Heart Talk – His Heart, My Desire

Journaling and Crying Through Anxiety

As they say, “What a ride!”

Yes, this has been the wildest ride I’ve ever been on in a very long time. On this ride, I was very well educated on all things dealing with anxiousness, fear, worry and just being downright scared to death! There is nothing worse than a feeling of “am I losing control of myself?” “is this the end?” “what’s going to happen to me?” “I had so much to live for, I’m not ready to have it all ended yet!” “But, wait, I still have some cleaning out and decluttering to do!” Yes, I actually thought that last one.

So many thoughts went through my mind while not being able to do anything but lay in bed (or is it lie) waiting for the nausea to go away. Waiting for the fearful thoughts and anything negative in my life flooding my mind to go away. They didn’t for 3 long months.

Journaling…

My life line was my sweet DIL. She told me at the very beginning, “Madre, (that’s what she calls me) you need to journal everything you are thinking and work out in your journal all those negative feelings. Even if you have to write things and then tear it up and throw it away. Get it written down and work through it.

I love journals and I pick them up every time I see a cute one at the store. So, I went to my storage cabinet (that needs to be decluttered) and picked my favorite. I began writing and writing and writing….it became a habit. Every anxious thought I had, I ran to my journal and it was the thing that helped me make it through the day. I talked to the Lord just as if I were writing Him a letter. I made lists of things I hoped to do someday, that I honestly thought I would never be able to do due to fear of losing my mind. I wrote about past hurts that had been so far pushed down that it was like a bubbling well of things from years ago. I wrote about things I need to forgive and forget. I also wrote about things I needed to forgive myself for. It goes on and on.

Five journals later… I began a new one this week. I’m excited about this one as it is filled with much hope and thankfulness as I am finally seeing light at the end of this spiraled tunnel. I reach for my journal in the morning and again in the evening to record my day and my thoughts. It’s really my prayer journal because it is all my thoughts that I talk to the Lord about constantly.

There is just something about getting thoughts out of my head onto paper that makes such a difference. I’ve always been that way with my making lists of things to do. Once I get it all on paper, I don’t stress over all that needs to be done.

I may never let up on my journaling as it is now a habit for me. I would encourage you to begin journaling. You don’t even have to do it everyday. Maybe when you have something you are dealing with, it might help you to write it all out in order to think more clear. I realize journaling isn’t for everyone, but, I do know it made a difference for me!

Crying…

I have always been one that holds back my tears. I don’t know why. Every now and then, I can’t hold them back and they just flow. My regular thing to do is leave the room and find a place to cry where no one is around. Pull myself together and act like nothing bothers me.

During the past few months I had many crying out spells. Yes, crying out to God for answers, help, understanding, healing, etc. I often thought, what if I’m hurting myself, causing ulcers or causing myself to not heal due to the stress of crying.

I had a friend tell me that crying was good for me. I read up on crying and was amazed. Evidently, God knew what He was doing when He gave us tear ducts, right? It’s okay to cry, don’t hold back your tears. Tears are a healthy way to express emotion.

Benefits of crying:

*Lowers stress

*Removes toxins

*Kills bacteria

*Releases feelings

*Resolves grief

There are a few more benefits of crying. I encourage you to do a study on the benefits of shedding tears. Until then, don’t be ashamed to cry. Now you know it’s good for you. What isn’t good for you is to hold back tears and stuff those feelings down. It’s time to deal with what’s bothering you and let the tears flow. Blessed is the one who has someone who will sit with you and let you just cry and not judge you for it and tell you to stop crying. By the way, when your child cries..don’t tell them to stop crying, dry it up, etc. Let them cry and help them deal with what is upsetting them. That was just a free thought for you….no charge!

Every tear we shed, God knows all bout it. He cares and hurts when we hurt. In Revelation 21:4 we read that “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Until then, He has given us a beautiful life to live and live it to the fullest until He comes or our time has ended here on earth. All those tears? Just as David said Psalm 56:8, “You number my wanderings; put my tears in your bottle.” God knows why you have shed every tear and some day we will have the full picture and understand so much more than we do now.

For now, count your blessings, give your worries to Jesus and let your tears flow in rejoicing and in the hard times.

Until next time…

A Bump In The Road – Dealing With Anxiety

A few thoughts on what I’m learning in the Anxiety Department:

A little bump in the road is how the natural/holistic doctor described this issue I’ve been dealing with. She made it sound so promising that I would win this battle with time and healing. So thankful for her encouragement and knowledge. I was told by another doctor that I had “situational anxiety.” Due to the covid and crazy culture we have right now.

During this time of healing, I’ve learned many things about myself. You get so focused on self because you are so scared and have no idea what is going on. So you are searching for answers and trying to figure out how and why this has happened to you. Especially, if you are an analyzer as myself. Yep, that’s one of the things that I have learned about Moi!

I analyze everything, to death. I didn’t really notice it before. The good news is, that this can be a good thing. But, when you get focused on the bad, such as what I did, it can be detrimental. As I mentioned in my last post, I was consumed with the news. I was keeping up with the death count, the number of infected people, how many ventilators were being used, if masks really worked, on an on and on…..how much can a person take? Well, obviously, not much as far as I’m concerned. Oh, let’s not forget the riots that broke out. The violence, instead of watching it and saying, “how sad,” I was thinking, “WHY?” “How do people get to that place in their lives to do such destruction and hurt other people?” It consumed me. It hurt to watch.

I have done the same thing in life. When people are cruel and say hurtful things to one another or just down right hateful….especially those that call themselves Christians, I can’t even comprehend it. I try my best to figure it out and try to imagine their lives and why they would be so hateful and cruel….it has boggled my mind for years.

We were in full-time ministry for many years and I have seen the worst of the worst. I have also served in the church as a lay person and still saw things that blew my mind. I’ve had horrible things said to me and about me….from people that don’t even know me. Then you watch these same people get up and sing or speak on love and forgiveness and it just sends me over the top. I can’t figure it out. It’s obviously been going on since the beginning of time. It’s called….sin. *Note….I’ve seen the best of the best and have so many sweet memories of wonderful godly people….so thankful!

Oh wait, unless you think I’m Miss Perfect and never do wrong….wrongo. I have caught myself many times thinking mean things about someone and by the grace of God, I am immediately reminded of who I am and who I represent and I seek forgiveness.

During this time of self examination (nothing else to do while staying in bed for weeks) The Holy Spirit reminded me, “Beverly, you have been harboring unforgiveness for things that happened to you years ago, it’s time….it’s time to let it go and get it settled.” Well, several pages of journaling and prayer, I got many things settled. Lot’s of forgiveness, lot’s of tears, lots of regrets. I could make excuses all day and say, “but, you don’t realize what she/he said to me!” “You don’t realize what a living nightmare they caused our family because of their hypocrisy.” I could go on and on, but, I heard in my heart, “Yes, Beverly, I know all about it and I carried you through all of that, it’s time for you to realize that you don’t need to worry about it anymore….just forgive.”

I can honestly say, that it feels so good to just let it go. I can honestly say, that yes….those thoughts pop up in my head from time to time and I have to remember that it doesn’t matter, I’ve forgiven and I’ve moved on.

I’ve also learned during this time that I am a Highly Sensitive Person. Yes, there is actually a term for it. After reading up on this, I thought, “Oh, so that’s why certain things have been hard for me!” Since I was very young, I take things to heart. I remember being in grade school and if I saw someone being mean to another person, it broke my heart. I could never make fun of anyone. I saw handicap kids be made fun of and cruel jokes made about teachers, other kids, etc…..I couldn’t handle it. It made me very sad. In high school, there was a girl in one of my classes that was constantly picked on by the “cool kids” in the class…..inside, my heart ached for that girl and to this day, I can remember where she sat, how she looked and the things they said and did to her. I often wonder where she is today. I so wish I would have been brave enough to take her by my side and protect her from such hatefulness, but….I didn’t…..as a shy kid, you miss out on doing things like that. But…if I could go back, I would!

When I see a homeless person on the corner begging for money…my heart aches. I wonder, where is his family…..does he have kids…..how did he get to this point in life…..many times I give money even though we aren’t supposed to and then I end up wiping tears away as I drive off. My heart aches for them.

Don’t even get me started on when I see children being mistreated while out and about. I can’t even….let’s move on…

I can get on Facebook just to catch up on everyones life and up pops tragedy….pictures of people in the hospital, pictures of actual wounds, yes, I’ve seen the grossest pictures on Facebook. Don’t understand why people like to share gross pictures, but, for people like me, it sends me over the edge…can’t handle it. I had a dear friend tell me that we weren’t created for so much information being thrown at us. Our minds are constantly overloaded with situations, tragedies, sadness from people all around the world that we don’t even know. Such as you reading this….I so hope that I can be an encouragement to you if you are dealing with any type of anxiety or just trying to figure out our interesting world that we are living in right now. I don’t have all the answers, but, I know who does. I’ve always felt that when we go through things that we are to figure it out and then help someone else…All the while giving all the glory to God for his goodness and mercy.

I have always had a hard time visiting someone in the hospital. When I walk in a hospital or even drive by it, I feel sadness…I hurt for the people suffering and the families dealing with all the issues of caring for someone and watching their loved ones suffer. It hurts me to the core. I actually will get sick to my stomach when I make a hospital visit. Needless to say, I make every excuse possible to not have to visit someone at the hospital. I know….terrible!

I watched a football game with my Jim yesterday and when I see a tackle and they go down hard, I get an actual tightness in my stomach. It’s like I can actually feel the pain they must feel. Makes me hurt!

All that to say, being a Highly Sensitive Person can be good. You have compassion for people, but, it also can hinder things. If you take so many sad things to heart and you stuff it down and don’t deal with them, it only hurts you. On a positive note…. I would rather be a very sensitive person than a cruel uncaring person. I’m thankful for that part.

Well, those are just a couple of the many things I have learned through this interesting situation. If you are like me, you believe that all things work together for good to those that love God….that would be me, so I have seen the good in many things and I can’t wait to share them with you, eventually. For now, I so hope that you will examine yourself and realize who you truly are and how God designed you and don’t let anyone make you feel less important or worthless because of how you are and how you think. Most importantly...You accept who you are. We are to accept how we are and become the best we can be with the gifts that we have and when we see a flaw in ourselves, we correct it and deal with it in a healthy manner. You are a special creation, created by an amazing and loving God. Don’t let anyone take that from you……ever. As a preacher I once knew would always say……”If someone doesn’t lift you up and they tear you down…..mark them and avoid them.” Simple, right? Well, you have to really work on it and be confident in yourself and most of all…………forgiving. We are all sinners saved by Grace… by a forgiving God. I so hope and pray that you know without doubt of this truth. If not, click here to learn how you can meet Him right now.

Until next time,

Who Me? Anxiety?

Again….I’m still here! I think that’s what I said on my last post, right? If you didn’t read my last post on my choking incident, you can click here to see what all transpired. I still can’t believe that happened. After what I’ve been through the last 4 1/2 months makes that seem like a walk in the park….well, sort of.

I have never had an anxiety or panic attack. I’ve never suffered from serious anxiety…..until 5 months ago.

In reading some of my stories on my blog, you know that I was extremely shy growing up and I have worked hard as an adult to overcome my shyness and with shyness comes fearfulness. Fearful of just about everything. I felt like as an older adult, I had a handle on it. I have been able to do things that as a child/teen I would never dream. Never thought about it or worried about it…..so I thought. Getting nervous about things, or deeply hurt by incidents was just a norm that I had learned to handle. How did I handle it? By stuffing it down and not dealing with it. Guess what….that’s not a good thing to do. If you are a stuffer like me, now is the time to stop. You don’t want to make waves, you want peace, so you stuff it down. You don’t want confrontation of any kind, so you stuff, you leave it alone, you forget about it…until something happens and it all bubbles out and what a disaster it will be. We will visit that subject on another post. I’ve learned a lot, trust me! If you look in the dictionary for the word “stuffer,” you will see my picture.

The only way I know how to describe what happened to me is to start from the beginning of this nightmare! In March we were having a wonderful time in Branson at a PraiseFest, which is a Southern Gospel Music Festival that lasts for three days. We’ve gone for the last several years and love it. As you know, in March, the big shut down began. While in a concert along with maybe 2,000 other people I was getting texts from friends and family asking me why we were there while the virus was quickly spreading. I was basically in the dark, I knew something was going on, but, I didn’t know to be in panic mode. I even got some comments on my social media from people telling me how irresponsible I was being for being there.

When the final concert was over, we had plans to stay longer in Branson and take in some shows and shopping. The hotel that we always stay in was starting preparations for shutting down. They told us we could stay through our reservation, though. After one day of being the only ones in the hotel, we decided we might want to head on home. With all the panic and shutdowns starting, I became a bit fearful. I had even wondered if we would get home. I had the thought, “What if they close the border of the various states we drive though and we can’t get home?” I couldn’t get home fast enough. I was worried about stopping at rest stops and restaurants all the way home. I’ve always been sort of a germaphobe, so I always am watchful for germs and I am the one who always has disinfectant wipes for everyone.

We finally made it home! I went into lockdown mode. I didn’t go anywhere. I didn’t even go see my mom as fear of if I had something I would spread it to her. I had a container of disinfectant wipes at the back door for when Jim came in. He even changed clothes in the garage for a while. I ordered our groceries, wiped everything down, etc. etc. As I’m sure you did as well. As you know, my choking incident happened a week after we got home.

I’m a news fan. I’ve always had a love for politics and current events. I had the television on with the news most of the day everyday. I listened as I worked around the house. I also listened to a talk radio program each day. This was during the time of the ventilator talk. Every time I heard the word ventilator, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My shortness of breath was scaring me. I was having a hard time swallowing. I even stopped taking my vitamins as they wouldn’t go down. I took very small bites when eating. When I laid down at night, I could feel my heart beating. I became fearful of having a heart attack. This went on for another couple of months.

One evening we went to dinner with some friends. I was asked to describe my choking escapade. As I began talking about it, I got very hot and I was having trouble breathing. Of course the joke of having a hot flash was said. Long story short, the next morning I woke up sick to my stomach. I thought maybe food poisoning or something. This went on for a week. I then went to the doctor. Was told I had a stomach virus. I was also told that I was hyperventilating. I was also given something for anxiety to calm me down. I wasn’t able to take the medication as it made me feel worse. I struggled to do anything. I became more and more fearful. I’ll spare you the details but, I did go to the emergency room one night and had a scope done and my esophagus was stretched to help with swallowing. I also had two ulcer like areas in my stomach.

After two days in the hospital, in my mind, I figured I was back to myself…but once I got home, the fearful thoughts and the constant nausea went on for another 2 1/2 months. I didn’t sleep hardly at all for those 2 1/2 months. I tried another medication and it was worse than the first one. I took it for two days and stopped. I had zero appetite. I lost 31 pounds during this time as well. I forced myself to eat applesauce and bananas and would gag each time I ate. I honestly thought I was going to die. I hurt all over. My stomach hurt constantly. No sleep. Fearful thoughts that wouldn’t stop. I could go on, but, I’ll spare you. And then….

I went to a Natural/ Holistic Doctor in our area. She examines your eyes and can see all that is going on in your body. She said that I looked like I had suffered what someone with PTSD goes through. A lot of emotional stress. She put me on a regimen of natural supplements. My body was depleted. Not to mention, she was the most kind and compassionate lady who convinced me that I was going to be fine and it would just take time. She assured me I wasn’t dying. How thankful I am for her.

During this time, my daughter-in-law was my huge encourager. She coached me through this entire ordeal with words of wisdom, love and truth. How thankful I am for her. My Jim has been amazing. I don’t know where I’d be right now if I didn’t have the support from these three amazing people! Not to mention, friends and family who assured me of their love and support.

As of today, I am almost at the end of this nightmare. The nausea finally left almost a month ago. No anxious surges throughout my body. I’m gaining my strength back (hopefully, not the weight) and still working on positive thinking.

Throughout this ordeal at the encouragement of my amazing DIL, I have been journaling about everything. I have realized that I have suppressed many things over the years of hurts and various things that have happened to me in my 61 years. What a journey this has been.

I have been a Christian since I was 14 and have lived my life for Him since then. I’ve read all the verses about worry, fear and trust. I thought I had those down pat! Evidently, I had some work to do in those areas. I have no idea how someone could go through this without the confidence of a loving Heavenly Father right by their side. I have never felt closer to God than I am now. He has carried me all these years through all the ups and downs. All those times when I just couldn’t understand the cruelty of people or when bad things happen, He was always there walking me through it. Having the peace of God is the most important thing to me. How grateful I am to have the confidence in my Savior!

I have learned so much about anxiety and am still learning. It’s very real and very scary. I had never been so scared in all of my life. I had no idea what was happening and how to stop it. I have also never worked so hard for something in my life while climbing out of the spiral of anxiety. I would never wish this on anyone. (Lot’s of I’s in this post…but, it is what it is)

The reason I am sharing is hopefully to help someone reading this. I know we aren’t given a manual for what to expect with anxiety. It’s like we have to figure it out ourselves. I did lot’s of searching and asking and found out that what I was going through was normal. I also found out that many people don’t have a clue what someone goes through. That is when I was the most frightened. It seems there are so many symptoms of anxiety and not everyone has them all. Everyone is different. So it’s encouraging when you read about someone that has the same symptoms as you do. You then, get a little relief in thinking, “Okay, maybe I’m not dying or going as crazy as I think I am.”

I will share more that I have learned on different posts only if I think it will encourage someone that is going through it or knows someone who is suffering from anxiety attacks. You have no idea how comforting words, affirmation, prayer and support helps someone as they are going through this.

So there, you go. I’m trying to keep it short to not overwhelm. I do have a few things to share as to possibly prevent something like this happening to you or someone you love and ways to support those going through it. Let’s just say, my eyes have been opened greatly!

Until next time…..

Let Negativity Go In 2020

Let’s continue on with our discussion on things that I’m working on for the new year. We talked about being thankful in my last post and showing our thankfulness in writing. If you missed it, click here to read.

When looking back on 2019, I am most frustrated by letting the negative things have a strong hold in my life. I could list them for you, but, I won’t as to bore you to death. There are some crazy things that are just plain old negative going on and sometimes I get really discouraged by them. When we are discouraged, we have a tendency to think:

“What’s the use”

“Who cares”

“I give up”

“I’m not trying anymore”

“I’ll never trust anyone ever again”

“I’m done”

“I’m depressed”

…and it goes on and on.

I’m sure you can list something that you have said in your mind when the negative elements of life hit you in the face.

I’m basically a very easy going person. I’m on the quiet side and I love a quiet easy life. I don’t have to have lot’s of noise and things going on all the time to be fulfilled. Although, I love to go and see new places and meet new people. I have many friends who I’ve known for many years and I also love making new friends. I will go out of my way to nurture my friendships.

I am crazy about my family. Each one of them mean more to me than I can even express in writing. I will do whatever it takes to make sure they know how much I love each one of them.

I am so very thankful that I know without a doubt who my creator is. So thankful that I put all of my faith and trust in Christ at the age of 14 and have never regretted, doubted or looked back. As a new believer there was a short time I had questions as the things I was learning in the textbooks and by teachers at school didn’t add up to what I was hearing at church. I came to a decision that my Bible was where I would get my answers. My faith has only gotten stronger year after year. For this I am grateful. So, I am sensitive to those that have chosen to not believe because I can see how in the world that we have, it would be easier to not believe in a creator. It makes me even more thankful for my strong faith. It doesn’t come easy for some.

So, when life is so good and you have a thankful heart… how can negativity creep in?

So glad you asked that.

*If you turn on the t.v and especially if you are a news junkie like me, you will see the negative. I don’t watch the local news, if I did, I wouldn’t leave my house! I’m a FOX News fan and I watch a couple of my favorite commentators in the evening. Woo….weee……as my mom has always said, “The world is going to hell in a hand basket!” I can only handle so much. I do want to stay on top of things in the world. I don’t want to be ignorant of things going on out there. As a young girl, I had to do a report on current events and my grandfather gave me a huge stack of a news magazine collection he had of current events around the world. That was the first time I had seen or heard of things going on in our world. I was amazed. Since that time, I’ve been intrigued with issues going on in our world. It does seem like the negative outweighs the good in our world.

*People seem to be on edge every where you turn. The city I live in is going through a boom due to the oil industry. It is busy and crowded. Many rude drivers abound and it seems everyone is out for themselves. When you go to a retail establishment or restaurant, it is refreshing when you meet an unhurried and friendly person….pretty rare. It’s almost like, you take what you can get in the food area when dining out. That’s why I love to travel, you get really good service in places that aren’t desperate for help.

*People. Yes, you read that correctly…people. We live in a culture of “It’s all about me!” “Like it or leave it!” “I can treat you anyway I want and there is nothing you can do about it.” “I don’t need a friend, I have plenty!” “If you don’t look and act how I think you should, you aren’t worth my time.” Yep, we all know people like that. Sometimes we sit next to them at church, we live next door to them and yes, they are even in our families. I know; not fun at all. Someone told me once, “You would be the last person I would be friends with; just because you are family doesn’t mean I like you.” Alrighty then…..next! 😉 Negative words sting, don’t they? Negative words also stick! Isn’t it funny that we can remember the negative words and we can barely remember the positive words that are said to us. That’s why it’s important to always affirm strangers, friends and family with your positive words. Tell others what you appreciate about them and why. You might change someones life just with your kind words.

*Social media is everywhere. I don’t think we can get away from it. There are good things that can come from social media, though. I am learning to pace myself and figure out how social media will and won’t be a part of my life. Let’s just say this…..I am so very thankful that social media wasn’t around when I was a teen. Yikes! I feel sorry for the kids that live and breath social media and miss out on the interaction of a real human voice and face. Trust me, it shows out in the real world. I think that’s how the “it’s all about me” culture is growing.

Well, I guess we will stop there. You get the picture, right?

Have some negative thoughts, emotions and people held you back in the past? It’s time to just let it go. Let 2020 be the year that you let all those negative thoughts, things and even negative people from the past go! You can’t change any of it. You can change you, though. You can change how you think about all of those things.

Be the person that someone will say about you:

“Wow, does she know what they said about her? Why does she look so happy and peaceful?”

“Does she not know the world is in shambles, why is she so peaceful and content?”

“Does she know how I’m treating her? Why does she keep being nice to me?”

Have you heard the southern gospel song that says, “I read the back of the book and we win?” I hope you are reading the right book, (God’s Word)….because if you are, then you know, we have nothing to worry about. Trust me, there are plenty of books that contradict God’s Word and those books don’t give any hope at all. How thankful I am for the hope that I have in Jesus Christ.

Do you have some things you need to let go this year once and for all?

I just thought of another song that says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through!” Hallelujah! For this I am thankful! Until then, let’s make 2020 the best year ever for us and our families by being positive, happy and content regardless of the negativity that is thrown our way on a daily basis. We got this….

Veterans Day 2019

This morning I watched a ceremony that was on the Fox News Channel. It was a swearing in ceremony for new citizens of America. Lee Greenwood sang our National Anthem plus his famous song, I’m Proud to Be An American! It was a very moving ceremony and made me even more thankful than I already am to be an American. Each new American made a statement of how thankful they were to be in a free country. Yes, I cried as I watched. I love my country and I try so hard not to take my freedoms for granted.

I’m posting a link to a couple of past Veteran’s Day posts. I do hope they inspire you or encourage you today.

Remembering all those that have served on this Veteran’s Day!

This post is a story from a dear friend of mine who never met her father as he was serving in the military and his plane was shot down while her mom was expecting her. It is a very moving story and I thought you might like to read it if you haven’t already. Click here to read about Allison’s father.

Click here to read about a crazy dream I had while my brother was serving in the Marine Corps during Desert Storm.

Earlier this year I had a post that was a question and answer layout. Towards the end of the post, you will see a picture of my husband, brother and my father when they served in the military….so, just scroll to the end of the post and you will see it. Click here if you would like to see a short write up of their service.

Thanks for reading along today and have a great day remembering those that are and have served our country. If you see a veteran or an active military while out and about…..tell them….Thank you!

May God continue to bless America!

My Quiet Time with Jesus!

The other day I was driving and I was chatting away with my mom on my speaker. I was passing by the airport and it seems when that happens, the line cuts in and out. For the next few minutes we are both saying, “Hello! Hello! Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Hello, can you hear me now?” Once the line cleared up, we started laughing because it sounded just crazy with all the hello…hello…hello!

As I was doing my devotions this afternoon while the house was quiet, I kept thinking how thankful I was that I finally figured out something that was working for me at this stage of my life in meeting with my Savior each day. Granted, there are days that it just doesn’t happen and it weighs heavily on my mind when I don’t take the time to sit down and just spend time with my Jesus. I may be the only one that happens to, but, it is what it is.

I put my faith and my trust in Christ when I was 14. That was 46 years ago! Wow! Yes, I turned 60 this year. Yes, I’m struggling with that thought! Back to my main reason for writing today….

Church was the main thing in my life the day I accepted Christ as my Savior. I was there every time the doors were open. I was in Sunday School, special teaching classes, choir, visitation, every teen activity, church camps, you get the picture. Reading and studying God’s Word was new to me. I knew it was important and I read it because I was taught that you needed to start reading your Bible. So many things I didn’t understand, but, I kept reading it anyway. I didn’t even have a Bible of my own for the first several months of my new life in Christ. We had a large Children’s Bible that I would read out of and my mom had a Bible that I would read. I did get a Bible for Christmas later that year. I still have it and I love going through and seeing all the verses that I underlined and little notes I made.

Since then, I’ve had several different Bibles and I do have one main one that I really like to study out of. I place Bibles around my house. I just love having one near at all times. I even carry one in my car.

Over these 46 years I have sat under many different preachers and teachers. I have heard many different ways of studying your Bible and ways that people have their personal quiet times each day. I know you have heard many different ways, too. Yes, I’ve even been convicted because I didn’t do it like someone else or I tried and just couldn’t do it. Such as get up at 4 a.m. and read and pray before my husband and babies woke up. I tried, but it wasn’t happening! I eventually would find my own way to spend time in prayer and Bible reading. It even has changed many times over the years.

I recently found myself struggling with getting my three chapters read each day in order to reach a certain goal. It wasn’t meaningful to me as I was just hurrying up and it was like it was a ritual or something. I felt like I was missing out.

One of my favorite preachers made a comment one time when I was with he and his wife, “If you want to know who God is, read His Word.” Sounds very practical, doesn’t it? That’s because it is practical. I found myself, reading to meet a deadline and a goal and reading books on different subjects, but, still was hungry just to sit in peace and read and let God speak to me. I want to know everything there is to know about God. When you are hurrying or just reading to be reading….you might miss out on a few things.

Several months ago, I said to myself…”Okay, Beverly, it’s time to slowly go through your Bible and just be quiet and still and let God speak to me.” I am a planner, so I stuck with my pattern of how I read the Bible, but…this time, I’m going slow and I am loving it so much! I’m not trying to meet a deadline to have my Bible read through by the end of the year and get so many verses a day read.

This is how my “quiet time” goes….

I begin with a short prayer of asking the Lord to speak to me through His Word. If there is anything that He wants me to know, to make it very clear for me to see. I want to know everything about Him. Now….if you are anything like me, your mind goes a million miles a minute and you think about so many things at the same time as reading and even praying. I have to get still and quiet and I don’t begin until my mind has calmed down. I even keep a notepad close that I jot things down that is on my mind to do. Such as, while you are reading a thought pops in your head….go to the store to get milk….just stop, write it down and move on. Again, I might be the only one that struggles with things like that.

I have an Our Daily Bread Devotional for women that I read. It is very short and to the point. I love this devotional as it always has something that I need to be reminded of. Then….

I began in Genesis and only read one chapter. With reading one chapter, I take my time…I make notes, I memorize names, place and events. I’m not worried about checking anything off. I’ll move on through each book of the Old Testament.

I then move to the Book of Psalms. I read one chapter…same thing…slowly and make many notes. When I get to the end of Psalms, I start over. I’m always going through the Book of Psalms.

Then I go to my favorite, the Book of Proverbs. Whatever day of the month it is, that is the Proverb that I read. October 6th…I read Proverbs 6. When I get to Proverbs 31, I start over. I’m always going through the book of Proverbs. It’s amazing how any things speak to you differently each month.

I then go to Matthew…..one chapter a day and I move on through Mark, Luke and John. When I finish John, I go back to Matthew. I’m always reading in the Gospels.

I then go to the Book of Acts….one chapter…..I keep on moving all the way through Revelations. When I’m through with Revelations, I will start over in Acts.

I have to tell you that I have really enjoyed it! There are days, where I can’t wait to sit down to read the next chapter in each book to catch up. I’m hungry for more.

Being hungry for the Word of God is a very good thing! Are you hungry for God’s Word?

Also, as I read, and God speaks to me, I pray as I read. I apply everything I read to myself. I’m not worried about how someone I know needs this or I hope so and so reads this today…..This is all for me! I’m not studying for a lesson to teach or to fill in a workbook for a study of some sort. It’s just me and God….

That’s what a “quiet time” is to me.

I end with focused prayer. Prayer is my personal conversation with my Savior. I don’t keep up with making sure I spend an hour or 5 minutes in prayer. I pray for however long it takes. I cover everything. Trust me!

So, I hope you have settled in to what works for you in your season of life that you are in right now. Do you need to make some adjustments? If something isn’t working, figure out a way that it will work. Make it a special time for you and your Savior…..not just checking off a box of what you read for the day. But, hey….if checking off the boxes is what works….yay! I did the box checking for a long time.

I only share this to encourage you and hopefully inspire you to make sure you have that time each day or as often as you can.

If you are struggling with any area, feel free to email me and I would love to find a way to help and encourage you. Don’t leave Him out of your daily life.

Do you find your faith wavering…..get in the Word! Fill your life with people of faith. Listen to people of faith. Sometimes, when your faith is wavering…it could be because everyone and everything around you is anti-God. Trust me, there is plenty of that and always has been. Just read…..read for you…..not to prove anything to anyone…..just read and ask for wisdom and discernment. Tell God you need to hear from Him. He loves us so much and wants to spend time with us. I know you’ve heard this before; Our Bible is His love letter to us! He has so much He wants us to know about Him. Don’t take anyone else’s word for it…..you read and study for yourself and learn all you can! Let Him speak to you!

Until next time…

National Beer Day!

Who knew? National Beer Day! We have special days for almost everything, don’t we? Not too long ago, I noticed it was National Doughnut Day…..and I missed it. I love doughnuts. I have one every now and then. They are awfully sugary and also fattening…which I don’t need in my life. All that to say, I was catching up on some news this morning and they announced it was National Beer Day and they shared several brewers who have developed their own brand. The newscasters were telling all about each one and at the same time made it clear they were not allowed to drink any. I wondered why not? If it’s so wonderful and amazing, why can’t you drink it while sharing with the world how amazing it all is. I think the only good thing I gained from the report was the entrepreneurial spirit of the “brewers.” I love seeing people that have a dream and develop it and then are passionate about it. They were definitely passionate about their “brews.”

I thanked the Lord that I wasn’t passionate about beer. I know so many are and they live for the end of the day to sit down with a “cold one.” Thank you Lord, that I had the thoughts (wisdom) to not make that a part of my life. I can honestly say, that I have ZERO curiosity of how it tastes and obviously about making it a part of my life. I try so hard to have an open mind and respect those that have a taste for it and have made it a part of their lives. I don’t shame people and I don’t say anything as they sit and sip on their alcohol. But, I have been shamed many times for not partaking. When you don’t consume alcohol you are often left out of the loop on certain get togethers, etc. Snide remarks are made in your favor of how crazy you must be to not want to sip and take in the effects of alcohol. I’ve had things said to me such as:

“Oh, you are just a good Baptist girl!”

“I guess you can’t eat Rum Cake, it has Rum in it, you know.”

“How can anyone not drink, look what you are missing!”

“Oh, a little wine never hurt anyone!”

“Beverly! Jesus turned the water into wine!”

“I get it, you don’t drink because you are afraid of being an alcoholic since it’s in your family!”

“You are such a dud!”

The list goes on and on….

But, let’s talk about National Beer Day!

From 1920 to 1933, the Prohibition was in effect. Click here to read more about it. Those pesky Protestants! -wink Seriously, it’s a quick read and explains a bit about the Prohibition.

And then, thanks to President Roosevelt….

“On April 7, 1933, President Roosevelt took the major first step toward ending Prohibition and signed a law allowing people to brew and distribute beer in the United States. Upon signing the legislation, FDR famously stated, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” For the first time in thirteen years, beer drinkers celebrated and were happy to be able to purchase beer again. On that same day, 1.5 million barrels of beer were consumed, inspiring the holiday celebrated today. For all you beer lovers out there – remember, always drink responsibly and never drink and drive. So, take a toast with us by celebrating National Beer Day on April 7, Cheers!” (This is the opening article on the site for the National Beer Day. Click here to read more if interested.

You, my readers, probably know why I stand firm on my personal beliefs of alcohol. My only goal is to prevent others from the heartache that I’ve experienced first hand and the major heartache I’ve seen others go through. All I can say is, you don’t want that heartache…..trust me. It’s not as pretty as they make it out to be. Like I have said many times, no one says to themselves, “I think I’ll become an alcoholic!” “I think I’ll kill someone today while driving while drunk!” “I think I’ll abuse someone today, because I drank too much!” Those are just a tip of the iceberg of the things that happen in someones life because of alcohol.

I know, I know…it looks very cool and most importantly, it looks like so much fun! You do know that if you want people to know that you are the life of the party and are having a super good time, it is important to hold up your glass or your bottle of your drink in your photos. Now, that is proof that you are a fun person! -double wink

If you missed my recent post on this subject, you can read it here.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and I promised to write more on the subject during April and what better way to get me motivated was to hear that it was National Beer Day. Again….who knew!? I obviously didn’t!

If you would like to read some stories of people who have lost loved ones in tragic accidents due to alcohol, click here. Mother’s Against Drunk Driving is an organization that is doing an amazing work to bring awareness to the problem.

I do hope that my writing on this subject doesn’t offend anyone, I only hope that it makes you more aware of the dangers and effects that alcohol has on us and our loved ones, especially, our children.

I heard this a few years ago. When the basketball team from Utah, that is comprised of mostly those of the Mormon faith is playing in the championships etc., the alcohol sales are way down. The alcohol companies and their vendors don’t make as much money so it isn’t their favorite event. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if eventually that is how it would be everywhere…alcohol sales are way down…..beer companies going out of business……..I can almost confidentially say, that will never happen. For some reason alcohol is something that so many will never give up regardless who it has hurt. That’s just the way it is. So, I will just keep on keeping on sharing with whoever will listen of what alcohol did to my family and to so many other people.

My last statement for this post:

Alcohol must really taste great to take such a high risk of so many tragedies. I wouldn’t know……I’ve never tasted it. Well….wait a minute….when I was a little girl, my dad gave me a sip of his beer. He drank Coor’s. I can still see the cans of it in our refrigerator and sitting between his legs as he sat in his chair and yes, driving! It tasted terrible! He thought it was funny! I laughed that day too, as he laughed at me. That was the last time I laughed at alcohol….

Always remember, if you are a partaker in alcohol and we are friends, I will never disown you, I will just pray that the next drink you take tastes like something you would never want to taste again! -triple wink! I have sat at many tables while someone is drinking and I don’t think less of them….I just pray that they will eventually hate the stuff……all with a smile!

Thank you for being a reader of my thoughts today! Blessings on your Sunday and until next time…..

Drink responsibly! Whatever that means! -yes, I’m winking again!

Do You Bounce The Ball Back?

When my kids were young I taught them how to bounce the ball back. No, I’m not talking about a real ball or even the game of basketball. Although, Nathan was a good little basketball player when he was growing up. I loved watching him play. I’ll have to share with you sometime soon about me starting a basketball team. Yes, you read that correctly. It was a hilarious experience. Well, it wasn’t hilarious at the time…..but, now when I think of it…..I can’t help but laugh. But, for today, I wanted to talk about bouncing the ball back to others.

Several years ago I was attending my first writers conference. I didn’t know a soul there. During break, I was sitting on a sofa in the lobby and a lady was sitting close by. We started chatting…..just small talk. I could have easily, just said, “nice to meet you” and gone on my way. But, between this sweet lady and myself, we ended up in a deep conversation. Today, she is one of my very dear friends and someone I look up to for wisdom. On another occasion, I received an email from someone I didn’t know. She had been given my name from someone that knew of me in the Dallas area. She took a chance and sent me an email to ask if I knew of any writers groups in my city since she was moving here. I could have easily just forwarded her the information. Long story short, I wrote her back and asked a few questions and made it a point to contact her when she made the move to my city and we went to lunch and from there, we became close friends. She is an encourager in my life and an inspiration to me.

That is what I mean by bouncing the ball back. When someone reaches out to you…..reach back….bounce the ball back. When someone says, good morning as you are out shopping or sitting in church, tell them the same and add something to maybe get a conversation going. You never know what could become of that.

How many times have we sat in church waiting for the service to start and everyone is just sitting there staring straight ahead not speaking. Reach out and strike up a conversation with someone. I know….there are many people who don’t want to talk and they aren’t interested….you just go to the next person. Or, how about maybe not even a conversation. How about a smile or a pat on the shoulder and say something positive to them, such as, “I love your shoes.” Maybe you don’t love their shoes…there has to be something about everyone that would be easy to compliment.

A smile is the easiest. I just got in from doing some shopping. I passed a lady on the way to my car. I smiled at her and she said, “What a beautiful smile.” Isn’t that sweet? I don’t think I have a pretty smile, but, she was so kind. I want to be like that, don’t you? When you pass people who are in a hurry, just smile. If they don’t smile back, that is okay. When they smile at you, smile back and say, “hi!” So easy.

A few years ago, I was leaving church and a lady stopped me. She had her arms folded and looked down at me with a look that seemed she wasn’t too sure of me. She said, “Who are you… and where did you come from!” I proceeded to tell her my name and that my husband and I had moved back to the area, blah blah blah. She never changed expressions. She wasn’t impressed. I then excused myself and left. A few days later, I was walking through a department store and I saw this same lady checking out at a counter. I walked over and patted her and said “Hi, how are you doing?” She looked over at me as if I were bothering her and as she looked me up and down she then said “fine!” and turned around and walked away. From that day forward, I kept my ball from her. I was no longer going to try. There is something about me that I don’t like too much and that is, I have a tendency to give up on trying to win people over. Especially, people that are rude and mean spirited. Granted, I know that if I keep trying, someone may come around. I have tried working with someone in ministry purposely that I knew without a doubt didn’t like me…..I never won them over. It’s hard work and it takes a lot of humility. I’m a very discerning person and I usually know when someone is purposely rude, is shy, is going through a hard time, or just doesn’t have any manners. It’s easy to be patient and keep bouncing the ball back to them except for the purposely rude ones. They take much patience and prayer. Then there are always the genuinely kind and happy people. They are a piece of cake! We all need people like that in our lives, don’t we? WE can be that type of person for others.

With this day of social media, it’s interesting as well. Have you ever been friends with someone on social media and then when you meet them in person, they have nothing to say or they don’t really want to acknowledge you. But, on Facebook you know everything about them; what they ate for dinner, where they went for vacation, who their friends are, what they like and don’t like and even when they can’t sleep. If we were that interested in talking face to face, we would probably have some really “true friends” wouldn’t we?

Then we have texting and comments on your social media. If someone goes to the trouble of looking our name up and then taking time to type out something or share a picture with us, we should always respond. Not answering a text or a comment on your social media pages to me is like just not answering someone if they were talking to you face to face. Or turning your back on them. We would never do that, would we? Well, there might be some people that would. -wink!

On my Facebook, memories from up to 5 or more years ago will pop up. I love looking at pictures and reading what was going on years ago. A couple of times I cringe when I see that someone left a comment and I never responded. All I can think of is that I never saw it. I’m so tempted to comment back, but, this particular one that I recently saw was from 6 years ago. If I comment, the picture will start circulating again….how embarrassing. So, I just learn from that and I carefully acknowledge anytime someone takes the time to connect or comment now.

You may be saying….”Beverly, what makes you such an expert on this subject?” Well, I’m not….I’m learning everyday. I blow it too many times in this area and I can probably recall each time I did and regret it horribly. I was extremely shy growing up and I basically still am….I just work at it really hard. When I was about 15 or so, I had a man at church shake my hand as I was walking out and he he called me “stuck up!” It hurt deeply and I was determined to not let people think that of me ever again. I’m sure they did as I was shall I say, “painfully shy!” So, I’m a work in progress and I’ve worked hard at it. No expert….just a crazy girl trying to be all that God created me to be!

Bouncing the ball back is hard sometimes. You may be humbled or you may make a new best friend. Who knows, you may be able to share some good news with someone who is going through a hard time or is in desperate need of a Savior. Even though it’s hard at times, the rewards are worth it.

I have a challenge for us today:

Bounce the ball back……….or better yet, you bounce first!

Until next time….

Iris, A Special Lady

Today is the Iris’ birthday. The only problem is, I can’t call her and wish her a happy 91st birthday. Iris passed away 4 months ago.

I met Iris about 25 years ago. I had just started a local group with Concerned Women For America. Iris was very active in local politics, church life, leadership in Eagle Forum and in her spare time she loved her work as a Landman. She traveled across the country doing land work.

Iris taught me everything I needed to know about politics. I traveled to Washington D.C. with her to Eagle Council as well as St. Louis. I met Phylis Schlafly a couple of times along with Clarence Thomas and numerous other conservative leaders. Iris was active in our local Republican Women’s group and encouraged me to do so as well. I attended three Texas State Republican Conventions as a delegate. I learned more about politics than I cared to know. It is all very exciting and at the same time “politics.” Many times someone that was running for political office would come to town and Iris would be the one to take them to all the “important people” to ask for their support and I had the pleasure of driving several of them to their various appointments.

Iris loved her country and she prayed faithfully for God to continue to bless our country in a great and mighty way. She loved her son and grandson with everything that she had. Iris became a single mom when her son was very young. She did an excellent job in raising him. She also cared for her mother until she passed away.

When Iris was young, she was a Rangerette at Kilgore College. I loved to hear her stories about those days. She went on to graduate from Baylor University.

When I first met Iris, she put together a tour to various small towns around our city and had a team of speakers on different subjects. At the time, I was working with Concerned Women for America and our goal was to rid our community of pornography. That’s a whole story in itself, but, Iris convinced me to give a speech on what pornography does to a community as well as families. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of prayer to get up in front of a room full of strangers and speak on that subject. Iris always encouraged me in my speaking and my writing. Every time I talked to her, she would ask me about my book or where I spoke last. She also loved my family. She prayed for each one of them and always said the kindest things about each one. She loved my Jim and even made sure that he would preach her funeral. She was confident he would share the gospel. She knew everything about both of our kids and their lives and prayed for each one regularly. She loved my mom and always asked about her.

Iris introduced me to a lady named Carol over 25 years ago and we have been dear friends since that day. Together we have traveled on a regular basis to visit Iris when she moved to be closer to her son. What a time we had. Iris could walk, but, we could get places so much faster if we pushed Iris in a wheel chair. When we visited, Iris was ready to go shopping, eating out and going to church. We kept the road hot in The Woodlands for the 3-4 days that we visited each time. Iris lost her eye sight the last few years of her life, but you would have never known it. She insisted on going to movies, especially, the movies that our son worked on. She wanted to know every detail. Iris needed hearing aids and rarely wore them, so, what fun Carol and I would have wheeling Iris around to shopping centers, restaurants, movie theaters and church while talking very loud and describing everything we see.

The last couple of years Iris spoke a lot about Heaven. She told me she couldn’t wait to get there and see Jesus face to face. We talked on the phone about that for hours. She wanted to listen to books on tape about Heaven. Right before she passed away, she had a trip planned to go to The Cove, the home of Billy Graham and the Bible Museum in Washington DC. Not much slowed Iris down. Carol and a I would get home from our trips with Iris and have to take a couple of days to rest. I was the driver of our excursions once we got to The Woodlands. Iris would sit in the front seat with me and even though she couldn’t see a thing, she always knew if I made a wrong turn or not. She could tell me where to go and how to get there. She would describe the location and what the place looked like that we were driving to. She also heard everything Carol and I would say when we were trying to figure out our plans for the day. She was a smart little cookie! Nothing got passed Iris!

One last story to share that makes me smile when I think about it. About 4 years ago, I was having lunch with Iris and she asked if I would take her to Roswell. Roswell is a few hours from our city and I told her that sounded good and I would check my calendar and let her know for sure if and when. I talked to Jim, checked my calendar and called her and asked her when she would like to go to Roswell. She said, “Honey, I didn’t say Roswell, I said Toronto, Canada.” Long story short, her son took her to Toronto.

Here is a link to a post I did years ago of a recipe Iris gave me. Click here to read.

Happy Birthday, Iris! I know you are seeing such beauty and hearing the sweet voice of our Savior!

What You Got On? Your Mind?

That’s a funny title to me, “What You Got On? Your Mind?” I knew someone years ago that always said that and I never understood it. I think I get it now.

I just wanted to share a few things that are on my mind today.

I’m a list maker. My mind will play over and over and over something that I need to do or something I’m thinking about or even an article that I want to write. Once I get it all on paper, my mind is suddenly clear. So, first thing in the morning I make my list for the day. I used to do it the night before, but, my mind changes quickly and I may have a whole complete set of plans by morning. So, I make my list and I try to keep it practical. I LOVE crossing off the items I competed. Those things that I didn’t complete I add them to my list the next day. Such as, I have an item to get a birthday card for someone and I’ve added it to the list for the third day now. Maybe I will get it done today.

I LOVE the Fall Season! By the way, I have heard it both ways, do you capitalize Fall when speaking of the season? I’ve heard it both ways and after I finish this post I will look it up. That has been driving me crazy forever. I would think it would be capitalized since it’s the name of a season? But, who knows. I’ll get to the bottom of it today. I’ll put that on my list of to do’s. Speaking of fall….Fall…..we are getting ready to take our annual trip to the Ozarks! I love going there. We are getting to do something on this trip that was a last minute event and I will share next week what it is. I’m a wee bit excited! The temps are going to be in the 70’s. My favorite! Can’t wait!

Our son and daughter in law are coming home soon. They have been in Canada for several months. Our son is an animator and he has actually traveled the world working for major movie companies. Some of the movies he has animated for are: The Book of Life, The Peanuts Movie (my favorite), Ice Age 3, Rock Dog, Small Foot ( which is out this next week, can’t wait), Spider-Man (due out in December and there are more, I just can’t remember. I love the work he has done for a company called Super Simple Learning. Oh my, goodness….they are so cute! Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Little Snowflake, Sweet Dreams and others. Okay, I could go on an on, but….all that to say, I can’t wait til I see them.

My mom turned 80 this month. She is such an amazing lady. I wish you could sit down with her and glean her wisdom. She is not only beautiful and healthy, but she is a joy to be around. I hope I’m as full of life as she is when I’m 80.

I will be going to a blogger’s conference soon and I will be pitching a book that I’m working on. I’m a bit nervous about it as I’m not sure it will go over, but, we will see. I’ll share more on that soon.

Have you ever wept over a homeless person. Well, I’m not really sure they are homeless, but, where I live we have people standing on corners with signs that say something like, “Out of work, need money to pay bills” or “I’m a vet and homeless” etc. I was sitting at a light and a man was walking down the long stretch with his sign. He had a brace on his leg and he looked like he was about 60 or so. I didn’t have any small bills with me, so I hesitated to give him anything. Fortunately the car behind me did and I felt better. But, as he was walking back, all I could think of was, he is someone’s son. He is someones husband, maybe? He is someones father. Grandson…friend….I thought, how did he get to this place with so many people in his world. It’s a very sad thing to think about isn’t it? While in Austin last week, a young man was on the corner and he was obviously tired and just sat down and went to sleep. Cars were passing by and I thought, where are the people that love him? So, if you see me crying at a stop light and there is person begging for money, that is why.

Okay, I better stop for now, I could go on and on. My mind is just so full of so much thinking I could take up too much time and space on this post.

Well, one more thing! Is it just me or is the world getting crazier and crazier! I’m talking about the language that people use. Either I’ve been living in a bubble for years or all of the sudden the language is out of control. First of all, movies…..wow! I might see a movie listing and think, “that looks pretty good!” So, I look it up on my favorite site, Plugged In. They give you the main details of what to expect in different areas. When it gets to language, they give an actual count of how many times they use certain words. Example, one I looked up recently had 60 F words. How does that work? Can people not talk without using bad words? Then they list the other words and it’s just as many. Some I don’t even know what they are referring to. Not just movies, but, television and I’m not talking about tv shows….I only watch Hallmarky type movies. But…the news. My gracious people. Can you not use a sentence without curse words? Is it that hard? Politicians….I would expect better from you. Don’t even get me started with the protestors, rioters, etc. When you watch a clip of them tearing up whatever they can, it’s a constant beep, because they can’t speak without foul language. Years ago, I watched a movie about a NASA astronaut. It was based on a true story. He used bad language and a few weeks later, I saw the real astronaut giving an interview for someone, can’t remember who. Anyway, they asked him about the movie and if it were true to life. He said, “Yes, pretty much, but, the main thing is, we didn’t talk like that. The men I worked with had more character than that!” That has stuck with me for years. Too bad, people don’t value their character enough to not use bad language. I’ll go ahead and say that I think it’s also sad that those that choose not to use bad language, but, yet they use words that are just as crude. I don’t need to share what the words are as you probably know. Okay….that’s my rant for now….next!

I must end this What’s on My Mind with something more positive.

I often think where I could be in my life if it weren’t for Christ! How thankful and grateful I am that I put all of my faith in Him as a young teenager. I never take that for granted. I’ve seen what the other side has to offer and it isn’t pretty. No hope, no peace, no purpose. I now have hope, I have peace and I have a purpose. Most of all, I have a Savior who loves me. For this I am thankful.

Now, back to my list of TO DO’S for the day…..

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.” –Philippians 4:8