A Mother's Prayer

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Even Christians at some time in our day or sometimes in everyday, we sin by mouth , eyes, or even ears; but by asking God to forgive us, he does. That doesn't mean we get to go out everyday and sin, it means we recognize our sins and pray for the fortitude not to sin those sins again. Some find new ones and think that is okay, but we know it is not. Our commitment is to not sin,and to be praying a consistent prayer with God all day asking him to guide us away from sin. But Satan is a strong enemy and we must be aware of the worldly things around us, (which is pretty much everything) and find our own way in the world not giving into to worldly ways.
We lose friends over this, we make enemies over this, we lose family; but our promise is that at the end of time we will be re-united with those we love at God's right hand and if we want that to be our children, then we must take the time NOW to discipline them along those lines.

I spent some time last night reading through a notebook my son had written in during his stay at the last rehab facility he was in. My heart was lifted when he spoke about falling on his knees in gratitude asking for forgiveness. It is every Christian mother's dream to have one or all of her children find their way through the Holy Spirit. It would be nice if they could find their way without having to reach the bottom, but as a mother, I will take it any way it comes to them.
Many spend their days focused on the lack of everything we do not have, when in reality, it is what keeps us from attaining those things. Focus on what we have and thank God for it everyday with the idea that God already knows what you want and it is coming to you; but it is in his time. Do not be discouraged, God is bringing you what you want so express gratitude for it, as if you have already received it and you will begin to see it surfacing in your life.

My prayer to God today is recovery for my youngest and the removal of the blinders on his eyes, and the plugs in his ears so he may see and hear what is coming his way. Thank you, Lord for caring for him and being by his side through all that he has allowed himself to go through. Give him patience and fortitude until it appears.

Ingrained Motherhood

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I have just spent 4 days with no knowledge as to where my youngest son (26) was and if he was safe for the second time in 1 month. What are we to do as mothers when mothering is so ingrained in us? This month I have heard phrases like " its all in God's hands," Don't worry, he'll be fine," "What are you doing to keep your mind off him,"It's already up to God, so there is nothing you can do about it, just move on." None of which has given me an ounce of peace. I even spent a day at a Pastoral Conference where they were focused on the assurance that God exists. Well, I know God exists, and I know he was with me and my son, but I have never been able to draw enough comfort from that to let things go. Does that make me less Christian, less of a believer? I don't even know. The only thing I know today is that no matter how good a parent you are, you can never know where Satan will surface in the life of one of your children. The one saving grace in all of this last experience is that he is my one child that not only does believes God exists and that Jesus came to save us from our sins no matter how bad you have been, or how much of Satan you have acknowledged, you need only to ask God for forgiveness and thank him for what he has provided you with and ask him to open the Holy Spirit within you. I don't mean running with Satan forever, I mean for that moment in time.

My son has lived his adolescent, teen, and now adult life using some form of substance to stuff down inside of himself, something so unbearable that he is afraid to actually let it run through his mind. Millions of people live this way, but the true thing about life is that there is nothing so unbearable  locked in one's mind that will make you burn in Hell at that moment or any other moment.

Our God is a gracious God, he readily forgives, protects, and saves you when asked. That doesn't mean you can continue down the path you are on and just choose your own time to ask for forgiveness. It means when you ask for forgiveness, repent, and follow the word he has sent to us; you can depend on him to respond. With eyes wide open we may actually see the signs he has sent us to change our lives. I am no saint, but every day I try to do something for another with no expectation of return and pray that I am pleasing to God.

I know l lot of people are thinking (as if a lot of people are reading this...lol) everyday, really? Well, yes everyday that you are able. One of the mornings I was waiting for word about my son I was awakened early, I don't know by what and I went outside and this is the gift that God gave to me:

I have a friend that on his 90th birthday slipped and fell in his driveway rendering him bedridden after surgery for many weeks, with a broken hip. He had just recovered from a fall that injured  his shoulder, but he soldiered on and the only thing I ever heard him say about that one was "Thank God my daughter was there when I fell." After the second accident the family thought he was facing his last days, but it turned out that he had an intestinal problem that made it impossible for him to get to the bathroom on time and he was reluctant to get out of bed. Once it passed though, he was like an Olympian training for a race. Each time I saw him he would show me how he could get himself out of bed and scurry down the corridor with the use of his walker. The only thing he ever said about that incident was "Thank God the Verizon men working across the street saw me fall and were able to call 911." To me that proves that God exists and that our faithful devotion to him will see us through everything we encounter. However, when it comes to motherhood  my senses go numb. My friend is a God loving, Christian man and nothing seems too difficult for him to choose not to move forward. I hope that is something my youngest son can find and learn to live with, because then he can teach me.

A week before this last incident with my son, I was in his hospital room while he went to take a shower. As I looked into the corridor, I saw, on an open door across from me, what looked like a row of paper dolls were ingrained in the door. As I looked further I realized they looked more like a row of paper doll angels because wings were visible in between each one. I know that many do not believe that God sends us signs, but this to me was a sign that God would guide my son through this. However, there was some point where my son changed his mind about recovery and went on a rampage of destruction and deceit which was totally out of character for him. I shiver at the idea of how he will feel when he realizes that this wide eyed blackout he has been in these last two weeks, has made him do things he would never have done in a sober and Godly mind.
He has a long road ahead of him and I will pray daily that God will guide him in this journey and make it difficult enough for him that he never wants to start over like this again.

Thank you God for keeping him safe.

The "Gift" we have already been given.

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I found the power of forgiveness this week. Tough lesson, and a long time coming; but so powerful. The burden that it releases is so full of emotion, but so peaceful in the end. Faith is a feeling... not a thought. How strange that it takes so long to learn something so simple. It makes one wonders how long they have been sleeping. This is the difference between the conscious and unconscious mind. Finding the inner self is a journey worth taking, as long as the path is clear. Many get hung up on the path itself and forget to listen for the directions. It is not the path, but the voice that comes from within; leading the way. An open mind can be a scary place to be for some, but the only path to peace is to open it up, and let faith guide one through the journey.
When we harbor ill will or blame others for our unhappiness, pain body, and sadness; we collect and carry the weight with us for a long time. Learning to immediately release forgiveness is the only way to stay on a peaceful course. We have already been given the directions, we just have to read them everyday and believe they are the truth. The truth is in the word of God, the only laws are God's laws and when we find them, we must commit them to memory. We must make them the language we use, the thoughts that we have, the information we share, and most of all, the way we live. So much comes in return, although following these laws does not guarantee reward or even compensation, the act itself is reward enough. To see another experience the joy of being forgiven, is joy enough to last a lifetime. To be forgiven is a gift we have already been given, we just have to use our faith to accept it. It will always be worth it in the end. Open your mind today, and if you hear nothing...open the BIBLE and read the truth.

"We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with."

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 My post yesterday talked about how, after reading a comment a woman made on a

NAMI blog, set my mind to reeling. Well, it did not stop there. It seems that this one discovery had led me down a path, not by my own choosing but on the path anyway. The attempt to shake my faith failed, and I am here to tell you that that is how fleeting moments are, and how powerful they can be. The devil slides in whenever he can and tries to take our faith from us. He is constantly trying to break our faith to satisfy him/herself. I was happy to read this today that led me back to the path I belong on.

"We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with." Roman 6:6 

I was barely a glimmer in God's eye, yet part of his plan long before I was born. We were all there on the cross in Christ's heart. This is explained in Roman 5 12:21. Here Paul explains that we were all subject to death through Adam, so we can all receive the gift of  new life through Christ. 

"There is still sin in us, but it is no longer my master. Jesus is." When he died and rose, so did we, and that reality changes everything. 

Whatever is happening in our life, even when we sin, we must all remember that Christ has already taken our sin, not that that is an excuse to sin, because it is not. But staying on a holy path each day may be a struggle, but to be worthy we  commit to try, EVERYDAY.

Lord, Help us to believe in the transforming power of the resurrection in our own life.

"It's easy to forget that what I feel is not nearly as important as what I know."

Image via Wikipedia" You believe at last, Jesus answered. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Jesus prays for all believers:
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me that they may be one as we are one." John 16: 20-22
 Jesus has told ust hat we should not fear the things taking place in the world, because God is with us at all times. He also told us what would come and what we should do about such things.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." - spoken by Jesus in Matthew 5:4.

We should mourn for those that died in Japan and pray for those that survived that they may have peace dealing with such loss.

I have set my rainbows in the clouds between me and the earth!

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What do we say? Japan is under attack...yes, attack. The whole world is watching and it is time we all paid attention. This is not doomsday, it is a wake up call. God told us to expect things like this, but who is really listening? Are you? I am, and I am taking steps in my life to make sure that my family and I are prepared for whatever is to come because I know that "we are not ALL God's people," YET! He says not everyone will get to be with him. Will you be one of those left behind?
Genesis 9:12-17 (The covenant that God made with Noah and his sons) And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy ALL life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all the living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."
I don't see doomsday in those verses, do you? What I do see is that God has told us what is NOT to come, but he has also told us what IS to come. There are signs and we must be watchful of the signs and be prepared, as believers, to be with him everlasting.
Pray for Japan that all people there see this as a sign of everlasting hope, not death.  Pray that the survivors find peace after losing so many. Pray that the God's word is heard in Japan, everyday. That's what I plan to do.  How about you?

With God all Things are Possible Good or Bad

I had a very perplexing day yesterday. Everywhere, everyone is talking about the disaster in Japan. Confused by some reactions of how people are saying that we should not pray for them because they are an Atheist country. Really! There are also Christian survivors there that have lost loved ones, and Atheists that have lost loved ones. We should pray that all of them find peace from all that they have lost.  We should also pray that many will see this as a sign of what God told us would come our way. I am not saying this as a doomsday post, I am merely saying we should all at all times be prepared for his coming by accepting Jesus as our Savior so that when our own time comes we are prepared. That is what love is about. Loving all that believe AND do not believe.  It is our purpose to share the word of god with others, but it is EVEN MORE PURPOSEFUL now to empathize and pray for those that have lost so much and so many.  Even more pray with gratitude for all that we have. Being grateful everyday for all that God has given us, and that is EVERYTHING.

Remembering that everything is thought first, think only good thoughts. Praise God with gratitude that we are not the survivors of such a tumultuous disaster, but remembering that we could be at anytime. Are you ready to leave this earth?
The greatest fear that most people have is the "fear of death," but those that have accepted Christ as their savior do not fear death, instead they believe that whatever happens in their life God is always with them. Relieve yourself of the greatest fear, the Fear of death, and realize if that is greatest fear, then "Fear is not a rational thought."This is a thought that I often play in my mind when plagued by Agoraphobia (fear of open spaces.)
My family's cookbook called "Traveling Recipes" is for sale as a pdf file on Etsy, all of the proceeds this from the sales this month are going to Autism Intervention Specialists.
Also try to turn the world BLUE on April 1,2, 2011 for Autism Awareness

Image by nikkorsnapper via Flickr

Ever since I watched the movie, "Clancy," the other night, I am reminded of how she (Clancy, the young girl in the story) explained God to the transient that was caring for her after she ran away from home. She told him that the greatest fear that most people have is "the fear of dying." Which I certainly agree is true.  My other personal thought is that people are afraid to open their mind because of what they "fear they will find there.." Both statement are true and tie together. 
If one believe that God exists and that he gave his only son to save us from  our sins, and we are all sinners, (think about it, we all sin, everyday); then we should not fear dying, because we know that God will take care of us. That being said, why bother with the other fears, when the greatest fear is the fear of dying? Stop fearing death by believing that God sent Jesus to save us from all of our sins, not just the ones we have already committed, but the ones we will commit, from now until we die. How simple is that?  
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13)

Read, learn, talk to others, and discover whether or not you believe that God sent Jesus to save us from our sins, and when you realize the truth, stop fearing death and don't sweat the small stuff anymore, and open your mind. Right?

God has Such a Great Sense of Humor

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The Universe has such a strange way of letting us know what is going on. I was talking to one of my aunts today and I mentioned that I was more spiritual than religious (or Christian) and she pointed out what people actually perceive when they hear either of those words. Christian brings Jerry Falwell to mind, and Spiritual brings Shirley MacLaine to mind. Funny thing is I have nothing in common with either of those personalities, and my spiritual self is my Christian self. I guess it is the same as using God vs Universe in conversation. I guess when you go through experiences where you relate to others what it is you believe, one has a tendency to draw back from the truth, afraid what others may think. I thought I had done away with that when I learned "It is not my business what others think of me," by Eckhart Tolle. I guess I have to work harder.
During the conversation I mentioned to her that the Universe was sending me mixed messages lately like when I worked at the church bazaar last week and I was once again, in the middle of my two sisters, Martha and Judy. The woman on my right was named Judy and the woman on my left was named Martha. Even though my sister Judy is dead, I am still in the middle of them both, and I never should have been. I was the youngest, not the middle child. Oh well, I went on to point out to my aunt that my father must be trying to get a message to me also, because the morning after the bazaar I found my father in the kitty litter box...I know weird right? Actually his picture fell off the wall into the litter box below it.
But I digress. So I was walking the other night and some things were running through my mind and a conversation I had with one of my aunts came through, and I was suddenly struck by the sheer joy of it. She asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I said "I want to be an inspiration to others, to make a difference." The thing that made me laugh was that I have just decided to join a Direct Sales company which is something I shared with that aunt, and I remember feeling that we were inspiring others. As a matter of fact, I know we were. We loved what we were doing and we did it really well. So here is the answer to her question coming about, but what is the Universe trying to tell me about my sisters and my father. He is probably trying to get me to make up with my oldest sister, after our falling out. I am too comfortable to do that though. It seems that I like a lot less drama in my life these days. I am not angry with my sister, I am just enjoying having my children to myself, and I hope she is enjoying the same thing. But who knows...maybe I should ask Shirley MacLaine. What does my father being in the litter box really mean? lol
God does have a good sense of humor, right?

I AM REALLY STRETCHING THAT COMFORT ZONE!

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I am really stretching the comfort zone today. I wrote to Ellen DeGeneres and asked for her to have the "cash for clunkers" to come to Norton, MA for me.
I recently wrote on one of my blogs, about how I went to the Dollar Tree one day and found two books that changed my life; they were "I'm Proud of You," by Tim Madigan, written about Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers); and the second is called "The Prayer of Jabez," about how Jabez asks God to "Expand his Property" and God answering his prayer. "1 Chronicles 4:9-10"
The first book left me feeling curious and confused about why Fred Rogers was asking Tim Madigan's brother, who was dying of cancer, to pray for him,(Fred) and the second book answered that question. Fred Rogers developed a very close relationship to Tim Madigan and his family, especially when Tim's brother Steve, was in the final stages of Cancer. During that time one of the last conversations Fred had with Steve over the phone, he ended the conversation with, "Please pray for me Steve." Asking a dying man to pray for you seemed confusing and even a little frightening to me. It was a concept I had never considered, but then I read "The Prayer of Jabez," by Bruce Wilkinson, and my question was answered.
In "The Prayer of Jabez," chapter 2 is titled "So Why not Ask?" and in it are a couple of paragraphs that tell a story about Mr. Jones getting to heaven and how when Peter has finished giving him a tour of heaven, Mr. Jones asks why Peter has not shown him one particular building and Peter answers with, "You won't want to see what is in there." Mr. Jones persists, and Peter relents, and lets him in. When Mr. Jones opens the door, what he sees is a room filled floor to ceiling with shelves, and on each of the shelves are white boxes tied with red ribbons. Mr. Jones notices that there are names on them and asks Peter if there is one with his name on it. Peter says that there is, so Mr. Jones enters the room and finds his box. What he finds inside are all the blessings that God has had in store for Mr.Jones' whole life....but he never asked for them. The idea that God wants us to ask for ourselves, is a new concept to me, and one I am trying to find comfort in, but here I am trying to teach THIS OLD DOG SOME NEW TRICKS, TO BREAK OUT OF THIS PRISON IN MY MIND CALLED AGORAPHOBIA. And the answers come to me in two $1.00 books, that just happen to be in front of me, and I just happened to have a couple of dollars to buy them with. It is a powerful message to me and I have shared this message with as many people as I can, because I don't want another day to go by without others realizing that this is what God wants for us. God wants us to be happy, for him to be happy, simple...but true. "Pray for me."

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I was reading a post in a thread on Powerful Intentions. A woman posted that she found herself in tears, crying that she was unable to give even something small to a few children. What I saw about her post was beautiful. In the few moments that she was crying...the answer came to her. She remembered that she had a resource she had forgotten about, and she made that resource the way she would both give and receive that year. IN HER TEARS, SHE "ALLOWED."

"The Secret," "The Law of Attraction,"and "The Law of Abundance," all teach us that it is when we "allow" that what we desire, is given to us, or shown to us. It is through our "feelings" that our desire is expressed, and the answer is shown to us, or our desire is received.

I am not saying that when we don't get what we want...we should sit down and cry, and that is not what this woman did. I am saying that in order to receive what we desire, we must feel that it has already been received, or it is already on its way, and so it is, and it shall be. We only have to ask the Universe once for what we desire, it already knows, and we must feel it...already on its way to us, and feel that we are receiving it, and so we will.

I was listening to Joyce Meyer the other day on television; she was talking about how God always answers our prayers, but sometimes the answer is "NO." That made me begin to think in a different way about what and how we ask the Universe. The answers are always there, it is how we listen to, and for them, that they show themselves. We are the only one that can change our life, it is in our own realm of existence to make the necessary changes to our life, to accomplish, or reach the goals we choose. I am going to reach my goals this year, because I am going to listen for, and to, the answers that I am given. I am going to follow the "instincts" that I have always known exist in me, and I will take the time to listen to and find the answers that are being shown to me.

What are your goals for this year? What do you hope to receive? What do you plan to give? These answers are all crucial to reaching our goals, and having what we desire in our life for the coming year. Ask in your prayers or in your communication with the Universe through meditation, to me they are the same. I pray during meditation and I pray to God during prayer. Everything around me is telling me to listen better this year, and that is what I'll be doing...LISTENING.

Sign Up for Powerful Intentions - Powerful Intentions

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JOIN THE MOST GRATEFUL COMMUNITY ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET. WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR TODAY! Lao Tzu the author of "The Tao Te Ching" , which is what Dr. Wayne Dyer based the book "Change you Mind, Change Your Life" on, said "If you only have one prayer to offer in a day, the prayer should be one of gratitude." I am grateful for the air in this room, (without it I would die)...THINK ON THAT!

SWEET NOTHING IN MY EAR!

Image via WikipediaDon't miss this wonderful movie with Marlee Maitlin and Jeff Daniels, Sunday April 20, 2008 @ CBS. A WONDERFUL FAMILY STORY ABOUT A FAMILY STRUGGLING AND LIVING WITH THEIR DEAF CHILD.
CATCH A PREVIEW HERE
READ THE SYNOPSIS AND DON'T FOR GET TO ENTER THE HALLMARK SWEEPSTAKES.

IMAGINE...A WORLD FULL OF FRIENDS!

Image via Wikipedia "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay awhile,
make footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same."
Anonymous

When I first read the quote above, I thought, the author was referring to death, but then, as I read it again, I realized that death is not the only separation between friends and family. In the course of our life, (even though life is only the dash on your gravestone between your date of birth and your date of death, according to Eckhart Tolle)we naturally come in contact everyday with someone new, it can be a quick "Hi, nice to meet you," or it can be the beginning of a long standing friend or life partner. All of the connections should be made in the same way. I believe that it is important to treat everyone as if they will become your friend. Make no assumptions about what you see in their face. "It is not your business what others think of you", that is the greatest lesson I have ever learned, again from Eckhart Tolle. If you treat every person as though they are about to become your life long friend, you will have no regrets.

A life with no regrets should be the life we live everyday. Not to diminish that sentence with an old adage, but "make everyday the first day of the rest of your life." Make it a point to greet every person you meet, with the mind set already planted, that they will become your friend. Imagine, a world full of friends....WOW!

THE COST OF MEDIOCRITY!

Image via Wikipedia"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."
Wayne Dyer

This quote would have meant nothing to me, had I not been awakened by “The Secret” and transformed even more by Eckhart Tolle…and of course Wayne Dyer.

I read something today in a message from Mike Glaspie that reminded me of that quote.
“Successful people talk about , think about and test ideas. Unsuccessful people talk about and think about people.”

ALSO:
“The price you pay for mediocrity is more than the cost of success.”

In the past year, the way my mind has developed through many hours of personal effort and study, has made me realize the truth of all those quotes. Simple but clear statements that define my new life. I do not care to judge others and I very carefully pick and choose what I think about and talk about. It is a joyful, everyday, effort that I have reaped huge rewards from. I have been happy to share it with friends and family and see the ways that this has also affected them. It is my pleasure when I see that in others.

I wanted to end tonight with a humorous note, and when you see the content you will understand how the tiny miracles in my life show up, this is from my jounal:

So, I am sitting here at 9:30 still have not written my blogs for today and I am enthralled by this pdf file I got in my email today about a case study that shows people are more attracted to negative headlines than they are to positive ones. I am just turning to page 7 when my cat POGO jumps up on the back of the chair next to me to get in the window. Well, he should know by now that it is a no no…but he’s a cat, what can I say. I get him out of the window and go back to page 7 and see this: TRICK #6 CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT. Welcome to what Michele and Kristine call Annie’s world…Meanwhile the cat got back in the window and got really mad when I tried to take him down…They are new blinds…but he doesn’t care.

Make a choice to watch it, read it or live it…but at least try it, and remember this:
THE SECRET

Thoughts do become things.
There are no coincidences.
Miracles are all around us.
Ask, Believe and you will receive.
It all begins with baby steps.