Month: February 2021

Fullness

Annette CoffeyLeave a comment

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16. NIV

I heard something very wise yesterday. Those who always see the glass half full don’t realize that the glass is refillable. This says so much. Each morning when we wake up we have a chance at a brand new start. This new day we can be who ever we choose to be. The past is just that, the past. We can’t change our past but we can go forward differently if we want. I deal with many people who have behavior problems and little or no memory, from moment to moment, and it gets frustrating. These people don’t know that anything could be different so they will be the same because they can’t help it. But if you have a working brain you can make it react how you want. There is a lot of things that my body just can’t do anymore. I have many physical limitations but I try hard to have a good attitude. Attitude is everything. Many people let each circumstance rule their day. If they don’t like breakfast then watch out. Their morning is set. Complaining really doesn’t get you far. If you let any and everything control your emotions then they probably be messed up. I have a glass full mentality. But each morning I do remind myself that God gave me a brand new day and I will enjoy it. I can get silly at times but I will enjoy my day. I take extra enjoyment in little things. If breakfast is so so well at least I enjoy my coffee and lunch is just four or so hours away. I won’t get too hungry. It is very important to enjoy little things. At any moment you should be able to think of one thing that will make you smile. I know the Lord and that’s enough for me. But that doesn’t mean my life can’t get better. I can read and learn more. Exercise the body parts I can because that can make me more relaxed and stress free. Watch educational shows. Stimulate your mind and you may use that someday. God is always waiting for you to come to him and change. Let go of that old person, ask for forgiveness and let him know that you want to be a better happier person. He is willing to help and always forgives when you ask. He will take that slate and wipe it clean. You just need help changing that attitude. Lean more on him to show you just what you need to move forward. But I know gratitude will get you farther.

What are you thankful for today?

This Is Love

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“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.” John 4:10 NIV

God loved us, each and every one of us. At any given point in time that would be several billion people for many years. The God who created this wonderful planet and everything on it. He thought of each and every one of us, before even time began, and he loved each of us with a perfect love. It doesn’t matter if you ever return that love or not. He still loves you. He is the great creator and the creator of love. Propitiation means being reconciled with God. I have been redeemed and nothing can separate me from the perfect love of my father. No one or nothing can ever love us like God. No one is perfect but God. We will all fail to love perfectly because we are not perfect. When men separate themselves from God, thinking that they are better or all they need, they are missing out on the greatest life has to offer. Saying, basically, I don’t need it. The mercy and grace my father has for us, as well as the hope for eternal life, forever perfect life, is not to be missed out on. I can wake every morning with a joy that is unbelievable but it is mine through his great love for me, his daughter. I never ever want to lose that. I have listened to so many people talk about their endeavors for that perfect life without God. There is so much striving and turmoil after perfection. Happiness isn’t really an option. It’s just making sure you are better off than the next guy. Having more on your own is supposed to make you the winner. It doesn’t matter that it might never make you happy. So many people go through life this way and it is so sad. I don’t care if I have the most toys when I die. I don’t even care if I have toys. I can have nothing but the love of my Heavenly Father and a life with him forever. That’s all I want. I have learned during my time at this nursing home that our earthly bodies are failing. We can not know for sure that we will always be in the race for success. But all I need to do is keep his commandments and love him all I can and all others too. That is simple to me because he gives me all the help I need. In myself I can’t do it, but with God all things are possible. This makes me happy. When someone asks how my day is going?, I just smile and think of all I have. I may be wrong but I don’t care. It works so great for me Gods way. I have a future and a hope that will carry me through anything. When I face my final days here on earth I have an eternal faith that God is waiting for me at the end with dessert. His Glory.

Sowing

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“Sow righteousness for yourself, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12 NIV

When serving the Lord we need to always be sowing good seed. Letting God use us to impact others for his kingdom. We need to do things to prepare the soil of our lives also. So we can grow and bear more fruit to share with others. First of all let us look at the parable Jesus taught us about sowing. We are all soil and some of us have good soil that has been prepped and ready for planting, and it will produce a crop. Some soil is not prepped and it is hard and dry. But plants pop up quickly but can not last when the sun beats on them. Some soil grows plants but problems of life like weeds come and choke out the plants. It is important to always work at your soil making it richer by doing things that help like praying, reading your Bible, reading other books about God and devotionals. Listening to praise music, going to.church, and fellowshipping with other Christians. These all will bring God’s blessings to our lives and more fruit for us to share with others. This is God’s will for us. Look to help those who can’t help themselves. Those that are homeless, hungry, and handicapped. Orphaned and widowed. God is looking for people who want to be used to help these people. When you let him use you, even if all you can do is pray for them, he will bless you and your soil will be rich with nutrients. As you step out and meet these needs, God steps in with financial blessings that you never thought about and others lives are affected and their soil is being tilled also and they are growing. God can and will make the world go around but there are so many blessings to be had for us who do their part.

Will you start sowing?

Where You Are

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“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving.” Colossians 3:23 NIV

How do you know if you are where God wants you? It’s more how you react to where you are than really where you are. I know my brother always says there are no women in his town. “ Maybe I should move.,” he says. Well if you are following the Lord and keeping his commandments then he will bless you right where you are. If God wants you in a relationship then that person will cross your path. I do believe we can position ourselves where good people are. Like a church, a class on something you enjoy, or just getting yourself out where people are. I know myself, I never thought I would be living in a nursing home at 59. A friend of mine overcame a hard past, met God and then his past life got him in prison. It was not where he wanted to be but God still has a plan. I became a writer, yah who knew? I never liked writing as a teen. It was hard and I struggled. Now I know what to say and can’t type fast enough. The words I write are God’s words. They inspire me just as much as others. My friend always liked to encourage people and who needs more encouragement than a prisoner. I’m sure God can use him too. Last night I watched a movie about a teenage boy dying from a bad heart. He was waiting for a donor heart. His church, best friend, and girlfriend were doing everything they could to raise money and awareness of his illness. He got a heart and his body rejected it. Things were bad and his friends wished they could do something, anything because he only had two more days to live. That night there was a terrible car accident and maybe a possible heart. It proved to be a perfect match. The hard thing was that it was his girlfriend who died. God used her in death and God used her life. God only knows how we can make a difference in the world. He can and will use us wherever we are if we will let him. We don’t always necessarily decide where we are but we can always decide to let God use us. Right where we are and just how he chooses. We just need to be willing. The girl that died was in an accident. But with God there are no accidents, he knows the day and hour that you will die and he can use that to greatly affect people in your life. Both families were very close and were blessed to see this young man live even if their daughter got to go to heaven.

Won’t you give God your life to use in his way?