Posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
On the Edge Peeking Over
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The Original AVATAR
My family and I went to see the much-hyped James Cameron movie "Avatar." It was beautiful, and contained many not-so-subtle moral lessons. I am second to none in my realization that sometimes nations and men are blinded by their purpose and stomp all over anyone who gets in their way. It is tragic and un-Christian. However, to continually beat ourselves over the head with the perceived guilt of our forbears serves little purpose. That is also un-Christian. Jesus, the original Avatar, taught us to forgive others and ourselves. We cannot go forward with any real integrity unless we are able to leave the past in the past. What has been done cannot be changed with any number of belated apologies or entitlements.
Jesus came to Earth to free us from this kind of insidious manipulation by the enemy. Satan wants us to remain captive to our insecurity, greed, lust and fear. If we can look at our mistakes and sins without rationalizing, and without self-flagellation, then give them to the One Who has already cast them into the sea of forgetfulness, we can finally learn to walk free like He did.
The God Who was and is and is to come, poured Himself into His creation. He designed this beautiful world with us in mind. He could have made it any way He pleased, but He made it to please us. He gave us senses and emotions to truly enjoy the works of His hands. Like a lover who wants to give everything He is to the one He loves, God waits to see your reaction. Will you acknowledge His love and sacrifice? When it became clear that we would tend to get caught up in ourselves and wander from His beautiful plan for us, He, Himself, came down in the form of one of us. Like the avatars in the movie, He wanted to experience life the way we do. He wanted to relate to us and have us relate to Him. It's easier to understand Him as Jesus, the man, because we are human. We have never been omnipotent gods, and could not always grasp what He wanted us to know. He came in human form to get closer to us, and allow us to get closer to Him. What a great God we have.
Jesus came to Earth to free us from this kind of insidious manipulation by the enemy. Satan wants us to remain captive to our insecurity, greed, lust and fear. If we can look at our mistakes and sins without rationalizing, and without self-flagellation, then give them to the One Who has already cast them into the sea of forgetfulness, we can finally learn to walk free like He did.
The God Who was and is and is to come, poured Himself into His creation. He designed this beautiful world with us in mind. He could have made it any way He pleased, but He made it to please us. He gave us senses and emotions to truly enjoy the works of His hands. Like a lover who wants to give everything He is to the one He loves, God waits to see your reaction. Will you acknowledge His love and sacrifice? When it became clear that we would tend to get caught up in ourselves and wander from His beautiful plan for us, He, Himself, came down in the form of one of us. Like the avatars in the movie, He wanted to experience life the way we do. He wanted to relate to us and have us relate to Him. It's easier to understand Him as Jesus, the man, because we are human. We have never been omnipotent gods, and could not always grasp what He wanted us to know. He came in human form to get closer to us, and allow us to get closer to Him. What a great God we have.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Evils of Procrastination: or The Story of My Life
I cannot tell a lie. I am a procrastinator extraordinaire. Ask my husband. Heck, ask Mama. It's one of my besetting sins. I have known for a while that I sabotage myself in a lot of sneaky little ways. Procrastination is one of them. If I can't do something perfectly, or I'm afraid I can't do it well, I just put it off until it is a non-issue or until I can further hate myself over the whole thing. My therapist and I have talked at length about my self-loathing. I feel like I have to show everybody just how flawed I am, even myself. I thought I was out on a limb with this weird behavior until I read this post from a FlyLady fan. It helped me realize how destructive my procrastination has been to me and those I love. It keeps me at arms length from everyone because I am always either having to finish up what should have already been done, letting them down because I didn't keep a promise, or making me hide because I didn't measure up...AGAIN.
The Lord is my life and my salvation. Whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
I am not afraid to share these feelings with you, readers, because I believe I am not alone in this self-loathing. I believe it is becoming more and more part of the human condition. As we see people debase themselves on TV just for money or fame; as we hear of people doing horrible demeaning things to their own children who trusted them; as we get closer to being animals and farther away from being God's children we take this horror into ourselves even when we are not the perpetrators. Pray with me that we can see ourselves as the Lord sees us...covered in His Son's blood and beautiful. We are beloved children for whom He created an entire world of wonder. He loves us so much and wants us to love Him back. But how can we when we feel failed and unlovable? Whole websites are devoted to watching people fail and hurt themselves (failblog.com). Whole websites are devoted to mocking and ridiculing people caught in embarrassing moments when maybe they felt down on themselves and didn't bother to dress up to go to the store (peopleofwalmart.com). Granted, some of those people really should have looked in a mirror, but still... This constant stream of tearing one another down only tears us down as well. Let's reach for something higher. Let's follow Abraham Lincoln's motto, "If you look for the good in people, you will find it." In doing so, we can find the good in ourselves and see what it is that God loves us for.
The Lord is my life and my salvation. Whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
I am not afraid to share these feelings with you, readers, because I believe I am not alone in this self-loathing. I believe it is becoming more and more part of the human condition. As we see people debase themselves on TV just for money or fame; as we hear of people doing horrible demeaning things to their own children who trusted them; as we get closer to being animals and farther away from being God's children we take this horror into ourselves even when we are not the perpetrators. Pray with me that we can see ourselves as the Lord sees us...covered in His Son's blood and beautiful. We are beloved children for whom He created an entire world of wonder. He loves us so much and wants us to love Him back. But how can we when we feel failed and unlovable? Whole websites are devoted to watching people fail and hurt themselves (failblog.com). Whole websites are devoted to mocking and ridiculing people caught in embarrassing moments when maybe they felt down on themselves and didn't bother to dress up to go to the store (peopleofwalmart.com). Granted, some of those people really should have looked in a mirror, but still... This constant stream of tearing one another down only tears us down as well. Let's reach for something higher. Let's follow Abraham Lincoln's motto, "If you look for the good in people, you will find it." In doing so, we can find the good in ourselves and see what it is that God loves us for.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tree the Health Nut
Hi, everybody! I've decided I'm not going to wait for New Year's to begin working on my health. Not my weight--my health. I'm never going to be a 21 yr old pole dancer. However, I can be a healthy 40 something with many years left in which to be attractive and busy and have a lot of fun. I stated on Facebook that I would post my beginning stats and before pics. I haven't got the pics taken yet, but here is the lowdown on my size and health.
Weight: 294.0
Bust: 52.25
Midriff: 53.5
Waist: 55.0
Hips/Abdomen: 59.25
Current health issues: depression, inner ear balance problem, thinning hair, sinusitis, water retention (on meds), dry flaky patch on scalp, acne, hydradenitis supparativa (underarm cysts), constipation, occasional urinary incontinence and fatigue. My blood pressure has normalized, I rarely have headaches and my stress level is better since I have been on leave of absence from work and had a few months of counseling. This may be too much information, but I feel that if I can help someone else who is suffering in silence the way I have for years, my slight embarrassment is totally worth it.
Here's the Plan
There is no magic involved. No weird concoctions to drink. This is all common sense that has nothing to do with pharmaceuticals, extreme food manipulation or expensive fake meals on wheels. Basically, just make sure that MOST of the time (like 90%) you eat foods that still resemble their original state. Raw or lightly steamed/stir fried vegetables; raw or lightly stewed fruits; fresh, lean meats without breading or nitrates (in other words not in the form of beef fingers or processed lunch slices); whole grains. No cheap white bread, noodles or white rice; if you want bread, choose only high fiber whole grain bread. A good way to get veggies is to drink V8 juices. That's two servings of veg in one serving of drink!
Speaking of drink, no sodas; not even diet. I'm convinced that many of my imbalances may have originated from my Pepsi addiction. The constant flow of corn syrup, acid and caffeine can't have been good for me. Diet drinks have artifical sweeteners, many of which are questionable if not downright dangerous (see http://www.sweetpoison.com/). If I want something sweet, I will eat fruit or use REAL sugar (brown, honey, molasses, etc). I am convinced that concentrating on consuming foods that were created by God, as close to the way He put them on the planet as possible, I will improve my health in a dramatic way. That's why I am documenting this publicly. I am making myself a guinea pig for all the common sense I have read and known to be true, but never had the courage to really try before. If I can do it, anyone can. I am the most rebellious, self centered, comfort loving person I know. I want what I want when I want it. It's my biggest battle. But I know that the future I want can't happen if I continue in this downward health spiral. Besides the health, I want to look good, too! And I want to help my children establish good habits now, so they don't have to fight the same battles I have with self esteem and anxiety.
Here are some things to keep in mind
*Fruit digests quickly, so it should be eaten on an empty stomach to avoid fermentation and gas. After about 20 minutes, you can eat other foods because the fruit will have passed on into the intestine by then.
*If raw veggies give you painful gas, eat them lightly steamed or pickled. Fermented foods like pickle, saurkraut and kim chee can be eaten at the beginning of your meal to give your digestive system some help with the process.
*Eat enough! Don't eat until you're stuffed, but eat enough. This kind of eating feels different at the end of the meal than burgers and fries or pizza. You won't feel bloated, so you will feel weird and like you need more even if you're not hungry. Blog about it, pray about it, sit and contemplate it, but don't eat more just to get that familiar stuffed feeling.
*You aren't depriving yourself, you are loving yourself by eating the things your body was designed to run on. I know this is in every diet book ever written, but it's true. You are doing something nice for you! Remember that.
Weight: 294.0
Bust: 52.25
Midriff: 53.5
Waist: 55.0
Hips/Abdomen: 59.25
Current health issues: depression, inner ear balance problem, thinning hair, sinusitis, water retention (on meds), dry flaky patch on scalp, acne, hydradenitis supparativa (underarm cysts), constipation, occasional urinary incontinence and fatigue. My blood pressure has normalized, I rarely have headaches and my stress level is better since I have been on leave of absence from work and had a few months of counseling. This may be too much information, but I feel that if I can help someone else who is suffering in silence the way I have for years, my slight embarrassment is totally worth it.
Here's the Plan
There is no magic involved. No weird concoctions to drink. This is all common sense that has nothing to do with pharmaceuticals, extreme food manipulation or expensive fake meals on wheels. Basically, just make sure that MOST of the time (like 90%) you eat foods that still resemble their original state. Raw or lightly steamed/stir fried vegetables; raw or lightly stewed fruits; fresh, lean meats without breading or nitrates (in other words not in the form of beef fingers or processed lunch slices); whole grains. No cheap white bread, noodles or white rice; if you want bread, choose only high fiber whole grain bread. A good way to get veggies is to drink V8 juices. That's two servings of veg in one serving of drink!
Speaking of drink, no sodas; not even diet. I'm convinced that many of my imbalances may have originated from my Pepsi addiction. The constant flow of corn syrup, acid and caffeine can't have been good for me. Diet drinks have artifical sweeteners, many of which are questionable if not downright dangerous (see http://www.sweetpoison.com/). If I want something sweet, I will eat fruit or use REAL sugar (brown, honey, molasses, etc). I am convinced that concentrating on consuming foods that were created by God, as close to the way He put them on the planet as possible, I will improve my health in a dramatic way. That's why I am documenting this publicly. I am making myself a guinea pig for all the common sense I have read and known to be true, but never had the courage to really try before. If I can do it, anyone can. I am the most rebellious, self centered, comfort loving person I know. I want what I want when I want it. It's my biggest battle. But I know that the future I want can't happen if I continue in this downward health spiral. Besides the health, I want to look good, too! And I want to help my children establish good habits now, so they don't have to fight the same battles I have with self esteem and anxiety.
Here are some things to keep in mind
*Fruit digests quickly, so it should be eaten on an empty stomach to avoid fermentation and gas. After about 20 minutes, you can eat other foods because the fruit will have passed on into the intestine by then.
*If raw veggies give you painful gas, eat them lightly steamed or pickled. Fermented foods like pickle, saurkraut and kim chee can be eaten at the beginning of your meal to give your digestive system some help with the process.
*Eat enough! Don't eat until you're stuffed, but eat enough. This kind of eating feels different at the end of the meal than burgers and fries or pizza. You won't feel bloated, so you will feel weird and like you need more even if you're not hungry. Blog about it, pray about it, sit and contemplate it, but don't eat more just to get that familiar stuffed feeling.
*You aren't depriving yourself, you are loving yourself by eating the things your body was designed to run on. I know this is in every diet book ever written, but it's true. You are doing something nice for you! Remember that.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
God's Cake
Well, I had a pretty bad couple of days. I had to reschedule my Dr appt because I just felt too crappy to shower and go. My husband always says, "You'll feel better if you shower." He recommends this remedy for sinus, migraine, depression...everything. Showering does make me feel better, but what about when I can't make myself care enough about myself to go do it? Today was better. I heard from my cousin whom I haven't seen in years. She had some good news for me. I also heard from a dear friend I had lost touch with. Another friend sent a great FWD email that I just had to share. It's called "God's Cake" and I have no idea to whom I should give the credit. If the person who originally wrote this happens to read my blog, I apologize for the plagiarism. It's not intentional, and you can feel free to make yourself known by commenting or emailing. Here it is:
Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."
"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter. "How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! "
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."
"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck" says her daughter. "How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! "
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
God's Loving Favor
"I (the Lord) will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." Psalm 32:8 Our family devotion this morning was so appropriate for me. I have always felt so guilty about my lack of discipline when it comes to daily Bible study and devotion time. This morning's devotion came from Joyce Meyer's "Beginning Every Day Right." She said that the devil wants us feeling guilty but God loves us no matter what. All that's required for salvation is to put your trust in Jesus and His redeeming sacrifice and power. That's all. Now, we should WANT to study the Word because that's how we get to know our God better and gain understanding of the best way to live and receive all He has for us. But He never condemns us or hates us because of our weakness and lack of discipline. Praise God for His loving favor.
I am working on a novel again. It feels really good to be writing something fun. I enjoy writing my ehow.com articles, but I have seven books in my head right at this moment that are screaming to get out. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Let me know how you are doing. You can always leave a comment, or if you have a personal question or comment, feel free to email me by clicking HERE.
I am working on a novel again. It feels really good to be writing something fun. I enjoy writing my ehow.com articles, but I have seven books in my head right at this moment that are screaming to get out. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Let me know how you are doing. You can always leave a comment, or if you have a personal question or comment, feel free to email me by clicking HERE.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Keep it Simple
I am re-reading the book Living With Less by Mark Tabb. I understand why folks say they are sickened by "The America Way." But we have no one to blame but ourselves. Think about it. We are all in debt because we want more stuff than we can really afford. We want this stuff because the advertisers have spent a lot of money telling us how wonderful our lives will be if we have it. Besides, everybody else has it. Is it the advertisers' fault? No. If the ads didn't work, if we didn't go spend the money, they would quit doing it. We can't blame the ad companies or pop culture spreaders any more than we can blame the government for our materialism. The desire for more is human nature. God gave us minds to think about decisions before we make them, so we don't have to be slaves to that urge to grasp for more. The capitalist system is not responsible for greed in America any more than the NRA is responsible for gang related shooting deaths. Individual responsibility has to come into play somewhere. We want to blame someone or something else, but the fact is we choose most of what happens in our lives. If we refuse to make a choice, that is also a choice to let things happen instead. If you don't like greed, start by looking into your own heart and root out the greed there. Live more simply yourself and be an example to others of the lower stress and higher level of quiet joy that can be had. Don't expect the government to legislate to others something you are not willing to do and espouse yourself. So. In many ways I am preaching to myself. We have a lot of stuff. Stuff I don't even see anymore because it's in boxes stored away. The next project at the Johnston household is to go through the stuff and only keep what we really love, need and use. The point of life is not the stuff we have. Our stuff has nothing to do with who we are. Our relationships define us. God created humanity because He wanted somoeone to love Him of their own free will. Did you ever wonder why He gave us a choice when He knew we would abuse it? Think about it. Would you want a love that was coerced or given mindlessly from someone who didn't know they could choose any other way? Of course not. We all want to be loved by someone who has a choice and chose us. How much more the God Who created us? So what are you doing with your free will? Don't give it away to pop culture or the propaganda of the hour. THINK and CHOOSE. Don't drift and wind up where everybody else is going.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Chivalry is Not Dead
My darling 16-yr-old daughter may have a boyfriend on the horizon. Unlike the girls on most TV shows, she has never actively sought a boyfriend. She says she is having too much fun with her friends (girls AND guys) and has too much schoolwork to worry about it much. I'd like to think our parenting had something to do with her healthy attitude, but we owe much of it to her own levelheadedness, and a lot to God's anwers to prayer.
Anyway, the other day this boy who sits at their lunch table got up and went clear across the cafeteria to get her a chair without being asked. Then the last two days he has asked to carry her books to class. She said he is shy, but really nice. He's cute, too! (She showed me his pic in the yearbook.) I didn't know boys still asked girls if they could carry their books. I'm quite encouraged. Moms, if you worry about who your kids will end up with in life, and you want them to find a love of a lifetime, start praying NOW! I've been praying for my kids' spouses since they were born. In my youth I made some poor decisions, and had my share of heartbreak. I know I can't keep my kids from ever being hurt, but I can pray that at least they will have a trustworthy, like-minded companion to be with them through it all. Drama is way overrated. I am so glad to have been with Brian for the last 17 years. We've known each other for 31 years, and we have more fun now than ever. There's a lot to be said for really KNOWING someone, warts and all. And for letting them know you, and accept you anyway. Isn't that what we all want? If you don't currently have a human being in your life to give you that kind of acceptance, please know that the Lord knows every intimate detail of your life and thoughts, and He loves you anyway! He will accept you if you turn to Him. If anything about you needs fixing, He will take care of it in His own time if you let Him. The important part is just giving yourself to Him. He'll do the rest.
Anyway, the other day this boy who sits at their lunch table got up and went clear across the cafeteria to get her a chair without being asked. Then the last two days he has asked to carry her books to class. She said he is shy, but really nice. He's cute, too! (She showed me his pic in the yearbook.) I didn't know boys still asked girls if they could carry their books. I'm quite encouraged. Moms, if you worry about who your kids will end up with in life, and you want them to find a love of a lifetime, start praying NOW! I've been praying for my kids' spouses since they were born. In my youth I made some poor decisions, and had my share of heartbreak. I know I can't keep my kids from ever being hurt, but I can pray that at least they will have a trustworthy, like-minded companion to be with them through it all. Drama is way overrated. I am so glad to have been with Brian for the last 17 years. We've known each other for 31 years, and we have more fun now than ever. There's a lot to be said for really KNOWING someone, warts and all. And for letting them know you, and accept you anyway. Isn't that what we all want? If you don't currently have a human being in your life to give you that kind of acceptance, please know that the Lord knows every intimate detail of your life and thoughts, and He loves you anyway! He will accept you if you turn to Him. If anything about you needs fixing, He will take care of it in His own time if you let Him. The important part is just giving yourself to Him. He'll do the rest.
Monday, September 07, 2009
And So It Begins
So something snapped when I turned 40, and it wasn't my bra strap. I looked back at the plans I had for myself when I was my children's age, and it occurred to me how I had consistently chosen forks in the road that led me AWAY from my dreams instead of toward them. I was going to set the world on fire with my prose and my singing voice. What I did was marry young, drop out of college and spend a number of years in underachiever mode. I took jobs that did not require me to grow so I could "concentrate on my writing." I did a lot of journaling about how miserable I was, but didn't write much of value to anyone else. I have spent most of my adult life beneath the poverty line because I was so dissatisfied with myself I changed jobs often, looking for fulfillment from outside myself. After my marriage ended, I spent a year doing many, many things I swore I would never do. God never let me go, though. He was calling to me in that still, small voice that is impossible to ignore. When I turned back to Him, He brought me a wonderful husband and two children with whom I am well pleased. Things are never perfect when you are prone to depression, but I have a great life. My kids, ages 16 and 14 are exploring what they want to do when they grow up. I am, too. I still feel like I am ready to start my life any day now, if that makes sense. Part of that may be that this world is not my home, and every time I watch the news, I am more hopeful of Christ's imminent return. Mostly, though, I know that my purpose has not yet been fulfilled. I have yet to "sing my song" as some people put it. I don't want to die with the music still inside. The advent of blogging seems custom made for folks like me. I hope that the things I have learned, the stuff I make up, and the feelings I share will encourage, entertain and touch many.
Please feel free to comment on what you read here. Please keep it clean and respectful, even when you disagree. A lively exchange of ideas can be a lot of fun, but only when all the participants feel welcome and valued. (read my posting rules here)
Please feel free to comment on what you read here. Please keep it clean and respectful, even when you disagree. A lively exchange of ideas can be a lot of fun, but only when all the participants feel welcome and valued. (read my posting rules here)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)