Praise

      -Praising, or singing to God, both in Long Term Care and at church,
is important to me. Because I can't talk, of course my praising has to be
somewhat different from other people. But, to God, praise is praise. As long
as it comes from a sincere heart. There are several reasons why praise is so
important to me.

Probably the most important reason for praising is simply that He deserves
it. When I think that God sent Jesus to die on the cross so I wouldn't have
to go to hell, how can I not praise? In addition, there all the benefits
that come with being a Christian. Healing, for one. And, then, there is the
hope of Heaven. If nothing else, that is definitely something to look
forward to!

Another reason that praising is so important to me is that it helps to keep
my focus on God where it should be. It is pretty easy to keep my focus on
God at church but not so easy the rest of the time. That is why I have
music, almost entirely Christian, playing most of the time. Especially in
afternoon, when I have to rest in bed, I like to "sing" along to the music.
It is pretty hard not to keep my focus on God when I am praising Him. Most
of my music is Christian but I do have a bit of classical. For some reason,
classical music always makes me want to praise God.

My life is tedious so I am always looking for something to help me pass the
time. Praising God does that. It is amazing how much faster the time goes by
when I am praising God rather than thinking about myself.

Praising God at church makes me me feel more like I belong. There are so
many church activities that I can't be part of that I often feel like I am
on the outside looking in. But, when everybody starts to praise and worship
God, that is one thing I can do along with everybody else. Even if my form
of praising is not quite the same.

Finally, praising is an anti-depressant for me, just like reading the Bible
is. When I am feeling frustrated and depressed, if I have the sense to MAKE
myself start to praise God, it is usually not too long before I start to
feel better. The operative word, though, is "make". When I am feeling down
like that, the last thing I want to do is praise, God or anything else. At
church, it is usually not such a struggle to praise. I admit, though, that
there are times that all I can do is praise though the tears. But, if I keep
at it, I soon feel better.

So, then, even though I praise God because He deserve it, there are also
plenty of benefits for me.

Things I Have Learned, Part 2

    -Awhile ago, I wrote about some life
lessons that I have learned over the years. This time, I believe I will just
add to that list.

L have learned that, if you care about somebody, you do something to show
it. Even the Bible mentions not loving in just talk but also in deed. And
then, of course, there is the old saying, "Actions speak louder than words".
I know that, in the past, I have been guilty of it myself. Sometimes, it was
simply not knowing what to do so I would do nothing. Even now that I am a
Christian, it is sometimes easier to think "I will pray" and leave it at
that. I usually do pray but, after a few times, it often slips my mind.
Another problem that I have is that I got so wrapped up in my own misery
that I don't pay attention the hurts of others. That is is so wrong. True, I
am pretty limited in what I can  do to show people I care but I can do
something.
Even if it is just to smile at somebody when I don't feel like smiling. My
point in all this is this. After so many years in hospital, I have learned
the importance of having people show that they care.

I have learned that there are two sides to every story. Over the years, I
have heard a lot of stories, usually about a spouse or some other person. I
have
learned just to listen, and sometimes pray in my mind, and not, usually, to
try to give advice. I have come to understand that the other person has
their side of story and it may be quite different.

Kind of similar is that I have learned that my perspective on what I am
going through is probably quite different from the perspective other people
have of my situation. But what really matters is not my perspective or the
perspective of other people. What matters is God's perspective of my
situation and things will turn out according to His perspective.

I have learned over we never know what another person is going through until
we have gone through the same or very similar circumstances. For example, I
have never had to deal with marriage problems so I have no idea what people
in that situation are going through. I can pray but I really can't give
advice as I can't relate.

I have learned that we really don't know what we would do in somebody
else's situation. We may think we do but it is not until we are in the same
situation that we find out for sure. I will use finances as an example. I am
far from rich but I have plenty for my needs. When I hear of somebody with
financial problems, I may , in my head, know the Biblical principles that
they should employ but, unless I am actually having financial problems, how
do I know
if I would even use them?

I have learned that it is ok to vent once in awhile. Most people need to
"let of steam" on occasion. The main thing, though, is that, once the vent
is over, is to get back on track and "keep on keeping on". Because I can't
talk, venting is not quite so easy for me. But, between speech board and
e-mail, I manage quite well. For me, it is important who I vent to. When I
am already feeling sorry for myself, the last thing I need is somebody to
give me a lot of sympathy. On the other hand, a lot of "pat" answers will
probably just upset me more. One friend will say something stupid and make
me laugh.

These life lessons sound good but I wonder if I will remember them when I
really need them?

Favorites

  -This time, I am going to do something totally different and list some of my "favorites".  I have absolutely no idea why I am doing such a thing! I just know that, one afternoon, out of the blue, the thought came to me to share some of my favorites. I am not sure if it was the Holy Spirit or not, but I figure, why risk disobeying Him by not doing it?  So here goes:

My favorite color has always been green. I don't wear a lot of green but I like to see it on other people. Anyway, I figure that God must like green as He put so much of it in nature!

My favorite pastime is reading. I have always been a voracious reader. Even now, I do a lot of reading on my computer. I read the Bible a lot but other things as well, including a lot of classic English literature. Before the stroke, one of my favorite pastimes was curling but, of course, I can't do it now.

My favorite type of food is Ukrainian. I first learned to love it by visiting my mother-in-law. She made the best Ukranian food. Good thing, though, that I don't get it too often or I would be 600 pounds! Another thing I like, probably too much, is chocolate.

My favorite season is winter. Especially if there is lots of snow but not too cold. I used to cross-country ski and it can't be too cold for that.

My favorite holiday is Christmas. Not only is it in my favorite season, I like that there is more of a focus on Jesus at that time. Plus, I love Christmas music, decorations, exchanging cards and gifts, eating Christmas baking, etc. There seems to be an atmosphere at Christmas that isn't there the rest of the year.

My favorite tv show is hockey. I mostly watch tv to help pass time but do limit it to evenings when I am too tired to do much else. Once in awhile, I do watch a documentary or a movie (if I can find a decent one) but I mostly watch sports. When it is not hockey season, I watch other sports but hockey is my favorite.

That is just a few of my favorites.  I still don't know why I wrote this but I did. 

My Ice Bucket Challenge

Oh What A Friend

-One afternoon, when I was resting in bed, I was
listening to the song, "What A Friend We Have In Jesus". (I love old hymns)
I started thinking how having Jesus for a friend is very much like having a
really good human friend Only better.

My really close friends love me. At least, I think so. Still, their love
they have for me is, I know, nothing compared to the love that Jesus has for
me. My finite brain cannot grasp the depth or extent of that love. All I
know is, "Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so".

Really good friends know me.  They know what I like and what I don't like.
They know how I think. Who, then, knows me better than a good human friend?
Nobody but my Heavenly Friend, Jesus. The one difference is that, if I want
to, I can hide things from my human friends but there is no point trying to
hide anything from Jesus as He knows it all anyway.

Good human friends are faithful. Not just when I am polished up and behaving
nicely but also when I am feeling frustrated and out-of-sorts. I used to
think that, by the time I am healed, I won't have any friends left .
But, my really good friends are probably going to stick around.
Unless, of course, out of my frustrations, I do or say something that sends
them away. But I know, thankfully, that I can never get Jesus to leave. In
fact, when I am pretty much having a meltdown, is often when I feel His
presence the most.

Human friends are such a comfort when you are hurting. Even if they don't
know what to say to make me feel better, just knowing that they are there
to share my sorrow is often enough to make me feel better. How much more
is it special it is to have Jesus comfort me. Whether it is a word, either
through the Bible or the Holy Spirit, or a strong sense of His presence when
I am upset.

I really do value the companionship of close human friends. Whether it is
just talking to me, whether it is reading to me or whether it is taking me
on outings, including to church. They certainly help to pass the time for
me. But there are times when it is impossible for humans to be around. But
Jesus is with me 24/7. Did He not say that He will never leave or forsake
us? When I feel like I need somebody to talk to but nobody is around, there
is always Jesus. And the neat thing is that I don't have to be able to speak
because He can read my mind!

Sometimes we all need advice about something. Human friends can often give
good advice as they frequently can see things from a totally different
perspective. Or, sometimes, the Holy Spirit will give advice through them.
The best advice-giver, though, is Jesus. If we ask for advice, He will give
it, either through the Bible or through the Holy Spirit or, maybe, through
another person.


Finally, a really good friend will rebuke you when you need it. I am no different from anybody else and, from time to time need to be rebuked. Proverbs does say that open rebuke is better than secret love. I truly appreciate the people who will risk making me upset in order to correct me. How much more is Jesus willing to rebuke His children, Christians, for our own good. I have had Jesus rebuke me-just like other Christians.

So, yes, I do very much value good human friends but, most of all, I am awed and overwhelmed to have Jeans as my best friend. 

A Few Positives

      -Right now, because of feeling so tired, frustrated
and discouraged, I have DECIDED that I need to focus more on the
positive aspects of my life and less on the negative ones. True, there are
plenty of negatives in my life but there are also positives-if I stop
feeling sorry for myself and start looking for them.

The most important positive in mine or anyone else's life is a relationship
with God. It is incredible! As many years as I have been a Christian, I am
still in awe that there really is a God and, no matter bad circumstances get or
how out-of-control my emotions get, He is still with me.

Another positive in my life has to be my church. It is so good to be in a
church that teaches the Bible and gives us what we need to hear without
pussyfooting around. I find it so refreshing to be in an atmosphere where
the Holy Spirit can move freely.

One of the major positives in my life are friends. Over the years, I have not had
a lot of close friends but the ones that I have now or have had in the past
are wonderful. They put themselves out for me in ways that are astounding.
It has always been more important to me to have a few close friends than a
lot of casual acquaintances. I can't repay them for all they do for me but I
can't help thinking that God will eventually reward them somehow.

Family. That is a positive for anyone. My own kids were so young when I had
the stroke that I could easily understand if they didn't give any time to
somebody they don't really know. Like any mother, of course I would like to
see more of them but it does brighten my day to get an e-mail from either of
them or have a skype visit with my daughter. I have also reconnected with
cousins and it is fun to exchange e-mails and reminisce about old times. And
then there are my precious little grandkids. Both my real one and my two
"adopted" ones. They are definite rays of sunshine in my life.

I can't forget the nurses when think of positives in my life. Not just the
present ones but all the ones I have had in the past. Not only have I had
excellent care all these years but I consider them as friends. All the times
we have laughed and joked and just been silly together often has brightened
up my day. Theirs too, I am sure. I know that they have a hard, often
thankless job.

It always brightens up my day anytime I can out of this place. I get out a
lot more than other people in here. I can't even imagine being stuck in here
24/7. Getting to church is really, really important to me so I am grateful
to all the people over the years who have made sure I am there almost every
Sunday and Wednesday. But I enjoy other outings as well. Pretty much
anything that gets me away from Long Term Care for awhile.

Persistence

-This past Wednesday afternoon, while I was resting in
bed, I was idly wondering what I would write for my next blog. The word"persistence" dropped into my mind. Of course, I know what "persistence"
means. Still, I looked it up in the dictionary that I have in the Bible
program on my computer. It is an 1828 Webster's version. I like this old
dictionary because it uses a lot of scripture as examples of how various
words are used. Anyway, their definition for persistence is "the steady
pursuit of what is  undertaken". What I found interesting, though, is that
there is often an element of obstinacy to it. That could be applicable to
me as I  can be a tad obstinate at times.

Anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time has had to show a
certain amount of persistence. As soon as a person repents and becomes a
Christian,any number of things will happen to try to make him /her give up on God
and persistence is needed so they won't cave in. No matter how long somebody
has been a Christian, it seems that persistence needs to be an integral part
of their life.

The Christians that I really admire are the ones who became Christians as a
child and have never turned their back on God. Can you imagine the
persistence they would have had to had to combat the peer pressure,
especially as teens, to turn their back on God and "do what everyone else is
doing"?

Receiving any of the promises of God usually requires persistence. Once in
awhile, God will perform a miracle right out of the blue but that is not how
it usually works. Once a person receives a promise from God, there usually
needs to be a time of persistence before that promise is fulfilled.

ALL Christians need to be persistent in reading the Bible. It is only by reading the Bible that we will know all the things that God has promised. Once we know that what we are seeking is a promise from God, we can read and meditate on scriptures that pertain to that promise. For example, I have been seeking healing for years so I have been reading and studying healing scriptures for years also. However, I know that it is important to read the rest of the Bible as well. You never know when you will need to know it. That is why I like to follow a Bible reading plan. It forces me to read parts of the Bible that, on my own, I would avoid.

ALL Christians need to be persistent in prayer. If you want something from God, then ask Him and keep asking until you receive it. Provided, of course, it is something that God has promised. That is why it is so important to know what the Bible says. That way, when you pray, you can remind God of what He said in the Bible. I know that I, in prayer, constantly remind Him of healing Bible verses.

For me, I believe that I need persistence in attending church. For this reason. I believe that God may give the pastor of my local church a revelation that I specifically need to hear. But He not likely to give it somebody on tv who doesn't even know me.