Who Am I?

I Peter 2: 9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

 There have been years of my life where I have been a wife, a mom, a grandma, etc. Also, a time in my life where I felt like my life consisted of being a taxi driver for my kids and all their social events. As a wife and a mom you tend to lose your identity in the family and forget who you were or why God created you in the first place. 

In order to gain perspective and find myself again I would take a trip with my own mom or visit my family and friends in Tennessee. There I would find myself again. It was always good for me, refreshing and gave me the strength to come back home and begin again with a renewed spirit.

My mom is great to travel with because she makes it a fun and enjoyable time for me and for everyone who comes along.Visiting family and friends consist of laughs and memories that we all share. Laughter is always good for the soul and this is just one way to keep me balanced! 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." If your thinking changes, then everything else can follow.

I've always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.~Lily Tomlin

This picture was taken from my driveway watching the sun set in 2012.

Trust Issues

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Trusting God is easy to say but not always easy to do. Sometimes God puts something in my life that I just can't imagine how I am going to possibly manage. Especially when it is something happening to someone I love and there is nothing I can do. There have been times in my life when I have felt like the bottom is falling, or fear of failure, and when I can't see how God will possibly solve the situation. In those moments that there is hopelessness, there is nothing else I can do but trust God.

The Holy Spirit lives inside me and I can sense His urging me to trust. I cannot humanly trust on my own but His Spirit provides that urging, that understanding, that guidance, that peace and comfort. The Spirit calms my fears and gives me courage when I am the weakest. As someone who has gone through the deaths of loved ones, broken relationships, job layoffs, and my husband's renal failure. I can tell you that trusting in the Lord is a lifelong work in progress. Each new crisis brings me all the same fear and pain as before and I have to begin anew. As we begin to see God's loving hand working in our life, the easier this trusting becomes. 

Taking the steps to trust God can lift the weight of the burden and also the responsibility. Once I trust that God is handling my situation I can allow myself to not think about it because He has it under control. Life is so much easier to enjoy when I know that I don't have to control it because God can control it so much better. That doesn't mean it will turn out the way that I would have it to but instead the way God chose to. I trust that God's plan for my life is perfect!

This picture was taken when I visited Spain in May 2012.

Gifts

 I Corinthians 12:28 First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers of the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages.

Many years ago I had a Sunday School teacher who wanted us to know that each of us had been given a gift by God.  She drew our attention to I Corinthians 12:28 and in particular to the word, _helps_. She told us that God gives us the possibility of helping others through many different avenues.

We can pray for others, communicate by phone or in person with others, cards, visits, hugs, surprises such as flowers, gifts or food.  That list stayed with me as a young Christian and to this day as a senior adult.  

If you have read through the list of gifts, please know that you can claim that gift at any time.  

We all need a helping hand.  (written by my mom, Kay Smith who has always encouraged me to help others)

This picture was taken from my moms front porch in Spain.