Blessings to you for your weekend ahead. Love, Lisa
The Gloriousness of God
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Tag Archives: God
The Real Me
How many of you can relate?
Scene 1: Early Morning. Lisa arises, feels new, refreshed, ready to tackle the day. She blogs about rising above the storm clouds, about dealing well with the “it is” in her life. Feeling good.
Scene 2: Late afternoon. Lisa is half crying and half mad. Things have gone from bad to worse with little and big irritations, changes, stresses, people being people. Husband laughingly, lovingly, asks where the “it is” girl has gone. She feels a headache beginning.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
We are human. Life happens. People keep on being people, and none of us are perfect for sure.
Is the real me the one who blogs in the morning? Or the frustrated headachy one in the afternoon? The real me is both of these creatures. God has created us with a myriad of colorful, wonderful and sometimes exhausting emotions.
Verses like the one above bring me great joy and peace. He knows me. He loves me. He gives me new compassion every morning. He will remain faithful to me no matter what.
Thank goodness.
Love, Lisa
It Is
One of the best things about blogging is getting the chance to put the things that are flying around in your mind into a concrete form. Writing something makes it seem more lasting.
As someone who deals with a permanently dodgy ankle, there are times when I am confronted with things I have trouble doing. I have found that focusing on the things I can do, rather than what I can’t do, is an infinitely better way to live. But sometimes circumstances or needs come up and force my attention onto the can’ts.
My sister said a very wise thing to me as she saw my struggle and guilt over my can’ts. She said, “It’s an it is. You can’t worry over something you cannot change.”
Read that again: “It’s an it is.“
Instead of ruminating endlessly of how to change my ankle and its oddities, I have been accepting it better since she said this. My completely fused ankle is a fact. Unable to be changed. Not my fault. I have been looking for accommodations, for other solutions, for ways around the problems. And not beating myself up with guilt for things I cannot change.
Yes, I realize that this is a variation of “It is what it is.” But for some reason, just hearing the words in a different way helped me to accept it.
So, little sister, thank you. This has helped more than you know.
Also, note to self…..you never know how little things you say to people can make a difference in encouraging them along their journeys. Keep encouraging, keep loving.
It is…..well with my soul.
Love, Lisa
Thriving at the Base of an Active Volcano
People all over the world live on islands with active volcanoes. Hawaii’s big island, the Canary Islands, the Solomon Islands, St Lucia, St. Kitts and many others in the Caribbean, and the list goes on. These are beautiful places to visit and to live. The people who reside there have learned how to negotiate times of activity and eruption.
Why am I talking about active volcanoes? More and more people today are struggling with the anger and stress that come from the frustration of dealing with an ever-maddening world situation. These stresses and angry feeling build up, and over time, people erupt. I am seeing more and more of this lately, in stores, in people’s driving, in personal interactions. Dealing with people’s anger and eruptions is difficult for an introverted peace-loving person. I do realize, however, that everyone is different, and everyone’s way of resolving conflict is very different. But how does a person such as myself cope with these eruptions and maintain personal peace in the midst of the lava, ash and explosion?
I decided to look at the tips given on the internet for surviving during an active volcano.
-Remain indoors with windows and doors shut until told it’s safe to come out.
-Stay away from areas with heavy ash fall.
-Clear ash from your home and property.
-Get medical care if necessary. (Source: wikihow.com)
Here is what I have gleaned from this advice as it pertains to people’s eruptions.
-When people are yelling and erupting, it is best to stay in a removed location. Remove myself from the scene of the eruption until it is over.
-Afterwards, stay away from the triggering topics to avoid getting burned until all is dormant.
-When things are very calm, deal with the issues calmly and try to remove the triggering frustrations or situations. Clear the ash from myself. Keep calm and carry on.
-If I need help in dealing with these eruptions, talk to someone. Get the help I need to survive and thrive.
And most importantly, keep my eyes fixed on the beauty of the volcanic mountain. All people are beautiful and made in the image of God. Those same people who are cutting you off in traffic, snarling at you in the checkout line, hanging up on the customer service phone are people who are in need of love, of acceptance, of salvation. They are hurting people who need God.
People living on a volcanic island usually love it. The beauty of the towering and rugged mountain is inspiring and amazing. It is their home. They have learned to negotiate the hazards safely.
Lord, give me the grace and sight to see everyone as You see them. We are all struggling these days with amazing amounts of stress. Give us Your strength.
Love, Lisa
Rise Above the Clouds
Take a close look at this photograph taken at Silver Strand beach in Ireland. Let your gaze focus upward. The yellow flowers growing in stone, the sheep grazing above the dangerous precipice?
There are challenging situations all around the flowers and the sheep, but they have moved past them, above them, through them.
Think of an airplane approaching an angry storm, dark lightning-filled clouds. If at all possible, the plane gains altitude and flies above the clouds. It sets its path beyond or around the storm and does not fly through it.
In my life, there are many scary precipices, stony rocks, dark storm clouds. But I do not want to focus on that. I do not want to fly through them anymore. I want to rise above the clouds. I want to soar with wings like eagles. I want to fix my eyes on Jesus Christ, my Savior, my peace.
Life races by at a breakneck pace. Days turn into years at an alarming rate. I want to fly, to grow beautiful flowers, to eat delicious food. I want to laugh, to smile, to love with my whole heart, to see new things, to appreciate the old. I want to live with the best attitude that God can give me. I want to enjoy this beautiful God-given life.
Lord, let me rise above the clouds. Love, Lisa
Think About These Things 