Yesterday I went with my hubby and granddaughter to the movies. Our plan was to take her to see Rio 2, however, it was sold out. Our second choice was, ‘Heaven is Real’. I actually wasn’t disappointed because I had been wanting to see it anyway. I went in with high hopes for the movie and left full of emotion and very pensive. It bought back so many great memories and also caused me sadness. Read the rest of this entry
In the beginning, it all came so easy. I started Weight Watcher’s, changed my diet and began losing weight. I was feeling so good. I had more energy. I felt like I had finally conquered, what I call, “The thorn in my side”. After getting married and having children, I always seem to struggle with my weight. This time however, I really believed that the struggle was over. I even stood up before our church congregation and told them that I finally was in a place of victory and I wasn’t going back. WRONG!!!!! Without warning, I was completely blindsided! Like a boxer, in round 2, I was feeling a little weary and out of focus. Suddenly, I was hit with a left, then a right and BOOM, the uppercut made me weak at the knees and I was down for the count! “One, two, three…….” Read the rest of this entry
I find such peace and solace when I look at the sky. I love to capture the beauty of it on my cellphone camera. I am not a professional photographer, by any means. However, I would really enjoy spending a part of my day pretending that I am professional (Does a professional use a cellphone?).
It just seems that when I look up, I see artwork. I see pictures in the clouds, the hues of the light, the sunbeams, the brightness of the moon against the night and the twinkling of the stars make up a story. Each story speaks to me. It ministers to the deepest parts of my heart.
On the day I took this picture, the sun was peeking out from behind the cloud. It reminded me that no matter how dark things may seem to be, all it takes is a little light to brighten things up. Jesus is the light of my life. Although, there may be times that I feel like darkness is trying to overtake me, Holy Spirit always reminds me that He is with me and then, I can see the light peeking out through my situation.
There is no cloud (problem, situation, etc.) that can keep the light (Jesus) out!
There’s been a funny kind of rumbling in the pit of my stomach. It isn’t a pain or anything physical. It’s much deeper than that. It’s very much real and alive and growing within me. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is but, I can say that I know it’s the Lord. I have been asking Him for more. I have been telling Him that I wanna go deeper and Higher (only in God can we go deeper while going higher). I am running towards my destiny but while on my way, I have to tread over hills and mountains and sometimes trudge through muddy waters but, I know that my journey, the good and bad, is full of lessons and reminders of all the promises given to me by the Lord. However, recently I have been getting very small and quick pictures or words from Him (the Lord). It’s like a puzzle being slowly put together within me. I actually feel like I am a student in HSU (Holy Spirit University).
Let me see if I can explain this a little better for you. Have you ever woken up from a very vivid dream and in a very short time, those clear images that were there, begin to fade? As the day goes on, you get small flashbacks of your dream but it still is not clear enough to make a full story out of it. You know the dream happened, you know it was vivid but you also know that outside of your sleep state, the picture is not clear enough. Suddenly, there comes a time that you get a much bigger flashback and then you really start remembering major points of the dream. Do you know what I mean? That’s what I have been experiencing. The difference is, that it’s not a dream I’m trying to remember, it’s a spiritual placement, a positioning that I’m trying to get into. The Lord is giving me flashes and quick pictures of this place but, not enough for me to fully comprehend it yet. Be that as it may, I trust Him completely and fully. I’m excited to see the outcome and can not wait for that “suddenly” moment when the picture becomes clear.
In the mean time, I’m going to strive to do well while attending HSU. I will study and pray. I will listen attentively to my teacher and I won’t ever be afraid to ask questions and seek after the answers. I will never be a graduate of this University but, a lifetime student and I’m proud to say that! I never want to feel like I’ve reached the top. How disappointing that would be if there were an end to how high and how deep we could go in the Lord. I’m excited about this time of my life and I am so looking forward to my new position and placement!
I moved, however, this move did not require much labor what so ever. This time I did not need to pack any clothes. This time, I did not have to empty out kitchen cabinets or even the fridge. This time, there were no glasses or china to wrap in newspaper. This time, there was no need for a truck or even a car. I did not even have to buy paint, furniture or cleaning products for this move! This move did not take place because I was unhappy. It was only so I would have a stronger sense of security. The only concern I have regarding this move is, YOU!
I would hate to think that we could lose contact. What if we can no longer share stories with one another? That would be quite sad because I really enjoy the time I spend sharing with you and you with me. HEY! I have a great idea! I will leave behind some of my things, that way when you come and visit, you will know that I WAS here, but I still want you to find me at my new location so I will leave you this note:
Dear Friend,
I am no longer at this address but, I have not gone very far.
As a matter of fact, I am a little easier to find. I have left behind a few old things that you will recognize but, I will have some new things for you to enjoy. Please come by and pay me a visit so we can share some time together. Feel free to bring friends and family along. The more, the merrier! My new address is: http://www.weightingontheLord.com. I hope to see you there soon!
Your Friend and fellow Blogger,
LEA
Hello everyone!
I wanted to let you all know that I now have a new and simpler address. Please follow me there to read my newest post: http://www.weightingontheLord.com.
Let’s continue on this journey together! See you there!
Your Sister and Friend in Christ,
Lea
Yesterday I had a discussion with one of my daughters. She was upset about having to do something she really did not want to do. I became frustrated at the thought of her lacking appreciation for “how good she has it”, and with that, I began to think…..
How often do I gripe and complain to the Lord? Unfortunately, I have done it too often. A great example of my complaining would go something like this: “Lord, I have been asking you for (whatever) for so long. I have been trusting you and believing for it. I have faith that you are going to do it, BUT why haven’t you?” or like this: “I am so tired of driving children around, washing dishes and cooking!”. I can only imagine the look on God’s face while I whine over silly things. He probably looks over to Jesus, and says; “Can you believe her complaint? She continues to ask me for things I don’t want for her. I have blessed her abundantly but, she has not been able to see it because her focus is on what is not for her. She says she is tired of driving children while, so many are childless and have no car to drive. She’s tired of washing dishes in her air conditioned home and cooking food that she is able to buy every week.” Oh Lord, help me to see! I don’t want to be a selfish, spoiled rotten and an unappreciative daughter. I want to always be thankful for what I have and trust your reasons for what I do not have.
What about you? Have you been a whiney baby lately? Do you need to take your focus away from the things you are complaining about and start focusing on the things the Lord has already done for you? We all need to be grateful to Him because if it were not for Him, where would we be? Think about it…….
I learned that any sort of change takes work and commitment. An example of this would be, if you want to build muscle, you must workout and lift weights consistently. If you want to be smart, you must be willing to learn and study and so on and so on. Some change comes faster than others. I realize that when the Lord is doing a change in someone’s life it always starts from the inside and works it’s way out. For me, it’s been a slow tedious process. Holy Spirit and I have grown closer than ever because I am learning to stop and listen. Like I shared in my previous blog on June 2nd, ‘Higher Focus’, I always allowed my spiritual ADD to keep me from focusing on what the Lord was saying but now, I make it a point to ask, “what are you saying, Lord?”
This past Sunday (June 3rd), Pastor Eric (my hubby) preached an amazing, eye opening message about Martha and Mary. His message was unlike any other I’ve ever heard before. It made me ask myself a question that I knew the Lord Himself wanted me to answer, not because He didn’t know the answer but because He wanted me to be honest with myself which leads to honesty with Him. The question was; “would you admit when jealousy rises up? “Jealousy? I never thought of myself as a jealous person but, the question triggered me to search deep within and I pulled out the dirty truth. I did harbor silent jealousy, especially for other women that were well organized, tidy and seemed very self confident. I was making comparisons that kept me from seeing the wonderful things about myself because all I saw was what they had, what they did, how they looked and how they lived. It has always been easy for me to advise others about, “thinking the grass is greener on the other side” but I was not heeding to my own advise. Now that I can see the time I wasted in comparing, I will take time to see the beauty, gifts and talents that the Lord has blessed me with and give Him the praise for them.
Sisters, I lovingly ask you the same question; would you admit when jealousy rises up? give it some serious thought. Let go of the comparisons and start to see just how blessed, beautiful, talented and amazing you are. Psalms 139:14 says; “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…..”, and that scripture is speaking of you. You were created by an awesome God. He even has the hairs on your head numbered. He chose your eyes just for you. He painted on your smile and gave you your own special laugh. Your personality was designed specifically for you. You are special!
As I continue to allow Holy Spirit to teach me about myself, I invite you to also allow Him to teach you about yourself. The lessons can be painful, tedious and exhausting but they are always eye-opening, rewarding and worth it. Take time everyday and ask, “what are you saying, Lord” or “what are you showing me, Lord?” And then be focused and listen for that still, small voice.
Today, while sitting in the salon, I found myself thinking about something that I always say; “I have spiritual A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder)”. Sounds crazy, huh? Well, it’s not. I believe that it has been a huge part of my problem. I have never been able to focus on the Lord the way I’m suppose to because I am always trying to figure things out. What I mean is this: When the Lord speaks to me (and He does), I quickly interrupt with questions and “what if’s?” I stop listening and start talking which, quickly takes my focus off of Him and puts it on me. Honestly, all He wants is for me to listen because His words are full of life and answers. He already knows what I’m going to ask before I ask and He has the answer, I just HAVE to Listen.
Our lives are overly consumed with things we have, things we want and things we want to get rid of.One day we are happy, sad, angry and then on other days, we simply just don’t care. Well, for me, my life was consumed with the issue of weight loss. Living my life with those unwanted pounds brought the good, the bad and the ugly. But, does it have to be that way? Is there a way I can live a life of thanksgiving, satisfaction and great expectation? Of course there is and I want to share that story with you!
I have always enjoyed good food but as I allowed that pleasure to become an extreme comfort to me, it threw things into a whirlwind. No matter how I was feeling, or what I was going through, I continually ran after the tastes and the texture of food. The feeling I would receive while indulging in a plate full of food, a snack or a dessert was borderline obsessive. The consequence became weight gain which led to insecurity, which then led to depression, which then opened the doors to laziness, strife, and so much more.
My issue with weight has caused me to open up to the process of reevaluating myself.I have tried losing weight many times before but gave up when I didn’t have speedy results. This time around is different for me. I have accepted the “process”, that is, I am willing to lose this weight moment by moment, day by day, step by step. These days, I remind myself that “none of this happened quickly and none of it will be changed quickly.” I have found great satisfaction knowing that it’s not by my might or my power but, by the might and power of the Lord! Surrendering was the key that opened the lock and now, it’s a new day!
I am excited about the revelation the Lord has given me! The answer did not just revolve around losing the weight but realizing why I gained weight and the consequences of my actions. I made a conscious decision to do something about it and research foods I could enjoy while dropping the habit of giving into excessive comfort. The Lord wants us to take pleasure in things but never to replace Him with those things. I also realized that I needed to get myself more organized, something that was lacking due to the laziness that the weight issue brought about. In times past, I would become completely overwhelmed by the thought of tackling such a big job of losing weight, until I heard the Lord speak to me; “why does it have to be a big job? One thing at a time and it will get done. It’s a process”. That was all I needed and I have begun to walk through my process. I am seeing the change take place. Now, as they say, I can “take the bull by its horns” and hold on without giving up when the ride gets tough. Every day in this process is a new chance at success and victory over what I allowed to become demons in my life.
We must always take into account that one bad apple can ruin the entire bunch. One lousy decision can alter many areas of our lives. Because of decisions we have made and situations we have been placed in, our lives have been molded. And although the mold will not always have a good outcome, it can be used to give GLORY TO GOD! We have to make a conscious decision to reevaluate our lives and our behavior while facing the honest truth about ourselves which will then allow for change. I realize that some days will be harder than others. Some days, I may not do as well but I will never accept those days as failures but only as lessons that will help me to aim higher.
Believe it or not, many things in our lives can be a powerful testimony that can encourage and lifts others up. This is why I share my story with you. It may be a slow process but, it will be a long term victory! I will continue to “weight” on the Lord as I do what He directs me to do! My testimony is being added to and now it’s time to add to yours. Let’s do this together!
weightingonthelord 