Stop to Smell the Roses

    

     Hello again! 

Let's discuss something a lot of us forget to do;

Enjoy life.

      Yes I know life isn't always roses, but when was the last time you marveled at the flowers you do pass?

How much do we miss looking at life through our cell phone cameras?
Or in the hustle and bustle of 21st century life, have we just stomp across a beautiful field because we were stressed over something that can be resolved?

       Okay, now more personal, how many times have we stopped to enjoy and spend time in prayer with God, the Creator of all?
He should be first One we go to when the weight of the world seems to be blinding us from the beauty in it.

"Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’" 

(Isaiah 41:10;NKJV)

"God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

 Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

 Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;

God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge." (Psalm 46;NKJV)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6;NKJV)

       Although, how many times have we stopped to thank Him for all the blessings we do have instead of asking for more? 

   "Oh come, let us sing 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 the great God,

And the great King above all gods.

 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;

The heights of the hills are His also.

 The sea is His, for He made it;

And His hands formed the dry land.

 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

 For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture,

And the sheep of His hand.

Today, if you will hear His voice:

 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,

As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

 When your fathers tested Me;

They tried Me, though they saw My work.

 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,

And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,

And they do not know My ways.’

 So I swore in My wrath,

‘They shall not enter My rest.’” (Psalm 95;NKJV)

"Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

 Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

 Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 The Lord executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

 He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

 As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

 To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

 Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.

 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

 Bless the Lord, all His works,

In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!" (Psalm 103;NKJV)

The Lord has painted and sculpted every lovely and wonderful thing in this life, He fashioned you perfectly in His image, and He is with you through every small moment.

Maybe we should all take more time to stop a little while and smell the roses. :)

Love y'all!

     

(Photo Credit: First pic: Free internet one ;P Second pic: Arianna Vanderwende Third pic: Me ;))

Mommy Dearest,

     

In two months the big milestone you have been dreading will come to pass.

I will be 18. The big "1" "8". Legal adulthood. All that cool stuff.
I know you are a little sad, I am too. 

I have big dreams and that scares you a little because I'm still your little girl.

BUT here is a wonderful fact that I'm so blessed to know:
You will always be my mom.
My sweet mommy. God knew of all the women in the world I needed YOU.

You, who has always prayed for me, 

who drug me to worship in my toddler years,
who fought with me because you were (I know now) 

right about everything I ever went against you with, 

who cried over me and my sister,
who worried about mine and my sister's spiritual well beings,

kissed my boo-boos,

took care of me when I was sick,
rocked me and sung "You are my Sunshine",
read to me,

taught me how to be tender-hearted (I cry over everything now ;P),

taught me about God's love,
what being a Proverbs 31 woman really means,
how to laugh at life,
and you have loved me unconditionally.

Thank you for all you have done and what you continue to do for me.

I know we are gonna cry a lot in the next few months, but know I am where I am because of you

and I hope you are proud of who I've become.

I love you so much, mom, and don't forget that. :)

You Never Mentioned Him to Me...

    When in the better land before the bar we stand,

How deeply grieved our souls will be;

If any lost one there should cry in deep despair,

"You never mentioned Him to me."

 You never mentioned Him to me,

You helped me not the way to see;

You met me day by day and knew I was astray,

Yet never mentioned Him to me."

O let us spread the word _ where e'er it may be heard,

Help groping souls the light to see,

That yonder none may say, "You showed me not the way."

You never mentioned Him to me. 

 You never mentioned Him to me,

You helped me not the way to see;

You met me day by day and knew I was astray,

Yet never mentioned Him to me."

A few sweet words may guide a lost one to His side,

Or turn sad eyes on Calvary;

So work as days go by, that yonder none may cry,

"You never mentioned Him to me." 

     You never mentioned Him to me,

You helped me not the way to see;

You met me day by day and knew I was astray,

Yet never mentioned Him to me."

   

     I remember clearly the first time I heard and understood these words from that old hymn. I was sitting in Sunday morning worship, staring through tear blurred eyes at the chilling words. Reality sinking in of how many souls I knew, of whom I'd never engaged in deep Biblical discussions.

     Yet, over the years, the words were memorized. Slowly they started losing the meaning they once had to me, I'd recite it and not think of it at all. It's so common, to just forget all the meaning of the sweet hymns we sing every time the saints assemble. Why? I mean we have come to know the greatest gift God has ever given us, His Son, so why aren't we shouting His story from the roof tops?

      Is it maybe because we become too comfortable where we are? Do we get in the checklist mindset, where "I study which is good. Check." "I don't do this sin. Check." "Went to services Sunday. Check."
Are we forgetting some very important words Christ told us in Matthew 25:31-46:
        “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’  Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (NKJV)

And in Matthew 16:15, which is just as important to couple with good works.

     "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (NKJV)

    The problem with the checklist method, is that it's very core is centered on YOU. Not God, not others, you. Don't get me wrong studying, praying, and meeting up with fellow Christians are very important, but if your heart isn't in the right place then it does no good.

    If your heart is in it (I struggle with this) you will want to mention Christ to others, you will want to spread His truth, and you will want to reach out to others. Yes it is scary, yes it's uncomfortable, yes there will be rejection or hard feelings, but Christ never said it was easy: 

        "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12, NKJV)

   In this age in America, we don't have quite the severity of persecution that those before us had, I know words still hurt (I've been a self-conscious introvert most my life who has been lashed out at by people who don't agree with the truth) it is discouraging, BUT just think of how much worse it could be! Think of how God is so pleased when you stand up for Him in a crowded room! Think of the souls you could impact with God's Words! Think of how many people could say to you on Judgement Day:

"I'm so glad you mentioned Him to me,

That you helped me all the way to see; You met with me, day by day, 'cause you knew I was astray,

Thank you, for having mentioned Him to me."

Let's Get This Started Shall We?....

      Alright, first thing's first; I am not a writer. I never gave much thought to grammar and spelling (but that will be spot on with built in spell check). I actually hate the subject even though I get decent grades in it.

      So if you can look past all that, welcome, hi, hey there. You have entered what some call "a piece of my mind". I'm not sure where I will go with this, but I'll figure it out. Maybe some deep thoughts, some nonsense, and probably a lot of fun.