Perplexed

People so often can be hard to figure out, can’t they?

I mean, life is complicated and full of change.

People often change not only their minds, but their hearts, too.

So, really, it shouldn't be a surprise when someone(my son) tells me the very opposite of what he just told me a few weeks ago. But it did...Long story, short...after many shaky months in a relationship(especially a few weeks go.) he now says he loves the woman he is dating...and he is very adamant about it!

Have you ever felt confused, amazed, or perplexed by what someone tells you? I looked up these words in a Bible word search and several Bible verses came to my attention. One that specifically caught my attention was Acts 2:12.

 

 Looking into the context of Acts 2, Paul was talking about the confusion the believers had about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They didn't understand why and how this could happen. Was this from God or from Satan? Was this a part of God's plan or something else? It was all perplexing to them and they wanted to know more...

Other Bible texts that also revealed people who were in a state of confusion included:

Mary, Jesus' mother, when visited by the angel - 

·         (Luke 1:29) "But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be."

When Paul was brought before Festus and the charges against him couldn't be proven - 

·         (Acts 25:20)  "Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things."

Paul's letter to the Galatians(as his new converts), showed his confusion and concern for them, when he was all at once treated as an enemy because he insisted on God's truth. - 

·         (Galatians 4:20) "...but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. " 

*An interesting description of Paul's relationship with the Galatians, as written in "Matthew Henry's Commentary" of Galatians 4:19-20, also made me consider how similar it is in my own relationship with my loved ones.(specifically, my son)

“That the apostle might the better dispose these Christians to bear with him in the reproofs which he was obliged to give them, he here expresses his great affection to them, and the very tender concern he had for their welfare: he assures them that he was their friend; nay, not only so, but that he had the bowels of a parent towards them. He calls them his children, as he justly might, since he had been the instrument of their conversion to the Christian faith; yea, he styles them his little children, which, as it denotes a greater degree of tenderness and affection to them, so it may possibly have a respect to their present behavior, whereby they showed themselves too much like little children, who are easily wrought upon by the arts and insinuations of others. He expresses his concern for them, and earnest desire of their welfare and soul-prosperity, by the pangs of a travailing woman: He travailed in birth for them: and the great thing which he was in so much pain about, and which he was so earnestly desirous of, was not so much that they might affect him, as that Christ might be formed in them, that they might become Christians indeed, and be more confirmed and established in the faith of the gospel.

As further evidence of the affection and concern which the apostle had for these Christians, he adds (Gal. 4:20) that he desired to be then present with them—that he would be glad of an opportunity of being among them, and conversing with them, and that thereupon he might find occasion to change his voice(opinion) towards them; for at present he stood in doubt of them. He knew not well what to think of them. He was not so fully acquainted with their state as to know how to accommodate himself to them. He was full of fears and jealousies concerning them, which was the reason of his writing to them in such a manner as he had done;”

What's more, in verse 11, Paul goes as far as doubting whether he made a mistake in his efforts and prayers.

• Galations 4:11 - "I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain."

Wow! I am feeling a lot less alone in my confusion and perplexity when I read these Scripture verses! Even Paul doubted himself at times.

So many times, it is difficult to know about people and what to say or do in certain situations. Do I have all the right information? And if I do, is this God's will? Should I pray for the person to succeed in their decision or for another change of heart, especially when their current change of heart brings me much concern? I'm not sure if there is a straight answer to these questions. So many uncertainties are involved. I do continue to pray, but my prayers lately are much more vague and less specific. I also pray for wisdom, understanding, and enlightenment from God Himself. May He reveal to me(and them) His plan, as I continue to pray for my loved ones, thus ridding myself of some of the confusion.

Maybe you also are feeling PERPLEXED by a situation(or person) that is not making any sense...especially if you thought you were on track with where God was leading. May you also find clarity and may His will be evident.

As an end to my post, I wanted to continue to list some of the things I am grateful for, that God continues to allow into my life... for God is Good all the time!!!

#1816 - Relaxed summer days, watching lakers float by from my patio chair.

#1817 - Taking my sister out for lunch on her birthday, along with my mom.

#1818 - Beautiful early morning sunrises.

#1819 - Having my two doggies to hang out with at home.

#1820 - Taking walks and finding beautiful signs of God's creation.

#1821 - A day out in the boat, fishing with my mom and hubby.

#1822 - My hubby and I catching lots of fish on Father's Day weekend...a perfect gift for him to receive!!

#1823 - Cooking up a delicious breakfast for my hubby on Father's Day.

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

(1 Chronicles 16:34)

May your week be full of God's love and goodness!!

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Strength and Courage in the Lord

Have you ever felt weak and full of fear?

Have you felt surrounded, and maybe even swallowed up, by the struggles and people who seem to be out to harm you?

I think most of us have at one time or another.

I have felt that fear and feeling of dread more recently in my sleep at night. I have woke up a handful of times with an overwhelming sadness and heartache. I know the moment I awake that the enemy has put fearful and lying thoughts into my head...yet they seem so real and true.

I pray fervently for satan to leave and for the Lord to fill my heart with peace and truth. I also read God's promises from His Word that we are not to fear, but to trust in Him alone, and remember that He is always with us. These things have been effective to bring me comfort and I am able to fall back asleep peacefully.

I am reminded that we constantly and continually need to be ready to fight against the enemy's attacks on our minds and bodies. I know that especially when we are in prayer and fasting over a loved one's salvation the devil comes at us with more force and drive. My hubby and I have been in daily prayer over our son's life decisions and that his walk with the Lord would be renewed. I believe that is why I have been attacked in my sleep at night. He tries to go after me with negative and fearful dreams, while I am not fully concious.(I am not usually a nightime dreamer, either.)

In times when we feel oppressed by the enemy, by feeling fear or weakness, I am so glad He has given us these promises:

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

What wonderful assurance we have that God will never leave us or forsake us. He is our strength and courage!!

Once again, I'm sharing for "Multitudes on Mondays", as I  Dare to Share some of the gifts that God has been so gracious to put into my life. 

#1807 - Eating fresh fruit(strawberries and cherries) from the local produce market.

#1808 - A warm breeze on a hot day.

#1809 - Safe travels when visiting our son in Detroit.

#1810 - A beautiful, sunny day at the zoo!

 #1811 - Colorful artwork on the wall of a Mexican restaurant we ate dinner at.

#1812 - The unique and creative kinds of animal life that God has created.

         

 #1813 - Being able to spend a fun and enjoyable weekend with our son.

#1814 - Cool evenings sitting with my mom by our lake, watching my hubby fish off the pier...so peaceful!!

#1815 - Spending a wonderful afternoon with my friend and sister-in-Christ!!  

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,

    and give thanks to His holy name!

Psalm 97:12

May your week be full of God's love and goodness!!

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The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

Hello, friends in the Lord! I pray you have had a good week and as we begin a new week, may you find many new blessings to be thankful for. When I read the picture statement below, it made me think about all of the many different moments we experience each and every day.

This listed only a handful of the moments we can encounter in an hour, a day, or a week. It is amazing how our experiences can change from moment to moment...how one minute things are going well, then out of the blue a difficult situation erupts. Hearts (and mouths) turn down. Things may even get ugly, or dull, or just plain unglamorous. How easily these things can affect our mood!

A few moments later, we may feel inspired by someone's words or actions. We may read a scripture verse or quote and soon we feel uplifted and even grateful for the blessings we see, once again. 

This seems to be the circle of life...there are ups and downs...the good, the bad, and the beautiful. 

Today, once again I am trying to be thankful for the big and the small things over the past week. These things help me not only to look at all God has blessed me with, but also helps me to have a more positive outlook and hopefully be more positive in my words and actions every day. Feel free to join me in listing what you are grateful for, as well. 
#1800 - Being able to enjoy a steaming cup of vanilla chai latte' every day!!

#1801 - Spending an awesome day checking out garage sales and taking my friend out for lunch for her birthday.

#1802 - Enjoying my two fur-babies...as I look back at past pics, in honor of "International Chihuahua Appreciation Day".

#1803 - Catching 4 nice bluegill off of our pier...having a fish dinner.

#1804 - Spending time with my hubby and not having to think about what my mom is doing, as she spent the weekend with my sister.(Some ugly with this also, but I will share about that another time.)

#1805 - Finishing the pergola we started putting together last week.(There still will be some changes/things added to this patio, but we did get the pergola up!)

#1806 - Another sunny day, even though it still is cool out for May.

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;(1 Timothy 4:4)

Have a blessed week ahead!!

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Big Reminder to Myself - Have an Attitude of Gratitude

Well, once again I have(as they say) "fallen off the horse"....

I've been wanting to start my gratitude journaling again for a few months, but it has been a bumpy beginning. First, family stuff distracted me. Then, the gross weather drug me down, followed by getting started on spring gardening and cleaning. I know none of these are good excuses, but they are the excuses I have used to keep me from sitting down and sharing what I am grateful for.

This is not a new hardship for me...I've tried it before and dropped the ball a number of times. I know...we are all human and we all make mistakes. But this time it has had an obvious affect on my relationships with loved ones. My hubby said just the other day how much he has noticed this and it has definitely not allowed us to be as close as we had been. I know it has affected other relationships, as well.

You see, when I don't count my blessings and in the process have an attitude of gratitude, I end up a negative ninny!! And honestly, who likes being around a negative person? I don't even like being around myself when I get into a negative state of thinking. 

So, once again I am turning in prayer toward God for the strength and ability to stay positive every day! I need to keep up on writing on my gratitude list every week (eventually I hope to list things every day, but I'm taking baby steps, so as not to become too discouraged starting out again.)

Please keep me in your prayers, friends!! I really want to keep it up this time!! I will be also sharing verses and quotes that are reminders to me and anyone else that needs encouragement, that having gratitude is important to our everyday lives.

 "...if joy is a matter of gratitude, and gratitude is a matter of perspective, then giving thanks changes not only your perspective — but also changes your life."

Continuing to list all that I am thankful for:

#1791 - Planting some lovely, colorful flowers in my planter pots.

#1792 - Seeing new life on our lake...a family of Canadian geese.

#1793 - Our pontoon boat that was not running right, is now running much better, after my hubby worked on it for several days.

#1794 - Spending a gorgeous Mother's Day with my mom.

#1795 - My hubby serving us lunch "al fresco" on Mother's Day.

#1796 - Getting a new pergola for our patio area. Putting it partly together with my hubby.

#1797 - Having my step-daugher and her family stop out for Mother's Day with a flower and card.

#1798 - Getting a phone call from my son, who wished me a happy Mother's Day, too!!

#1799 - A cool rain on a Monday morning...God watering all my new flowers!!

Psalms 136:1 

"O give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endures for ever."

Have a blessed week ahead!!

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Making Solitude Time With God

Some people would say my hubby and I have a pretty quiet, laid back life.

• We are empty-nesters.
• We live in a cottage, on a lake.
• We are just a few years away from retirement.(I actually stopped working last year.)
• We are currently not involved in a lot of community/social groups.

But a quiet life doesn't mean there is lots of time for solitude and seclusion from family activities, daily responsibilities, and time that the two of us spend together. In fact, there are times I really crave solitude with God, but it just doesn't come that easily. (And when I say "solitude" I don't especially mean a devotional time in the Word and/or prayer. I am pretty much able to do that every day.) I mean just getting away from all of the schedules and business, t.v. and computer, and just making time to gather my thoughts, rest, and relax. 

We have a small lot, which our cottage is situated on. There are two different patio areas - one on the lakeside of the house and one on the roadside. In the summer, we use the lakeside area for entertaining quite a lot. The other patio, though, is not real functional, currently. Our grill is located there and we have a small table and chairs, but never really eat at it, as there is no real shade or privacy. Well, I'm very excited to say that that is going to be changing soon! 

My hubby just purchased a pergola kit and will be putting it up there! I already have been dreaming and planning what I want this peaceful spot to look like. Here are some pictures from the internet that caught my attention...

all photos can be accessed through my Pinterest Board

I hope to start several vining flowers to grow over the top of the pergola. I also would love to purchase a sitting area...possibly an outdoor daybed or sectional set. Once the spring weather decides to arrive and actually stay - we have had a rough April, with lots of wind, rain, and temps in the 40s-50s, I hope to make this area my outdoor solitude spot!! Currently, my only real "inside" solitude spot it in the bathtub, when I take a long hot bath, which is fine, especially when the weather is nasty - like today!!   :-(  But, I just love being outdoors and in the beauty of nature. I look forward to this addition to our little cottage!!

Do you have a place of solitude that you like to go to (or have a dream of the kind of place that you would like to have time away in solitude and seclusion from people and daily activities)? 

The Word encourages us to take time away from daily life...

In Old Testament Times God’s People Practiced Solitude

“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the ‘tent of meeting’… The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.” (Exodus 33:7, 11)

“[Elijah] went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him… a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:9, 12).

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” (David; Psalm 23:1-3)

“Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.” (Lamentations 3:28)

Jesus Practiced Solitude and Silence (If He Needed it How Much More do We!)

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them.(Luke 4:42)

“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)

Solitude is Important for Spiritual Growth

“But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Jesus’ Disciples Prayed in Solitude and Silence

Peter went away from his traveling companions to go into solitude and silence and seek God. He had a vision and heart the voice of the Lord three times. His experience led to the Gospel being spread among the Gentiles. “About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened…” Acts 10:9-11).

The discipline of Solitude is an excellent tool to build our relationship with Christ! For some people it may take time to practice and get used to it, but once you do, it is a phenomenal way to build intimacy with Christ and take in the goodness in life! It will become a "personal retreat" of sorts. Whether you spend 20 minutes or several hours there, it should be your very own space.

I realize that most people cannot build their own secluded spot, but usually we can look for similar spots in a local park or a corner of your yard. When I worked, there was a private corner between the two buildings on the property, where I would go back to, over my lunch hour and enjoy the woods and nature. Wherever you go, make it your own little spot, if possible. Turn off your phone and computer and take in the beauty of the Lord!!

Have a blessed weekend!!

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When Memory Fades...

It was November of 2011...I was a newby still - it was only the second time that I had officially posted on my blog. I wrote on my experience of my son (then only 18 years old) having accidently hit his head and having a concussion. The fear, anxiety, and frustration were all there in that post.

When You Get the Dreaded Phone Call

An excerpt from that post: 

"He can’t remember and keeps asking questions from one minute to the next….my heart aches for him in his frustration to remember. He starts to panic…..I remind him to stay calm. Can we make it home before he loses it? We do, but even then he can’t relax at home…..questions and more questions (yikes! Will he be like this the next 2-3 days?) Please, Lord, bring back his memory! ...later on, I start to feel the release of my emotions from the stressful evening and shed some tears! Oh, the things we endure as parents! We love, yet at such a cost!!!"

As I read the post again, I almost had a feeling of de-ja-vu! Was that experience a foretaste of what was to come....this time with my mother, instead of my son? The only difference is that that was a temporary memory loss and this time it is progressive and permanent. Same emotions, same fears, different generation. 

As a main caretaker, there are good days and not-so-good days with my mom. Don't get me wrong. I love my mom more than anything. But the repetitive questioning, childlike behavior, and inability for her to process any deep thinking or decision-making can wear on my patience. I definitely have realized my own need for the presence and patience that only God can provide. If, like me, you are one of the estimated 15 million Americans caring for someone with dementia, you know that it’s a uniquely devastating disease. Dementia—the most common form is Alzheimer’s—robs you of the person you love. It attacks memory, personality, language, and physical abilities. It can last for years, even decades. And it has no cure.

I know that over time, my mom's dementia will only get progressively worse. That is why I try to appreciate the good times that I have been blessed to have  to spend with her. Several months ago I made the choice to quit my job and be one of the main caretakers of my mom for this very reason. Those days and moments can be cut short at any time. I know that, even on those days when it is more difficult to have patience and endurance, I try to keep reminding myself that the days are short, compared to what time I may still have with her. I pray for strength and am so thankful that I can go to the Lord, Who...

...is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.(Psalm 28:7)

No matter what kinds of difficulties and trials we may be going through in our lives, we can lean on our Lord to strengthen and help us!! He provides all of our needs!! Praise Him!!

May you all have a blessed week!

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