God's goal for you in life.

God's goal for you in life.
Life goes on, move with it

Thursday, July 29, 2010

thinking of my blessings

Today I am thrilled thinking of some amazing news. I am blessed beyond what I thought I could ever be. God is so good to me and my family!!!

Why am I so happy? I'm not really sure. I guess it could be the news I have, or the fact that we have had a great vacation with my husband, or it just could be that I am over tired. lol Anyhow, I'm happy so I'm not complaining about it. :)

Too many times in life we sit and wallow in our own depressing thoughts, what ifs and how comes... If we are so consumed with the what ifs in life we miss out on the amazing things happening all around us.

I'm hesitant to share my news on the internet for now but there will be a day soon I will share it. (No I am not pregnant!) Suffice it to say that God has answered our prayers in ways I could not have imagined. He always surprises me in how awesome He is and how He nurtures us so much. :o)

So what does this news mean to me and to the family? Well, now we can move forward with our lives with a bit more comfort and take time to enjoy God's glory even more.

I was talking to a friend the other day about how our life has been so crazy. She told me that I needed to give things to God and then let go. Her words were convicting to me mostly because 1) I knew she was right and 2) I didn't want her to be right. lol

At my house we have a saying for situations like that.... If the person talking to you is being convicting we tell them they are "talking"... that implies I do not like what you are saying so stop talking please... he he he
So I told my friend to stop talking and we both laughed...

There are many times I feel God is asking me to give my problems to Him and I refuse to let go of them. He can't help me if I won't let go.

Think of it this way. If you are vacuuming a room and your 5 year old wants to help you out. He comes over to take the vacuum from you so he can help. You don't want him to take the vacuum because you know you can do a better job at it. Do you let him take the vacuum from you or do you tell him no and do it yourself, in the process hurting his feelings... Or do you wish he would just say you know mom/dad I know you are trying to clean the room so I will leave you alone to do that.

I know you all wish the little child would leave you to your vacuuming because you can get it cleaner in a faster amount of time. Right? Well, thinking of that analogy, compare it to our problems and God. Are we letting God have the vacuum or are we insistent on helping Him solve our problems? Well, I have news for you, He doesn't need our help, none of it, zilch, nada, nothing. He is really capable to handle anything that comes our way. He can protect us, guide us and watch over us every moment of every day.
so let Him do just that.

Well, that is all for now. Good night. :o)

Trisha

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

changing my mind

I started this blog this afternoon titled I am lost. Earlier today I had been going through some really trying times. I had told Mike that I would read Proverbs and fast. Well, before I knew it I was mindlessly eating and Proverbs hadn't been read today. : ( How many times do we say we will do something only to get distracted with something else? Well, it happens to me quite a lot. I have to determine in my heart first, then in my mind, that I will spend more time with God; worshiping Him, praising Him and most of all praying to Him. Reading scriptures daily has never been my strong suit. I don't think it is a strong suit for many people. Spending time with God is a necessity of anyone's spiritual life, and something that is usually pushed aside.

So, here on the internet, in front of how ever many people actually look at this, I am committing myself to read the Scriptures more and praying (praising rather then asking) to God more during my days.
I pray you do also. if you do, please post it here for all to see and hold you accountable. I find that if we are not held accountable we tend to become lax and not reliable. Whether it is diets, stopping a bad habit, or spending time with God, accountability goes a long way. So please hold me accountable.

I am not lost anymore, He found me and saved me by shedding His righteous blood. Thank you Jesus! 

Good night to you all. I'm praying for you. :o)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

our filing cabinet

Today has been the third day in row I found myself sitting on the couch organizing papers. Why do I have so many papers you might task. My kids were in public school for a period of time; 3 years for Daniel and 4 for Adam. Adam, being special ed, ended up with the most paperwork... of course.
Why is it that we feel we must keep every little scrap of paper the school gives us? Now, don't get my wrong, I am very good at throwing junk papers out. Reports on grades, behaviors, meeting and IEPs I keep. After organizing them I find I have a binder full of papers, just for Adam! Yes, when the kids were homeschooled, being in NYS we have a lot of record keeping and report filing for homeschooled students. However, I have never had this much papers to keep.

This makes me think, what does God's filing cabinet look like? When we are unsaved we have all these papers being filed about us. Each and every time we sin a paper goes in that file for us. Each time we screw up or need correcting a new paper goes in the file. After just a couple of years you can imagine just how full the average person's file must be. I know, I know, the average person is not an ax murder or a pathological liar, right? Well, maybe not but the unsaved are sinful. So are the saved. But I thought that the saved were in God's glory, how can they be full of sin when they are in God's good grace? Back to the filing cabinet, will we?

The unsaved have a large file of sinful acts, even the little white lies are in the file. The file stays there accumulating paper after paper... even after it seems like it will be too full to fit in the cabinet. The saved also have a similar folder. The difference is with repentance after salvation.

Each time a saved individual sins, for any reason be it minute or huge, the paper is added to his/her file... When one repents, (ie: confesses and ask for forgiveness) that paper is then removed and covered with the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross, making it unreadable.... no longer available for God's recall. As a saved person this gives me quite a bit of hope. It doesn't give me the right to go out and sin, but rather gives me comfort in knowing that when I do sin it it has been reconciled for through the blood of Christ.

To me this makes sense and helps me understand a spiritual aspect in a secular world. If I have confused you or if I am mistaken in something, biblically, please correct me. :) 

Thursday, July 8, 2010

I love my husband

Ephesians 5:22-28; Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

A marriage is more then just two people living together having relations... it is more then two people  sharing their lives together doing similar things with each other. It is two people, under God's blessing, committing their LIVES (not a period of time) to each other with no strings, prenuptials, or other legal mumbo jumbo....

There have been many times in the last 16 years that Mike and I could have split up, even a few times that I wanted to leave for good. But I knew in my heart that wouldn't have been the right thing to do. I'm sure when we got married we were totally unprepared for the lives God had laid before us. But did we quit? did we leave or bail on each other? No. Why?

Well, to us, marriage is not a commitment before men but a commitment before God himself. are we qualified to break that commitment? I do not think so. So, what if the marriage turns out to be more then we bargained for? What if I decided that Mike was not the right guy for me or if we "fell out of love"... what then? Well, under the commitment I made before god that is just too bad.... If I want a happy marriage then I need to work on things. Do things and take steps to rectify the marriage I let slip away... things didn't go bad from one particular moment in the middle of the night while we were all sleeping. Things got worse, we went our separate ways, over time... without even noticing most likely... So it takes work and effort to fix the problems, to mend the hurt, to set right the wrongs. Relationships fail for one main reason... two people stop working at things. It takes two to tango as the saying goes... So, it took two to let the marriage go down hill it takes two to fix it up again.,... It is fixable, no matter what the problems, if both people work at it and give God the center of the marriage place where HE belongs!

I do not mean to be preachy here. I just mean to elaborate my reason for writing this today... I love my husband!

Mike is not perfect bu the is wonderful. No matter what we have been thru, all the ups and downs, he has stood by my side with loving arms ready for me to be held in. There have been times when, as I said, that I wanted to leave, to run away from our marriage. Now that I type that I am horrified at that fact, but it is true. There have been times when his lack of understanding upsets me so much. The way he handles situations is not only much different then the way I would but it confusing to me when he explains his perspective.

What Mike is is caring, thoughtful and loving. He is patient and understanding of all my faults. Like today, with it being so hot..., all the stress I have been under, the kids not really obeying, Adam having his own teenage issues, and the house looking a mess I was very under the weather mood wise today. He came home, gave me fresh picked berries (which he hates btw!) and made me fresh homemade berry jam (that he finds disgusting to eat btw). He is wonderful and kind and caring. He forgives me of my faults daily, sometimes moment by moment... He is the man that God has brought to me and he has worked his way into the very depths of my heart.

So today I challenge you. If you are married or engaged or dating, ask God to show you the love that Ephesians talks about. If you do not have that love, seek it, work for it, pray for it. If you do have it, praise God. Tell your loved one how much you appreciate them for all they do out of love for you.

Read Ephesians together and challenge your relationship to it's words...

Tell your spouse you love them and mean every word of it. :)

Trisha

Monday, July 5, 2010

more poetry

Today I was thumbing through an older notebook while I was riding in the car out to Avon. Mike was driving and I was thinking. The boys were chatting and being goofy as usual.
In this notebook I found some poetry I wrote a while back and forgot about. I thought I would share those poems with you, my reader.

My Prayer

Please, Lord, always know that you always come first in my life
Without you I would have no life, no breath, no soul
Without you I would have no desires to worship you, love you, praise you

I would not be
Fullfilled
content
happy
loved

Without you I would not be whole

My Life is Yours Lord

My life to you I freely give to with as you would wish
My heart is a lump of clay for you to sculpt and to mold
My hands are on puppet strings for you to move about
My lips wish to always move to your thoughts and your will
My eyes sparkle with the light that can only come from you
My desire is to be like you so plaease show me how

A Maiden with a Dream

A maiden was I who dreamt of a life of missionary work
but time took over and children came, my marriage seemed complete
I always thought one day I might dream that dream once again
It is remembered on and off but it was never forgotten
India was that dream once dreamt but now I wonder
God's will is not very clear but I wish it to be so
To be a missionary is my life long dream you know
To show the world your love is forever on my mind
Show me oh Lord, what you desire from me today
To be your hands and feet on Earth is my daily wish
My heart and mind to you I give today and always
Please guide it as you wish and make it shine for you
Make me a missionary no matter where I may be
Zimbobway, India or the good ole US of A
My life to you I freely give for you to shine through


So, that is my poems. Hope you enjoyed them.
God Bless!

no idea of what to say

Sometimes we are speechless because we are taken by surprise. Other times it is because we are confused. Today, I am a bit speechless partly because I am overwhelmed.
I feel as if God has me in the waiting position... you know the kind, hurry up! hurry up!!! oh, wait... UGH!!!!!!

Church issues are predominately the issue I am concerned about. My mind is clouded with Adam's testing issues for this school year, Adam's school placement for next school year, how God is working in my life, what ministries He has Mike and I in... or starting... or finishing.... teen age boy hormonal issues (primarily Daniel) and lots of little things to complete around the house...

With all of that I am left waiting......... waiting....... waiting..........

I feel like God says hurry up!!! hurry!!! then oh! wait. UGH!!!!! Now please do not get me wrong. I am not holding any grudge or animosity against the Lord here. I just wish I had some answers.

I'm not a patient person. When I was little I used to tell my sisters Patience is a virtue I do not have. 25- 30 years later, I still have not mastered that virtue. Will I ever? By the grace of God I hope so.

By the Grace of God go I because if it is left up to me I fall on my face way to often!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Adjustatorium

"Adjustatorium" is a word I saw on Cati Gerwitz's blog this morning. www.fabulousstroffee.com/ It is an unusual word and it caught my attention... From what I can see on Google's search for the word, it is a place where chiropractic patients get adjusted. But to me it means so much more.

Our life is living in an adjustatorium. God gave us this Earth to live on and be happy. He gave it to us as a way of telling us He loves us. We have taken this beautiful world and are not so slowly destroying it. Now, before you get preconceived ideas of me I am not one of those "save the environment - go green" types of gals. I am however, a gal who likes to be a good steward with the wonderful things God has given me. That being said this new word brings ideas to me head.

Adjustatorium is a place (at least to me) where everyone needs to be at one time or another. We all need an adjustment from time to time. In our lives we tend to go our own way, not God's way. Our ways leave us unprotected and heading into danger. God needs to sometimes throw things at us to adjust our direction. We need, in a sense, an adjustment.

So, as you go along your day may you end up in the Adjustatorium if you head off track. God will always give you the adjustment you need, we just need to go sit in His waiting room and ask Him.

God Bless, Trisha

Friday, July 2, 2010

my poetry from camp

I promised you the poems that I wrote while camping. I finally had a moment to type them out. They are below. If you like them or not, please comment.

Poetry written at Lazy Lakes while camping 2010

LOVE

Missing my husband
Giggles, laughter, joy
Nibbles, pecks, kisses
Arms around
Hands gooching
Sweetness



CREATING

Sawdust in the carpet
Hacksaws lying about
Wood in pieces
Making designs
Creating masterpieces
Keeping busy
Being happy
Mike


TENTING

In
My tent
I like to sleep
Cocooned in a sleeping bag
The sun is rising, the frogs are singing
Breakfast sizzling on the fire
Lots of hiking, biking and fishing
Children catching fish down at the pond
Catch and release fish, wish I could keep
Days gone by, now it’s time to go home
Wish I could stay, but not today
Tear down the tent, pack up the car,
Sadness comes when we are on our way
Home is home, but camp... is pretty special.



RAIN

Rain, you make me dreary
So plwease go away
The flowers need you and so do the drops,
But I would rather not visit with you all day.
So please keep your
Visit short and sweet
Next time we meet.


OVERCAST

Cold
Rainy
Dreary
Dark
Blah
Clouds just go away…

BIKING

Wheels go around
On the smooth ground
Coasting along
Singing a song


GRILLING

Steaks hot dogs
Potatoes, Rolls
Corn, baked beans

Ahhh, now I’m hungry


MIKE

Creative juices
Flowing through
Hands that God made
Objects coming to life
Before our eyes
Right in Mike’s hands
Swiftly smoothly
With little effort
What a gift from God.


RAIN

Wet
Cold
Dreary
Plan changing
Tent dripping
Roof pounding
You stay inside
Outside pauses
Thunder claps
Lightening strikes
Torential
Drizzle
Sprinkle
Rain

RAIN

Really
Annoying
Insistant
Nuisance

FIRE

Fire
Crackling
Embers
Light the sky
Logs
Glowing
In a ring
Toasting
Marshmallows
Perfect for s’mores
Warming
Toes
And my nose (and little kid’s noses)
Parents
Talking
Enjoying the fire

MUD

Slimy, oozy, squishy
Right between my toes
Gross, wet, sloppy
Seeping in my pores
Brown, grey, black
Turning everything dingy
Rain is making puddles
Puddle are getting bigger
Oh, I hate mud!

SHOWER

Hot
Steamy
Humid
Lather
Scrub
Clean

Relaxing………


SLEEPING

In a tent
Cold as ice
Wrapped in a
Sleeping bag
As the air around me
Cools for the night
I lay here feeling
Warm and tight
On a bed of air
I am off the ground
Tired and happy,
Comfy, safe and sound
MY BEAR

Since I was 12
He’s been around
Watching my bed
All day and night
Red pajamas
He still has but
The hat and scarf
Are now long gone
Tan, matted down fur
And worn out nose
He’s lost his mouth
But a smile
He still brings
To the little
Girl inside me
That never grew up


GOING HOME

Going home
Saying good bye
But our time is done
The fun is over
Back to my life
I’m going home

poetry

Poetry can clear the mind.

While I was camping the rain and mud really got to me. I get frustrated and bummed... so I wrote poetry. (I will put on my blog soon, just not tonight, sorry.) Anyhow, I find that no matter what I am feeling writing helps me. I can be depressed, happy, sad, frustrated, giggly, angry, or just plain normal and when I right it is if my mind gets a the moment I need to regroup and refocus... I love writing. I love reading too.

Reading the scroiptures is a wonderful pastime of mine. Some people say it is boring and I can agree with them a very small bit. I find though it is only boring whne I do not put my mind to it. When I let me mind wonder while I read or when I am too tired to focus on the words and meanings, then it gets boring. When I read I always find new things out, even if it is a passage I have read a zillion times.
So, next time you get feeloing off, try writing or reading... broaden your mind and refocus it ont he important things in life. :)

Trisha

Thursday, July 1, 2010

home from camp

Hi Everyone!!!

Well, we are home from camp. It was sooooooooo nice to relax......... :)  The water, the trees, the clear sky (when it wasn't raining that is) and wonderful friends, all gifts from God. Even the rain, albeit annoying and mud creating, is a wonderful gift from God as it makes the plants grow and gives us one of the basics of life; water...

Ok, so now that I am home I am TIRED. We didn't do much today when we arrived home. We did some minor cleaning and a bit of unloading the car but there is still much more to do. Right now I am off to bed, in an actual bed and not on an air mattress. he he he

I wrote a bunch of poetry while I was camping and would love to share the poems with you but that will have to wait till the morrow...  I bid you a good night and a restful sleep.

God bless you all and thanks for the prayers!!!
Trisha