Karen's Crossing~~~That Little Bit Of Light

Church service was going well. Praise and worship to my King of kings were strong and vibrant. The presence of The Lord could be felt filling the far corners of the sanctuary.

Unfortunately also present were the feelings of pain and weakness that followed me into the room. Emotions that needed dealt with that refused to stay home while I went to church.

After singing praises to God it was time for communion. As I reached for the bread and cup to participate the light reflecting from the communion juice caught my attention. Instantly there was a message there for me. The message being no matter how much light shines up at me it doesn't matter. God loves me and I got proof.

The proof being that little bit of light shining up at me. The light that says no matter how small, it carries a big torch. It has a lot to offer me as it lights my path, gives me hope and strength for tomorrow.

It doesn't matter where my cancer spreads I will always have that little bit of light shining back at me. The only light I need to see me thru. Days come and go, darkness comes and go but that can't be my focus. My focus needs to be that little bit of light shining back at me.

Communion is a time of remembrance of what Christ did for us but that light shining back at me has its own memories to give. Memories of how God has often rescued me from the dark many times. It didn't take much light to walk me out, what it took was me being willing to follow it out instead of complaining about the lighting system.

Cancer is a dark thing to face as many other chronic diseases. Such as the teenage girl back in the hospital fighting her heart failure. The parents who hurt painfully as they make arrangements for their little girls funeral who died of cancer.

We need to stay strong and not give up hope in God and that little bit of light that shines back at us. The light is still there. It may have shifted around in the cup but it never goes out. Let it capture your attention. Let it draw into your heart and always remember no matter what darkness in life we may encounter we still have that little bit of light shining back at us.

Praise the Lord!

Copyright 2015 Karen J Gillett at Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing


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Karen's Crossing~~~A Special Chair

Thank you Lord for today's sermon and the added blessings You put in this day for me.     Luv, Karen

Indeed it was a very special day in church as my gang and I selfishly and proudly took up the entire back row of chairs or "pew" as I want to call it. Even the special chair at the end of the pew designed just for me was filled. 

Arriving earlier than even the preacher we were able to capture the remembrance of the occasion with a group photo shot. However, what this grandma hopes is that each grandchild who was there will capture in their hearts the memories of going to church with grandma. 

Memories of the music sang, words spoken and feelings captured as we worshipped the Lord in many ways. Also laying hold of the memory of the Coleman camping chair that for the last four years had found its way into a sanctuary of color coded maroon chairs. The chair grandma had to use just to be able to sit in church comfortably with her bone cancer. A chair with arms to help me up and down and a cushion to absorb the pain in my spine and pelvis. 

My continued prayer is that each will know that whether there is pain in the "offering" they still need to come and worship God. It doesn't matter if the pain is from losing their grandma to cancer or a relationship gone bad or a fractured leg or finance issues we need to find ways to come and worship. For me and my cancer it was testing out camping chairs that would do the trick for me to worship God each Sunday in the church. 

Last thing to burn into our memories for the day would have to be the words of the sermon given. Words of encouragement letting us know how much God loves His children. It was stressed that whenever we bring joy to our Heavenly Father it is worship and being in His presence brings on that joy. A type of joy that overflows on to us as well and strengths our spiritual needs. 

Sitting in that sanctuary are many 'special' chairs. Each designed for us personally with our name on it. Each made for our special needs. They are not designed as thrones for us to rule from but as special chairs designed to be in God's presence absorbing His love for us.  

It would do us well to enter that presence and claim the special chair at the end of the pew. The place where hope, strength, love, forgiveness and so much more is found. 

Copyright 2015 Karen J Gillett at Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing. 

Apply it to my Hip ~~~~~~~~ Karen's Crossing

What is it about the morning that makes you think of donuts and coffee? This morning as I woke up to the rising of the "Don." Don as my husband. Ha ha. The smell of the sausage and eggs he was cooking took my nose elsewhere as I thought of a maple bar to go with my coffee.

Probably the biggest reason maple bars were on my mind was the fact that last night I found a scripture in Romans 5 that left me thinking as I went to sleep. This morning the thinking process continued and I added the maple bar to the thought.

Often the joke or chuckle is when someone is offered a donut to eat they immediately say, "Well I might as well as apply it to my hip right now because that is where its going." Ha ha and then they continue to eat the donut.

The scripture last night I read as I tried to fall asleep in the midst of my cancer pain told me," Moreover let us be full of joy now let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance and endurance develops maturity of character and character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5.

Last night the scripture helped me fall asleep to my pain, this morning it got me thinking about how I needed to apply this to my hip. That's where the maple bar donut thought came in. In the midst of my trouble and suffering with my hip pain I need to apply this scripture to my right hip and exult and triumph.

In order to properly apply I looked up the meaning of the word "exult." According to Webster it means to leap for joy, to feel or show great happiness, to say something in a very excited and happy way. The word 'triumph' means to obtain victory, to receive honor of a triumph, to celebrate victory or success boastfully or exultingly.

Wow! How in the world could I leap for joy when I can barely walk and stand upright on that hip. How can I feel any kind of happiness when the pain I have brings so many tears to my eyes. How can I say anything in a very excited and happy way when I have to bite my hand occasionally to keep from screaming out loud in pain. No, this was one maple bar donut of a scripture that was going to have to be applied somewhere else.

Wrong! The scripture said, "in our troubles and sufferings" and my right hip marks that very spot in my life right now. I can leap for joy that I am still able to walk no matter how painful. I can find happiness in the support I have around me from those who are there drying my tears and holding my hand. I can say a lot of things in an excited and happy way, things such as "I love you" to my love ones. Telling them daily how much I appreciate them, talking to my parents and sharing my life with them in a positive way.

Yes, this is one maple bar donut of a scripture that can be applied directly to that right hip and to the spot in my heart as well where it needs to be forever and ever. A spot where victory will be obtained in eternity and honor received as my choice of a right attitude overcomes my trouble and my sufferings. To God be the glory for ever and ever.

Karen

Hope Longer

Shortly after I was diagnosed with cancer I went to a concert with my family. As I sat there enjoying the music I was fighting the tears that wanted to flow down my cheeks.

I kept wondering if this was going to be my last concert, was I going to live long enough to see another. Was it going to be my granddaughter’s last flute solo I was going to hear and the list went on.

Truly I had given up hope long before I even gave it a chance in my life. I was doomed and everything I did, say, saw, or felt was as if it was going to be my last. Too often we do this, we give up hope before we even give hope a chance to work. It’s important for us to hope long enough qiefor the next page in our life.

Read the rest at:

http://anniejenningspr.com/jenningswire/authors/special-podcast-insider-media-training-tips-for-jenningswire-podcasters/  

Snapshot

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. ” Author~~God Colossians 1:21-23a


“Once you were lost and now you are found” are the words from a song that comes to mind when I read this scripture from Colossians. Once we were alienated (estranged, separated) from God now we are reconciled (made right with God). One of the first things some weight loss programs encourage you to do is take a snapshot of yourself in the beginning and then one at the end when you’ve lost your weight. The picture shows the “once you were overweight” and “now you are skinnier.”


Perhaps it would do us well if we would stop long enough to look at where we were before Christ and where we are now thanks to His reconciliation. The before picture is painted with characteristics of being enemies in our minds to God because of our evil (wrongful, sinful, against God’s will) behavior. The after picture shows colors of holiness in God’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation.


This definitely shows a wonderful picture like the before and after shots of a successful weight-loss program. But…… oh no the “B” word! But we cannot stop there we have to read the whole scripture. It goes on to say “IF”, “IF”, “IF” you continue in your faith, established and firm, and not move from the hope held out in the gospel. In other words if we don’t continue in our faith doing what we are suppose to be doing the colors of holiness in God’s sight and being without blemish and free from accusation is all gone.


Isn’t that what happens when we lose weight? If we don’t continue to do what we are suppose to do to keep the weight off it all comes back on. Trust me I know and I have the before and after pictures to prove it.

For people who think they are so smart we are tremendous fools. I hate to tell you this but the joke is on us. God hands us a wonderful plan for all eternity and we scrap off the platter what we think looks good and toss the other aside. We don’t get the option to pick what we want out of the Bible and leave the rest. The after picture won’t stay IF we don’t do what we are told to do to keep it where it needs to be. Duh, as the cartoon I once drew says, “Trying to lose weight is like trying to keep a beach ball under water all your life. If you relax for one minute, just ONE minute! POW up it goes.”


Our Christian walk and the after picture we get are no different. If we try to relax for one minute, let our Christianity slack for even a second wham down it goes instead of up. Up where it belongs in the category of being holy and without blemish. Remember Junior High and High School ladies? If we found one trace of a zit or pimple we were devastated. We would do all we could to prevent from getting them and if they showed up anyway we worked earnestly at hiding them with skin tone cover-girl makeup. Our Christian life should be that important to us as well. We need to be doing all we can to prevent the blemishes and if they show up Christ is not our cover-guy but the one who can cleanse us from our sins, flukes, and flaws. It’s sad to think that any more people are proud of their blemishes, they brag about them, they cherish them, and they encourage others to get them.


Did I mention, “We are such fools!” There is hope in God, in God there is hope. We all have a shot at it. We all qualify IF we continue in Him. We don’t get to take our blessings and run as some kind of license to sin. Oh dear I better shut up, my heart is hurting over someone I deeply care about who is going thru this stage in life thinking she can carve out what she wants and not continue in the “IF.” People, people, people take a look. We are lost people with some yet to be found.


The snapshots prove it, what do you want your “after” picture to look like? The choice is ours but we need to remember once we have made our choice, the picture is taken, and the Lord’s called us home we don’t get the option to renew our picture like those awful DMV pictures we get with each renewal. The photo shops for touching up our pictures is done here and now on earth as we continue in the “IF.” Continue in walking in faith side-by-side with the One who cares about what our snapshot looks like. Outward beauty is not required, inward obedience and faith in God is. Praise the Lord!


Smile! There is hope in God, in God there is hope. Continue in the IF. Work on your snapshot.

© 2012 Karen Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes

Our Bungee Cord

“Oh remember this: there is never a time we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities, however great our difficulties, although to all appearance help is impossible, yet our business is to hope in God, and it will be found that it is not in vain.” George Muller quoted in the “Rollercoaster of unemployment: Trusting God for the Ride.” By Sarah M. Hupp


If you think about it hope is the string that is required for us to hang on to in life. It’s that hope for a better future, our family, and for better things to come that keeps us going. No matter what the situation may be hope is what gets us through. Its when we choose to give it up and let go of the string that we find ourselves in a free-for-all destined to hit rock bottom without any comeback. I guess maybe a better description for it is a “bungee cord” instead of a string.

Bungee cords are made out of durable plastic designed to snap back, hold on, and endure. They are relied upon. Another name for them is shock cords. When thinking about hard times, difficult moments, or life itself its clear to see how hope can be our bungee cord. The thing we need to snap back, hold on, and endure the things we encounter. The very product that absorbs the shock of the bumps in life that sends us flying at times.

It is something we can’t let go of no more than a bungee jumper who just jumped off a bridge can let go of the cord they are attached to. As the Bible tells us to put on the armour of God there are others things we need to PUT ON and one of those is hope. Hope in God, hope in His love, hope in His strength, hope in His guidance and provisions and the list goes on and on.

No matter how many times we may find ourselves bouncing around attached to this cord we can always rest assure when the bouncing stops we won’t be left hanging there. God will bring us in, love on us, and prepare us for the next time we may find ourselves on a free-for-all ride thanks to life in general.

As the salesman at the hardware store or the bungee instructor reassures us their bungee cords are safe to use we need to encourage others that hope in God is safe as well. It’s not meant to get us our million dollars in unmarked bills but to see us through to the end where our treasure is found in Heaven. It’s the nudge in our back that pushes us forward when we want to stop and give up.

If you think about it there is no better partner than Jesus to go bungee jumping with. It’s not a time of daring deeds but enduring moves that gets us through to the end. We may go through life giving up smoking, drinking, overeating or anything else but we should never give up hope.

As the Bible says, “Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord.” Oh how true it is. Bungee jumping anyone? Attach yourself to Jesus and His word and go today!


Our host today is Nina at Mama’s Little Treasures I wonder if she’s ever gone bungee jumping? Maybe not from a bridge but from Jesus yes, I have and you can too.