So You Think Prayer is All You Can Do?

If you are keeping with current events you may feel unnerved or anxious. My son is in the Navy and I have felt more than once my chest get tight, tears in my eyes, and heart beating fast. I heard a few people say "well all we can do is pray." They said it as if we had no hope. But, my friend that is not true!

Prayer is not all we can do, it is THE thing we can do. We do not have to sit and feel as if we are powerless victims watching the world unfold around us. We have within us one of the most powerful weapons; the weapon of prayer. When God's people pray, things happen. What if we all prayed at once in solidarity? What if 5 of us prayed, or 50, or 500, or more? What do you think would happen? Prayer is key. It is vital. It is powerful.

You can do something today, you can pray. There is a verse in scripture that says, "the king's heart is in the Lord's hands." It is part of the story of Esther. It is a powerful story. Before she went into the king, she called her people to pray. They stood united behind her. It is the same God that we serve today. When we stand united, believing, in prayer, we are an unstoppable force and He is and will always be an Almighty God.

Praying for this nation,
Regina <3

20 Thoughts for 2020

20 thoughts as we walk into the first full week of the new year. 

1. You do not have to start over, you can get up right where you are and keep walking. When I learned this it was so freeing to me. Just because you have made a mistake, sinned, said something wrong, or whatever you have done, you do not have to back to square one. Get up. If you need God's forgiveness for a sin, then repent. If you simply made a mistake, mark it up to lesson learned and walk on. Do not feel pressure that you are back the beginning.


2. Time marches on whether we are ready or not. I remember when my Dad died and I just thought, "can you not see we are grieving?" I wanted the whole world to stop and just wait. Life is not like that. The world continues to spin and life goes on. I learned from that, when I came out of the darkness of those initial days of grieving, there was still life to be lived and I needed to live it.
                                           

3. Savor the moments with those you love. There is always going to be a "last time." My oldest daughter has a toddler now. Back at Christmas she called me to say they had moved him to a toddler car seat. It was a bittersweet moment for her. She is glad he is healthy and growing. However, there was a part of her that will miss the little baby stage. She said, "I didn't know that today was the last day he would ride in his infant seat." It's that way with life and all of our family and friends. There is day that will be the last for one of us. Savor the moments, even those that seem mundane.
                                                        

4. Don't walk in fear. Fear is crippling. Stand up, face your fears, and meet them head on. That is the best way I have found to banish them. You are stronger than you realize.

5. We have our own unique gifts. While my giftings by themselves are great and I can do many things, when I put those together with those around me, my family, co-workers, teammates, all of a sudden we have a powerful force.

6. Laugh often..one of those deep belly laughs where you can't get your breath.
                                      
7. Just because you faced a situation one time and made a decision does not mean you have to make that decision every single time. Our lives change, our perspectives change. Make the decision you need to make for that time.

8. Speaking of decisions, once you decide, don't look back and second guess yourself. Walk forward.

9. If people are in need, then help them. If it is a financial need and you are not able then look for others ways you can help. Scripture says, that if it is in our power to do good, then do it, to not do it is a sin. I remember talking with a doctor about a situation this family we both knew were facing. He said he and his wife were praying for God to tell them if they should help or not and that they felt God told them not to. My thought was this, if God has already said it in scripture, then you can just go there for your answer, you don't have to question it. Bottom line, if you are able in any capacity to help a person in need, then do it.

10. Grief is hard and there are no rules and no time limit. You grieve how you feel you need to, it matters not how others walked this path, this is your path and your journey.

11. Cook with your kids. It promotes bonding and memories that will last a lifetime, not to mention needed skills for life.
                                                             

12. Don't allow your children to be forced into what society thinks they should do or what you think they should do. Let them know that what they choose to do and who they are will always be someone you love and support.

13. Drink coffee and sit on the porch with your girlfriends or buddies. I remember in this neighborhood I lived in a few years ago, we had coffee everyday after the kids were out of school. I looked forward to it. I loved it. I loved being able to talk about any problem big or small and hearing their feedback. It was amazing and validating.
                                                 

14. Don't just work, but find your passion and do it! Every job has hard days but if it is something you are passionate about you will not dread it.

15. Speaking of that, if you don't like the course your life has taken than change it. It is possible.

16. If you are suffering from wounds of the past, it is time for healing. You can talk to your pastors, therapist, whomever you choose, but find healing. It is worth it.

17. Feeling overwhelmed, it is ok if you take a day just to yourself where you stay in pjs, watch movies, read, or however that looks for you. Take care of yourself.

18. Walk with grace and dignity regardless of what life throws your way. I see this walked out everyday in my friend's life that has MS. She is an inspiration.

19. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God decided we needed you at this time for this season. Don't forget that. You have something to bring to the table.

20. Savor life, do the dance, live in the moment, love your tribe, be present. Life was made to be lived, go forward and do the things you've always wanted without regret. 



Here's to the Journey, 
Regina <3

New Year, New You

 New Year, New You....what kind of pressure is that? The old me has served me well for the last, well, all my life. Are there things I could do better, things I could change? certainly. However, media would have us think that we need to make ourselves over with every January 1.

It is not true, my friends. I read the meme, and you probably did too, that said the old me has survived 100% of all my bad days, trials, and tests.....I have come through it and now have experience that I didn't have on the front end of said bad day, etc. You do too. If there are things you want to change, I wish you well. If you enjoying life as it is, then by all means, ignore the pressure of a "New You" and to channel my inner Elsa "Let It Go."

Photo credit: The Telegraph

There is more to love on this journey without this added, unnecessary stress.

To Less Stress and More Enjoying the Journey
Regina

C'est la vie ...That's Life

Where are all my movie lovers? I am a move lover, y'all. I watch all kinds....old ones, new ones, and ones that I have seen hundreds of times. I think I passed this trait on to my son, my sailor. He is 22 now and it y'all it seems like yesterday he was just learning to walk. Now he is somewhere across the sea loving life and living his dream. He still loves movies and when he comes home on leave we usually have one day where lots of coffee is consumed is Netflix is running hot! 

If you looked at him or at our family, you would say we have a good life. We do....most days 😊I'm just like you. Life goes up and down. There are things I want to change. There are things I think are good. Things I want to keep.Sometimes during moments of little victories I think life is good. I never want this to change. Then, Wham! Out of the blue everything changes and I think this is horrible. Things need to change. 

Yesterday I posted a quote from one of my favorite movies. It  is from Tombstone when Doc Holliday says  "There is no normal life Wyatt, it's just life, now get on with it."

So many times we get caught up in thinking and then overthinking about our life being good or bad. What are we measuring our life against? Our neighbor? A movie? Our family members?  Who is telling us what is good or bad? Now I'm not referring to lives of abuse or neglect. If you are in that situation, my heart goes out to you and I urge you to seek help.  I am talking about our day to day lives.

You know that life, right? The one where get up, sleepy and yawning, stumbling toward the coffee pot. Waiting on that first sip to revive us and get us ready to face the day. The life where we go to our jobs or get ready to homeschool our kids and think we can't take one more minute of this mundane existence. It's the life where we come home every night, take the kids to their activities, get our dinner on the table (or in front of the TV), and go to bed at a set time to wake up and do it all again the next day.

We commiserate with our co-workers, family, and anyone else who will listen how bad it is that we have XYZ commitment to fulfill or how life is awful because we lived above our means yet one more time and we are suffering the consequences. We believe that life is bad. It is bad that we don't have this or the newest that. It's bad because the kids are sick, your spouse is sick, and two co-workers just called in sick for the rest of the week. We think has just fallen apart. This must be a bad life right?

We put these thoughts on ourselves. We ponder and give lots of time to making life better. A better job, a better __________ (fill in the blank). It causes so much stress and anxiety. We feel like we are in a constant mode of striving. It leaves us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually spent.

What does the scripture say? Did Jesus promise us a life of ease? A life without trials or struggles? He did not. He did promise that He would stay by our side, walk with us through those endless piles of laundry and ride with us as we taxi our kids to the latest sport of "interest." He said He would stay with you right through the messiest of days, or when your dog is sick with a terrible stomach thing-y and there is evidence of this on the carpet. 

He is not standing above saying, " oh look at Regina down there, I hope she drinks her second cup of coffee or she is going to just have an awful day." No my friend. He stands right beside me and says "that's it, you can make it, this is hard but I'm here." He will cheer me on everytime through the good, the bad, and the insane. He has my back.

Today let's just live free. Embrace the life we have. Work for something better if you want but know that life is just life and He loves you no matter what.

Walking this journey with you,
Regina 💖

And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age
Matthew 28:20b

What's the Plan?

photo credit http://www.lovethispic.com/image/35759/i-know-the-plans-i-have-for-you

This quote in the photo is used often in Christian circles. Many times we hear this and we instantly think of children or young adults and we use it to encourage them. I think that is awesome and they need us to support them and give them affirmations that propel them on their journies.  But, what about the rest of us?

I think sometimes as we get older and move toward middle age, we feel like there is nothing left for us. We think we are done. We have raised our kids, our marriages are stable, our jobs are stable. Life feels routine aka boring. We feel maybe as if we are not sure where we belong anymore.   I want to say to those of us in our 40s 50s 60s and even beyond, you are not forgotten you still have a place. God's word and this scripture applies to you too. He has a plan. You have a purpose. You are still very important to the story. It's a great story....and you have a part to play. You may feel overlooked by your family, friends, and even your church at times, but hold on to this promise.....Jeremiah 29:11 "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." (NIV). Did you notice that word hidden right in the middle? DECLARES.....it is a declaration for your life! When we declare something.....it is important, it means something to both the speaker and to the listener. It is important to both parties. The speaker is emphatic about what they are saying. In this case it is God speaking to you. He feels it deeply. He is emphatic. He wants you to understand, that He has a plan! You may not feel like you have a place, like your job is over, and you feel lifeless, stagnant, unimportant.It may be as black as night around you right now. It may feel like you are drowning under sorrow.   You may feel like you cannot breathe you are so overwhelmed today with emotions..... But, my friend, take courage! God has a plan and a purpose. You are not forgotten.

This verse in Jeremiah applies to ALL of us. YOU have a purpose regardless of age, regardless of where you have failed, God STILL has a purpose and a plan for your life.
YOU are NEVER forgotten by Him. You were uniquely designed and wonderfully made with a story to tell.

Ask him what the plan is for you today and then go about looking for the opportunity to enact it.
Keep on walking the journey my friends.....I am right there with you...

Blessings, Regina

Forgiving that one Unforgiveable Person.....It's Messy Y'all

The move to healthy living (take 2 because you and I both know we have tried it before) continues. Last night I had sushi....y'all it was to die for! Guess what though, I not kicking myself about my food choice. Everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial....right? We have to remember that, not just with food but with everything.

The last time I wrote to you, I talked about not being ready to give up a LONG standing love with Dr. Pepper. It's so hard y'all even though I know what the benefits are. I just read the list again last night of what sugar,  and especially an increase amount of can do to your body. It is awful. If you read that list you will run from sugar for the rest of your life......except I don't run from it, I grab another glass and keep on chugging.

Lat night though, I had this thought occur......Why do I drink it like this? Do I want to quit, really?

I do want to quit. It is taking a horrible toll on my health. I know this....I'm smart like that. Then why do persist with this addiction to soda?

A few answers came to my mind:

1. If I quit now, we have already bought several bottle of 2 liters plus 2 liters of the kids choice of drink. Well, that's wasteful not to drink them. 
2. It's my fault that we bought them in the first place, so I should be punished for that somehow
3. I don't want my kids, especially the 9 year old to go down this path, so I will "Save" her by drinking these. 

I knew instantly in my heart those things were an outright lie. I don't have to punish myself for anything. Futhermore, and this may be the most important.....I CANNOT SAVE ANYONE. IT IS NOT MY JOB!

There is only one Saviour

I have to let go of what I think I am protecting. Ultimately, I cannot save her and I cannot save myself. That is evident by the fact that I have multiple health issues right now. 

Which brings me to this morning....

I wake up and these thoughts are still with me. I start asking God to show me the why and what I am doing to myself. He did. 

I realized that I have a deep wound brought about by an offhand comment made to me after I gave birth to Savannah. Prior to getting pregnant I had lost almost 80#. I think at the time I wore a size 8 or 10. When I went back for my 6 week check up, I still wore a size 12. My dr says to me that I need lose weight, that I am not healthy. Um, hello.....just gave birth here and  just came back from the brink of death. I remember leaving there and just feeling like I looked like a beached whale. It was a hard day. Then later when she was about 2 years old, I weighed the same, but another comment. This time from someone closer to me. Now, they apologized for it....much later, years later. It still hurt. I am still hurt today. Words cut deep. Those are scars no one sees. 

God showed how I took that hurt and decided that I would never be hurt again by anyone. I believed that I could barricade myself. My weight ballooned out of control, all in the name of protetion.

It's messy y'all.....

Yet again we see this pattern of trying to protect ourselves and save ourselves. All of a sudden we are trying to be our own God. That will never work. 

There is only ONE Saviour

If I want this healing I have to be willing to pull back those messy layers, expose the wound, pull away the scars and allow God to perform real heart surgery on me. I don't know how that looks for you, it is a different experience I think for everyone. 

For me, it's sobbing into my bathtub while the kids are still asleep. Crying out to God that I am sorry for trying to save myself and acknowledging Him once again as my only Hope.  It's realizing that I wasn't made to carry that sort of responsibility. It is telling Him just how bad I am hurt.  I'ts realizing I have some deep unforgiveness towards this person. I have to make a choice, I can forgive and be healed or I can go on the same way. It's an obvious choice but it was a hard one to come to.  Once I realize that this is the only way, my spirit melts to forgiving them.  It is seeing myself trying to be bigger so that I won't get hurt. It's seeing myself drink all those sodas, eat all that unhealthy food everyday in order to make the barricade around my heart bigger. It is forgiving myself.  It's just laying there, while He speaks words to my spirit that begin to be a salve to the wound. It is hearing Him whisper over and over that it is ok, that I am going to be ok. It was like I could see that wound being healed. 

I tell you all of this today because I have invited you into my life, warts and all.Life is messy, but hiding in the mess will never get anything taken care of.  We have to be willing to let Him do the work that needs done in our lives. Does this mean you will never see me drink a soda again? No, but I have freedom to choose if I want the soda. I am no longer a slave to soda. Did I get up totally free from every sugar addiction? I don't think it works that way...there is a process that has to take place in our bodies. Today, I'm just going to try to walk it out. I may fall, but if I do, I fall straight into Grace and Mercy.....

Walking this part of my journey today, 

The Healthy Kitchen Challenge 2017

The Great Kitchen Cleanout 2017 is going on right now at House of O'Sullivan!!!


No, I'm not joking guys. Two of my friends started a Healthy Kitchen Challenge yesterday. We all know how sugar and other things lead to more inflammation in your body, even at the cellular level. I know those things need to go, but y'all, I don't really want to part with some of them. How do you reconcile that?

The Day 1 challenge was super easy. Just go to your pantry and toss out one item that you don't need to have. Ok, I can do that. I threw everyone's potato chips......I kept my soda.

There is a verse in the Bible that says all things are permissiable but not all things are beneficial. Therefore, I could drink all the Dr. Pepper I could ever want, right? It is permissable, but am I benefitting myself? Well the answer is no. -.....And, if I kick my soda habit, God will love me more, right?

I think sometimes, and maybe more so for women, that we think if we could just lose __# of pounds, if we could just kick the habit of ______ that God would be pleased with us. If I do 1-2-3 then God will be happy and He will answer all of my prayers. Is that the way we view God? A tyrant who must be pleased and then He makes you happy?

I used to.

Then, I found freedom. God is full of Grace and Mercy,  girlfriend. He wants you to succeed. He is rooting for you. He sees just you and He says, "Thats my creation. I made her. She is amazing." He thinks you are great even if you do eat an entire pack of Girl Scout Thin Mints!!!

Let's be clear, I am not talking straight up sin that goes against what God teaches us in the Bible. I am speaking to those of us who have made a declaration of believing in Jesus, the FINISHED work on the cross, and striving to follow Him. If you have done that, then my friend, you can walk in freedom.

Freedom, even in the midst of all the laundry that is crying to be done, the fact that groceries STILL need to be bought this week, and in all the rest of the chaos we call life......freedom.

When I screw it up, His grace is sufficient for me. When I go to Him, I only find Mercy. I sit at His feet and just let Him bathe me in sweet mercy and grace until I feel like I can get up and face one more day, one more kid leaving home, one more demand, one more crisis, one more health issue, one more day.....I can make it one more day.

As for the soda habit and the healthy kitchen challenge......well, we will just have to see how that plays out!

Walking this journey with you,

Tell Her

I see lots of people protesting....some pro-choice, some pro-life. I am curious though if people in either group know how it really feels to make that choice?

I see my fellow Christians spouting things about abortion, yet, do they realize that sitting in church alongside them are people who actually went through an abortion.

Do they know the anguish? the sleepless nights? the feeling that you are going to lose your mind?

I think that is probably the saddest....the fact that we have women of all ages, race, and backgrounds that have made this choice sitting in church with us and they are overlooked. Maybe it is time we stepped off of the soap box, quit thumping your Bible verse for  5 seconds and go up to one of these women and offer grace and mercy. Tell her that you really don't understand what went in to the decision she made, but you know it must have been pure hell to decide. Then tell her that God still loves her, that He forgives all (people don't,  but He does), tell her that her little baby is resting in the arms of Jesus. She needs to hear it, more than any scripture you could quote or any hymn you can sing.

Tell her she can come out of hiding, that you want to hear her story. Tell her she does not have to be ashamed. Tell her you can not imagine the courage that she must have had to walk through a group of protesters that were calling her names, hurling insults, and passing judgement when they did not even know her. They did not know she had to make a choice.....save herself so she could raise the children she already had, or risk not being there for any of her children.

Tell that it is ok to grieve for all she has lost. Tell her that even though you may not think abortion is right, that you are not going to pass judegement on her decision.


Then.....LISTEN to her journey,

Regina

6 Things That Absolutely Drive Me Insane!

1. The sound of people chewing....absolutely drives me insane! I'm not talking chewing with your mouth open, no....It is so bad that at times I can hear the chewing noises in a crowded restaurant. It's like I have  developed bat ears! This little known fact drives my family crazy!

2. Speaking of restuarants......People in restuarants that share their entire converstaion with the whole restaurant. I cannot eat when this happens. I get so distracted from the noise that I can't even hold a conversation. On our anniversary, the table that was 3 tables over had a lady who was obnoxiously loud. I couldn't take it. We had to ask to be moved. Seriously, it was that bad.

3. The fact that I pay an outrageous amout for cable, we have 100s of channels, and yet cannot find anything to watch sometimes.

4. The sound of a person blowing their nose.....no really, any bodily function for that matter. Yes, I did used to be a nurse and yes it bothered me then too.

5.Hot weather...who can breathe in the humidity in the South. It is awful y'all! I have lived in the South all my life, and No, I am not used to it. I see people out enjoying the summer and I'm like, "I would love to do _______." Out I go, one breath, I am back inside in the AC. Thank the Lord above for the person who invented air conditioning.

6. People who walk around while you are talking to them. Just stand still already and this converstaion will be over in like 3 minutes.

What you add that drives you insane?

Do I Believe He is More Than Enough?

 Do you guys feel like you just exited the spin cycle from your washer? What a week we just had! I feel like I am running to just keep up!

Now it seems my youngest, who will be 10 in a week, wants to go to kids camp with the church this summer. What? 3 whole days and nights without her Dad and I!

This is my girl who is "All Tump, all the time." ......at least right now. Fearless, smart, funny, the light of our lives.
She has her own opinions about everything right. now. She has decided she would like to write to Trump, because she simply, "has a few questions she would like answered."

I have to remember, I am not just raising a kid, I am raising her to be an adult woman,  a leader, successful, determined, full of good character. It's a tough job. I want to know that when she leaves the nest that I have given her what she needs to fly on her own.

Thats the hard part though. If I am successful, she leaves. It's what we want, but it is a struggle too. It tugs at my heart in the early hours of the morning when the house is completely quiet....

I want her  to soar....but not too far. Right? I have to give her the tools to succeed....at least I am working on doing that.

Camp.....I cannot deprive her of the experiences of being a kid, all under the guise of keeping her safe.

What if she gets hurt? What if there is a wreck? What if she gets sick in the night? What if.....?

I have to remember who I serve and who I am teaching her to put her faith in. I cannot be hypocritical here. There are only two choices,  we either have faith in Him or we don't. If I say I trust Him, I have to believe that He will take care of not just me, but of my children too. He knows more than I ever will about what is best for Her. He sees the whole story of her life, beginning to end. I just get to read a chapter at a time.

Saying I tust Him, means letting her go. When I give to Him, what ever it is, He gives back to me, many times over.

What am I afraid of? I have nothing to fear. Jesus conquered all when He died on the cross and then rose again. That was God's son.....how hard was that to let His son go to Earth, knowing the end of the story? Yet, here I sit, grappling with her going to kids camp?

Do I believe He is enough? I do.... The same hands that created the sun, moon, and stars, holds each of us. The bible tells me that He has a plan for her life. I have to trust His plan, I may not know what it is, but I believe it is good. He is a good Father. He is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all that I could think or ask..........

I choose to trust Him with her journey

Regina

Jeremiah 29:1 (NIV)

11 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.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well guys, lots of changes going on in this Momma's world. I'm sure for many of you too, as we move toward high school graduations for some.

Hank has always wanted to be a pilot. Then when he was just a little boy, his eyesight was damaged through an illness with Heamophilus Influenza type B. He was in the hospital about two weeks. We lived in KS at the time, so it was long days and longer nights away from our family and all that we knew. This illness was in his bloodstream and we were told that it would cause organ system failure which would lead to death or  mental retardation. Thankfully, none of that happened. What we were not told is that it could cause deafness and blindness.

He wasn't blind but he was in glasses by age 4 with his eyesight changing rapidly.

Move ahead to Hank in elementary school. Something was just not right. I knew...it seemed we all knew it,  but the school. Finally in 5th grade he had a hearing screen and we found out that he needed hearing aids. We asked the school to keep him in 5th grade to give him a chance to adjust to the aids and to get a better foundation for reading and math before plunging straight into middle school.

They did not see it that way....

That was  the start of our homeschool journey.

I cannot believe that we are finishing that journey in about 3 and a half months!

His eyes have now stablilized. His hearing he believed was healed several years ago at a conference we were at back at our home church in Cabot.

He found out he can be a pilot if he meets the vision requirement with his glasses. He has decided to go for it......in Tulsa.

He sat down with me last night and we started all the paperwork for graduation, another run at the ACT, and to gather more info from his top three schools of choice.

Y'all, it was all I could do not to turn into a blubbering mess. I have feelings of pride for my boy that we were told would not succeed in school. In fact his 4th grade teacher told us he had ADD, Dyslexia, Aspergers, and a host of other things that were not true. We know they were not true because he had to be tested for all of that due to her recommendations. The boy had absolutely nothing wrong but hearing loss. She also told me it was because his Dad and I, my first husband, were divorced....Lie! Girlfriends, let that be a lesson to you. The enemy wants to destroy you and your family. If he can just get a toe hold on your self esteem, he will do it! Guard against any negativity like that toward you or your family. That was a lie and I knew it, but if I had let it sink in and dwelt on it.....Hank's future, and mine, may have looked very different.

It's been a hard road for him. Due to the hearing impairment we were behind the 8 ball when we started homeschooling. He made up ground quickly. He wanted to learn. Was it easy? No way....there was a lot of tears and a even more prayer. I will confess that somedays I just didn't know what to do to help him learn. I wanted to throw my hands up. He probably did too. But, we made it. We worked together and figured out how he learned the best and just went for it! I am so glad God has bountiful grace and mercy, because Lord knows, He had to cover me a multitude of times over.

Now here we are. He was given hope again when he saw that he had a chance to go for his pilots license. Not only that, he has a couple of good back up plans if he still can't pass the vision tests. He said, "Mom, I am not going to think about failing. I am just going to say, When I become a pilot. It worked for Donald Trump, he said, When he becomes president, he never said if...." so there is one positive for DJT...he has influenced my son to take a positive approach.

Y'all, my boy with his big ol'servants heart, is going out into this world that is cruel and unforgiving. I don't know if I can stand it. I know that with this, just like everything else that has happened in my life, good and bad, God will be there to give me strength when I have none, His spirit will encourage me, and with Him beside me and Frank on the other side....we will see this boy through this season.

I'm exctied for his future, but just know that I will be standing there from the sidelines with a proud heart and misty eyes.

It's all part of the journey, Regina

He Does Not Change

 To tell you the truth I have been down for while......part depressed, part illness and the rest, just life. We made a big move at the end of 2015 for a job for my husband. It sounded great, it looked great on paper, but sometimes things don't always work exactly like you think they will.

Struggles.....we had a few. About the time it felt like we were getting settled in, I was diagnosed with COPD and CHF. it was blow to say the least. I walked around a little bit dazed for a while. I just couldn't figure out how this happened. You know how it goes, you start reasoning. I tried to do everything right,so that I would not get any type of illness like these. I was angry, sad, scared....you name it. Finances got a little rocky. I had a daughter getting married. I have a son graduating high school. It was a lot going on.

Depression crept in. Thats how depression will do you though, it's a creeper. It certainly doesn't announce itself at the door, right? Throw a bout of pneumonia and strep throat on top of that and it is the perfect storm. There are times I want to quit. Sit down and stay down. The illness alone is difficult some days. If it was just the illness, I think I could manage better.

Today my oldest daughter shared a post on facebook from her church about the dreams that God has given you and which of those are you going to go after in 2017. That post gave me a nudge....and I remembered.....

I remembered that I am the Daughter of the Most High God, I am an Overcomer, I am Resilient, I can make it. He calls me Worthy, He calls me Friend, He is the Lifter of my Head, He is my Source, He is the Grace Giver.

I remembered the dream He gave to me. How that He gave me the ability to tell a story, to write, to speak. I always dreamed of touching people's lives, inspiring them, watching people be set free from any and all bondages.

I remembered that He is a big God and just because my address changed, just because my health changed, just because the job situation changed.....He did not change. The situations I face may be beyond my control, but they are not out of His reach.

I'm going to go after the dreams He gave me...I'm hoping you will do the same.


Still walking this journey with you, my friends,

Regina

How Does Jesus Look on You?

Confused. Heartbroken. Anxious.

I think that about sums up how I feel in the midst of this war-zone like atmosphere we are seeing this week.

Then on facebook I see people saying that this is just a sign of the end time and God told us what to expect. If you know me at all you know I HAVE to say something to that. WOW. so we are just supposed to accept these actions and turn the other way because its a sign that the end is near? Is that what we think Jesus meant? Is the church that calloused over? It sure seems that way.

Yes, I can certainly read my Bible and see writing on the wall. However, God is still a God of love and forgiveness too. The end has not happened yet. We are still here having to navigate these new waters. I can't just turn my head and shrug it away. Is that what God wants? I don't think so. As long as we have breath, let's show the love of God to people. This crisis, demands that the church stand up and show God's grace.

These acts are related to a spirit of hatred, a spirit of confusion, and a spirit of racism. We have to combat these spiritual attacks. Our enemy is not flesh and blood. Our enemy wants to destroy humanity from the inside out.

 Can we climb down off our self-appointed, Bible thumping righteousness for a second and just take in the actual people and their hurts? You say it is the end time, so what are you doing about it? Are you reaching out to people? Are you telling that God forgives? Have you told them there is still HOPE? Can you quit preaching long enough to ACT?

The families whose lives have been shattered through all of this probably will not accept your biblical theology, but they just might accept an act of love, of grace, or mercy, and or forgiveness. They need someone to listen. They need our prayer. They need to see Jesus walk among them and the way He does that is through you.

Represent Him well today.

His Mercies are New Every Morning

I was praying the other morning and I paused just to listen to hear what God was saying to me. It seems I do my best praying in the shower, I have no clue why that is. Probably that is the one moment of the day when I can be assured that I won't be interrupted....well at least 90% of the time I am uninterrupted.

So I am in the shower, praying. I have to admit that sometimes when I pray I feel like such a failure. It feels like all I am doing is just talking to God about my failures, my short comings, asking for help in different areas of my life. Tell me that I am not the only one that does this? But when I paused, I heard something in my heart. These were the words, "Regina, your failures do NOT define you." Then this, "My mercies are new EVERY morning." what a relief washed over me, I felt a freedom begin to swell inside of me.

I mean we all make mistakes, do the wrong thing, say the wrong words, have the wrong actions. We fall. Sometimes often in one day. And even though I had heard that verse my entire life, it became real to me in that moment. It was like God was saying, yes, you may have blown it, but you sought me for forgiveness for any wrong actions, now today is a new day, get up and continue moving forward. I realized that His mercy does not run out, it does not quit, it is new, it is enough for me, if I fail 1000 times, then 1000 mornings His mercy is new for me. I am not defined by the past mistakes of yesterday. I am more than that. I am not held in the grip of sin, I am FREE!!! I don't have to walk in lingering guilt or shame, I don't have to give place to that condemning voice that tells me I am unworthy, useless, scarred, broken. No! His mercy restores me daily. I am not in bondage to any of that. Life is good, even if I fall, even I fail, God has mercy. He is for me, He wants me to make it, He is cheering for me to get up and experience Him. Why? Because He loves me and wants to have communication with me. And the great thing.....He has  enough mercy and grace to cover not just me, but ALL of us. Come on y'all, let's move forward with another step!

 Where today do you need to experience that fresh mercy in your life? Open you heart to Him, confess your faults to Him, then experience MERCY and once you do, go out and share that mercy, that grace with everyone you meet! We are all the same. We are all facing obstacles. We all have moments we want to quit. All of us are fighting battles that others can't see, so extend that mercy to others today.

Walking with you on the journey,
Regina

I am HIS

  I am God's child....even when I mess up and do the things I don't want to do, I am still His child and He still loves me. Look guys, none of us get up in the mornings with the thought of intentionally doing wrong, causing pain or hurt. We don't wake up dreaming of being so angry that we lash out at others....but sometimes we do those things and worse. In those moments, God never quits loving you, He never gives up on you, His love endures forever!

It's just like our own children, they make mistakes as well....and sometimes they will lash out at us in anger. Do we stop caring for them, do we stop loving them, do we exchange them for a new child? No, we would never do that. That is the same way God cares about you.....

If you find yourself doing things that you know you shouldn't, and you feel that all is lost.....take comfort today....God still loves you and wants you to just turn around and run toward Him! He will wrap you up in His arms, He will listen to your cares, your frustrations, and anything else you are feeling because He cares so much for you today!

Walking with you on this journey,
Regina

photo credit: David Bowman 
contact@bowman-art.com

It is a Battle, but Your Opponent is NOT who You Think....

Just a note of encouragement today.....

when you are in a difficult situation with another person or groups of people, we have to remember that we are not battling against the person....

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

it is a MUST that we know this....it is so easy for all of us to see the person or group as our opponent, I guess that is our nature, we feel we must have a face to be against. We may have legitimate reson to be upset, angry, etc...but your fight is not against a flesh and blood person and the sooner we realize that and start praying against the spiritual force of evil, the sooner we will begin to see results.

let go today of the hurts and grudges, love the person and fight against our true enemy....


Walking this journey with you,
Regina

 Photo credit

Wordless Wednesday

What can One Person Do?

 We have been watching "The Bible" series on the History channel....it is awesome! If you haven't had a chance to watch it you should! The stories you have heard just come to life in the series....One thing that stands out to me is that one man with faith can change the course of events for not only their own families, but it impacts history for all time. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, ....they heard from the naysayers, there were people who opposed them, but yet they stood firm in what they believed that God had directed them to do. Abraham births a nations, Moses leads a nation, and David was a giant slayer. To see their stories re-enacted, makes my faith soar! One man or woman with faith is all it takes to see the hand of God move in the lives of not only those closest to us, but also, in the lives of those around us. God is looking for people that will stand with that sort of faith....uncompromising, believing in the face of impossible situations. Today, what has God spoken to your heart? Step out in faith, you never know the lives that will be changed because of your obedience.....

Walking with you on this journey,
Regina

What if You Miss the Will of God?

  If you find yourself realizing that somewhere along the way you have missed the will of God for your life, there is no need to despair. We make mistakes...we are human, we are flawed individuals. But, it seems the mindset of many is this....that when we "step out of the will of God" that all of a sudden everything is lost....

 Photo credit

Surely the God we serve is much bigger than our mistakes. We get so hung up on what we didn't do, or what we said or didn't say....we think back over bad choices that now we see was perhaps not God's plan for our lives. You know, God can work in any circumstance! True, we may have missed it along the way, but God can take our failures, turn them around, and use them to minister to others, bringing light and life to someone else, and at the same time restoring us back to a right relationship with Him.

When you feel that you failed, or you realize you have done wrong, God does not suddenly fall off of His throne, instead, He once again extends grace and mercy.  Your mistakes, your shortcomings, your weaknesses, these are the reasons that God sent His son to die on the cross.....to bring victory to the areas in life where we need it the most.

We have all failed, and we may do so again....when you realize it, just stop...ask God for forgiveness, admit your mistake, and ask Him to turn the situation around so that others can see His light shine in you. The God we serve is big, He is all powerful....He is not limited by man's abilities or weaknesses. He can work "all things together for our good" 

Walking with you,
Regina