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Why is knowledge power?

You’ve heard it said, “knowledge is power.”  But why is knowledge power?  Where do you go for help?

Do you first seek out a person?  Or do you run to God in prayer first and he directs you to a person, information etc…

We are facing dealing with the crawlspace repair.  The amount of money it cost would almost wipe out our savings.  So, do you wipe out your savings or do you use an equity line?

These were just a few questions we had that we were unsure of.  We prayed for wisdom.  Then I called a friend who is an assessor and is very good at budgeting.  She gave us quality advice based on facts.  We also had gone to our bank and talked to the manager before I got to talk to my friend and she also gave us the same advice based in facts.

We talked to a refinance person and got the same information.  Their knowledge helped us to make a quality decision based in facts.

If your help comes from people, make sure they are qualified to give you unbiased knowledgeable answers.  Which means “not opinion” but facts based on truth because if it’s not based in truth it’s not a fact.

I prefer to ask God to help who has all the wisdom.  He led us to call a friend, go to the bank etc. 

Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help?  2) My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

With the information we have we now can decide the best option for us based in facts and our situation.

Knowledge is power because with knowledge comes the power of good decision making.

Good and Bad Days…

As I was thinking about yesterday, we all have good and bad days.  To be honest no one really likes a bad day either.

Friday, I went to grandparent’s day at two of our grandchildren’s school.  My friend Karen took me and pushed the wheelchair.  By evening my breathing was labored and I was short of breath and my heart was racing.  Usually for my body that is an indication the asthma is flared up.  So, I started my inhaler and Saturday still felt bad I then used the outdated rescue inhaler and still wasn’t feeling good.  Which means it’s time to dig out the nebulizer my least favorite thing.

On Sunday I had planned on going to church.  Since it’s been a long recovery with my right ankle being as bad as the left was it has been tough getting around.   And to top it off my right knee and hip are sore I guess hopping isn’t their favorite either.  Anyways, by Sunday morning my breathing isn’t better, so we don’t go to church.  I’m beginning to experience some disappointment.

Monday, I tried using the rescue inhaler then Symbicort back to back really helped.  I’m feeling a little better and I get a letter in the mail from UHC our insurance company.  It states my 8-20-19 procedure is under review.  They want to know what caused my injury!  Did I fall, have a sport injury or a car accident etc…?   

You would think after eight joint replacements they would know my case nope the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing. I call the number it is an automated questionnaire that couldn’t understand my no. I keep repeating it over and over seriously my patience was thin by then.  So, I call the number on my ID card talk to someone to explain why this is so bothersome.  I was respectful but upset.  I explained been dealing with this bone disease since I was a child never played sports, so no it wasn’t a sport injury either.

She then makes me speak to Optum who does their claim reviews.  That lady thought I had a hip replacement and proceeded to tell me they must be sure I didn’t fall.  It’s a standard letter they already paid for my surgery.

Had I felt better maybe I wouldn’t have been upset but I didn’t feel better.  I call that a bad day for me.  I’ve had much worse days but after all this time to wait to walk to have a rt ankle that won’t hold me up and no I couldn’t breathe it was a rough day for me, but it ended on a better note.

I can walk down our two-step landing into our family room with a walker by myself.  My husband suggested moving me back down there and it was very nice to sit in the family room instead of the landing.

I wrote this saga so that when you read my blog you would know that I too get bad days and I too can experience sadness.  NO one is exempt from them.  Only Jesus perfectly responded to every situation.  God isn’t mad that I felt sad or overwhelmed He comforted me through my expression of frustration. Once I got it out.  Stuffing emotions only leads to more pain but addressing and working through stuff leads to empowerment and understanding.  (I assertedly expressed my frustration I didn’t take it out on them, or name call I just expressed it.)

The bible even tells us in Ecclesiastes there is a time and season for everything.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2) A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; 3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to breakdown, and a time to build up; 4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from  embracing; 6) A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7) A time to tear, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8) A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.”

The lady on the phone said she gets constant stuff from UHC too.  Her voice sounded like Roz in the cartoon movie Monster Inc.  the minute I heard her voice I had to smile I could just envision Roz.  The lady said they already paid my bill it’s a standard letter they send after surgery.  Ok but I called two months in advance to get clearance I think that would have been a better time to ask. Oh well.

Whatever season you are in take a breath, ask God for wisdom and trust the plan.  I’m still in a time to heal.  This week I start 100% weight bearing with a walker.  That doesn’t mean I will be walking perfect yet, but I trust the Dr’s plan and I know God’s working in this healing.

So, hang on in the bad and good days trust God’s plan.  You will make it.

Treasure Hunters

I love to watch anything about treasure hunting.  The mystery of where is it and how did it get lost fascinates me.

What do you treasure most?  Have you ever thought about the treasures of your heart/soul?  Maybe your wondering what are those treasures?  Some are attitudes, desires, thoughts, values…  this list comes from the book ‘Boundaries in Marriage’ by Dr. H. Cloud and Dr. J. Townsend.  We are responsible for our own treasures.     

What do you consider to be a treasure?  We only have control over our selves such as our abilities to be happy, smile, think, investigate, choices, decisions etc. they are ours.

In the above-mentioned book, it discusses relationships and boundaries.  Healthy relationships don’t complete each other they complement each other.

There is a chapter in the book called “It takes two to make One.”  They state, “Complementing each other means bringing different perspectives, talents, abilities, experiences and other gifts to the relationship and forming a partnership.”

I love that statement because it forces couples to look beyond the statements of, they fulfill me and makes them think about what they bring to the relationship.

They also state in the book, “Completing each other means making up for one’s immaturity as a person.”  Marriage is meant to be a 100-100% going into marriage based on the other person making up your immaturity doesn’t produce a healthy relationship.  We each are responsible for our own character. 

Here are just a few abilities we each must have that are basic human requirements. “They are the ability to: learn and grow, have initiative and drive, say no, be vulnerable and share feelings, grieve, be sexual, be spiritual, be free and not controlled by external or internal factors.”  I recommend reading the book, ‘Boundaries in Marriage.’

If your completeness is dependent on another you will constantly be looking for something, they can’t give you.  Only you can do the work needed to build your esteem and character. 

Boundaries are where you start and stop.  Knowing your own boundaries helps you to choose your responses.  These areas of our life if we don’t evaluate and decide our responses then you’re going to feel overwhelmed.

Making a hard conversation that could back-fire isn’t easy but not addressing an issue is even harder to live with.

I like to have couples that I have worked with look at this list and write what it means to them.  Because we are responsible for our own treasures.  “Your feelings, attitudes, behaviors, choices, limits, desires, thoughts, values, talents, and love are aspects of your soul.”  Owning your own treasures brings value to your relationships.

The bible describes wisdom as a valuable treasure.  Wisdom gives us the ability to process the knowledge we have with the right choice.  God’s word also tells us that if we ask, God will give us wisdom generously.  To me wisdom is a great and valuable treasure.  

Proverbs 8:10 “For wisdom is better than rubies and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.”

Knowing what to do when you need to do it is wisdom.  Start looking at the treasures of your soul and you will begin to understand about yourself and this helps us give from what we have.

I know my identity is in Christ.  He has built me to be healthier and more confident in him and in my life.  To me Jesus is the Wisdom of God.  He will help you look at the treasures of your soul and help you grow in complementing your spouse.

Blog Break cont.

No news on my laptop yet but I’m still working on good ideas. On my ankle recovery I’m doing well. I saw the dr. yesterday and he said I’m healing well. I started 75% weight bearing today at PT. Our crawlspace repair starts Nov 4th. I will be glad to have it done. Mold removal, tile drainage installed and encapsulation. Take care of your crawls boy is that pricey.

Well take care, hope your all doing well. Blessings. Dr. Annette

A friends flower’s

Being Thankful

Attitudes of gratitude. What does it mean to have an attitude of gratitude? How is one thankful in hard times?

Usually an attitude is used to convey a negative, but we can be thankful daily, and it comes through and touches others.

Being thankful in all the situations seems impossible especially during the most difficult and painful times. Being thankful doesn’t mean your thankful for the problem. It does mean in all the surrounding circumstances one can see things their thankful for.

I’m not talking about pretending everything is ok. I’m thinking about how through tough situations somethings people did or said brought support and comfort which can be something to be thankful for.

The word thankful means: “pleased and relieved and expressing gratitude and relief.” It’s and attitude of gratefulness and appreciation for something someone said or did for you. It is amazing how just saying, thanks will express our appreciation. Having this attitude of gratitude for me is a way of life.

The Bible tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:18 “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Gratitude is “The quality of being thankful, readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”

An example of gratitude: today we had another crawlspace company come and give us an estimate to deal with mold and the water in our crawlspace. I’m thankful we found the problem so we can handle it. Even though it will cost much in the long run taking good care of our home will benefit us in the long run.

I’m also thankful even though I have had surgery and been laid up for eight weeks now. I can be thankful for the close friends who brought food, visited with me or sent cards. Instead of being upset that my bone fractured during surgery I’m taking time to heal and be thankful in the process of recovery.

These two situations are different, but thankfulness is still present in my heart. If your focus is on what you can appreciate it helps you to keep your mind off the bad in it.

You still must deal with the situation but finding some areas to be thankful for are healthy for you.

Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God…”

Being anxious tries to keep us fearful in the situations but as you surrender the situation to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving the peace of God will surpass your understanding and guard you heart.

Choose to be grateful today.

Drawn by loving Kindness

God draws us with loving kindness.

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with loving kindness I have drawn you.”

This was the passage of scripture I was reading and mediating on this morning.

Yesterdays blog was on the Loss art of kindness and yes, I should have said lost but its not lost, missed or stolen. It is a loss in our day and age that kindness even needs to be addressed. Humans need kindness!

Think of it like domesticated animals they thrive on kindness and so do we.

True kindness comes originally from God. His word states, “with loving kindness I have drawn you.” God draws us to him through loving kindness not through harshness, dominance or hate.

He is love and it’s his character to and be love. He leads and guides us in love. His corrections or discipline are done in love. Not to crush you but for your betterment.

When we discipline are children we are supposed to be training and teaching them so that they develop into healthy adults it’s not for punishment. Yes, consequences but consequences need to be equivalent to the disobedience not for revenge or over exaggerated punishment.

In my blog “Healthy Relationships 101” I described what healthy settings are that establish healthy relationships. That blog is for all relationships parent/child, couples, families, friendships etc.

We thrive in empowerment and not control. 

God empowers us to be all he designed us to be through His Son. His loving kindness draws us to him so that His everlasting love can be your constant companion.

The Lost Art of Kindness

Kindness matters

What does it mean to be kind? How do you know when you’re not being kind? What does the fruit of kindness look like?

2019 seems to be the year of people saying and doing unkind words and deeds. All over Facebook, Twitter and News Media you see and read of more and more unkind things being said. Politics has revved it up on all sides.

People are believing everything any news person they like says and then spewing it out as if they know it’s a fact. 

But somewhere kindness is still alive. Some random acts of kindness still happen, people still respond to needs of tragedies and losses with compassion. Neighbors still help one another in some neighborhoods.

Step back and ask God what he thinks about kindness.

First what does kindness mean? It means “The quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.”

Here are a few similar words meaning kindness: “Tenderness, goodwill, concern, care, helpful, selflessness, compassion, sympathy, understanding, warmth, affection, friendliness, benevolence, neighborliness, patience, tolerance, mercifulness, decency, charitableness, and graciousness.”

How do you know when you’re not being kind? We all have a conscience. God will let you know through your conscience. Our Conscience will tell us when we are not kind, but we must be listening and responsive. When we realize we weren’t kind apologize for it, don’t ignore it. Recognize it and ask forgiveness.

What is the fruit of kindness? Being friendly when you don’t know someone, giving a hand of help when you can, if someone drops something picking it up, holding a door open and smiling all equals friendliness.

More fruit of kindness equals waiting without an attitude, patience. Or waiting in line when the cashier is slow and the person in front of you is causing a backup and not complaining but smiling that’s kindness in action.

I saw on Facebook a well know celebrity and a politician were seated by each other at a sport event. The celebrity was berated on social media just for sitting next to someone who doesn’t believe like she does. She addressed this issue with diplomacy and kindness and ended with “just be kind.”

I thought about how God used her words to remind all of us kindness matters.

It is time to stop putting our opinions and attitudes above good manners. Did you ever hear the saying ‘Manners Matter’? I forget who said it, but it is true, and kindness is good manners.

The bible tells us kindness is a fruit of the Spirit and its love. Real love is kind…

Its time to be neighborly again. Sometimes it takes a lot more strength to be kind then grumpy. But I have faith we can change and be kinder and helpful.

Show kindness not just to your own little group but to someone you don’t know or don’t like.

It’s also time to stop listening to the negative reports and become the kindness needed around us.

Kindness Matters and Love never fails!

The Grace Factor…

Grace for all situations

Do you feel weak? Do you struggle daily with…? Are you exasperated by situations that continue and there’s nothing you can do? Then it’s time to learn the Grace Factor.

John 1:16 states, “And of His fullness we have all received, and Grace for grace. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Grace is not just a salutation of a letter written to different people in the Bible. Nor is it an ending to the letter written. 

It is a declaration of a substantial substance that each one of us can have and walk in. Jesus came in the fullness of grace to give us grace. Grace is a saving, sufficient/satisfying and sustaining power for each of us.

I preached a message in the early 90s on grace. Out of this message I have continued to rely on and grow in God’s grace. It helps me walk, endure and continue to move forward in my life.

God gave me the gifts to teach, preach and counsel. I’m not eloquent in my language skills or powerful in my voice volume but God knew that and anointed what he called. He taught me through the last 30 years to receive, rely and relax in His Grace.

In 2Corinthians 12:9 it states, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” The apostle prayed 3x for the Lord to take away whatever he was going through and this is what Jesus said to Him.

The grace of God is tangible you can sense and feel the empowerment to do what you have and need to do. The grace factor is His presence with and in you to get it done or to hold on to whatever it is in your life…

The Bible states we can grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2Peter 3:17 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” That means it continues for us. You literally can grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

How do you apply the grace factor?

First, ask Jesus to come into your life, if you have never done this before. Repent for your sins and receive him today now is a good time. Yes, it is that simple!

Because saving grace is a gift from God.  Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in Mercy, of His great love with which He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (by grace you have been saved) Verse 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, least anyone should boast.”

You cannot do good deeds to earn grace. If you could earn it Jesus wouldn’t have needed to come and give it. Grace for grace.

Ask and receive for more grace if you already are a child of God’s. Simply ask for it.

Secondly, rely on his grace to sustain and empower you as you walk and live in this life on earth. His grace is sufficient to give you strength in weakness, endurance in weariness, help in trouble and empowerment to go and be all you can be. That is the grace factor in action.

Thirdly, relax on and in the grace of God. How by not striving in things but relaxing on His grace in and through things or situations. When you are depending on God and listening for instructions when needed you can relax that He will give you what you need when you need it.

This is how you grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Grace factor.

Hard or Broken

When you’re hardhearted you get kind of crusty. But broken bread is sweet smelling and tasty. Falling on a stone will hurt the physical body but what happens when you fall on the Stone? How does God use us? 

In Matthew 21:42-44 “Jesus said to them “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The Stone the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes? 43 “therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

What kind of brokenness was he talking about? This verse “whoever falls on the stone will be broken” means surrender.

When you choose to fall on Jesus your surrendering your life and your following Him. The Spirit of God is working in our lives to be Christ-like.

God doesn’t make you do anything. He will lead you and supply the grace so you can do, but force never you always have a choice. He’ll lead you to lay down your life attitudes, choices and actions at times. But it’s always for your betterment not for destruction.

Being broken on Jesus isn’t like a broken object. It just means you surrender to him and allow him to flow through you whenever and wherever.

Be broken on Him to me is allowing Him to search my heart and show me my stinky attitudes, actions and words. I repent of those and He forgives and changes me through steps of obedience.

Being broken also means it is important to not get caught up in telling people they should and should not.   Love people and let God deal with it.

This is how God uses us. You can empower others to seek God through encouragement, comfort and the enthusiasm you have for God. Be led by the Spirit of God He knows what a person needs.  

The Holy Spirit’s job is to convict and he’s good at it.  

Our place is to speak the truth in love not condemnation. When you have a truth your to speak and it’s going to be hard to hear ask the Holy Spirit to give you the right words.  Not what you want but what he wants you to say.  You don’t win the lost with a hammer! Only love produces life.

God loves people he sent his Son to die because he loved the World. It’s time to choose our words wisely and allow the Holy Spirit to convict of sin. Rethink your posts, tweets and words run it through the Holy Spirits leading. I need this Lord start with me.