Blessings Celebration Day!

This morning, I was thinking back over the past 16 years, and one thing that I LOVE is remembering the creativity of God in suppling each and every need and the fun surprises along the way. 

The details that God orchestrated to make sure everything was in place at just the exact moment it was needed. From places to stay, to Drs, to paying for medications, to the much needed fun adventures — including a ride in the Goodyear Blimp! (Yes, that REALLY happened!), to friends who came along side to support, encourage, and one very special friend who drove me to appointments whether in state or out of state. Just when I thought that God couldn't surprise me ..... He would! 

Only God could take a "grand stand" ticket and make it into a HOT PASS at a NASCAR race. (That was just awesome!) Only God could make a pharmacy pay for my medication. (YEP! And it was an EXPENSIVE one too.) Only God ......... 

so many cool and amazing gifts, adventures, and wonderful ways God each and every need.

I love taking time each year to reflect on God's amazing goodness. Each year, I continue to be overwhelmed the blessings that God has given me. I am a Princess of the King of kings, and I am blessed abundantly!

Thanks Living. Taking time to remember all that God has done. 

Thanks Living. Taking time to praise God for His goodness and blessings.

Today is the 16 Anniversary of my back injury. Today is not a day to focus on the pain, rather a day to focus on all the amazing and wonderful blessings God has given me over the past 16 years.

Please join me in my Blessings Celebration! Let's count our blessings... name them one by one!

Blessing Celebration 2016!

Blessings Celebration! 

Thanks Living! 

October 25, 2000. 

A day that changed my life in more ways than I can count. A day that began a journey filled with twists and turns. A day that  started me on a journey that God designed to accomplish His purpose in and through me. 

October 25, 2000 I coughed and felt a searing hot pain in my lower back. A pain so intense it literally put me on the floor. 

Now it's October 2016—12 surgeries and too many injections, treatments, and other medical procedures to count later — the pain remains. 

BUT—during these past 16 years God has showered me with the most amazing blessings! I stand in awe of His goodness to me. 

Each year, in October I enjoy a BLESSING CELEBRATION! It's a time to reflect, not on the pain, but rather what God is doing because of the pain. It's a time to reflect on God's outpouring of blessings! 

Psalm 21:1-3 sums it up! (Replace "king" with "princess", for I am a child of the King of kings! I am God's princess—who is wonderfully blessed!) 

Psalm 21:1-3 (VOICE)

The king {princess} is glad because You, O Eternal, are strong. In light of Your salvation, he is singing Your name. You have given him {the princess} all he {she} could wish for. After hearing his {her} prayer, You withheld nothing. [pause] True blessings You lavished upon the king {princess}; a crown of precious gold You placed upon his {her} head.

Thanks Living! Noticing God's blessings.

Thanks Living! Praising and giving thanks for who God is, and all He is doing in my life. 

Proverbs 4:8,9: Mug Shot

Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you. Proverbs 4:8, 9

Exalt: esteem highly, prize

Promote: lift up

Honor: make honorable, glorify

When: enunciating the conditions under which a future action is conceived as possible

Embrace: to clasp

Place: give, put

Ornament: wreath 

Grace: favor, elegance

Crown of glory: of rank

Deliver: give, to hand safely over

In Proverbs 4:5-7 we learned that we were to put forth an "all-out effort" to get wisdom. And as we realize the true value of wisdom, wisdom "treats us right". Wisdom is the one that promotes us, and honors us, and gives us the rank of grace and glory. 

How often do we search for recognition and in searching do stupid stuff, thinking that we will be recognized. Sadly, we are given the attention—but all for the wrong reasons. It reminded me of the "Wall of Shame" posted by law enforcement agencies. Every month mug shots are posted of those caught shop lifting. And as you look at those images, you see the toll that sin has taken on the individuals. For no one looks good in mug shots, no glory, no honor, no grace. 

What does my "mug shot" look like to those around me? And more importantly what does it look like to God? Am I embracing wisdom and holding wisdom to the place of value she has? If so, my life should reflect that—my "mug shot" would be one showing glory and honor.

For my "mug shot" to reflect wisdom, my heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). For when I fear God, I'll want to highly esteem His wisdom and embrace it tightly. 

What does your "mug shot" reflect? 

Witnesses

Ruth 4:1-4

Witnesses. 

Boaz did as he said he would. He found the nearest of kin to Naomi. Boaz found the kin and made sure he had witnesses whom others respected. Once he had the kinsman and the witness, he then told the kinsman about the piece of Elimelech's land that was sold, that needed to be bought back for Naomi, in accordance with the law.

In front of the witnesses, Boaz asked the question. 

So, will you buy it back for Naomi? If not, I'll buy back, being the next of kin. 

Once again these verses display that Boaz knew what needed to be done, and did it appropriately. 

The other kinsman, agreed quickly to buying the land.

Reading through Ruth, I am reminded that people are watching. Sometimes at our request, other times, without our knowledge. What are they seeing? What are they witnessing? What do my actions and attitudes reflect? 

Witnesses. What would they give an account about me? If my heart is permeated by a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG), then they'd see Christ.

"What an incredible witness it is to a lost and fearful society when the Christian acts like a child of God, living under the loving sovereignty of the Heavenly Father."  Henry Blackaby

True Success

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 90. Here is what I learned.

And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish it. Psalm 90:17 (AMP)

And then let the beauty and grace of the Lord—our God—rest upon us and bring success to all we do;  yes, bring success to all we do! Psalm 90:17 (VOICE)

"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us." Even upon us who must not see thy glory in the land of Canaan; it shall suffice us if in our characters the holiness of God is reflected, and if over all our camp the lovely excellences of our God shall cast a sacred beauty. Sanctification should be the daily object of our petitions. The Treasury of David

There are many books available that teach the way to success. And since we all want to be successful, those books sell. But what is true success? Is it having money? Is it having reached a certain level at a company? How do you measure success? 

If success is based on money, than I’m not successful. If success is based on promotions at work, than I am not successful. If success is based on owning a house, or having certain possessions, than I am not successful. 

Thankfully, true success is not based on material things. Rather true success is based on fulfilling the work God has planned for me. If I reflect God’s glory and allow God’s mercy to shine through me, that is success! 

On April 9, 2013, I wrote “Make My Boss Look Good!”.

My responsibility is to first and foremost give God the glory due Him. Secondly, share His love with those around me. And lastly, make sure that I’m willing to do any job that God assigns me—whether or not I “like it”. 

Each and every job that God assigns me has a specific purpose to accomplish His will and plan. I need to remember that I can’t pick and choose which jobs I want to do and which ones to ignore. Some are more pleasant than others, but each task is required to assure that God’s plan is fulfilled in it’s entirety.

The key to true success is making sure that I am reflecting God each day in all that I do, for only when I’m reflecting God, can I create a positive and successful day! 

Keep a Very Important Appointment

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 67. Here is what I learned.

God be merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us—Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!— Psalm 67:1 (AMP)

God, ·have mercy on [be gracious to] us and bless us and ·show us your kindness [make your face shine on us] ·Selah [Interlude]. Psalm 67:1 (EXB)

Selah: pause, to lift up, exalt

Selah. Take time to reflect and praise God. 

All our calendars are full of activities, appointments. Seems that we are taught if we aren’t busy, than we are lazy. However, being too busy to take time to reflect on God’s mercy and grace is wrong in so many ways. 

Taking time to pause, reflect on God’s mercy and grace as a way of putting things in the proper perspective. So often, we are overwhelmed by life and all the things we think we must do, that we miss the really important factors in life. 

Perhaps it is time to “make appointments” to pause and reflect on God’s mercy and grace. If it’s “on the calendar” perhaps we will not only have the time to pause, but we will actually do it. And once we begin to pause to reflect on God’s mercy and His goodness, it will be so inspiring and encouraging that it will be come a necessary habit. 

To create a positive day, I must keep a very important appointment—pause and reflect on God’s mercy and grace!