SHOUT!

April 7th—Shout!

“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Joshua 6:5 NKJV

Are you fighting a battle you’re afraid you won’t win? Who are you depending on: God or yourself? When faced with the combined armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, God told His people Israel, “The battle is not yours, but God’s (2 Ch. 20:15 NIV). And God’s never lost a battle yet! He told Joshua, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands” (Jos. 6:2 NIV). Notice, He didn’t say, “I will deliver” or “I might deliver.” No, He said, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands!” Israel already had the victory, now they were being called to act on it. But the question remained, how? God’s answer was “Shout.” Joshua told the Israelites, “When you hear…the trumpets…give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and [you] will go…straight in” (Jos. 6:5 NIV). Now no rational person would expect a shout, no matter how loud, to bring down the walls of a big city. But this was no ordinary shout; it was a shout of faith based on a promise God had made. Even though victory looked impossible, when Israel shouted God responded by bringing down the walls and opening the doors to the Promised Land. When you’re looking for an open door and all you can see is a brick wall, the last thing you feel like doing is shouting “victory,” right? But you need to do it regardless, because: (1) the shout of praise leads to victory; (2) it puts your faith “on the record;” (3) it confounds the enemy and robs him of two of his greatest weapons: doubt and discouragement; (4) obedience, even when you don’t understand, always brings results. So shout—for the victory is yours!


WOW! Was this message something I could have read months ago....maybe even more than a year ago. Being the wanderer I was....wandering away from God......something HAD to make me wake up. It no longer mattered who I made happy because I was miserable. My insides were torn, my mind was not in the right place and Lord knows that my heart was so broken. But lucky for me, I have learned to love myself again and see myself as God sees me. I was created by God. Although I wandered away from him, he was always there. He brought me back to him. And even though it was a rough road, none of that matters now. I will live in the moment, never regret the past and always look for the best for my future. No matter who loves me, or doesn't love me, God always will. It doesn't matter who forgives me or who doesn't forgive me, God always will. It doesn't matter who believes me or who doesn't believe me, God knows the truth. And, God is the ONLY one who matters.

What I am thankful for today:
Faith
Hope
Laughter
my children
my friends
my store
positive thoughts
The Secret
the power of prayer
God
the sunshine
ice cream
a long walk with Makenna today
time at the park today
my health
happiness
love

Accomplishment and Needed Prayers

Before I get into my actual writing for today I wanted to acknowledge an accomplishment that I made yesterday. My therapist once told me that I do not give myself enough credit for much of anything. So, I have to pat myself on the back for achieving 3 miles in 30 minutes on the elliptical machine yesterday. I am telling you that Wednesdays are my best workout day because of watching the Biggest Loser the night before...LOL!

Never did I think I would be able to run faster than I did in 8th grade when I ran one mile in 27 minutes.... which was the fastest out of my class. Now my goal is to top yesterdays accomplishment.

There is so much I could write about today and I think I am changing my mind about what I had originally planned on writing. Shawn's grandfather passed away in the middle of the night last night. It was something that was not unexpected because his health had been declining in the past few months. He lived a good long life into his 90's. Please say a prayer for Shawn and his family. Let us rejoice that Walter is now in a better place, at peace and without pain.

I may not have met you here on earth Walter, but I will meet you someday when it is my time to be called home.

What I am thankful for today:
the power of prayer
my friends
my children
my achievement yesterday at the gym
my family
scrapbooking
a nice walk with the kids this morning
the sunshine
the blooming flowers
faith
my customers
my teachers
my store
The Secret
Knowing that we are all here to go on our own journey in life....whether or not anyone agrees or disagree with the path we choose.
that God is with us the entire way
knowing that Paradise awaits me
love

Easter

At the gym this morning, I was wishing the kids Happy Easter as they left. One of the children, Adrian, I asked if the Easter Bunny was going to visit him on Sunday. He smiled at me and said, "No. Easter isn't about a bunny and candy, it is all about God." I said in response, "You are absolutely right." He was very content and happy as he left and wished me a Happy Easter. I believe that Adrian is either 5 or 6 years old.

I was delighted to know that this child was surrounded by so many children this morning talking about candy and the Easter Bunny, and yet was still content knowing that he wasn't spending his Easter the same way. And, he was happy for the other children and shared in their excitement.

In my childhood I was very fortunate to be able to have visits from the Easter Bunny but also know what the true meaning of Easter is. Everyone has their own opinions on how to deal with the different holidays and I am not here to judge those who do not do the same things as my family. It was just very nice to see a child of his age excited for the holiday without the 'extras'. How many children do you know that are excited about the resurection of Jesus? I do not know of any off the top of my head....besides Adrian.

Me, well, I am so excited that Jesus has died for our sins and will be rising on Easter morning. What greater gift could God give to us than his only Son? And, to do such an awesome thing for US. In time, I am hoping to instill the true meaning of Easter to my children. Little by little they are getting exposed to religeon. Makenna is interested in learning about Heaven right now. Honestly it is very difficult for Jeremy and I to answer all of her questions. The questions she has are very deep for a 4 year old. Church will help her as time goes on.

So today I am very grateful for the true meaning of Easter. And, for Adrian keeping his smile and contentment in what the true meaning of Easter is really about.

What I am thankful for today:
Easter
my children
flowers
the gym
my store
faith
hope
love
peace
the sunshine
the power of prayer
kindness
laughter
rainbows

Sam

Although it was a busy weekend, and needless to say an emotional one.....it is done and over with. My friend Jen and I took time to sit with my Pastor and pray. We both felt a relief walking out of the church. Even though Jen and I pray on a regular basis on our own time, it is nice to know that at any time we feel the need to go a step above that, we can.

Watching The Biggest Loser last night, Sam said a few things that really hit home with me. He said that he is done with the patterns of his past. He realizes that no matter how he lives his life and no matter whether or not he is even here on earth, life goes on. So he is going to live his life to the fullest filling himself up with positive things instead of the smoking, the alcohol and the food that he was using to fulfill the voids before he was on the show.

Just because Sam partied and may not have lived his life the way others would have wanted him to does not take away from the fact that he is a very awesome human being. Sam is very strong and he is a very kindhearted loving person. As he is transforming and healing, and losing all this weight, you can see the Sam that lies beneath the heartache. He is an inspiration to many, including myself.

God wants us to look passed the junk we see in people. For any issue we have with another is actually an issue with ourselves. It is a problem that we have to learn how to deal with better. We cannot change people. So, God wants us to love them just as they are. Of course we are not going to agree with everything they do but that doesn't mean that we have to try to change them to make us happy. That would be selfish anyway. When I see a person with heartache or 'issues', I pray for them. I also ask God to help lead them to a better path of life. God is also able to help you help that person, that is if the person is willing to accept it. If you are a person who walks with God, people will see God through you.

Somehow Sam and the other contestants were lead to The Biggest Loser to change their ways. When it comes down to their weight it is always an emotional issue that is the cause of it. Once they heal and can let go of the past, they can live more fully. I may not have had an issue with weight but I definitely had issues that needed to be healed....as most of us do. Somehow God lead me back to him to transform my life. Like Sam, I realize that life will go on with or without me. So while I am here I will try to make a difference in people's lives, live to the fullest and love unconditionally the best that I can.....with God's help.

What I am thankful for today:
my children
my pets
my friends
the sunshine
blooming flowers
the energy to run last night
time
healing
forgiveness
laughter
inspirational people
my store
my teachers
creativity
my customers
Shawn
Diane
Jen
Pastor Tricia
Jamie
Melinda
PartyLite
quality time with my children
The Biggest Loser
positive thinking
love