Sunday Scripture- Psalm 139:5 (TPT)

 Every once in awhile, I hear or come across something in scripture that is very powerful and sticks with me. 

Psalms 139:5 in the passion translation did just that. It has been heavy on my mind for the past 6 months. 

You've gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. You have laid your hand on me! Psalms 139:5 TPT

That verse gives me such an incredible sense of comfort and relief. I feel like I am living in a world that constantly bombards me with negativity. This scripture is something positive and provides some sense of hope. I spend a little time meditating on it daily. 

And I must admit that I have such a hard time dealing with the unknown of the future sometimes. It is the reason I tend to procrastinate when it comes to getting things done. I have a bad habit of overthinking things and simply just mulling over and over in my head the worst case scenario. And it is so hard to confide in friends about this. I get blown off or shot down a lot. ("Girl, why you worried about that? That's silly."). 

So let's just say that I tend to keep a lot to myself. A lot.

And upon examination of my actions, I find that when I do step out and deal with a problem or situation, it is NEVER as bad as I have imagined it to be in my head. 

As of late, my prayers have changed some. When praying about things going on in my life and/or stuff I am worried about or scared of doing, I keep that scripture in mind. 

"God, you've stepped into my future to prepare a way. You already know what will happen. Just lead me down the best path to the right solution. I can breathe easy and just move forward because you are my Help. And I don't need to think of my errors in the past, as you are protecting me from the disappointment and the pain of my past."

I find that a path forward opens up. My courage is a lot better these days. 

One interesting thing that I find that has come out of this is that I took a workshop last month titled Fear, Anxiety and Overwhelm. It helped me critically think about my fears and anxieties and simply what overwhelms me. It helped me be specific about what I need to be praying about. And that in itself lowers my anxiety and ushers in some sense of personal peace.

And peace... that is just what I need. 

I can never get enough of it. 

Sunday Scripture: Lamentations 3:19-24

It's been awhile since I did a Sunday Scripture, hasn't it?

Well for bloggaversary week, I thought I'd do one.

And it's a piece of scripture I've been thinking about for the past couple of weeks.

I spoke with my grandmother a couple of weeks ago. She'd called just to say hello. She's about 2 hours away in a small north Georgia town living with my aunt. From what I hear, they will alternate between living up there and back down here in Grandma's house.

I asked what she had been up too. She said that day that she'd been studying the Book of Lamentations. We talked about that for a moment. I told her that I had read it and it was much too sad for me. (Of course it is, as "lament" means "to cry out" or "cry aloud"). Such a sad sad book. But she was reading it. Grandma has a degree in bible psychology, so I know that she can glean a little wisdom from whatever she's reading.

In an effort to make sure I have something more to talk to her about, I decided that I would read the book of Lamentations. It's only 5 chapters long, and I can finish it within a day.

If I read something, and some verse sticks out to me and stays with me all day, I spend some time with it. I make sure to read several versions of it.

I do all that because something important has to be there. And it always is.

The verses of scripture in Lamentations that I've been meditating on are Lamentations 3:19-24. Here is the TNIV translation

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lords's great love, we are not consumed
For his compassion never fails.
They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him.

That is a pretty interesting passage of scripture. And like I said, it stood out to me.

On the one hand, this verse speaks on memory. It's not only the bad stuff that happens that affects us, it is the residual affects of the whole issue that is problematic. One thing we have is our memory of the thing... and waking up to the memory of the problem day after day after day. For example it is one thing to fail at something, but the memory of the failure sticks with us, and it may even paralyze us, keeping us from pressing forward and trying again.

For myself, it is easy for me to get all caught up in my circumstances. It is easy for me to be stuck in the circle in which I stand.  My circumstances have a way of talking to me and having a grip on me.

My circumstances include my decision making and the consequences thereof. And if those decisions were bad decisions that afford bad consequences, it is easy to get caught up in that... thinking and meditating on it day after day after day, even thinking about it at night as I try to go to sleep at night... just caught up in the whole "Why did I do that? Now look at the mess I caught up in! How do I get out of this?" 

I can get caught up in my afflictions (what I think of as illnesses and circumstances surrounding it).

And I tend to get bitter about different things.

And that word above "gall"... I had to go look that up. It means bitterness of spirit and having deep resentment.

Sigh. I am well familiar with all of that.

And as that verse said, it is enough to cause the soul to be downcast. To me that means, it can lead to depression.

However, in the midst of all that anguish, I can have hope.

I must know that God loves me, and he hasn't forgotten about me. His compassion never fails.

His love and compassion are new every morning, not warmed up leftovers, but new and fresh. And he is faithful.

I always remind myself "God, I am heavy on your mind today". And that piece of the scripture above, I've added it to my daily confessions.

My problems are not my portion, but the Lord is... and that's a good thing to have hope in.

This piece of scripture is all about choices...

I can choose to meditate on the problems and circumstances... where circumstances = the circle in which I stand.

Or I can meditate on God's love and goodness and his compassion, even in the midst of the problems and circumstances.

One avenue brings about depression and despair...

And the other, brings about hope...

One or the other. I choose to have hope.

I'm still thinking about this verse and the richness of it. It confirms something that I have had a practice of doing as of late. If I'm upset about some things, I open my mouth and thank God for his help in the situation. I ask and thank Him for help with my feelings, and to help me keep my eyes on Him and not on the circumstances of the situation. I thank Him that I can rely on Him for help in my times of emotional and spiritual need.

I notice a change in my heart when I choose to focus and lean on God's goodness over leaning on my own understanding of the circumstances.

This verse really strengthens my fortitude. It strengthens my hope in God and trust in him to take care of me.

So I'm glad I talked with Grandma that day. I found a piece of scripture to help me in my times of despair.

I'm sure she will be glad to hear about that :)

Sunday Scripture

Just a look at a little something I've been reading this week. It's always interesting to not only think about what I read, but what sticks and stays fresh on my mind long after reading it.  I even spend time journaling about it.  

I've been digging around in the book of Thessalonians. I came across a couple of interesting scriptures:

I Thessalonians 5:14-15  AMP And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line [the loafers, the disorderly, and the unruly]; encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper].  See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.

That's a nice scripture.

But the Message translation, uh... makes it a bit clearer.

I Thessalonians 5:14-15  Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet.  Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. 

LOL.  That's for Dee in San Diego, because I know she likes the rowdy translation, Message version. Be careful so you won't be straight snapping on folks, hon.

Paul was speaking in this epistle to that particular group of believers in Thessalonica.  I've always thought that church is a microcosm of society in general.  And that verse proves it. You have your freeloaders, the disorderly, the unruly, the timid, the fainthearted, the weak, the stragglers, the exhausted, etc... You also have your encouragers, helpers, and patient people, too.  All of that exists within and outside the church.

I'm not all that sure of the whole supposed perfection view of church people. Not likely. But that's another blog post.

That one scripture gives a good picture of how to conduct oneself in general, I believe.  Many parts of that I myself have to work on. (Me and my patience issues).  If I can learn to be encouraging, helpful and patient, and be careful in attitude... I might be getting somewhere!

One other verse out of Thessalonians... one that has become my meditation scripture over the past few days.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 (Message)  It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 (Phillips)  We know that God not only loves you but has selected you for a special purpose.

That has been part of my prayers this week. God loves me and has his hand on me for something special, and I am selected for some special purpose.

Man, that makes me feel good inside. Sure is. Get to saying that a few times a day? Might have me turning a few cartwheels (so git out the way!). LOL

That has been my Sunday Scripture, my scriptural ponderings for the week.

You have a great Sunday :)

Sunday Scripture

So...

I am still barreling through the biblical book of Jeremiah. I find it a tad bit depressing. I am not halfway through yet, but that is okay, because I plan on spending the rest of the month mulling over it...

There are a few verses I am thinking about. I will post one.

From the Message version. I've heard this before, and found it interesting to come across it.

Jeremiah 15:19

Use words truly and well. Don't stoop to cheap whining. then but only then, you'll speak for me. Let your words change them. Don't change your words to suit them.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.


I'm not really interested in discussing these scriptures. I'll be pondering these all night long if I did. But they make me think of several things.

Whining (complaining) is right up there with making assumptions. Low forms of human thought.

Make sure you're having an affect on people... and you are not doing what you do, saying what you say, just for approval.

That next verse reminds me to sit down and really be honest with myself and examine my motives. Why do I do what I do? If God examines this, so should I.

I'm also picking up on a theme throughout these complicated chapters... It is easier to say what people want to hear, go along with the crowd and the like...

Much harder to stand up for what is right in the face of it all. People will reject, and criticize. They will even hurt you. But that is alright. Integrity is valuable and to be treated as such.

Always.

Hmmmm... I think much more about those verses. I just wanted to post them so I can look back at it.

I will ponder. Continue to wonder.

And keep reading.

Notes on Depression

I was asked by a new reader to post up my notes on depression, an area that is the topic of the Sundays sermons at my church for the rest of the year.

I was a tad bit confused about this, as this is the Christmas season... I expect some Christmas sermons, you know. But I suppose that this is a time of year where some people have a difficult time. I myself don't care for the holiday season, so I suppose there are people out there who get really down during this time.

So, I am posting my notes. This looks to be an overall general introduction, and things will be dealt with in more detail on other Sundays (thats how things usually go).

I will give my personal thoughts and how it affects me afterwards.

Notes on Depression

Do you go to bed sad and wake up sad?

Have you felt sad for so long that it hangs over your head like a dark cloud?

If so, you're probably depressed.

Definitions of Depression:

1. The result of external pressure getting in our heart and weighing it down.
2. Feelings that come from thinking thoughts that weigh you down.

Depression resides in your soulish realm (your mind, intellect and will).

Symptoms of Depression:

1. Reclusiveness - withdrawing from reality; becoming a hermit or antisocial.
2. A passive mind - matters of life have become unimportant to you; instead of thinking progressively and aggressively, you just don't care; things that use to matter to you, just don't matter anymore.
3. Magnification of Difficulties - turns conditions into major problems; having a tendency of turning a molehill into a mountain.
4. Lack of concentration - occurs when your mind jumps from one place to another, like a bird jumping from branch to branch.

Effects of Depression:

1. Steals your ambitions
2. It's an enemy of your faith
3. Can lead to physical illness
4. Guilt
5. Jealousy
6. Hostility

(The last two affect people around you).

Causes of Depression:

1. Trauma - something that brought sorrow or disappointment into your life.
2. Disappointment -results from unfilled expectations.

A better attitude to have and develop: "I expect nothing, but I am deeply appreciative."

3. Rejection - the feeling of not being accepted; a result of seeking your self-worth and approval from people.

[Self-worth is a combination of the opinions that people have of you, combined with your ability to perform at a level that makes other people happy.

This is a lie, and a bad definition. People change. They love you one day, and will hate you the next.

The true definition of self worth is the sum total of God's love and God's acceptance of you.]

4. Physical illness/sickness can cause depression, especially if you've had it for awhile.

Depression is real, even in biblical times: see Psalms 40, Micah 7:1-7 (Micah reference from previous week's notes).

Things to do to pull out of the depression:

1. Work on thinking different thoughts.
2. Face the issue, starting with being honest with yourself (Psalm 51:6)
3. Start speaking to your mountains.
4. Take authority over depression
5. Allow your spirit to speak.

Personal Thoughts

What I usually do with Church notes is really comb through them and see if anything said is applicable to my life. For example, I had a really bad day on Friday and went to church on friday evening, took 3 pages of notes, and I can count about 10 things in there that basically get to the gist of my personal isshas, and I have to spend time scarfing back through there, and taking action concerning such.

I did the same thing here. Although I didn't think this depression thing applied to me.

Or does it?

With regard to the questions posed in the beginning of the notes, I must say that I don't go to bed sad, or wake up sad. There's no dark cloud hanging over my head, either. But I have felt like that at times during my 39 years of life. So no, I am no stranger to depression.

There have been different times of my life that have weighed my heart down. I've detailed much of that here on my blog: a failed marriage, no relationship with my mother, death of my good friend. I can think of others, but those are what come to mind immediately.

I do understand the mention of depression residing in your soulish realm, i.e, your mind - which houses my intellect, emotions, and will. Those are things affected. For myself, there has a difference between things that go on in my spirit and in my mind. I think my spirit has kept me from falling into despair, and recovering or accepting what is going on.

For myself, I am a bit concerned about those symptoms of depression. I look at different areas of my life, and in general I am pretty happy with life. I have good friends, and I have a lot of interests.

But... there is one area of my life that truly bothers me when it comes to those symptoms described.

My job.

A year ago or so, I remember sitting on the edge of my bed, my head in my hands, praying, asking God how in the world am I suppose to survive in a pit of such depression and rebellion? I mean it's like a huge spirit of depression and a spirit of rebellion hover over the place. It's very mysterious to me, the level of depression and rebellion, each existing together. Very odd, mysterious indeed.

And I feel as though I am swimming against the tide...

And a hard Hawaii 5-0 wave is coming. And I'm fighting an undertow.

EVERYONE is depressed on my job. EVERYONE is unhappy. It is getting more disturbing by the day. I myself am more annoyed than anything, but lately employees have been describing problems that I can't even fathom.

We need better words than low morale to describe the dire situation.

The problem is the words haven't been invented yet.

I think you can tell (I know I can), that I am NOT happy with my job. It is wearing my mind down something terrible. Pondering the symptoms above, it really bothered me. My mind is very passive concerning my job. I magnify difficulties. I REALLY suffer from a lack of concentration.

I don't feel like that this is caused much by me. We have a very poor management, whose sole purpose appears not to affectively manage, but to drive the place completely into the ground.

Now, I have lupus, and depression is one of the major symptoms. This is more an effect of the cognitive/central nervous system than anything. My doctor has been happy that I haven't displayed this. I like my life in general.

She is concerned about the effects of this job on me. We talk about it. I have been stressed the last 3 months, something terrible. It has affected me physically, i.e., I've lost a lot of hair (didn't have much from the get go). She strongly enforced my 8 hour workdays (I use to work 10-12 hours a day). Plus I'm required to keep copius plans, list, and notes of everything I accomplish every day. She requires me to set goals for my day. This has afforded me a much better concentration. But I have to work on it real hard, and when I don't, it's like a house of cards falling down.

She, as my doctor, is a better boss to me than my own boss. That is a shame. But at the same time, I am grateful for that.

I can relate to those effects of depression listed above... the lost ambition and such. It is definitely an enemy to my faith, and if I'm not careful, I do understand that it can all be drowned out. I can't relate to the guilt, jealousy or hostility. I've worked toward not feeling guilty about stuff. I am not jealous of folks. I have a hostility issue, only when someone is trying to get over on me or is hostile towards me (trust me, I'm working on that). But I never initiate hostility.

The whole trauma and disappointment angle is interesting. Trauma absolutely knocks me off balance, as it does anyone. I think that it's not only the trauma that's an issue, but the RESIDUAL affects of said trauma that's the ultimate problem. The residual effects are residue-it stays around for a long time. I have to work hard on scrubbing away that residue. I find that I can come out from under the dark cloud.

I wholly agree with the disappointment angle. I don't expect much from people. But when someone genuinely cares for me or takes thought of me, I am deeply appreciative. Very much so.

I think I learned long ago not to seek self-worth through other people. It's not really possible. People change. I do understand though that this is an area, the area of acceptance and rejection, that can lead to depression. We see that every day. I learned a long time ago that God loves me, and it's all good, and I best get busy accepting myself and who I am. Period. Acceptance of God's grace and love is crucial, and of course that is all faith based. But I know many folks who think God hates them and is punishing them. Yeah... that's enough to depress a person, very deeply.

I did appreciate the scripture concerning depression, and I usually spend a bit of time seeking out more examples. One of the most effective examples that has meant much to me, especially since I've never heard anyone teach on it, is one I found a few years ago. It was a brief touch on the depression of Lot, as briefly mentioned in 2 Peter, chapter 2, and basically how his environment had him all discombobulated. That piece has had a profound affect on me because of the way it ended: God knows how to jump people out of depressing situations.

Finally, the issue of purposely doing things to pull oneself out of depression. Thinking different thoughts, well, that something that must be worked on, as the depressive thoughts have such a stronghold on your mind. That takes much work. Speaking to that situation, very actively, well, that is something that I plan to do. Looking back in my life, that has ALWAYS worked for me, as I have found nothing happens until my words and my thoughts are right. My mind starts charting a roadmap to the solution when that happens.

Most important right now is that verse of scripture, the last one mentioned in the notes. The Amplified version is given here.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.

Searching one's soul and being honest with oneself is all to important. I work hard on that one. Sometimes I don't like what I see, but at least I can say that I have set down and searched my heart and have been honest with myself. Only then can I ask God for the wisdom to know what to do next.

Then I must utilize that wisdom, and I must get focused and take appropriate action.

On purpose.

So that's where I am now.

This has been very cathartic for me. All things happen for a reason. Thanks Ms. Jennifer, new reader, for asking me to post my depression notes. I needed the courage to do so. I am eternally grateful to you, hon.

And these have been my notes, along with my longwinded thought. As always with Sunday scriptural issues, I like to end with a song. Here's one of my favorite songs, one I've posted before.

"Angels Watching Over Me"



Enjoy your Sunday... on purpose.

Sunday Scripture III

A good friend of mine asked for a scripture concerning worry.

I know one well... I speak it to myself when I get to worrying too much!

"Be careful about nothing"

I knew it was off in the new testament, in the book of Phillipians. So I went and looked it up for her and emailed it to her.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what the King James version says:

KJV

Phillipians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

That verse is interesting... it means don't worry about stuff, but just pray about it.

I sent this to my friend.

Now... let me go back to January.

Back in January, we had a church fast. As a part of that, we were asked to spend an hour praying every day.

Interesting. I was a tad bit concerned by that, because you know, just being honest here... I have other things to do. An hour is A LOT of time.

But I challenged myself. I could get up an hour earlier every morning and pray.

Something really wierd happened behind that. Very odd.

I had a lot of peace during that time.

And it wasn't a normal level of peace. It was something that I couldn't understand, couldn't explain.

I think I talked to my coworker about it... She was doing something similar.

I asked, "Is it just me, or is it a different type of peace going on."

It was hard to explain to her. Shoot man, I couldn't even explain it to myself.

She basically agreed with me... Made me feel a little better.

Made me think "Uh, yeah... I need to keep my prayer life consistent!"

My mind was VERY quiet during that time. Wasn't worried about a doggone thing. If issues came up, I kind of just shrugged.

"It'll work itself out."
"How?" someone would ask.
"I don't know. Just know it will be okay."

Hmm...

NOW... going back to that scripture. When I was looking up the verse to send to my friend, I decided to read that very next verse that followed behind it.

And I saw something that peaked my interest, raised my eyebrows...

King James Version

Phillipans 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now, I'm not big on the King James version. I don't talk like that. I try to read the versions that kick me in my teeth a bit. That way, I can remember it better.

And I chew on a verse like it's chewing gum...
Chew it until my teeth and jaw muscles ache.
Squeeze as much of the flavor out of thas possible, lol.

So, I looked up these verses in other versions of the bible. Heck Biblegateway.com has a gazillion versions.

Take a look at what I found:

Message Version:

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

CEV

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

Darby Translation:

Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus.

Worldwide English (New Testament)

Do not worry about anything. Talk to God about everything. Thank him for what you have. Ask him for what you need. Then God will give you peace, a peace which is too wonderful to understand. That peace will keep your hearts and minds safe as you trust in Christ Jesus.

Living translation

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

NIRV

Don't worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God's peace will watch over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus. God's peace can never be completely understood.

All of that was very interesting.

It lit this Oldgirl's hair on fire.

And it explained A LOT of what I couldn't explain.

First of all this is a good "what, why, and how" scripture. In other words, it answers a LOT of question.

1. What's wrong? You are worried about some stuff. Something's got you all discombobulated.

2. What do you do about it? You pray about it.

3. How do you pray about it? Take it to God. Tell him what you need

4. What else should you do? Don't forget to give thanks! Give thanks for all that he has seen you through in the past... (We ALL have the long laundry lists of past accomplishments and triumphs and miracles. You know you got some). And give thanks for Him working on this current stuff you praying about.

5. What is the result of this? Peace of mind.

6. What is the reason for all this? For worry to be displaced out of your mind.

Well looking at each translation, I can deduce some very interesting things about this so called "peace".

It is a higher order of peace. It is a peace on some other level, not attainable within one's onself.

A peace that surpasses all understanding.
A peace equal to God's wholeness settling on you.
A peace that no one can completely understand.
A peace which is considered a blessing.
A peace that is too wonderful to understand.

Interesting. Shoot... I can use that type of peace all the time, you hear me?

But the part that really lit my hair on fire is the answering of the following questions.

What is the reason for the peace? What is the purpose of this higher order of "peace"? This God type of "peace".

Displaces worry.
Guards your heart and thoughts.
Keeps your heart and mind safe.
Watches over your heart and mind.
Controls the way you think and feel.

Very interesing... A peace that would control the way I think and feel.

This helps me to understand very critical.

There is always something controlling the way I think and feel. This in turn determines my approach to handling my situations.

We see everyday that people choose the wrong way to handle problems. Cuss folk out. Shooting peeps. Killing folks. Tearing up stuff. All kinds of odd behavior.

Would a peace that controls the way one thinks and feels cause a different behavior?

I submit that it will...

For I don't know about you, but as for me, a lot goes on in my mind before I decide to handle something in a radical way. I have rehearsed it in my head. I have meditated on the thing. Have become more upset by the minute.

I remember all that praying back in January. I remember coming to a point of praying about some of my own personal isshas...

And the peace and calmness that came from that.

I remember thinking... It's like something or someone came along and took a towel and pressed and scraped the untouchable gunk off the walls of my mind, cleaned it up and replaced it with new paint.

That is the best way I can explain it, and that explanation doesn't quite cut it.

It was really disturbing because I didn't know how to explain it. Just was glad for it, you know what I mean?

This thing was peace. A peace that can't be explained or understood.

And it really controlled the way I thought and felt. Really.

A good verse indeed.

One I've written down on a notecard for sure. One that, as you can see, lol, I've really explored.

And I hope it helps you today.

I really do.

This has been Sunday Scripture with your friendly neighborhood Oldgirl LadyLee

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers... and to all the Mothers who have had to be both Mother and Father.

And to My Heavenly Father who manufactures the air I breathe.

As always, I leave you with a song... One of my favorites by Canton Jones.

He goes to my church. I sat behind him once... I shook his hand and was cheesing down when he turned around, almost yelling...

"Canton, I really like your CD! I love it!!"

I was cheesing hard like Celie. I could hardly concentrate from the moment I walked in, thinking "Is that Canton Jones sitting in front of me?????"

He said "Thank you, glad you like it."

That first CD of his had to be the best hip hop/R&B soul gospel album I've ever heard.

Here's one I like, and found funny.



Have a great Sunday... on purpose.

Sunday Scripture II

Still holding true to posting every day for the month of June.

And Sunday is a scripture day. A day for posting a piece of scripture that has me thinking.

I was sitting in church on a Friday night (my usual night of attendance), and we read this verse.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

(Message Version)

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13-14"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you.


(Amplified version)

I will visit you and keep My good promise to you, causing you to return to this place.For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord...

This verse gives me hope.

Even at a time when I don't know WHAT I'm going to do about a situation, or I'm at my wits end, well, I know that God has some type of plan for my life. Plans for my welfare and some peace of mind, a good future, and taking care of me.

If you've read through the Old Testament, especially those early parts, there is a very interesting trait of our human nature running rampant through the people:

Fickleness.

It rang true with me, for I am not ashamed to admit that I have a fickle streak. It bothers me terribly at times. One of my life goals is to be consistent (on the positive tip) in all areas of my life.

The people of the Old Testament were terribly fickle. Love God one minute, curse Him the next.

They thought God had abandoned them. Thought He had cast them off. Thought He was moving too slow. His way of doing things had to be wrong, because it didn't match up with their way of doing things.

As a result, they dealt with dark times, some serious "wilderness" experiences.

But that never changed God's thoughts about them. Sure, their thoughts and feelings changed, but not God's.

For me, and what I take from this particular verse, is that when I stop doing my own thing concerning my situations, get disentangled from my own selfish motives and agendas...

And actually believe that God loves me, wants what best for my future, and aint' just leaving me hanging out there...

That is, when I learn to trust in God, and not my own understanding of things...

THEN He can make some moves on my behalf. Bring me out of the desolate places, back where I need to be.

As long as I piddling around in my own agendas, you see... I'm not going to pray, I'm not going to seek, none of that. I've set myself up on the throne of my own life, and I will deal with the consequences of that decision.

Complicated, it may be. But it rang true with me.

So that's the Sunday Scripture for today...

You go and enjoy your Sunday... on purpose.

And of course, I leave you with a song. One of my favorites, Open up your heart by Yolanda Adams

Sunday Scripture I

Alright, I said I was gonna post every day during the month of June, and that's what we are going to do... doggonit, lol.

So, I thought I would devote my Sunday post to a piece of scripture that I've read recently that has stayed on my mind... and has caused me to make (or attempt to make) adjustments.

This will give you a little taste of how I think about things. I am always thinking about spiritual stuff, even though you wouldn't know it from reading the things tacked up on the walls of the House of LadyLee. "LadyLee" is only a very small slice of who I am. Very small.

So I will reserve my Sundays to post what is REALLY on my mind, and what I'm writing about in my personal journals... usually it is some piece of scripture I am chewing on like a piece of GOOD fatback, lol...

Today's Sunday Scripture comes from the book of 2 Corinthians. I read several versions of the Bible, so I chose to post the Message Bible version.

I highlighted the parts of the verse that peaked my interest.

2 Corinthians 13: 5-6 (MESSAGE)

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere heresay. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

This piece of scripture made me really sit down and think about a few things.

First of all, I'm not the most solid when it comes to my faith. I am a lot stronger than I use to be, and I think that this comes with age, experience, and personal growth... but I am nowhere near where I want to be. I am not upset about this. I am constantly under construction, you see.

Under construction until the day I die. As is everyone else.

But this verse runs a bit deeper than that.

The highlighted parts really made me sit down and look at my life.

And really really be honest with myself and where I am at.

"Don't drift along taking everything for granted."

When I think of drifting, I think of a piece of wood or something in the ocean... just drifting along with the ebb and flow of the waves, moving wherever the waters take it.

Drifting will only get you one thing, eventually- lost. Not knowing where you at, where you are going, and eventually, not even knowing who you are.

Drifting along taking everything for granted is not so much of a problem with me. I tend to catch myself when I get a bit too complacent about things.

For there are people who were alive yesterday, but did not wake up this morning. There are people who were well yesterday, but are incompacitated today.

Tomorrow isn't promised. Heck, the very next breath isn't promised.

So, I think that helps me understand, and something that I practice anyway (and moreso after reading this verse)... that life is special. No, my life or your life may not be the one that everyone wants. It may not be the most glamorous or approved of by the masses...

But nevertheless, life is unique and special. It should not be taken for granted, or treated like it's nothing.

You know what I always say:

I am breathing.
The blood is still running warm through my veins.
THEREFORE, life is good.

Period.

A second part of that verse really stuck out:

"Give yourself regular checkups".

I think we (well I don't know about you, but speaking for myself), tend to do this around New Years. Oh, how we make the "resolutions". We check ourselves once a year and say we're going to do X, Y, and Z in the New Year.

Why can't I give myself a monthly checkup?

Heck, take it a little further-- Why can't I give myself a weekly checkup?

A daily checkup?

Probably because it's too painful to do.

I have a vain streak. Don't like admitting stuff to myself. I eventually will, though.

But if I want to grow... If I want to change-- then I have to give myself frequent "checkups".

I mean, I go to the doctor every 4 to 6 weeks. She does about 20-30 tests on my blood, squeezes my joints (driving me nuts in the process, lol) and we discuss it and make whatever adjustments we need to make.

Now, if I can do this with my health...

Why can't I do this with my emotions, beliefs, habits, and goals?

Isn't that just as important, if not even more important?

Finally, the last part of the verse was also interesting.

"Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it."

That is very very strong. First of all, it takes honesty and hefty dose of courage to even admit one's issues, and to even admit that one is failing in a certain area, well... that just takes a lot of humility and maturity.

To take action and DO something about it is a thing of courage within itself.

But I am convinced that it is the only true way to experience personal growth.

Really.

The context of this scripture is surrounding testing out your faith, but I believe that it goes far deeper than that, spreading into all facets of life. True enough, if you get your faith right, and make corrections concerning your faith, well heck, EVERYTHING is born out of that...

I think I read this scripture a couple of weeks ago, and it has stuck with me. There are things in my life that I have looked at in light of this scripture, and have made a few decisions to take action on...

So I hope you got a little something out of this verse, even if it's on a more secular tip.

Like:

Evaluate yourself.
Pinpoint the problems.
Decide to take action concerning such problems.

For action creates results... and at least gives God something to work with. It gives Him a way to assist us in getting wherever we need to get or desire in life.

Did you like the Sunday scripture? I hope you did.

Now have a song... One of my favorites, from Richard Smallwood and Vision:




Enjoy your Sunday... on purpose.