Life is hard sometimes EVEN when things seem to be going well.
I am so thankful we have the jobs we have
as it has allowed us to pay down many of our bills
including many of the $40K medical bills from Ron's
breast cancer surgery and medical care.
We have a nice home on wheels,
though right now you could write your name
on every piece of furniture we own...
...the dust is never ending and I mean never ending!!!
Even my plants get a dust build up!!!
And anything on the counter!!!
I have learned not to just grab a spoon to stir something on the stove,
but to grab a towel first!!!
If you have never lived in a dust bowl,
I am not sure you can even imagine!!
But such is life in West Texas!!!
It is what it is!!!
Some of you know,
that I have been struggling with health issues,
depression is an on-going battle even though some days are better than others,
it's still there!!!
Going to the doctor is always a double edged sword for me ~~
I'm overweight, I know that
but can't you give me credit for 28 lbs I've lost in the last year???
I'm addicted to sweets and carbs!!!
Give me a 3 Muskateers or Peppermint York any day
and I will give you a big smile!!!
And yes, I know I have diabetes...please don't tell me I shouldn't be eating this or that. I have met with endocrinologists and diabetes educators and
more doctors than I can count...but you know what they all say...
"you can eat anything you want...just count the damn carbs!!!"
So I count carbs,
some meals are better than others
but please give me credit for the good meals!!
Am I asking for special treatment...NOPE,
just give me credit for the good choices I do make,
they are far more than the non-healthy choices.
I will also add I don't like the word BAD...food is neither good nor bad, yes
some things taste better than others, but food is not BAD!!!
I am not bad!!!
So feeling a bit defeated the last few weeks,
wishing summer would get here sooner than later,
life has been hard.
BUT God still meets me where I am
and today was no different.
It began with a friend asking me if I had read a devotion sent by a mutual friend...um no but I would so I did
Here it is in its entirety:
March 4, 2019
THE BIBLE SPEAKS TO US DEVOTIONAL
SCRIPTURE READING:
"When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time
in that condition, He said to him, 'Do you wish to get well?' The sick man
answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.' Jesus said to
him, 'Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.' Immediately the man became well,
and picked up his pallet and began to walk." John 5:6-9
ARE YOU STAYING STUCK?
The Bible and legend said that the first person to enter the pool after the
water ripples would be healed. You can imagine that this pool attracted the most
desperate, with many fighting for a spot by the water’s edge – they would just
sit there watching, waiting, hoping. In a place overflowing with need, one man
caught Jesus’ eye. He had been paralyzed for 38 years, this man waited daily by
the pool hoping for a miracle.
“Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked the man. The question seemed bizarre and
the answer, well that was obvious. But Jesus knew human nature. For 38 years,
people had been bringing him to the pool. He had become dependent on others.
Being healed meant taking responsibility for himself. The man became defensive.
“It’s not my fault, no one is here to help me into the water,” he explained. He
was understandably frustrated, probably feeling stuck. But, in playing the
victim and blaming others for his circumstances, he almost missed Jesus’ life
changing offer – Yes that of healing.
Can’t we all relate? When things are hard and we feel stuck – isn’t it easy to
become depressed, give up and give in to the hand life has dealt us. Looking for
someone to do things for us so we can then blame things on them? Maybe we’ve
been disappointed time and time again and accepting current circumstances seems
less painful than hopes crushed. Maybe the situation really is unfair or out of
your control – an illness, a sudden layoff, broken trust – you are the victim.
Sometimes it just seems safer to stay where you are, Yes just to stay stuck.
So, what does Jesus ask of us when our lives feel stuck? “Get up, pick up your
pallet and walk.”
“Get up” – Believe in the person of Christ Jesus, in His promises, in His truth.
“Pick up your pallet” – Take responsibility for yourself.
“Walk” – Have the faith to walk away from your old self as you journey through
life with Jesus.
No matter life’s circumstances, Jesus offers a way out: hope and eternal
salvation that overcomes every sickness, obstacle, and disappointment life has
to offer. I agree sometimes we may not like the answer to our problems, but
Don’t just wait by the pool hoping for a miracle. Seek out the miracle worker
Himself!
Thank you Lord my God for the miracle
of You coming into my Life and making
it worth living. Amen
Trust in Christ Jesus
Roy Howdyshell
=
------------------------------
To subscribe, send a blank message to Refuge-Devotional-on@mail-list
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to Refuge-Devotional-off@mail-lis
To change your email address, send a message to Refuge-Devotional-change@mail-
with your old address in the Subject: line
To contact the list owner, send your message to
Refuge-Devotional-list-owner@
Thank you RH for allowing me to share. I have included the links above if you would like to get on his devotional email list.
March 4, 2019
THE BIBLE SPEAKS TO US DEVOTIONAL
SCRIPTURE READING:
"When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time
in that condition, He said to him, 'Do you wish to get well?' The sick man
answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.' Jesus said to
him, 'Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.' Immediately the man became well,
and picked up his pallet and began to walk." John 5:6-9
ARE YOU STAYING STUCK?
The Bible and legend said that the first person to enter the pool after the
water ripples would be healed. You can imagine that this pool attracted the most
desperate, with many fighting for a spot by the water’s edge – they would just
sit there watching, waiting, hoping. In a place overflowing with need, one man
caught Jesus’ eye. He had been paralyzed for 38 years, this man waited daily by
the pool hoping for a miracle.
“Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked the man. The question seemed bizarre and
the answer, well that was obvious. But Jesus knew human nature. For 38 years,
people had been bringing him to the pool. He had become dependent on others.
Being healed meant taking responsibility for himself. The man became defensive.
“It’s not my fault, no one is here to help me into the water,” he explained. He
was understandably frustrated, probably feeling stuck. But, in playing the
victim and blaming others for his circumstances, he almost missed Jesus’ life
changing offer – Yes that of healing.
Can’t we all relate? When things are hard and we feel stuck – isn’t it easy to
become depressed, give up and give in to the hand life has dealt us. Looking for
someone to do things for us so we can then blame things on them? Maybe we’ve
been disappointed time and time again and accepting current circumstances seems
less painful than hopes crushed. Maybe the situation really is unfair or out of
your control – an illness, a sudden layoff, broken trust – you are the victim.
Sometimes it just seems safer to stay where you are, Yes just to stay stuck.
So, what does Jesus ask of us when our lives feel stuck? “Get up, pick up your
pallet and walk.”
“Get up” – Believe in the person of Christ Jesus, in His promises, in His truth.
“Pick up your pallet” – Take responsibility for yourself.
“Walk” – Have the faith to walk away from your old self as you journey through
life with Jesus.
No matter life’s circumstances, Jesus offers a way out: hope and eternal
salvation that overcomes every sickness, obstacle, and disappointment life has
to offer. I agree sometimes we may not like the answer to our problems, but
Don’t just wait by the pool hoping for a miracle. Seek out the miracle worker
Himself!
Thank you Lord my God for the miracle
of You coming into my Life and making
it worth living. Amen
Trust in Christ Jesus
Roy Howdyshell
=
------------------------------
To subscribe, send a blank message to Refuge-Devotional-on@mail-list
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to Refuge-Devotional-off@mail-lis
To change your email address, send a message to Refuge-Devotional-change@mail-
with your old address in the Subject: line
To contact the list owner, send your message to
Refuge-Devotional-list-owner@
Thank you RH for allowing me to share. I have included the links above if you would like to get on his devotional email list.
and I was reminded of something Tom T told me quite a few years ago...when you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, you will make a different choice.
and
AWARENESS
+
CONTACT
____________________
CHANGE
and then the questions started running through my mind
...what do I really want?
...am I willing to make some changes?
...stop looking for excuses...
and the devotion continued with:
Get UP ~ MOVE!!
Just Do it ~ MOVE!!
Walk ~ MOVE!!!
Trust God is with me every step of the way,
whether those steps are physical steps or mental steps!!
Claim my life verse ~
and from Jesus Calling
and 
and I am reminded to STOP looking at stuff as PROBLEMS
but as
OPPORTUNITIES
to make changes,
to do better,
and
and
my happy place...resting in Jesus,
in His Word,
his comfort,
his arms
there are many ways I rest in the Lord,
one of them is coloring
and this morning I not only got to rest in His word
but He gave me the opportunity to do it
in one of my favorite ways
and 
and
Yes, life is hard sometimes
but if I keep my focus on
the things that are important to me
I am reminded
that God is faithful,
I am never alone,
and God loves me just the way I am.
That doesn't mean I don't need to
Get UP ~ MOVE!!
Just Do it ~ MOVE!!
Walk ~ MOVE!!!
It means each step I take I have my bestest of best friends
right beside me!!!
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