

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too allformerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we weredead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassingriches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7 NASB

Come Running!

Do not run from God! Don’t you dare let Satan make you think you are not worthy of His Love!

Come running if you have an addiction, a loss of a loved one, not feeling beautiful, unemployed, broke, depressed, or sick ~ whatever broken situation you are in, God is ready to give you hope and a future!

God made you and sees everything “good” you are and can become! Won’t you let Him in your heart?

⁷ Even if we were good, we really wouldn’t expect anyone to die for us, though, of course, that might be barely possible. ⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹ And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty? Now he will save us from all of God’s wrath to come. Hebrews 5:7-9 TLB