It has been 9 months since my last cigarette!!! Now THAT is an act of God! I tried many times over the years to break that addiction in my own strength but, when He showed me that what I focus on becomes an idol, my life began to change. Days 1, 3, 6, and 9 were extremely difficult and those are the days that I sat here on my hands and screamed and cried out to Him. Every now and then I still hear, "Time for a cigarette!" Really? I do NOT do that any more. When my focus is simply on Him all the other stuff rolls away because it can not thrive in His presence. How awesome is that!!!
May your focus be on Him,
Phyllis
Monday, February 17, 2014
The Urban Alternative
Praying-Gods-Name
NAME OF GOD: El Simchath Gili
Verse: Then I will go to the altar of God, to God (El), my joy (Simchath Gili) and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalm 43:4
Meaning: God My Exceeding Joy.
Prayer: Supplication
El Simchath Gili show me your wonders. Delight me with that which delights you. I know that if I witness the things that make your heart glad, mine will become glad as well. Give me the pleasure of knowing you intimately because in you I will find my joy and my delight. Help me also to bring joy to other people that I come into contact with. Give me a sweet spirit that radiates your love and pleasure to those around me. Help me to say kind and encouraging words and to always think on things that are pure. As I do that, I will reflect you all the more!
May you find your delight in what delights Him,
Phyllis
Praying-Gods-Name
NAME OF GOD: El Simchath Gili
Verse: Then I will go to the altar of God, to God (El), my joy (Simchath Gili) and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Psalm 43:4
Meaning: God My Exceeding Joy.
Prayer: Supplication
El Simchath Gili show me your wonders. Delight me with that which delights you. I know that if I witness the things that make your heart glad, mine will become glad as well. Give me the pleasure of knowing you intimately because in you I will find my joy and my delight. Help me also to bring joy to other people that I come into contact with. Give me a sweet spirit that radiates your love and pleasure to those around me. Help me to say kind and encouraging words and to always think on things that are pure. As I do that, I will reflect you all the more!
May you find your delight in what delights Him,
Phyllis
Friday, February 14, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day!
There are, of course, the all out praise prayers, the 'help me' prayers, the bless everyone I ever loved prayers, the needs needing filled prayers and then those that just slip passed my lips. The latter are the ones that whisper, "I love you," when He answers them because it means that He listens, hears, and is moved even when the words aren't conscious prayers on my part.
Some of my favorite examples are as follows:
1. When my girls were little I wanted them to have matching dresses for family photos and uttered that while doing their laundry one day. The following Sunday at service two different women brought me a huge bag of clothes for the girls. In each of those bags was a dress that fit one of my girls and they matched perfectly!
2. Another laundry day I was folding the boys clothes and realized I needed shoes and shirts for them. I now remember saying, "Lord, I need size 2 shirts and shoes for these boys." A few days later one of my neighbors knocked on my door. She said a friend of hers was going to throw the huge black trash bag of stuff away she had with her and that "Something told her that she should bring it to me." It was full of shirts, shoes, and anything else the boys needed!
3. One year it was important to me that the girls have fancy dresses for Easter Sunday. You know those ones with lace, ribbons, and ruffles on them? Someone gave me the perfect dress for each of them and THEN a woman at church walked up and said that she was 'supposed to give me money for the girls for Easter'. It was enough to buy everything I had wanted to match those darling dresses!
4. I have this pair of earrings that I would wear every day all day if it were feasible. One day last week as I was putting them away, I said, "Lord, I would love to have these earrings in a different shape." Last night someone who loves me gave me some goodies not the least of which was those earrings in a different shape AND a silver version of my second favorite pair!
5. A few weeks ago, I muttered, "Lord, I would love more yarn." Do I even need to tell you that within a few days a friend messaged to ask me if I would like some yarn she will probably never use? This has actually happened twice and the second time there were 75 skeins in boxes on my porch!
6. There have been times when I have felt isolated, lonely, and in need of feeling loved. Those words, too, slipped out on more than one occasion. Inevitably, He would send someone with hours they wanted to spend with me, flowers, or something they had found that reminded them of me. One time a dear friend crocheted and sent me an absolutely beautiful winter scarf.
7. Last week while organizing some craft supplies I uttered, "Lord, I need storage solutions." That evening I was at the store debating whether or not to buy one of those plastic 3-drawer chests that has coasters on the bottom but decided to wait. The very next afternoon I was forced to take a detour and on the curb my friend spotted that same chest! It is now happily sitting in my dining room holding yarn. Yesterday I mentioned to Him that I need creative ideas that would help me use things I already have for storage. Immediately a picture flashed before my eyes. It was my coat rack with several tote bags hanging from it and they were full of 'stuff'. That picture is now a reality in my dining room aka craft room.
8. A few days ago while I was preparing Valentine's Day cards for mailing I mentioned to Him that I would enjoy spending some time on V-Day with someone I love. That afternoon my DIL asked if I could watch the Grands while she and Navy Man go to dinner on said holiday. Well, yes. Yes I will. Starbucks is giving a 'latte to share' to anyone who buys one and I immediately thought of my daughter. As I was picking up my phone to call her it rang. It was her. Guess what she wanted?
9. Last but certainly not least is that I have known someone very precious to me since we were nine years old. The last time we saw each other was in the early '80's. Over the years parts of me began to ache with longing to know that she was okay and for us to be back in each others' lives. Even though I would periodically search Facebook for her it was to no avail. As you can imagine I eventually uttered my longing to Him and I am thrilled to tell you that she and I were able to spend the week between Christmas and New Years' together!
He is faithful even in the seemingly small things because they matter to me. Jesus,knowing that your love is the greatest gift I could ever experience, I thank you for all the times you whisper, "I love you." You are, indeed, The Love Of My Life.
Happy Valentine's Day!
May you know who you are in Him,
Phyllis
Some of my favorite examples are as follows:
1. When my girls were little I wanted them to have matching dresses for family photos and uttered that while doing their laundry one day. The following Sunday at service two different women brought me a huge bag of clothes for the girls. In each of those bags was a dress that fit one of my girls and they matched perfectly!
2. Another laundry day I was folding the boys clothes and realized I needed shoes and shirts for them. I now remember saying, "Lord, I need size 2 shirts and shoes for these boys." A few days later one of my neighbors knocked on my door. She said a friend of hers was going to throw the huge black trash bag of stuff away she had with her and that "Something told her that she should bring it to me." It was full of shirts, shoes, and anything else the boys needed!
3. One year it was important to me that the girls have fancy dresses for Easter Sunday. You know those ones with lace, ribbons, and ruffles on them? Someone gave me the perfect dress for each of them and THEN a woman at church walked up and said that she was 'supposed to give me money for the girls for Easter'. It was enough to buy everything I had wanted to match those darling dresses!
4. I have this pair of earrings that I would wear every day all day if it were feasible. One day last week as I was putting them away, I said, "Lord, I would love to have these earrings in a different shape." Last night someone who loves me gave me some goodies not the least of which was those earrings in a different shape AND a silver version of my second favorite pair!
5. A few weeks ago, I muttered, "Lord, I would love more yarn." Do I even need to tell you that within a few days a friend messaged to ask me if I would like some yarn she will probably never use? This has actually happened twice and the second time there were 75 skeins in boxes on my porch!
6. There have been times when I have felt isolated, lonely, and in need of feeling loved. Those words, too, slipped out on more than one occasion. Inevitably, He would send someone with hours they wanted to spend with me, flowers, or something they had found that reminded them of me. One time a dear friend crocheted and sent me an absolutely beautiful winter scarf.
7. Last week while organizing some craft supplies I uttered, "Lord, I need storage solutions." That evening I was at the store debating whether or not to buy one of those plastic 3-drawer chests that has coasters on the bottom but decided to wait. The very next afternoon I was forced to take a detour and on the curb my friend spotted that same chest! It is now happily sitting in my dining room holding yarn. Yesterday I mentioned to Him that I need creative ideas that would help me use things I already have for storage. Immediately a picture flashed before my eyes. It was my coat rack with several tote bags hanging from it and they were full of 'stuff'. That picture is now a reality in my dining room aka craft room.
8. A few days ago while I was preparing Valentine's Day cards for mailing I mentioned to Him that I would enjoy spending some time on V-Day with someone I love. That afternoon my DIL asked if I could watch the Grands while she and Navy Man go to dinner on said holiday. Well, yes. Yes I will. Starbucks is giving a 'latte to share' to anyone who buys one and I immediately thought of my daughter. As I was picking up my phone to call her it rang. It was her. Guess what she wanted?
9. Last but certainly not least is that I have known someone very precious to me since we were nine years old. The last time we saw each other was in the early '80's. Over the years parts of me began to ache with longing to know that she was okay and for us to be back in each others' lives. Even though I would periodically search Facebook for her it was to no avail. As you can imagine I eventually uttered my longing to Him and I am thrilled to tell you that she and I were able to spend the week between Christmas and New Years' together!
He is faithful even in the seemingly small things because they matter to me. Jesus,knowing that your love is the greatest gift I could ever experience, I thank you for all the times you whisper, "I love you." You are, indeed, The Love Of My Life.
Happy Valentine's Day!
May you know who you are in Him,
Phyllis
Friday, February 7, 2014
Granny's Heart
Having recently gone back to crocheting I have found so many darling patterns!
I share this one to help spread the love.
Here is the pattern.
We are who He says we are,
Phyllis
Phyllis
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