Dee2rites Blog

Tag: Encouragement

  • March 26, 2009

    I’ve been cleaning house and clearing out some clutter. I cleaned out the pantry and threw out some stuff that was stale or expired and probably not that good for us when it was fresh. All this cleaning makes me wonder how many of us are walking around with emotional garbage, that’s expired and bad for us. But like the ignored pudding mixes and stale crackers in my pantry, we’ve hung on to it.

    Many times we hang on to emotional hurts because of fear to let them out; we feel shame about them so instead of seeking help, we hide it and hang on to the hurt. It’s even sadder when those hurts were caused by someone else and we had no control over it. Like sexual assault.

    How many women have been either molested or raped and are like I was for many years, walking around, wounded and fearful. Afraid of being hurt again, afraid of someone finding out.  I was very sure that if I told anyone about what happened, they would say it was my fault. After all I was with someone my parents trusted and was a friend. I only told my husband after we’d been married many years and I felt safe enough to tell him. He was angry, but not at me. Then it happened to someone close to me. She did not have to tell me what had happened; I recognized the signs in her eyes. I knew her pain and tried to talk to her about it, but she was afraid to tell me. Afraid I would judge her. It took her a long time to finally admit to me what had happened. It was not her fault, but she took the blame and the shame.

    As women we do ourselves and other women a great disservice by continuing to carry the shame for something that’s not our fault. Let the men who did it feel the shame. Once we come out into the open and talk about what happened, we take back our power. If we are open about what happened to us, we will begin to heal. Once we’re healed, we will be in a position to help our sisters.

    According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey there were 248,300 sexual assaults in 2007.  That means that every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Sexual assault is the most under reported crime against individuals. One study shows that only 16% of all assaults are reported to the police. Another university study reported that 1 in 5 college women said they’d been forced to have sexual intercourse.  It happens to someone every 2 minutes.

    Bad things happen to us in this life, but God offers healing and help if we only cry out to Him.

    “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor;
    He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to [those who are] bound;
    To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
    To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”     (Isa 61:1-3, NJKV)

    He wants to heal your broken heart. He wants to free you from the prison of shame. He wants to comfort you from mourning. He will give you beauty in living a joyful life for the ashes of despair. He will take that spirit of heaviness and give you a garment of praise. It will be a beautiful thing and God  will be glorified in you.

    Peace and blessings.

    Dee

  • Chaos to Calm

    We’ve been doing some remodeling in our house the past few weeks. We moved out a wall enlarging our family room, added some built-in bookshelves, repainted the walls and ceiling, and today will get new carpet installed. Meanwhile, all the family room furniture, including my husband’s big-screen TV, is in the living room, the hallways, and office. There are stacks of books and board games everywhere there is available space to stack. Not to mention that all the dust generated from the construction covers every surface in the house. To say my house is in chaos at this moment, is a fairly accurate statement. But once the job is finished, the furniture moved back in and everything is back in place, it will be beautiful. The room will be larger and more comfortable for family and guests when they visit. It will be more comfortable for my husband and me to sit and watch “Dancing with the Stars” together. We’ve had to endure the chaos to get to the improvement.
    I don’t like my house not being in order. I don’t deal well with clutter and I’m ready to get it organized. I’m tired of cleaning only to have a new layer of dust re-cover everything I just cleaned. I’m ready for everything to be complete and for the enjoyment of a new room.
    Sometimes God takes us through a re-construction phase.  Sometimes we need to have some things moved around or moved out in order to make way for the new.  Old habits need to be broken and replaced with new ones. Maybe instead of watching the morning news on television, we need to spend that time in the good news of God’s Word. Maybe we need to replace that bedtime snack of ice cream and a soda with a piece of cheese and some fruit, or some of us should just give up that late snack entirely.
    Maybe a job has become too comfortable and we’re looking to it for our provision, but God has something else He desires for us. When I left my job last October, I left a job I enjoyed with people I liked and enjoyed working with. But it was taking all my time and God called me to be a writer. I’ve known that for many years, but I kept finding other things I “needed” to do first. God made it very clear to me that it was time to leave my old job and to obey His call. It’s not been easy giving up a paying job in a climate where jobs are disappearing daily. But God is faithful and He is taking care of us. The blessings I have in being obedient are greater than any other reward on earth.
    The chaos of hurts, disappointments, and hard times come into all of our lives. Jesus said that as long as we are in this world these things will happen, but He also promised to get us through them all.
    “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
    Yes, He will take us from the chaos in our lives and to a place of calm, but we have to trust Him and keep moving through.
    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • WHY I’M NOT BALD AND TOTALLY GREY


    “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” Proverbs 22:6 (New Living Testament)

    Many years ago when my son was in high school, one of my neighbors shocked me when she asked how I managed so well to have a teen-age son who never got into trouble. She went on to say I always seemed so calm with my kids and not worried about anything. She wanted to know why, what was my secret?

    The surprise was not her thinking I had good kids. My husband and I thank God every day that they gave us few problems. But I knew all too well that we were NOT perfect parents. I lost my temper and yelled and screamed as much as any mother. I made impossible demands on them and had to repent daily. Too often I was anything but calm.

    After I had picked my jaw up off the floor, I tried to give her the best answer I could – “I don’t know. It’s not me.” That was the truth. It was not me. It was God and His faithfulness. I shared with her that I prayed for my children daily and then left them in God’s hands. My husband and I took them to church and taught them at home. That was the best we knew to do.

    It’s never easy being a parent, and being the parent of teen-agers is especially challenging. It was hard in the late 80’s when my son was in high school and it was harder in the 90’s when my daughter was in high school. The challenges and temptations that face our children today are even greater. But God does not change. He is faithful and His word is true. We can rely on Him to guide us through every situation. There were days when it didn’t look so good for one or the other of my children. Those were the days when I had to just trust God that His Word would not fail and that His promises to bring my child back would come to pass. I had to believe the Word more than I believed what I saw.

    Jesus said, “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about what to say in your defense, for the Holy Spirit will teach you what needs to be said even as you are standing there.” Luke 12: 11, 12 (New Living Translation)

    Most of us here in the United States will never be brought to trial for the gospel, or be called to account before authorities. Sometimes the one judging us is an angry teen-ager. Maybe the one we need an answer for is a defiant child.

    My daughter Rachael thanked me a couple of years ago for something I’d forgotten had even happened until she reminded me. One Friday night she’d made plans to go with some friends to a party. When she came out of her bedroom to leave, I took one look at her and told her to go change clothes. She had on a skirt she’d borrowed from a friend that was so short no way could she sit down without exposing her backside. She pitched a fit, said there was nothing wrong with way she was dressed. I stood my ground and gave her the option of changing clothes or staying home. She continued to argue so I told her she was grounded. She stayed home and pouted the rest of the week-end.

    When my daughter and I were talking about this, she told me that she remembered telling me she hated me that night but how sorry she was now. She thanked me for not giving in because now she understood why I was concerned and that I was acting out of love for her.

    WOW! That’s the best gift any mother could ever have.

    Yes, God is faithful to His word. His Word is true. When we obey our part, He will do what He has promised. My job was to train them up. God’s job was and is to keep them on the right path. God is no respecter of persons, what He’s done for me He will do for anyone.

    “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth” Isaiah 43:5, 6 (New International Version)

    It doesn’t matter where your child is, pray over them and put them into God’s hands. Remember God loves them even more than you do. Trust Him to bring them back if they’re gone astray. Trust Him to save them if they’re lost. God is faithful and what He has promised, He will do.


    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • Our Time to Live

    “Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

    All the stages of my life were spread out before you,
    The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” (Psalm 139:16 The Message Bible)

    I love history. I love reading about what life was like centuries ago and wonder what I would have been had I lived in another time and place. I imagine myself on a sailing ship crossing the ocean from my ancestors’ home in Wales to the new country. It’s easy to romanticize another time and place, forgetting the hardship they endured then. God put me here and now for a reason.

    Today’s society has its own hardships. There are cures and treatments for diseases that once killed people, but medical care is expensive and without insurance, it is out of reach for too many people. Our food is safer than ever but the grocery shelves are lined with junk foods to temp us and we destroy our bodies by eating the wrong kinds of foods. One hundred years ago more households had live-in help than in-door bathrooms with running water. Today Americans consider bathrooms and proper plumbing a necessity, not the luxury it still is in parts of the world today.

    God knew what our lives would be like even before we were born. He knew the generation we would be part of. He knew what would be required of us to live in this age. Our lives were planned by God before we were born and He equipped us for this time. He planned for us to be here, now, for a divine purpose and part of His plan.

    Teach me Your way, Father. Let my life fulfill Your purpose. In Jesus Name, Amen.

    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • NEWS OF THE DAY

    It seems like that every time you hear the news on television or the radio, or see a newspaper or business magazine, all they talk about is how bad the economy is and how many people are losing their jobs. “We’re in a recession” says one. “We’re in a depression” says another. “We’ve got inflation and prices are going up.” “This company is laying of 100’s of people.” “This company is closing.”  It’s no wonder people are so worried and fearful – all they’re being fed is bad news.


    All this bad news is making people sick. It’s adding stress upon stress and stress contributes to heart disease, arthritis, migraines, stomach disorders and weight gain just to list a few. Stress over financial problems can contribute to marital problems that lead to divorce. Well, here is the good news for today.


    “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4, NIV)


    God is not short on supply and there is no economic crisis in heaven. He uses gold for pavement, remember? God is the source of creativity. He created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He is wisdom. If you are a child of God, His spirit is in you and will give you the creativity, the wisdom you need for any situation. Not only that, He also promises to meet our material needs if only we will trust Him and put Him first in our lives.


    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
    Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
    Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
    “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
    Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
    So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
    For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
    But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”     (Matthew 6: 25-34, NIV)


    These are the words of Jesus. You are more important to Him than the birds. You are more important to Him than the grass or the flowers. He’s promised to take care of you. When the talking heads on TV start preaching doom and gloom and spreading their bad news, you can replace the thoughts of fear with God’s Word and His promises to provide. Jesus didn’t say He would take care of you “If the economy is good” or “as long as you have a job”. No, the only condition to His promises is that you trust Him and seek Him first.


    Psalms 112 describes the person who trusts God and delights in His Word. Verses 7-8 says: “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear…”


    Lord God, today I will serve you first and I put my trust in You. Thank you for promising to provide all my needs. Amen


    Peace and blessings
    Dee

  • TO ALL MY SISTERS

    I only have one blood sister who grew up in the same household as I did and I have two sisters by marriage. I have a few sisters who God brought into my life at a time when I needed them most and bonded our hearts together in the love of the Lord. I have sisters that I go to church with and that run in the same social circles I’m in. But I also have thousands of sisters that I’ll probably never meet face to face in this life, but will only get to know when we meet in heaven someday.
    To all of you, I want to say “God loves you!” It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’re in, He wants me to tell you that He loves you beyond anything you can ever imagine. He loved you even before you were born and He has called you by name.


    So, here’s to you all “God loves you!”

    Peace and blessings.
    Dee

  • You Can Do It

    Have you ever felt what was being asked of you was just too much? The responsibility put upon you is more than you think you can bear. People are demanding so much of you that you feel you have nothing left to give. You ask yourself “What am I doing here? Is this what God called me to? Why doesn’t He help me?”


    Here’s the good news: God does not intend us to be alone. He’s given us first his Son Jesus to die for us and then sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us. He’s given us his written word, the Bible to guide us. He’s given us brothers and sisters to help and encourage.


    God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. It took them 40 years to make an eleven day trip. Over and over again God would show Himself as their deliverer only to have them doubt again and again; questioning Moses and his ability to get them to the Promised Land. Their constant complaining and demanding wore Moses out to the point he despaired of his own life.


    “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If you treat me like this, please kill me here and now – if I have found favor in Your sight – and do not let me see my wretchedness!” (Numbers 11:14-15, NKJV)


    Did God let Moses die or relieve him from his assignment? No. God’s response was to have Moses appoint 70 elders of the people to assist him. God anointed them with the same spirit He had put upon Moses. God called Moses to lead the people and He provided him with the help he needed to accomplish the task.


    Elijah was a great prophet of God who defeated a wicked king and his heathen priests. He prayed and a drought came in the land. He prayed again and it rained. But even he became overloaded. He cried that “I’m the only one serving you God.” God assured him that there were yet seven thousand in the land who had not worshiped Baal. Then God sent Elisha to him to be his servant and when God took Elijah up to heaven, his mantel fell on Elijah. (Read 1 Kings 19 and 20, 2 Kings 2:1-18.)


    God promised to never leave us alone. We have his Spirit within us, we have His Written Word, and we have one another to bear one another’s burdens. We are exhorted to “pray for one another” (James 5:16).


    God never gives us a task without also equipping us for that task. When we start feeling overburdened it is usually because we’re trying to do it all on our own and God never intended for it to be that way. We only have to ask and God will show us the tools, people and abilities He’s given us.


    “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”     (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)

    Peace and blessings.

    Dee

  • DO YOU GET IT?

    Have you ever tried to share something you were excited about with a close friend or family member only to be disappointed or even hurt by their response? We all have at one time or another. There could be a number of reasons they reacted the way they did, mostly nothing to do with you. But however innocent they may be, it still hurts.


    I experienced this recently with my husband. He didn’t intend to be insensitive, but it still stung. Until I thought about it and realized “He just didn’t get it.” He was clueless that what I was telling him was as important to me as it was.


    How do we handle these situations? Walk around with our hurt feelings hanging out, pouting like a child? Of course not. Pretend it didn’t happen? Not a good option either. Let the tears fall if need be, but be quick to forgive. Then you can let it go and your joy in the Lord and enthusiasm will stay with you.


    In the Old Testament, when the Ark of the Covenant was brought up to the City of David, the Bible says David danced before the Lord because he was so overcome with joy. (Read 2 Samuel 6) In his enthusiasm he worshiped the Lord in total abandon, dancing and leaping. There were trumpets and music, singing and shouts of praise. But Michal, David’s wife, the daughter of King Saul, looked out her window at the spectacle and the Bible says “she despised him in her heart.” She just didn’t get it.


    The last evening before Jesus was to be put on trial and crucified, after the last Passover meal with his disciples, He went to the Mount of Olives to pray as He frequently did. The disciples went with Him and He asked them to pray with Him, but as He was praying in agony, they fell asleep. He woke them, saying “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.” Again He withdrew a short distance from them, praying in deep agony until His sweat became like drops of blood. And again He turned to His disciples only to find them all asleep. They just didn’t get it. Only a few hours before Peter had sworn he’d never leave or betray his Teacher and then a few hours later he swore he’d never known the Man. Peter just didn’t get it.


    The story doesn’t end there for Peter. After Jesus was resurrected, He asked him, “Peter, do you love me?” and Peter replied “Lord, You know I love you,” then  Jesus told him, “Feed My sheep.” Three times this happened, exactly the number of time Peter had denied Jesus.  At last, Peter got it.


    What is God telling us today that we’re not getting? Is there something exciting He’s trying to show us and we’re too absorbed in our own thing to get? Is there someone He’s put in our life to minister to that we’re too busy to notice?


    As we move into 2009, let us be open to people and things around us that may need our encouragement, a kind word or a helping hand. And let us always be listening for God’s voice as He speaks to our hearts.


    Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
    for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did”    . Psalms 95:6-9 (New International Version)


    Peace and blessing,
    Dee

  • Let Us Sing to the Lord

    January 2. The holidays are over. Some of us have today off work for an extended holiday week-end, but on the whole life goes back to normal. We go back to work and we happily go back to our normal routine.

    If you are one of the thousands who suffer from post-holiday blues then the normal routine may not be so happy at the moment. Part of the feeling may come from unrealistic expectations that were not realized. Or perhaps someone was missing from your Christmas celebration that had been a part of you in the past; I still miss my parents on holidays and Mother’s been with the Lord for 7 years now. Or it could be after such a busy and happy period that now we feel a let-down. It’s time to take down the beautiful Christmas decorations we worked so hard on and the house looks a little glum. Whatever the cause, the feelings are there and need to be dealt with.

    I did a little research on the subject and found a few suggestions that seem to be universal. Some of them are not only sound psychologically, but have a spiritual foundation as well.

    The most frequent suggestions I found all involved getting out of the house and doing something. Bundle up and take a walk. Go visit a friend you haven’t seen in a while or if that’s not possible send them a letter or email and tell them how much they’ve meant in your life. Plant a tree or volunteer at a shelter. Be active and get your mind off yourself.

    Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (Amp. Version)

    “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

    When you’re active, you mind is on what you are doing. And when you’re involved in someone else, you can’t feel sorry for yourself.

    Some other suggestions focused on looking forward. Update your resume and job search. Plan a vacation for next summer.  Come up with one big thing you want to do in the next year.

    ‘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 hope and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

    God tells us to look forward, not to always be looking back. Paul said “forgetting the past, I press forward” (my paraphrase).

    And of course, count your blessings. Everyone has something to be thankful for but too often we just overlook the good in our life because we’re so focused on the negative. Sometimes the hardest thing to do when we’re depressed is to rejoice and give thanks, but as believers in Jesus Christ, we are commanded to give thanks even in the hard times.

    ‘Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Amp. Version

    Then Psalms 95 tells us:

    O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation

    Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

    For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods,

    In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also

    The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.

    Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:1-6 (NASB)

    When we trust God in Whom there is no shadow of turning, we can face the New Year and overcome all our feelings of despair. He knows our days and He controls our future. Thanks be unto God.

    Peace and blessing to one and all.

    Dee


  • Christmas Greetings

    Here it is – almost Christmas. We’re in the mist of rushing around shopping for the perfect gift for loved ones, preparing special foods, decorating our homes. Retailers are hoping for that last minute surge of buying to bolster their lagging sales year. Christmas lights brighten homes, businesses and the streets. Radio stations are playing non-stop Christmas music. Children are anxiously waiting for that jolly fat man in the red suit to bring them their deepest wishes. Parents are waiting for the bills to start coming in and worrying over how to pay for all this joy.

    For believers, Christmas is much more. Yes, we can fully enjoy the parties, the music, the lights and the gifts. God wants us to celebrate and takes delight in our excitement as long as we remember the reason we’re celebrating. Christ. The very essence of Christmas. God’s anointed one in the flesh come to live among us. The gospel writers Matthew and Luke give written accounts of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. But John goes back to the beginning.

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-5, 14.

    Jesus’ existence did not begin in a stable in Bethlehem. His existence was from the beginning of all creation. He was there when God said “Light be!” (Gen 1:3) He was there in the Garden of Eden when Adam fell. He was the “I AM” who sent Moses to deliver Israel from captivity. God’s plan from the beginning for all mankind to have a savior and deliverer was brought forth in that Babe in the Manger.

    As believers we celebrate not only the birth of Jesus Christ, but His life. Sinless, perfect, a sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish. We celebrate that God gave the greatest gift of all to mankind – His own son, God Himself made flesh to live among us and to be the sacrifice that alone was sufficient to remove our sin for all eternity. And we celebrate His first coming with anticipation for His soon return – not in a lowly manger, but as the Lord of Glory coming to take His place as Ruler of all creation.

    Glory to God in the highest and Peace on Earth to all men.

    Merry Christmas

    Dee