Are you in the line of fire?

How about this-- you think you are super close with someone only to find out that you couldn't be farther from them? You've listened to them, never ask for anything in return, always go out of your way to help them, you bend backwards and go out of your way to be there for them... In return...you get treated like scum, never receive any gratitude from them, they talk to you like you are a nasty bug, don't show up when you're suppose to meet up-- when is enough ENOUGH???!!!

You forgive and forgive and forgive-- as the bible instructs you to do, and as a servant of God- you try your hardest and forgive them over and over and OVER again. So just because you forgive this person or people... does that mean that you have to hang out with them all the time? Have them over your home? Let them babysit your kids? Nope. Simple as that. NO. You can forgive- you can love them- and none of this says you must forgive and have them over for dinner every week. LOL It also gives you permission to step away from them- fade them out. "What about if its a family member" you ask? Same thing babe... fade away... there is nothing that says you have to let them walk all over you. There is nothing that says you have to put yourself out there in the line of fire and let them shoot you. 

STOP PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE IN THE LINE OF FIRE! 

Try to distance yourself from the person/ and or situation- whatever your situation may be. If you don't... you are the one that will be burned over and over again-- think about it... they don't feel anything now because they are ones hurting you... to them it's like getting something off their chest... for you its oh holy cow WOW. 

Even though you feel like "Man, I am right in this situation, I know I am - they are so wrong for making me feel like this-- " You very well may be in the right... but it's not something they will see-- it's their way or the highway. The sooner you learn that, the better you will be. & on that note too-- you cannot change them. Let me repeat that... YOU CANNOT CHANGE THEM. Only God can change the way they are. So, what can you do? As hard as it is... lift them up to God. Ask God to help them- to help their heart- to have their eyes opened, for them to see what their words and actions do to the people around them. 

Not that this is an excuse in ANY WAY at all... but sometimes family, friends, co-workers don't realize their actions towards us. You are shaking your head... "I don't deserve this" -- you are absolutely right! YOU DO NOT DESERVE THIS. Like some things seem pre-meditated-- like as if they knew they were going to strike us before they did-- WHAM! WHAM again... and maybe that was the planned action-- but only God knows that for sure. This DOES NOT MAKE IT OKAY. Again, go back to God. This is a situation only He Himself can fix. 

So where can i get that special sparkle strength that I need to get through the tough times? I get mine from God-- it's hard--it hurts and there are a lot of tears... but He carries me though it every time-- He not only walks with me- but He carries me. He sees every single action that person makes towards you, He sees every action YOU make towards that person. It's not just a one way street here. Let Him hold you. Cry on His shoulder. He loves you. 

Take care of you :)

I think I can... or Can't

Something occurred to me the other day- while I was talking to someone, I said "I can't"- after I said it I noticed that I immediately felt like... saddened, let down, depressed, punished... have you ever felt that way? Have you taken that moment right after you speak... to really see how the statement made you feel? You might hear people saying "don't pay attention to your feelings"... or something like "live beyond your feelings"-- yeah that can make real sense- but if you take that really to a not good level-- you could turn that into suppressing feelings-- like packing them deep deep down... NOT a good thing.

You remember the story about the train that said "I think I can... I think I can..." you read that story and feel pumped up... if you are like me.. you think of the story, and you are like "YEAH... come on... you can totally do it!!!!!" You feel good & positive!! Can you imagine if the train was like "I think I can... I think I can... well, actually it's too hard... I can't do this... I can't do this at all." OUCH-- even as I wrote that I felt saddened. It amazes me how little things can make your emotions sway one way or the other- and how FAST that happens too... I mean like seconds man!!

Life is full of disappointments and let downs-- but it's how you deal with them-- there should be some kind of a life balance.

Here's an example of something I'm dealing with... So, we all know about me getting sick a couple of months ago- and we all know that the medicine I was on induced type 2 diabetes... and we all know that I am totally working on controlling my blood sugar to (crossing fingers) reverse it.  *If you are just joining us-- I encourage you to go back and read some of my earlier blogs-- especially the testimony one* Well- let me tell you all that this "controlling blood sugar" thing and pricking my fingers twice a day is driving me NUTS-- some days I am okay with it and others-- well, lets just say are NOT good days... finger wont give me enough blood... fingers sore (whether you test on the side or not)... sugar too high... feeling SUPER sick and nauseated... the list goes on and on. Especially annoying when my hubby is home for 24 hrs and I haven't seen him all week- only to feel extremely sick. GRRRRRRR!!!!! All this leads me to say... when I speak "I can't do this... I can't seem to feel better... I can't have this or that..." it makes me feel punished... sad... upset... angry. When I realize exactly what I am speaking and how it makes me feel... I want to turn it around next time. Today, I caught myself saying "I can't have this" at the grocery store-- and then I was like "no no don't say that..." I may not be able to have this but I can have that.

A balance. I've noticed that there is a balance to everything-- life, health, finances... good/bad balance. Do you have balance in your life? I mean, is there a balance- like everyday is not going to be a happy day- bad things happen- but do you have a balance of happiness to make the scale close to even?



So, when I was feeling punished, sad, and discouraged... I was like thinking- God really doesn't want me feeling this way. He loves me and gave me breath- why should I feel this way? It doesn't add anything to my life- worry, stress, anger-- none of these are good things- He doesn't want me feeling this way- and I can make the choice to turn around and give those feelings to Him. It's not a fancy process- it's quite simple.

God, I'm feeling bogged down by my life and circumstances around me- help me not be weighed down- I feel like I have cement shoes on- take the cement shoes off- help me make good choices, help me get healthy, help me deal with the health issues I am battling-- let me see your glory through all of this and be Your light shining for others to see your light through me. In Jesus Name I ask and pray. Amen.

You make your prayer say what your heart feels- or pray what it says above- either way- ask Him for help. He will come to your rescue- Don't stay in the dark and twisty place-- come into the sunshine-- it's a lot better... I promise. 

So, the next time you are in a "I can't" spot... try to remember...

Take care of you :)

* 5 Sides *

There are 5 sides to this starfish-- This white starfish is actually one of my favorite kinds! We have more than a few in the house... :) 

I was thinking of different ideas to write about tonight when I looked up at the wall and saw my starfish hanging out. I thought of some things that might help me through my days and I think that it will help you too... 5 sides, 5 different meaning...

Side 1:: ASK-- It's a funny thing... running around from day to day scrambling everywhere to get things done-- kids to school, work on time, tiny lunch breaks, grocery shopping, car maintenance... etc. Well, how many times in your chaos of a day do you "ASK"for God's help? A simple "God help me" can make all the difference. 

Side 2:: SEEK-- I chose "SEEK" because I am guilty of it too-- I don't really seek God's face as much as I should. I ask... What does it really mean to "seek" something? I personally define seeking as looking hard-- like concentrating on something that I want to find.. you know, like the game Hide and Seek? God wants us to find (seek) Him-- not just when we are having a bad day- but in the good ones too- Find Him/ Seek Him and say thank you. Say thank you for the bad times and good times-- everything God brings you too-- there is joy in it somewhere.

Side 3:: PRAY-- Prayer is commonly misunderstood in my opinion. A lot of people seem to think that you are SUPPOSE TO pray at certain times- See, the key word I used was "suppose to"-- Pray is something that should come out of your heart- pure and offered before God... not a "work". It's like saying as a Christian you must do this.... you have to do that... Whatever your "must do" and "have to" is... (ex: you must work in children's church.... or you have to be an usher today) these are all works-- see you don't have to DO anything-- these should be done with a pure heart-- not a heart that is burdened and bogged down. You shouldn't have to let out a deep burdened sigh before doing these things. Same with prayer... prayer is a communication between you and God-- your relationship builds as you speak to Him- Prayer is a fancy word for having a conversation with your Beloved. So what am I saying? Pray/ talk to God all day... at night... in the morning... before a meal... right now... Doesn't have to be all formal-- He just wants your pure heart.

Side 4:: LOVE-- Jesus loves you so much that He died for you!! There are a lot of different scriptures that point to salvation-- but I really love Romans 5. It starts to summarize what Jesus did for us. Here, let me share...

 ¹ Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have^[a] peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² who through our faith^[b] has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. ³ We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience.⁴ And patience produces character, and character produces hope.⁵ And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

 ⁶ When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. ⁷ Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die.⁸ But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

 ⁹ So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ's death. ¹⁰ While we were God's enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son's life. ¹¹ And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God's friends again.

Lots of good nuggets in there hua?! See how it says Jesus died for you and me even when we were still sinners? I mean who does that?!! HE DID!!! 

Side 5:: WALK-- Your walk is YOUR walk-- and is like no one else's. Please please do not let others tell you how your personal walk with Jesus should be. Don't let them influence you. Let Jesus influence you. If you are having a problem- its difficult (i know because im guilty) try going to God first. Let Him take over the situation. The more you seek Him, the more you love Him, the more you pray/talk with Him... the closer you will become with Him. He longs to have a long long relationship with you because Jesus --- well, He loves you so stinkin much!!!!! lol 

You can totally come up with what your 5 sides mean-- I just chose some that meant something to me. 

Take care of you :)

Bandaids:: Good or Bad?

GOOD BANDAIDS: You are younger...it's a pretty day outside-- and you decide to go outside and ride your bike. You are pedaling faster and faster-- feeling wind in your face-- you're smiling as the sunshine is shining so bright-- when all of a sudden-- WAM!!! Something happened and you crashed your bike. Ouch... fighting back the tears as you look down and see that your knee is bleeding, your elbow and hands are too... yep... that's gonna hurt. At the house mom/dad cleans out your wounds and puts bandaids on you. The bandaids helped  to protect the wounds and help protect against infection. 

BAD BANDAIDS: There was this little girl who was really sick. She was on lots of toxic meds and wound up loosing all her hair. She wore a hat once in a while but sometimes, she just went without one. She felt pretty good about herself- knew she was loved and well taken care of. She was healthy enough to visit her school one day- of course she had one of her hats on. Everyone was so sweet and caring to her- but there was one person that wasn't. This person made fun of the little girl and called her names that made the little girl sad. This person knocked off her hat and laughed at her because she had no hair. Although there was no physical open wounds here that needed an actual bandaid-- she applied one-- she took this incident and pushed it way down deep in her heart-- she kept "applying bandaids"- She buried it- she buried the pain instead of releasing it. 

Have you tried putting bandaids where they don't belong? Pushed your pain away-- tucked the feelings deep down-- lashed out at random people because of your pain-- yeah, I've tried all these at one point in my life. Have you? Did any of it work for you? Well--guess what? Not one of them worked for this gal... nope not one. Sure I've pushed things way deep down-- only works for a little while... the suppression was like a ticking time bomb~~until it EXPLODED!!  

There are good bandaids and bad ones too. The good kind... have a boo boo? Put a bandaid on it. Have a boo boo in your heart? Don't put a bandaid on it-- do something BETTER!! 

What's better? Call out to Jesus!!! He's right there with you and he's there to "stitch" up the wound-- not just "cover it up" with a bandaid. See, Jesus came to wipe your sins away-- to be your healer, your deliverer, you very present help in time of need. He holds you just as he is holding the little girl in this sweet picture. Did you know that He rejoices over you? 

The Lord your God is with you; 

       the mighty One will save you.
    He will rejoice over you.
       You will rest in his love;
       he will sing and be joyful about you."

~Zephaniah 3:17 ncv

Take care of you :)

Who's getting married?

Andy and I said the big "I DO" almost 10 years ago this September. What an fabulous memorable day that was! Let's see... It was raining, once I was in my dress and we were about to leave the house, I decided I had to pee... lol, our limo driver FORGOT to fill up with gas- so we had to stop ON THE WAY;oh... did I mention I was LATE?!!, and my sister tripped on the way up the isle, and Andy and I said our vows TWICE!! LOL 

"Saying our vows twice" LOL

To have and to hold from this day forward,

for better or for worse, 

in sickness and in health,

for richer, for poorer,

to love and to cherish

in sickness and in health,

I DO.

Wow-- two little words.. "I DO" -- and what a BIG.. HUGE deal they are too! If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I'd be where I am today... ummm no. LOL But you know what? I am SO beyond happy that I spoke those two words and married my best friend that day. I love you Andy. xoxox

A few months ago, I had decided to paint this canvas that I had in the art room. I painted it a beautiful aqua-green color and was inspired to write out wedding vows on it. I left the bottom empty because I had the thought of somehow attaching a picture of andy and me there. Well, I decided to hang it anyways-- as is in our bathroom. Our bathroom has a beach theme to it and I thought that it went well. So, I was getting out of the shower and looked up at the painting and thought "You know, that vow doesn't just have to be between andy and me... it's kinda like between husband and wife-- like Jesus and me-- He is my groom and I am His bride." And if you think about it... and read it from a "Jesus perspective" it reads so true... so lets look at this vow::

"I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish you, to take care of you, to comfort you, encourage you, and to stay with you for all eternity."

Now... read it like this...

JESUS will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph.

HE promises to cherish you, to take care of you, to comfort you, encourage you, and to stay with you for all eternity."

COOL RIGHT?! 

There are a few verses in the bible that I absolutely LOVE that I want to share.


Isaiah 62:5 niv "...as a *bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."  *bridegroom is Jesus


John 3:29 niv "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice..."

Questioning if you are in fact "HIS" bride? 

"How do I know Michelle?" 

Okay, simple answer here-- you must be born again/ saved ... in english... accept Jesus into your heart. Ask Him... say you are sorry for your sinful living and tell Him you want to live for Him. Ask Him to come inside your heart and help you live an awesome life with Him. 


Your rebuttal... "I don't need Jesus in my heart... I believe in God that'd be enough. I know of God... I say thanks at dinner time, I don't sin... I go to church every Sunday- I even help out. "


Jesus says that you cannot see the kingdom of God unless you are in fact born again/saved. This is not me telling you you can't go to heaven unless you repent for your sins and ask Jesus into your heart... this is Jesus saying this. 


John 3:3-8 niv

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”
⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”


John 3:16-20 ncv
¹⁶ "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. ¹⁷God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.¹⁸ People who believe in God's Son are not judged guilty. Those who do not believe have already been judged guilty, because they have not believed in God's one and only Son.¹⁹ They are judged by this fact: The Light has come into the world, but they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things.²⁰All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do. ²¹ But those who follow the true way come to the light, and it shows that the things they do were done through God."


Once you make the decision to make Jesus your Lord and Savior of your life- He becomes your Bridegroom-- and YOU become His Bride!!! YOU ARE HIS AND HE IS YOURS!!! HE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU, CARE FOR YOU, SUPPORT YOU, ENCOURAGE YOU, LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY, BE THERE IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, RICHER OR POORER-HE IS YOUR HUSBAND!!! 


Just as your earthly husband made these promises-- and you made these promises your husband-- when you accepted Jesus- he made these promises with you. 
If you are reading this and #1 say you are not married yet (hang in there) or #2 your husband doesn't act on the above promises... Jesus is your ultimate husband- He is your bridegroom-& He will love you forever.

If you already are born again/saved... awesome!! Please share this with someone-- don't "bullhorn" it - (meaning get on your personal soapbox in the middle of the street and yell at random people)- be gentle- one at a time- share with someone gently... Jesus saved your life, wiped your dirty, mucky, moldy slate clean- whiter than snow-- don't you want others to experience Jesus' grace & love too? 

The ultimate question of the evening... 

Are you HIS bride?

Take care of you :)

AIM HIGH

Do you have a goal? Have something you are working towards? A better relationship with your husband/wife? A better job... something you love doing--that actually pays? (lol) A bigger home? A newer car? A healthy lifestyle? A stronger relationship with God? Whatever you are striving toward... good news... it's totally achievable.


Did you know that God has called you to set out and do great things? In one of my all time favorite books of the bible- Philippians- Paul talks about so many amazing topics- He constantly talks about the importance of Christ and the importance of relying on Him. Philippians 3:13-14 talks about moving forward. 


I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead,¹⁴ I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. ~Philippians 3:13-14 ncv


When I was younger, I remember my parents had a wooden rocking chair in the living room. It had an orange seat cushion on it. It was a beautiful chair- the headpiece a had this really pretty design carved into it and the arm rest were curved under-- it was heavy too (lol) I know because somehow I always had the chore of vacuuming the dining room and the living room. Whenever I read the different stories in the bible, and they talk about "moving forward" or "pressing toward the goal" -- it makes me think of this chair; It reminds me that I can't just rock back and forth in my wooden rocking chair-I have to press forward and strive toward the goal that I have set out before me. To remember that God Himself called ME-- He called ME-- to do His glorious work. WOW-- I mean who am I?!!! WOW- amazing!!

You know something? God just didn't call ME-- He called YOU too- Keep moving forward!!!

Remember that the next time a task seems to big-- know that The Big Man upstairs breathed your life into motion and wants you to something big for Him!! You may never know or understand what exactly it is that God has called you to do in this life... sometimes it's for Him to know and you to never find out... but isn't it awesome knowing that you are here MOVING FORWARD for Him?!


I challenge you to keep moving forward- even when life is messy, when you feel like you just can't go on anymore- you're tired and weak-- but you know what? God is there to give you His strength- the bible says when we are weak- it is God who makes us strong!!! Be encouraged :)

Make a list of your goals, things you'd like to see happen... write them out-- cross them off when they are completed :) You may never see your greatest goal achieved-- but why not try? I had a teacher that used to tell me "Michelle, even if it looks like you can't reach the stars, aim high as if you can reach them."

May you "aim high" and not forget to invite God along for the ride.

Take care of you :)

It only takes a whisper

Say it with me...

Man has this been difficult for me to do lately. I personally have so much going on in my head at the moment- in my life. They are simply things that I cannot control myself and boy can I say how hard it is to give up total control?!! I need to remember to give my worries to God because that's His job to take care of them- & not my job. 

I'm really not going to go into detail this time- but we will just call the problems "life challenges"- you all know them-- money, family, marriage, car, job, health... etc. 

I have actually had two different friends tell me to take a deep breath over the past few weeks-- what can I say... it's been a difficult few weeks, and my stress level is rising. 

I have to remember that God is on my side and that He is carrying me through this nasty mess- He's restoring me- He's giving me His strength!!  

Have ya'll ever heard of the Serenity prayer? It's one of my favorite prayers actually. It goes like this...

God, 

Grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

the wisdom to know the difference.

Oh, so true!! Why is it so hard to meditate on good & positive things- why do we always seem to go for the negative approach first? 

1 Peter 5:8 says::Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

So, see- we have to be on alert! We have to be in the right frame of mind- being positive- that stupid devil is just waiting for us to have our negative hat on so that he can slither in...Noooo!!! Just whisper His name JESUS!!!! & He will run to you and rescue you.

You are all I need Jesus- thank You for running to me!!!

Remember to take deep breaths, BREATHE, & whisper His Name...

Take care of you :)

He's Got the whole world...

It's been circling around that 2012 is the end of the world-- some are saying December 21, 2012 to be exact.

Are you one of the many people that believe this? Be honest... don't just say no when you really think that it is... say what you mean-- mean what you say. (It says that in the bible too.)

Okay... so here's how this all came about...

I was getting a massage and the masseuse started talking about his finance being in school and he was saying she was upset & concerned she was never going to get to finish. I asked why and he said "Well you know, because of the end of the world" I responded with "End of the world? What are you talking about?" He said that his finance said that the world was going to end on Dec. 21, 2012. Now, I had heard of this, but really never looked into it. 

Which led me to really think about all this. Think about this...

If God created the universe... and He made everything- I mean everything we see, feel, touch, smell-- it's all His-- it's all God's; and everything is to His glory. So, here's my question (& statement) if this whole "End of the world" stuff is based on Mayan's calendar and "calculations" then you tell me how that brings any glory and honor to God? The world ends just as the Mayans says it was going to (and who are they compared to God Himself?!- There is no one higher than God, no one above Him) and then how does that give ANY glory and honor- credit to God Himself? It's like the Mayans can say "na nanny boo boo- I told you guys there was no God--" and that would TOTALLY defeat the purpose of God's plan.

He is the One who created all and He is the only One that can end it all. Genesis 1:1- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Jesus doesn't even know the day of His return. Matthew 24:36- "No one knows when that day or time will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

I was reading an article from NASA the other day, and was surprised when I saw & later researched the following to be true  "Their calendar does not end on December 21, 2012; it's just the end of the cycle and the beginning of a new one. It's just like on December 31, our calendar comes to an end, but a new calendar begins on January 1." See how it says "end of a cycle and beginning of a new one"? Ummm everything in life is like this-- without ends, there cannot be new beginnings! Also... it's like the end of the month-- Is July 31st going to come and AHHHHHH we fall off the face of the earth like a waterfall cliff? NO-- of course 

not... that is if Jesus doesn't come back before then! lol

I just wanted to encourage you that God is on your side and He loves you a lot! He sent His Son Jesus to die for you! Romans 5:6-11 nlt- "⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ¹⁰ For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

If you haven't already... won't you accept Jesus into your heart? It's totally worth it and I mean... you can't go wrong here... who else can die for you and wipe your slate clean- whiter than snow!!?? Who else can save you from God's condemnation?! Who else can restore your your friendship with God on your behalf? Go ahead and ask Him to come into your life, into your heart... He's waiting for you... He hasn't given up on you... He loves you more than you will ever know!!

You see, if the world does in fact end at... BAM... (just kidding) at this very moment-- I know where I will be going... Heaven!! 

Where will you be spending your forever? -Just something to think about...

Take care of you :)

Cleaning up & Clearing out...

I was cleaning out our filing cabinet today which I guess is the inspiration for writing this. 

We had 3 drawers that were just full of junk-- I started to go one drawer at a time-- taking the stuff out- papers, old markers, paper clips, post-its... etc. & sorted through the mess... throwing away things we no longer needed and just organizing what I wanted to put back in the drawers.

 ~I am happy to say that I threw away a half of trash bag worth~

As I was cleaning-- I couldn't help but think about how cleaning out this filing cabinet is kinda like cleaning out my life-- take the different areas "drawers" of my life- work on one part at a time- and clean out the junk- 

Here's a question... How can I "clean" out the junk drawers that is my life?

The first think is to recognize the "junk" the stuff that is dragging you down- the things that  keep you feeling "cluttered" from day to day... is it your attitude at life? is it certain people you hang out with or surround yourself around? is it people pleasing-- saying YES all the time... is NO in your vocabulary? If you need to, make a list-- yes, get a piece of paper and a pen and jot down everything you do daily... it will help. 

Once you have your list, or know what areas that you need to work on cleaning out...then ask God for help to clean you up!!! All you have to do is "ASK" Him- 

Lord, What is it that keeps me from living a better "clutter free" life? What is it that keeps me running away from you? Bring me closer to You Lord and help me clear the junk and muck away from my life- let me live for You Lord- In Jesus Name. Amen.

When you invite Him in, it doesn't matter where you are or what point you are at in your life. He is just waiting for you to ask Him in- invite Him into the problem or the situation. It will be totally worth it! You'll see. 

It's a cool thing actually-- when you realize you are ready for that life change, & invite God into it-- things start to change!! You might not see it at first- but things start to clear out! 

I do have to say... if you are reading this and are like "umm yeah, I've done this and NOTHING is happening Michelle--" Well, I have to say that change is coming-- If you invited God into the situation, He IS WORKING on it. We live in this "microwave" society that thinks EVERYTHING needs to be done NOW-- where to God, it's not like that. It actually says in the bible that to God, a day is like a thousand years. Think about that. Change is coming your way!!! There are a lot of different things Andy and I are waiting for even now, that hasn't arrived YET-- but we are believing and trusting that God has it under control and He will not let us down.

 2 Peter 3:8–9 reads:

‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’

*Warning*:: This "cleaning out" process might hurt-- don't let that scare you here-- it's God taking over and PURGING the negative/bad/harmful things from your life-- from the inside out!! It's gonna be worth it all- and it only keeps getting better!!! 

Below is a direct link to youtube- it's gonna bring you to a song by Rita Springer called "It's gonna be worth it". Please click on the link and take a listen! It's totally worth it... no pun intended lol

http://youtu.be/vnf21GC2aBQ

LET GO and LET GOD work in your life!! He loves you oh so much and wants you to prosper and grow/stretch you :)

Take care of you :)

UMPH...

Sorry about no post yesterday!! Blogger kept telling me there was an error occurring and would not let me post anything!! BOOOOOO!!!

Is it actually possible to be MORE positive? We all have hard days... bad days... days that just plain STINK!!! I've experienced them-- I mean hey, I am in them... 

They seem to come in waves-- like the ocean-- you're walking along the shoreline of the ocean... it's all calm and just very beautiful and breathtaking. You close your eyes & take a deep breath. These are known as the good times, the easy going times...

YAY right... well then all of a sudden-- you hear a starting of a roar in the distance- 

AHHHH!!!!! WAVES.....

Wave #1: Someone hurts your feelings- whether they are close to you- or you are just randomly affected by someone else's bad mood-- you are instantly feeling down.

Wave #2: You discover that you are behind on a bill- and it NEEDS to be paid in full- IMMEDIATELY... did I mention that there isn't enough moolah to cover it.

Wave #3: You are starting to feel sick-- oh crap-- a cold. 

~These are just some scenarios... I am totally sure you have your own "waves"~

*If any of this you feel is taken from your own personal life at this very moment, I did not tell your life story here-- it's totally an accident.*

How in the world do you bounce around after that?! How on earth do I have ANY positiveness after all the bashing of these sandy waves!!! 

Here comes that word again... POSITIVE

FORCE yourself into positive land. Yes, put some "umph" into it!!! My dad and I used to shoot hoops sometimes-- ok ok we would play HORSE-- lol!! I can remember shooting for the basket one time and missed by a LONG SHOT!!! I think the ball wound up in the grass!!! Dad said "Shelly, you got to put some umph into it". I was like what is "umph"? Standing there in front of the house on that cool evening, I learned what umph was.

Picture a basketball hoop- now picture yourself standing in front of it- you are visualizing making the basket- the follow-through-- you go to shoot the ball-- you jump every so slightly and make a UMPH sound as you do it.

So the next time you are having a poopy day... put some UMPH into it!!! Force that ball into the basket!!! 

Think on good things-- can't muster any up-- Ask yourself: What has gone on in my life that has been good? It doesn't have to be from that nasty day, week, month, or even year! Remember something happy that's taken place in your life. I know there is SOMETHING~~ think on those times-- and when that starts... you start thinking more clearly, more happy, more positive.

Next thing you know you are turning what you thought was negatives into positives -- 

Negative: You had to call into work because you were feeling sick

Positive:  You were able to get 2 loads of laundry done 

Negative: You found out about that unpaid bill and you had no money to pay it.

Positive: You were able to return something unused to the store and got money back to pay it- or the people gave you an extension to pay- or an unexpected check came in the mail

Negative: Someone hurt your feelings

(You can choose to forgive them with Jesus' help)

Positive: They came up to you and apologized! or Started acting like they didn't do anything and started treating you better-- (okay that's a long shot but I have totally experienced this!!!)

Hope this helped today!!! Remember your umph!!

Take care of you :)