Month: March 2016

Just A Light For This Step

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http://www.f3ashley.com/christian-encouragement/one-step-at-a-time/ : source

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

We may not always be able see far down the path. In fact, many times, we won’t be able to see more than one or two steps in front of us. Think about it. 

How often do you know what is going to happen in a certain situation or a certain conversation? We can imagine. We can assume. We can even theorize, but we can never truly know, because we are not God. We are not fortune tellers. We are not even wizards who might conjure up an image of what’s to come. 

We simply are who we are, and He is who He is.

We just have to follow Him one step at a time. If we will follow in obedience, we will make it to our destiny, even when we can’t see three steps in front of us. He is a good and loving Father, and when we will put our trust in Him, He is faithful and just to lead us, protect us, change us and love us, despite our fears, failures, doubts or hesitations along the way. 

Can you trust Him today? I promise you, even when things don’t turn out the way you expected, in the end, He will not disappoint. He can see farther. He knows more, and best of all, He knows the innermost depths of our heart, even those things that we might hide from ourselves. He does know best, and He loves us so much, He is willing to give us just what we need when we need it! 

Falling Forward…

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Falling makes us wiser. Falling makes us stronger. It makes us more aware of what needs to happen differently the next time. It makes us more conscious of the change that must come, most of the time within, for us to succeed.

Yet, too often, we will resist falling. We run away from failures, and we hide from imperfections and mistakes. We believe everything must be picture perfect the first time around. We believe if there are any mistakes involved in our first try, then we are destined for a lifetime of misery, a lifetime of failure. 

Maybe I’m just talking to myself here. Maybe it’s just me who struggles at times with wanting everything to be pristine perfect. Have you been there? Do you ever wrestle with these truths? 

Can I tell you? There is HOPE! There is a promise we can hold onto! The Word says, “There is nothing impossible with God.” (Emphasis, mine) That Scripture isn’t there simply as a “feel good” word. He didn’t include it just to taunt you and make you think He was kidding. No, God means what He says, and He keeps the promises He gives us. 

So, the next time things don’t go exactly as planned, take a step back and evaluate the situation. Sometimes, you might have needed a little more preparation. Other times, you need a little more practice, and often times, you just need a lot more patience! 

There are other factors that may contribute, but these can give you a great start. When you’re struggling to succeed, and you’re tempted to quit, I encourage you to look at a toddler learning to walk, or a teenager learning to drive, or maybe even, a more seasoned folk learning a new trade. Do they always succeed on the very first try? I venture to guess that answer is a big, fat, “NO!” So, why don’t you give yourself a little more breathing room, a lot more grace and take that situation to God, and let Him help you try one more time. 😉

Tuesday’s Treats #6

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Lucky Dill

Location: Palm Harbor, Fl   
 

We went to the Lucky Dill a few years ago while we were staying in Tampa. Palm Harbor is just north of Tampa, almost like a suburb of the city. This is a Big Apple themed restaurant, and it is so cool!

The Lucky Dill fills up quick at lunch; so, get there early. They have a breakfast, lunch and late night menu, as well as, a wide variety of bakery items that are out of this world (see above photo)! Looking back at their website, it appears they have a pretty lively nitelife, complete with a bar and live music, if you’re into that sort of thing. We never went at night; so, I couldn’t really speak to that. 

But I can sure speak about their lunch menu and bakery! They have great big subs, great big regular sandwiches, Italian selections, a few seafood items (like fish and chips), salads, burgers and chicken sandwiches, and much more. It was really hard to narrow our choices to only what we could eat in one meal, especially when we went in starving! 

We started out with the Ba-Da-Bing Shrimp, which is fried shrimp tossed in some “bad sauce.” It’s got a little kick, but it’s not too bad. Then, we had a burger, the Hot Brisket, the Al Panino Panini and the kids burger (party of 4😉). Everything was delicious!! We were so full, but we still had to get some bakery items to take back to the condo with us!

Oh. My. Word. Just writing about this place gives me a craving to go back! Wish it wasn’t forever away, and we’d head out this week! Haha. We had some friends go there last year for breakfast, and they said it was just as wonderful. If you are ever on vacation near Tampa, or you live in that area, you don’t want to miss a trip to the Lucky Dill! 😉

Check out their menus here.

What Are You Hiding?

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source: http://thewell.intervarsity.org/reflections/hide-and-seek-god

 
We all hide something…we paint on makeup to hide blemishes and old age. We put on certain garments to hide weight gains. We avoid a phone call to hide awkwardness. We walk the other way to hide our annoyance with a certain person. We don’t show up in order to hide anger, hurt or confusion. Too often, we hide from the things that will cause us to work a little harder, think a little longer or or even confront a little stronger, because it’s much easier to avoid and hide than it is to put real effort into moving he mountain which is before us. 

On the other hand, there are times you need to hide… 

As the old saying goes, “If the barn needs painting; then, paint it!” There are definitely times when a little makeup helps more than it hurts. (I’m not arguing the merits of “going natural” here.) If you need to prepare your heart before the encounter; then, by ALL means, hide in your prayer closet and get prepared; so, you don’t add more damage to the troubled situation. If you need to avoid the conversation until you can gather your thoughts an words properly; then, do it, but don’t wait too long. 

Yet, when it comes to matters of the heart, and it is a matter of obedience to the task God has set before you, it is better to hide under His wings to receive your true rest and strength and simply obey. When it involves someone who needs a confrontation, needs encouragement or just needs a friend, it’s time to come out from your hiding places and do the right thing! 

Stop hiding for fear of failure, fear or confrontation or fear of rejection. When God calls you, He will equip you. He will give you the courage to obey. He will give you the ability to speak truth. He will give you the ability to forgive and love even when you don’t it’s possible. 

One of the most important things is we must get honest about the hiding! It’s not a hide-and-go-seek game where you can claim to pretend you were just having fun. Your hiding doesn’t simply make those things go away; the hiding only prolongs the pain and frustration of yourself and those involved. 

So, face down your fears. Confront the wrong and follow through with those things which God has placed before you! You can do this! You will be amazed how much better you will feel, how much stronger you will become and how much you will grow when you come out of hiding and seek out those things from which you have been straining to avoid. 😉

Answer to Friday’s Angle #55

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Did you guess right yesterday?? 
If you guessed the fabric of a chair, you got it right! 😊

Thanks so much for playing! Hope you’ll join me again next week, or better yet, drop by on Monday to see what’s new! 😊

Friday’s New Angle #55

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 Hey there! Happy Friday! Here’s you another New Angle! 😊 

Remember, the answer will be posted here tomorrow! 

Are You Qualified?

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Do you ever really feel qualified for the task set before you? Do you ever struggle with insignificance, doubt, fear of rejection and a fear of failure? I know do.

Now, I’m going to interrupt myself for just a second here and say this: this post won’t be for those of you who are so sure of yourself that you feel you can take on the world. This post probably isn’t going to mean diddly to those of you who are completely confident in who you are and what you are doing that you don’t even ask for advice or input anymore.

No, in this post, I am talking to the ones out there who struggle with feeling qualified. You struggle with confidence and courage issues. You battle with low self esteem and the fear of rejection or the fear of failure. YOU are whose attention I hope to grasp for just a moment or two…

Personally, I have a constant war within my mind of not measuring up to who I ought to be or not doing the things that I know I should. I struggle with confidence, sometimes, in the simplest areas of life, and yet, I get so frustrated with myself because of this lack of confidence.

Even when I might begin to feel good about something I’m doing, there comes that moment, especially when in the public view, where I look (or at least feel like I look) like a deer in headlights.  This being because I just saw someone look at me the wrong way and I begin to wonder if I’ve done or said something wrong, or I have a moment where I stumble with my words and worry that I’ve messed up the whole conversation, or I didn’t flow well with the service, in which I play a very small part, and I feel as if I could just run away and hide.

I could give several reasons for this inner battle. I could say, “Well, I’m just an introvert; so, I’m geared that way.” I could argue, “I’m a perfectionist, and I’m hard wired to always seek the perfect over the good.” I could even try to blame my parents, after all, my dad was neglective, out of the picture for most of my childhood, and my mom was a very domineering personality in the home.

Yeah, all of these have some truth in them. All of them effect who I am. However, none of these things can stand on their own when I look at this verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. None of these “hold water” when I read this verse, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14. When I read the Bible and see what it has for me, I find these excuses and justifications don’t work very well. These factors, these excuses, which are very much a part of me, just don’t measure up to the kind of God I serve.

I have to realize in every situation that God placed me here for a reason. I have a purpose, and I must fulfill it, not for my glory and fame, but for His. When He gets the glory, people’s lives are impacted. When His glory is revealed, people’s lives are forever changed. When I get my eyes off of me and totally on Him, my feelings of insignificance, lack of confidence and fears of failure simply turn to gray, as I gaze upon His beauty and awesomeness!

qualified

So, I have made a decision to keep my eyes focused on Him, to make the best of every situation for His sake, and to surrender all my fears and doubts and “lacks of,” and let Him have complete control of all of it. I have chosen to fight these battles with confidence, or the lack thereof, and WIN! I can do this when Christ is working through me! I can succeed when He is the goal, and it’s for His glory!

You can, too!

We can do this thing! 😉

Look at these videos that I found by Jon Jorgenson. I hope you will be encouraged!

Inspired this post:  http://youtu.be/ZCSlaX-u3P8

For women:   http://youtu.be/uWi5iXnguTU

For men:   http://youtu.be/aTAn-tk2pDA

Piercing Question

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The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.                                                       – Oswald Chambers, His Utmost for My Highest

When God confronts us with a piercing question, one that goes straight to the soul, as He did with Peter in John 21:17, he strips our conscience of every other thought or good deed we might have done. He causes our heart to realize the truth in the answer.

This has happened at least once in my life. It was the summer of 2000. Joey and I had tried to have a baby for 13 months, and after much turmoil, heartache, and almost giving up and going to see a dr about it, the test had finally read positive. We were so excited!! We started planning, preparing and dreaming about this precious little one who would soon enter our lives.

Almost immediately, I got sick. Oh, the morning sickness was awful! As soon as my eyes popped open every morning, I’d run to the restroom. Well, even before my eyes would open, I’d feel that nausea. Yet, I didn’t complain. I knew this precious baby was growing inside of me, and the sickness was all worth it.

Two days before Joey’s birthday, we went to the dr for my first check-up. I was 10 weeks along. The nurse put the little sonogram instrument on my belly, Joey and I held hands as we awaited that precious sound of a heartbeat. The nurse blinked, frowned a little and tried again; then, she decided she’d do a vaginal sonogram. (Not fun. Not. Fun. At. All.) She turned the screen; so, we couldn’t see; then, she stopped and simply said, “You’ll want to get dressed, and the doctor will be in shortly to talk to you.” As soon as she shut the door, I burst into tears. As he held me, Joey said, “Maybe it’s not that bad, babe.” I knew without a shadow of a doubt; there’s was something terribly wrong.

The doctor came in, and after showing us on the screen what he was seeing, he told us the baby never grew after the second day of conception, that this is called a “spontaneous abortion,” or a miscarriage, and that I had been sick, because the placenta didn’t stop growing; therefore, my body still presumed I was pregnant, causing the morning sickness.

We were devastated. I had to have a D&C the following Monday to remove the placenta, and we left for my grandparents home in northwest Florida for a few days, just to regroup and process it all. While there, I prayed a lot, sought God for answers, questioned my faith and why He would answer my prayers only to take away my only dream in life.

You see, I was never bent on having a career, having prestige or even being great at a good job. All I ever wanted to do was be a mom. I just wanted to hold, love and nurture a little one. I just wanted to be the best wife and mother I could be. Now, I questioned if that was actually in God’s plan for me. I questioned if we would ever have any little pitter-pattering feet running through our home.

That is when God confronted me with the question. I remember it so vividly; the moment is forever etched in my mind. I was standing in my grandmother’s sewing room, looking through the glass door that looked out over the bay. I was praying, and God said, “Will you love Me even if you never have a child?” I just started weeping, and I knew, without a shadow of doubt, the answer within my heart: “Yes, Lord. I will always love You, even if You never give me the dream. How can I live without You?”

When He confronts you with His piercing question, there is no where to hide. There are no pretenses to hold onto. There are no lies to portray. The truth is revealed in your heart at that very moment, and you know it for the rest of your life.

Problem is, too often, we allow our lives to get so cluttered, so busy and so overwhelmed that we don’t allow Him the time to ask us. We don’t get alone with Him and give Him the opportunity to ask. Yes, He is God. I know, He can ask us whenever; yet, I have found, more often than not, He only asks those piercing questions when WE are ready for the answer. You see, He doesn’t need the answer; He already knows the depths of our heart. He knows what we’re going to say. The answer is for our knowledge. The answer is for our revelation of truth.

Get alone with Him. Open your heart and your ears to hear what He has to say. Let Him ask you those piercing questions, and you might just be surprised when the answer is revealed.

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

Tuesday’s Treats #5

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1907

Location: Ellijay, Ga

I’d have to give this restaurant a solid “B” rating. It’s good, and some things were great. It’s edible, but I’ve definitely had better. This restaurant is loud just off the square in Ellijay. The town is a great place to find quaint antique stores and pottery pieces. 

  
The presentation is awesome. This appetizer, the Firecracker Shrimp, was wonderful!!   

I ordered the shrimp and grits without the sauce, because it being a tomato based, more Lousiana-style sauce, I wasn’t sure I would like it. However, I poured it on top once I tasted it, because it was great! The sauce has sausage and mushrooms in it. A little different than I normally get but still rather tasty.  

My son got the fried chicken sliders with sausage gravy and grits. Again, the presentation was incredible; however, the meal was a little less than desired (just like this picture). You could tell biscuits were frozen biscuits, and the gravy was so-so. The veggies seemed a little oddly placed with the gravy.   
My husband ordered the burger, as did several in our party, and they just weren’t good. I really hate that, too, because my shrimp and grits were great. Now, they’re not the best shrimp and grits I’ve had, and I probably won’t come back here just for that, but they were enjoyable. 

So, if you’re in Ellijay, and you need something to eat while you’re downtown, and you don’t mind eating at a more “B rats” restaurant; then, you won’t be disappointed to eat at 1907. Now, if you want a great place to eat, check out my post next week… 😉