Giving Thanks Even Through My Loss

Thirteen years ago today, I lost my father to cancer. He had been the main person in my life for many years and remained such even though I married and had children. It had been the saddest ever time for me, even though I went through some hard years as I grew into my adulthood.

Hospice had come out those last few weeks to give their support for him and us. A hospital bed had been brought out and we had moved him to a bright and sunny spare room in his home that he had added on some time in years earlier. It was really a laundry room but it also had windows all around where he could look out over the back of his property, and down into the woods at the end of it, watching the birds and just having a private world of his own to be secure in God's beauty of it.

Early in November of that year, I had cleaned it good, putting Christmas decorations up and setting the little Christmas tree on his table, with pictures of he and my mother for him to enjoy. I wasn't sure how long he had as his doctor would not give us a time frame. But I just knew that he may not make it until Christmas. And he didn't.

The holidays that year were the hardest I had ever had to celebrate. And have never been the same since. But I am not alone. Many many people go through a grieving time through them every year. For some, it is old hat, as some might say. Or something that goes on and on every year, while others may experience it new for the first time this year. However it is for each individual, we do know that it can be the worst time of the year for those of us that have lost someone we dearly loved.

If we have never lost someone ourselves, it is sometimes hard to understand someone that has. A few years earlier, I had a cousin that had been divorced from her husband. He had suddenly left her and it may be hard to believe but she had no idea that he wasn't happy in the marriage and wanted out. It came as a big surprise to her. One that left her alone and grieving her loss. The holidays had always been a big part of their lives. She loved all that they entailed and so to have to deal with her life after the fact was a hard thing especially during those seasons. I didn't understand her grief. We had grown up together and had always been close, but this was one part of her that I could not get ahold of. She was always talking about him, always crying. Always trying to win him back. Which wasn't to be. He wasn't going back to her.

I didn't understand until I went through my own with my dad. While my situation with grief was different and not as vocal as hers, I did understand the pain of knowing my dad was not coming back. God had taken him home. And I was thankful for that, but it did not make it easy to know that he was gone from this life.

Over these years though, it has gotten easier. Once the initial sadness went away, (which took a long time) it hasn't been so hard. I was able to understand that I could give thanks through it. Thankful for the fact that he was a good father while so many aren't. Thankful that he raised me in a Christian home, even with so many problems that he faced all those years. Thankful that he led me to the Lord when I was still young. Thankful for his Christian example and witness to his family, friends and even those he didn't know. So many things to be thankful for. Even though he was gone.

God had given me a father that I am proud of. And the best news is that, even though he has passed, I really did not lose him. I know exactly where he is. He had a love for his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that even though I know he was not perfect and he had flaws like all of the rest of us, his love for the Lord really surpasses most any other Christian that I know. And someday soon, I will join him and my mother in heaven, where we will never be separated again.

And that is something I am thankful to God for because even though the sadness is still there, God is good. All the time. All the time, God is good. So if you have not lost someone to death, let those that have, cry on your shoulders talk to you about their grief. Love on them as Jesus would do. And if you have lost someone to death, know that God hears you and he is there to comfort you through his Holy Spirit. And in time, hopefully for most people things will get just a bit easier.

There are things you can also do to get you through this holiday season  There are websites you can go to for help. I have provided a couple in this blog for you below. Above all, don't get to a critical stage in your grief. Get whatever help you need. God bless you during this time as you are important to him.

Sources for help: Christmas Grief :: Meier Clinicsm. Coping with Grief at Christmas | CBN.com

What Grieving People Wish You Knew at Christmas | Desiring God

Scripture for comfort: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort that we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corthianians 1:3-4

May God bless your day!

Happy Fall! Thanksgiving

Fall brings with it chillier days, falling leaves, and thoughts of the coming holidays. In just a few more days we will gather together with family and friends to thank God for the wonderful provisions that he has given us this year. Just as the pilgrims did many years ago. Can you imagine the hardships they had to endure coming to a new country? Not knowing what to expect. If you have never been to Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, well, to be honest, it really isn't a big deal. However, the history of the Pilgrims settling in the first New England Colony is part of our American History. And throughout all that the Pilgrims endured during their travels here and after they got here in settling that colony, they were not to forget God's provision to them. The first Thanksgiving was held after their first harvest here in 1621. It was first known as a harvest feast. They had learned to plant corn and catch ell from a Native American named Squanto who resided with the Wampanoag Tribe and who also served as an interpreter for the Pilgrims. Thanksgiving was celebrated off and on for the years to come but it did not become a holiday until 1863 during the Civil War when President Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens" And so were the humble beginning of the first holiday of giving thanks to our God for all he does for us during the year. Our lives, even as hard as they can be at times, are probably nothing like what those first settlers that came to this country to escape a corrupt jurisdiction of the Church of England, so that they could worship God and have religious freedom. It is their courage that brought that here to us and which we should be forever grateful to them and to God for giving us this great country in which we enjoy such freedom. So on Thanksgiving, don't forget to give thanks for "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." For if it not be for him, where would we be?

sorce: First Thanksgiving Meal - HISTORY

Many of us are decorating our homes in the tradition of fall. With that in mind, I found an easy one that you might like to try. It is called "Glowing Pinecones in a basket." All you need is a basket filled with pinecones. Gently wrap some white Christmas light around the pinecones And you have a festive basket to display on your holiday coffee table.  How easy is that for those of us that do not have a creative bone in our bodies? lol.

 source:(50) Pinterest

One of the things about this time of year that I love are the apples that are so plentiful. We had an apple tree while I was growing up and then when I got married we had our own trees that helped feed our growing family. If any of you are like me or know someone like me-I am just not that crazy about pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. And so the following cake might be your solution to that problem. 

Apple Dump Cake

15.25 oz box Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix

2-21 oz cans Apple Pie Filling

1/2 cup butter (8 tbsp)

2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray inside of a 9x13 casserole dish
3. Pour cans of Apple Pie filling in a dish and spread evenly
4. Sprinkle Cinnamon over apple pie filling.
5. In a bowl, combine dry cake mix with butter and mix until a crumbly consistency. (break any large chunks apart with a spoon.
6. Pour cake crumble mixture over apples in a casserole dish. Spread evenly
7. Bake 30 minutes or until edges are hot and bubbly

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!

 Source: Chocolate Pecan Fudge Recipe! (3 Ingredients)

Now, how easy is that and it is a great desert in addition to your Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie!

Well, Friends, I am glad you came. That is it for today. Hope you will come back tomorrow and in the meantime have a blessed day! Go share it with someone you love! Byeee!!!!

 

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The War Rages but Can We Win it? On (conclusion)

It is no wonder how much a soldier of either biblical times or in our modern society had or has to carry heavy equipment into battle. According to how much did roman military gear weigh in biblical days - Google Search a Roman soldier carried anywhere from 66 to 100 pounds, while our soldiers today carry from 60 to 90 pounds as well.

Can you imagine carrying that much weight? Even in my youth, I couldn't have. But Roman soldiers did it as well as our men and women military do today.

Military gear is heavy and yet to be able to stand against the enemy, a soldier has to have it. But what has that got to do with what the Apostle Paul was trying to convey to the Christians of his day? And then consequently for us today.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you will be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted from the gospel of peace. Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:11-17.

 The battle rages on. And it will rage on until Jesus comes back. It is a battle of good and evil and our lives today can be full of darkness. Because the devil is still around, just like he was in the days of Paul. Maybe you have experienced it? Alcoholism, child abuse, spousal abuse, certainly drug abuse which has been running in the news lately and much more. These are all a result of sin. Sin that has their roots in the devil's schemes to keep us or take us away from God's will for us.

Sin that is heavy and can weigh us down so much that we can fall into depression and may even be the root of some of the diseases of today.

That is why Ephesians 6:11-17 is so important for us even for us in this modern world in which we live. Because if we think about it, and if we apply it to our lives, actually the weight that the devil wants to place on us, has to fall off. He has to flee from us as we submit to God. James 4:7.

Having to carry the gear of the military is a heavy but necessary burden for those that carry it. But having to carry the weight of the sin of this world is so much heavier without the armor of God's word. But we can win the war. The battle within us can be over. Because even when we sin, we have God to go to and he forgives us. His burden is light.

Come to me all you that are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mathew 11:28-30.

Do you see that? We do not have to carry the weight of sin and darkness on our backs. God's burden is light if we trust in him. And putting on the full armor of his word is our defense against the heaviness that the devil gives us. Why would we not want to exchange the devil's burden for God's?

If you have never trusted God. If you have not traded in the devil's burden for God's, you can right now. Just pray the following prayer and if you sincerely mean it, you will begin a new life in Jesus. It does not matter who you are. Or where you come from. It does not matter what you have done. You don't have to get your sin cleaned up before you can ask Jesus to come into your life. In fact, you can't do that before you ask Jesus to come into your life. You have to ask his forgiveness so he can clean it up. Do it now. He is waiting for you.

Thanks for your visit today Friends. Please come back for Happy Fall

in tomorrows blog. And have a blessed day!

The Battle Rages On/The Sword of the Spirit (part 7)

The Roman sword that was used back in Bible days was double-edged. it was both an offensive and a defensive weapon. Specific training was needed to know how to use it properly and of course, it was used to protect oneself as well as overcome or kill an enemy.

In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul is giving us God's Armor, and he described God's word as the final piece of it. which is the Sword of the Spirit. And just as the training that the Roman Soldiers needed in order to handle their weapon, as Christians we need to know how to handle the word of God.

Because we are in a spiritual battle for our minds, souls, and bodies every day, it is necessary to be able to know where our real help comes from. Knowing God's word can keep us from harm if we live it. But that is just it. We have to know it first.

Is it no wonder that even Christian married couples have affairs and some divorce? Sometimes it is because they were never fully committed to the marriage in the first place and did not have a rock solid foundation with God with which to build it on.

Satan wants to destroy us. If ever there was a job in Human Resources that called for that description, he jumped up and said he would do it. And as I have said in other blogs, he has done a very good job of it.

Whenever we are under any kind of attack from Satan, be in physical, spiritual or whatever, we need to get out our sword the bible and start quoting scriptures at him. He has to flee. The bible says so. James 4:7.  Sometimes instead of being persistent to win the battle against Satan, we just give in to him. Maybe because giving in is easier to do.  The battle has already been won through Jesus Christ, we just need to know how to live a life that is pleasing to him, not wavering in our faith but to know that our God, he really does reign!

Source:What is the sword of the Spirit?

Up tomorrow? The conclusion of The War Rages On

(the conclusion)

Have a really blessed day Friends!

The War Rages On/The Helmet of Salvation (part 6)

Perhaps you wore them when you were young. I never did and never got hurt (thank the good Lord) riding a bicycle. But you see kids today everywhere that do wear them. People in sports utilize them and in the military, they are a must as part of their battlefield equipment.

Helmets: a hard or protective headgear worn to resist impact.

Reports of children that have not worn a helmet and being involved in some kind of accident have experienced brain damage and even death.

As opposed to:

Reports of children having worn a helmet and being involved in an accident have proved the helmet saved their life.

For the Roman Soldier, it meant survival. Protecting the brain which commanded the rest of the body. A badly damaged brain meant that the rest of his armor was useless. 

Why did the Apostle Paul add the helmet as a part of the armor of God? What does it mean for us today?

Our minds are a battlefield every day. The enemy will do anything and everything to get us to do what is wrong to pull us away from God.

And that is why the helmet of salvation is so important to cover us every day. It helps protect our minds from losing that battle with Satan.

Having the helmet of salvation on every day means that Satan cannot penetrate our minds and get us to do those things we know we should not do.

The website What is the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17)? gives us a much clearer picture of what we can do to keep our helmet functioning correctly. What follows is just a short version of their message on the website plus a little of my own thoughts added in.

1. Because our minds are battlefields, we need to renew them daily. That means we must allow God's truth to wipe out anything that is contrary to his word. Get rid of the old things we thought were true and take on what is. Romans 12:1-2
2. They allow us to choose what we perceive as impossible. We can know that God is truth, that he is real even and loves us even though we cannot see him If we let it, the helmet wipes out the confusion we might have.1 Peter 1:8-9   Hebrews 11L6
3. When the storms of our lives come up, we need to look up and know that God is in control. That he has our backs. Our salvation is the first and foremost important gift he will/have ever given us. Without it, we are indeed lost. Mathew 6:20 
4. Always remember that the battle for our minds, souls and bodies is already won! We can choose to not sin and when we do that, we eliminate many of Satans attempts to trap us into it. 1 John 3:9
5. Always remember that our hope is in God. That our treasure is laid up in heaven. Nothing compares to it here on earth. And that is when our helmet is most protective. Psalm 75:25

Wearing our helmets every day means choosing to become more insulated against what the devil plots to draw us away from God.

 But let me issue a warning. We must not put it on just to turn around and take it off again. I know of someone that says she puts hers on every day, but then something will come up and off it goes again. And for her, this is a vicious cycle. For instance, she may get into an argument with someone and call them hateful names. She has just taken off her helmet and allowed an attack on her own self by satan. Dealing with a situation is not always easy, but by keeping the helmet on, it allows you know that God does have your back and he will give you peace and help you need to deal with the situation and in the mean time avoid sinning yourself. Isahia 26L3  Philippians 4:7

The Helmet of Salvation. Our most precious gift God has given us through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ. We do not deserve it and yet he has provided us with it. If you do not have yours on today, I encourage through prayer and faith that you put it on. It is your hope.

Thanks for your visit today Friends.Up tomorrow: The Sword of the Spirit. Have a blessed Lord's Day.

The War Rages On/ The Sheild of Faith (part 5)

Roman Soldiers were very well protected against their enemies, thanks to the various pieces of armor that they wore. However, the next piece that Paul talked about was their shield. It was called a scutum. And it was no small device.

It was very large, slightly curved rectangular and at its center was a large knob called a boss. Some shields were 3 feet and a half feet tall and almost 3 feet wide. Its slight curve deflected attacks without transferring the full force if the assault to the one that was holding the shield. The boss deflected more vicious blows and function in a limited capacity to knock his enemy backward.

When fighting in a group, the soldiers could position their shields to form an enclosure around themselves. This helped protect against the arrows that were launched from the walls of the city during an attack. They were often made of wood and covered in hide. When wet they could extinguish flaming arrows.

(sources: The Shield of Faith - Armor of God > Free Bible Study Guides and What is the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16)?

Is it no wonder that Paul, in speaking of these pieces of armor and relating them to biblical principals that he would identify the shield with faith? It is a very important piece of equipment that called for the survival of a Roman soldier. And it is that piece of equipment in our Christian walk, that is the means for our own survival when our enemy tries to attack us with his own fiery arrows.

Many years ago, as a young mother going through some tough situations, I did not feel like I had any faith. I didn't really believe God would answer my prayers and so I would call someone that would pray for my needs, and actually depended on their faith to get my answers. At one point I even told them that I was too weak to stand up against what I was going through. But that person pointed me to the scripture in 2 Corthianians 12L9: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

I did have the power to resist (through Christ) the fiery darts that the enemy was throwing at me, I just did not know it at the time. And it was not until after that, I got into the Bible and learned that I needed to put on the armor of God and take up the shield of faith.

When we let our guards down, when we don't have our shield of faith up protecting us, Satan will make us doubt God and he will get our eyes off him to lead us away from him. We will stumble, and fall and our armor at this point is of no use because we have left it laying on the ground not using it as it intended.  However, when we realize that we need to once again put it on the enemy has to flee. James 4:7.

If you have doubts that God really won't or can't help you, you need to get into his word. Read about the armor that he provides those that love him. Take up your shield of faith that rightfully belongs to those that have been born again. And then tell the devil to bug off. And he will because he has to.

Thanks for coming by today Friends! Up tomorrow: The Helmet of Salvation. In the meantime have a blessed day and enjoy your weekend.

The War Rages On/The Gospel of Peace (part 4)

Ephesians 6. Vs 14 Stand firm....Vs 15 with your feet shod with the preparation that comes through the gospel of peace.

The shoes we wear meet many of our needs. They are for times we need to go to formal functions, they protect our feet from getting cuts or insect stings ect. They are for everyday living. There are shoes to hike in. And there are shoes that we can run in. Some shoes have steel embedded in them so that if the wearer dropped something, and it landed on their toes, the steal protected them.

We know that our balance is very important.

Several years ago, I had to have some therapy While there, one of the guys that did the therapy with me, noticed that I was off balance when I stood still. I had not known this, nor had anyone ever told me that I was until he did. And so he showed me how to stand so that I would keep a balance, therefore a better chance of not falling.

I realized then how important balance is. Ok, so I am a slow learner. lol.

The balance was very important to a Roman Soldier. And so were the shoes that he wore. They had nail like cleats in them that helped them to march and also to help them keep their balance in battle. Because if they lost it and went down, their enemy had them where he wanted them.

But why did the Apostle Paul equate our shoes with the gospel of peace?

Did you know that we are God's soldiers of this time? And as such, we need to be both on the defensive and the offensive  We need to be confident in both God and ourselves to stand guard to protect our hearts, minds, and souls against Satan's attacks. ...I am not ashamed, for I know who I believe and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what he has entrusted me. 2 Timothy 1:12. 

Satan is going to try to throw everything at us to make us slip up and get off track if we indeed have ever put our trust in God in the first place. Our defense means we must stand with God and in his word against Satan, no matter what the circumstances are.

Additionally, We need to be made ready for our shoes to take us to spread the gospel of peace, Jesus Christ to others. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone that asks you the reason for your hope.1 Peter 3:15. Our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. That means to prepare, to be equipped to do that. And to do it in a peaceful manner.

I think one of the biggest mistakes new believers make is when they are so excited about what Christ has just done for them, they want to tell it to the world. That is good but sometimes we want to make people see what he has done for us because we want them to know Christ as well.

When they don't understand, they can get pretty mad at us and tell us to quit shoving it down their throats. And it may turn them off from Christ altogether. When we tell others about Christ, we really do need to be prepared, be tactful, and understand that we were the ones to have the new experience, and not them. By studying Gods word and being at peace and letting him continue to change us, is probably going to be a better way they are may finally see their own need for a Savior then if we rush in and try to shove our faith "down their throats."We must remember God's grace when we are witnessing to other people because we need to extend it to them as well. For it is his grace that has got us where we are. Ephesians 2L8-9

"Shod with the preparation of the gospel", a tool that we need to fight against our enemy and have also in sharing with others is another part of the armor that we need. Are we ready to use it?

Today's source:  What is the readiness of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15)?

(Up tomorrow? THE SHIELD OF FAITH

I am glad you came today. May your day be rich in blessings!