Good and Clean
Peggy Mack
September 29, 2013
When I was a child, one of my weekly chores was cleaning my room. Now, to all of us who will admit it, cleaning our room meant shoving toys, dirty clothes and whatever under the bed, in drawers and in the closet( if it would hold any more after piles had been repeatedly deposited there from weeks past). We would stay in our rooms a "reasonable" amount of time to give the appearance of cleaning and then we would ask if we could go out to play. (Obviously, this was before tv remotes were in the hands of children and cell phones were, yet, to be discovered and ipads were only dreams of sci-fi writers.)
But, every once in awhile, the ax would fall, and mom would escort me back to my room. While I sat on the bed she would go into a litany of Bible verses about cleanliness next to godliness and often ended in a weeping session connecting my total disregard for cleaning to my lack of love for her. While she ranted she slung everything from under the beds, the contents of the closet floor and emptied my drawers, too! Oh the wounds were deep when inflicted, but well deserved! There I sat in a mountain of messes and thinking to myself, I'll never dig out by suppertime! As she departed, her final words were, "and this room better be GOOD and CLEAN because I am going to check every drawer, every corner, the closet AND under the bed!!"
I remembered those moments this morning when I was having my morning conversation and prayers with God. We shared so many concerns I have and as I prayed and paused to let my thoughts catch up with me, I began thinking about some old wounds in my heart that I cannot seem to shake these twenty years later. I failed my mother in all I could have and should have done for her and I accept that knowledge. Memories come back to me from time to time of specific incidents and I feel sick inside my heart even though I know she forgave me and God has forgiven me. I still feel the guilt of not doing all I could have and should have done. I have been cleansed of my sins by God's loving forgiveness, His grace, His peace, His understanding, I know I am forgiven. But until this morning I did not understand the process of completly cleansing my sins. There's a trite little saying floating around that we often say to each other, "forgive yourself!" It's trite but true and there's a reason. Unless and until you go through a quiet meditation process where you admit you have failed and admit you are truly contrite and understand, finally, that memories will continue to return of those mistakes but you accept forgiveness from yourself for being human and have truly, with God's help, become a better person; you are not GOOD and CLEAN.
So this morning, I gave in. I surrendered. I opened up my mind, my heart, my soul and accepted those failings as part of my past and I forgave myself with God's help. I read a wonderful devotional this morning in Jesus Calling that stated simply. Today is here. It's a gift from God and you have the chance to be a blessing to so many people today. Yesterday is a closed book of forgiven acts of the past. God does not want your mind on anything from the past that will slow down the blessings you could be giving to others today. Tomorrow is in God's hands. He will give it to you in the morning with a roadmap for you to follow. All He is asking is for today but for you to give your all, you have to know how to face the guilt of the past.
Once you take the time to meditate with God about those memories of guilt that will not leave you AND you have said to yourself, "I forgive you!", then you have to have a plan for when the memories return. Develop a statement that will work for you. When I remember the time, for example, that I was impatient with mom and lacked any true empathy of what she was going through with aging, I get that sinking, crippling feeling all over,again and I sink into deep thought and revisit every moment. God is telling me to stop it. It serves no purpose other than one. It takes away something positive I could be doing for someone today. Momma is in Heaven. She is at peace and no longer in pain. She has been in Heaven for 17 years. Today is a gift from God. So when the memories I come, I am going to say, "I forgive you. Go do something good today."
It has not been an easy morning for me. Cleaning my room when mother went into one of her tirades and deposited all my messes on the bed for me to see accompanied by Bible verses and admonition that I must not love her very much was not easy, either. But, I deserved the moment and it served a wonderful purpose. I learned that there is only one way to get GOOD and CLEAN and that is to ask forgiveness from the one you have wronged, ask God for forgiveness and forgive yourself not because you have miraculously deserved it, but because God has given you today and He needs yesterday's chapters closed and tomorrow's story to be left in His hands if we are going to be brilliant lights for Him. So many people need us in their daily walks in life.
If your silent voice has been saying to you, I cannot forgive myself. Then maybe we have all been doing it for the wrong reason and it has not worked so well. We cannot forgive ourselves because we know we do not deserve it. Try forgiving yourself for God. Imagine all He has for you to do in your very special place in life with all the gifts He has given you.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Though this morning was not an easy one for me I have been rewarded with a sweet inner peace. Finally, after years of battling with memories of failures, I am GOOD and CLEAN. I have forgiven myself so that I can serve you better and make today an amazing blessing. Use me Lord to touch others lives and to make their day a little brighter, a little easier. Heal those who rest in my heart so they can live full lives to glorify your name. I have accepted Your loving forgiveness and finally, I have forgiven myself.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Monday, September 30, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Shine for Christ
Shine for Christ
Peggy Mack
September 20, 2013
I watched the sun rising over the ocean from our cabin view. Like clockwork the sun began to soften the deep darkness of night with its 7am arrival. What a spectacular view it was! As the earth rotated, the sun began gently painting the horizon with a soft, gentle, buttercream yellow. I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of our predictable fireball and the brilliance of its light. I was acutely aware that we were the only ship on the deep ocean, at least as far as I could see in any direction. I cannot remember ever seeing such a magnificent burst of white light and wonder if it was due to the fact that there is nothing but ocean and sky as far as my eyes can strain to see. There is nothing for the bright sunlight beams to refract upon; nothing to stop the light from shining in all its glory. It was so bright that no matter how I tried, I could not look at the sun directly, but I could feel its warmth on my face.
For a moment, I realized that if we think of ourselves individually as lights that shine for others through God's loving grace, we can entertain the thought of how birght a light we would be for others. Can you imagine how many lives we have the potential to touch in a positive way if we could remove our own selfish ways and any negativity that would dim our spirits?
We are all, from time to time, caught up in negative moods or negative situations whether at home, in friendships and acquaintances, at work or out in the world we share with others. Shining with God's light feels like a difficult situation that is almost impossible. If we do find the strength to open our hearts and minds to God's love and grace, our light in this negative world shines far brighter. God's light shining through us has the potential to be a brilliant beam of light capable of touching so many lives in a positive way.
I remember, many years ago, a conversation with my friend, John, who told me, "There is no room for us to live an environment that suppresses our thoughts and destroys our joy in helping others." It is our duty to find ways to shine in the darkness and to help others find their way. John was right. I can only imagine the light God can shine through us if we are open to His loving grace. I can only imagine the blessings that would flow. I can only imagine the joy and peace we might bring to others when we remove negativity from our own thoughts and lives.
We are God's children created in His image to reflect God's light, His truth and His love. In the process of growing stronger in faith, I believe, removing negativity in each new day is one of many productive steps we can choose to make to be closer to God.
As I write my thoughts this morning, I am blessed to be lounging on a cruise ship, sensing the warmth of the sun on my face, feeling the gentle rocking of the waves and looking up to the brilliant blue sky. I am acutely aware I am totally in God's world surrounding by His sky, His ocean and His amazing sunlight. I realized this morning that in order for us to shine for Christ when we are living in a negative environment, it is important that we retreat from time to time. It is imperative that we let go of responsibilities and find a quiet place to connect with God. And finally, it is necessary for us to find a time in our daily schedules to "talk with God". When we remove all the negativity in our own thoughts and lives, we will shine brighter for Christ. Can you imagine how amazing that would be?
Dear Heavenly Father,
In your world, far away from the negativity of man, I find solace and peace. Your love overwhelms me as I am filled with your grace and sure in my salvation. Enter my heart and mind and soul when I am walking in a world of negativity so that I might be a beacon of hope and encouragement and peace for others. Shine through me, Lord.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
John 8:12
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither
do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on
its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Peggy Mack
September 20, 2013
I watched the sun rising over the ocean from our cabin view. Like clockwork the sun began to soften the deep darkness of night with its 7am arrival. What a spectacular view it was! As the earth rotated, the sun began gently painting the horizon with a soft, gentle, buttercream yellow. I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of our predictable fireball and the brilliance of its light. I was acutely aware that we were the only ship on the deep ocean, at least as far as I could see in any direction. I cannot remember ever seeing such a magnificent burst of white light and wonder if it was due to the fact that there is nothing but ocean and sky as far as my eyes can strain to see. There is nothing for the bright sunlight beams to refract upon; nothing to stop the light from shining in all its glory. It was so bright that no matter how I tried, I could not look at the sun directly, but I could feel its warmth on my face.
For a moment, I realized that if we think of ourselves individually as lights that shine for others through God's loving grace, we can entertain the thought of how birght a light we would be for others. Can you imagine how many lives we have the potential to touch in a positive way if we could remove our own selfish ways and any negativity that would dim our spirits?
We are all, from time to time, caught up in negative moods or negative situations whether at home, in friendships and acquaintances, at work or out in the world we share with others. Shining with God's light feels like a difficult situation that is almost impossible. If we do find the strength to open our hearts and minds to God's love and grace, our light in this negative world shines far brighter. God's light shining through us has the potential to be a brilliant beam of light capable of touching so many lives in a positive way.
I remember, many years ago, a conversation with my friend, John, who told me, "There is no room for us to live an environment that suppresses our thoughts and destroys our joy in helping others." It is our duty to find ways to shine in the darkness and to help others find their way. John was right. I can only imagine the light God can shine through us if we are open to His loving grace. I can only imagine the blessings that would flow. I can only imagine the joy and peace we might bring to others when we remove negativity from our own thoughts and lives.
We are God's children created in His image to reflect God's light, His truth and His love. In the process of growing stronger in faith, I believe, removing negativity in each new day is one of many productive steps we can choose to make to be closer to God.
As I write my thoughts this morning, I am blessed to be lounging on a cruise ship, sensing the warmth of the sun on my face, feeling the gentle rocking of the waves and looking up to the brilliant blue sky. I am acutely aware I am totally in God's world surrounding by His sky, His ocean and His amazing sunlight. I realized this morning that in order for us to shine for Christ when we are living in a negative environment, it is important that we retreat from time to time. It is imperative that we let go of responsibilities and find a quiet place to connect with God. And finally, it is necessary for us to find a time in our daily schedules to "talk with God". When we remove all the negativity in our own thoughts and lives, we will shine brighter for Christ. Can you imagine how amazing that would be?
Dear Heavenly Father,
In your world, far away from the negativity of man, I find solace and peace. Your love overwhelms me as I am filled with your grace and sure in my salvation. Enter my heart and mind and soul when I am walking in a world of negativity so that I might be a beacon of hope and encouragement and peace for others. Shine through me, Lord.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
John 8:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14-16
New International Version (NIV)
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Can God Be in Facebook?
Can God Be Found in Facebook?
Peggy Mack
September 8, 2013
In these last few weeks of summer, I am looking back on my newfound adventure in faith. It is one that includes being more committed to a disciplined approach of opening my mind and heart to God's presence through quiet morning devotions. I always looked at "suggested daily devotions" as a routine too restrictive to my free spirit and not unlike brushing your teeth, washing your face and taking your vitamin. I felt it was one more "to do" in a long list of many for my already tight morning schedule. Retirement has brought me so many new joys, but this may be the finest of them all! I truly have time to spend with God in meditation, prayer and reading each morning.
In this new summer adventure into faith, I am able to take time to notice special words of encouragement, hope and faith from (who would believe it?) Facebook. Let us be honest for a moment. We must be "part of the world, but not in the world" as we are admonished in:
Romans 12:2 and be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You cannot make a positive difference in others' lives if you have become monastic in your faith for fear of being exposed to the "negative" influences we see. I love that the United Methodist Church, who I "friended" on Facebook, by the way, leaves me a positive thought and a Bible verse to consider with each new morning. The same is true of a special congregation in the Golden Isles of GA, named The Grace Place, which is a Baptist Church lead by and attended by many high school friends. Both Facebook sources seem to be a beacon of light as I read through all the daily posts.
Each morning, as I weed through the cranky discourse associated with current events and politics and the endless recipes which make me salivate while trying to read, I can keep up with friends recent adventures. It is interesting mix of negative thoughts of hopelessness intertwined with words of encouragement, strength and hope. I remember shortly after the most recent Presidential election, I was overflowing with fury and disatisfaction with the results and was "babbling" not "bubbling" over with contempt. I was in the world without any connection to God each morning. I was "all me" running amuk on the internet with confusion and revulsion, until finally one morning, I woke and was silent. I made the personal choice to "give it up." All the angst was making me weary and causing me to begin each new day with negative thoughts. The more I struggled with the fear for our country, the more I seemed to seek out others who were ranting and raving, also. This search for those who agreed with me lead me to end a friendship with a songwriter whose friendship I valued for five years. Something had to be done to end the negative, destructive effect it was having on my life. I was not only "in" the world, but I was "of" the world. And when we are "of the world" we are subject to losing sight of God's light and His love and blessings.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Our great, daily challenge in being part of our world through its many new forms of technological communication is to be "of" the world but not "in" the world. By being part of the Facebook community we can become aware of the daily needs of others who ask for prayers, support and suggestions. We can offer them words of encouragement, hope and prayer. Our challenge is not to be "in" the world where our focus becomes one filled with anger, discord and divisiveness. Help us find ways to be a light reflecting your message of love and hope and salvation.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Peggy Mack
September 8, 2013
In these last few weeks of summer, I am looking back on my newfound adventure in faith. It is one that includes being more committed to a disciplined approach of opening my mind and heart to God's presence through quiet morning devotions. I always looked at "suggested daily devotions" as a routine too restrictive to my free spirit and not unlike brushing your teeth, washing your face and taking your vitamin. I felt it was one more "to do" in a long list of many for my already tight morning schedule. Retirement has brought me so many new joys, but this may be the finest of them all! I truly have time to spend with God in meditation, prayer and reading each morning.
In this new summer adventure into faith, I am able to take time to notice special words of encouragement, hope and faith from (who would believe it?) Facebook. Let us be honest for a moment. We must be "part of the world, but not in the world" as we are admonished in:
Romans 12:2 and be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You cannot make a positive difference in others' lives if you have become monastic in your faith for fear of being exposed to the "negative" influences we see. I love that the United Methodist Church, who I "friended" on Facebook, by the way, leaves me a positive thought and a Bible verse to consider with each new morning. The same is true of a special congregation in the Golden Isles of GA, named The Grace Place, which is a Baptist Church lead by and attended by many high school friends. Both Facebook sources seem to be a beacon of light as I read through all the daily posts.
Each morning, as I weed through the cranky discourse associated with current events and politics and the endless recipes which make me salivate while trying to read, I can keep up with friends recent adventures. It is interesting mix of negative thoughts of hopelessness intertwined with words of encouragement, strength and hope. I remember shortly after the most recent Presidential election, I was overflowing with fury and disatisfaction with the results and was "babbling" not "bubbling" over with contempt. I was in the world without any connection to God each morning. I was "all me" running amuk on the internet with confusion and revulsion, until finally one morning, I woke and was silent. I made the personal choice to "give it up." All the angst was making me weary and causing me to begin each new day with negative thoughts. The more I struggled with the fear for our country, the more I seemed to seek out others who were ranting and raving, also. This search for those who agreed with me lead me to end a friendship with a songwriter whose friendship I valued for five years. Something had to be done to end the negative, destructive effect it was having on my life. I was not only "in" the world, but I was "of" the world. And when we are "of the world" we are subject to losing sight of God's light and His love and blessings.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Our great, daily challenge in being part of our world through its many new forms of technological communication is to be "of" the world but not "in" the world. By being part of the Facebook community we can become aware of the daily needs of others who ask for prayers, support and suggestions. We can offer them words of encouragement, hope and prayer. Our challenge is not to be "in" the world where our focus becomes one filled with anger, discord and divisiveness. Help us find ways to be a light reflecting your message of love and hope and salvation.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Renew My Strength (revised)
Renew My Strength
Peggy Mack
September 14, 2013
Friday morning, I read the following post from The Grace Place:
"Lord…give me the gift of faith to be renewed and shared with others each day. Teach me to live this moment only, looking neither to the past with regret, nor the future with apprehension. Let love be my aim and my life a prayer.' ~Roseann Alexander-Isham
I immediately responded heart and soul to those words. As I read them, I experienced an old memory swirling in my mind. It was the words to a prayer we sang in church every Sunday morning.
Psalms 51:10-11
Create in me a clean heart, Oh God!
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
I am beginnning to recognize the feeling of "having something touch my soul." I understand how when we are daily connected to God through conversation that we are more open to being touched in some positive way by what we experience through reading, speaking, coming in contact with others, etc. I am realizing that while we may celebrate the day we gave our lives to Christ, that is only the date of the beginning of our journey. I am accepting that faith is a living well spring of God's loving grace. We are free to go to Him throughout our days to be strengthened, calmed, refreshed, protected, etc. Our faith is a "doing" part of our life.
Now, I have a tiny library of devotional sources that I keep by me in a large purse/storage bag that once held my laptop securely for flying to Nashville. Those books are the sources I turn to in my morning readings. A new one, which was recently added, came from a dear friend of 45 years! Sandi Lloyd sent me a precious "Pocket Prayers for Women~Simple Prayers of Blessings". As tiny as it is, it is packed with amazing, encouraging words. She is a blessing in my life over decades of trials and joys. The quote for today reads as follows:
"Blessings, like miracles, appear only when we believe in them. Faith gives us the eyes with which to see and to believe what we see."
One of the sweet gifts I have received this summer is the sense that blessings flow so gently and await each of us around the next corner. Yes, the world and our daily routine flood us with challenges, but, if we keep our hearts filled with faith, we will see and experience daily blessings that hold us strong. And, if throughout our day, we return to this "Fount of Blessing" we are strengthened and renewed.
The blessing I received from the tiny words on Facebook Friday said, "....give me the gift of faith to be renewed....." Zap! The light went on in my brain! Faith is an active participation of our minds, hearts and souls in a chosen decision to answer God's calling to us to speak with Him and in doing so, we open ourselves up to daily renewal of faith and so many blessings.
How amazing is that? I wrote a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) lyric with a wonderful, Christian, composer and minister of music in Panama City which later lead to completing lyrics for his CD. The title of our first song was, "Is It True?" In my first moments of renewal of faith and my own personal relationship with Christ in 2004 the thought hit me like a truck! What am I waiting for? If God is right here and He wants to communicate with me, love me, lead me, give me everlasting Salvation, grace and hope, what am I "thinking"? "What am I waiting for?" Jesus is right here! He is waiting for us to ask Him to enter our lives for abundant forgiveness, blessings, grace and salvation. So the question really is, "why would anyone wait?" I felt like a huge light had lit up my mind to clarify my own thoughts.
When I saw this line about renewal of faith and I remembered the song in church, ".....Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a RIGHT spirit within me...." I felt this total realization that our faith is not stagnant. it is ever moving, ever changing and ever growing. In that moment, I smiled and realized, "Oh no! oh wow! There's another step to this summer adventure!"
I need to not only start my day with morning meditations and fill my day with whispered conversations with God, but I need to add evening prayers of confession, asking God for forgiveneness. I need to leave my frustrations, shortcomings, disappointments, etc, at His feet. Before I go to bed at night and spend the night tossing and turning, maybe I should take in a deep breath and thank God for the day and all its blessings. Ask forgiveneness for all the things I did and didn't do that I should have done. Finally, I should ask Him for blessings for others. And in releasing the burdens of the day, I should believe that God has taken those burdens, forgiven my sins and granted me a place of rest in His comfort, believing He renews my faith each morning.
For while it is true that David requests that God requests God will "create in me a clean heart", that request is preceded by his humble confession of sins and his recognition of God's power in Psalm 51: 1-9.
It is important to end our day by humbling ourselves to God in prayer, recognizing His power and mercy and asking His forgiveness. Then we can follow our surrendering of sins in our night time with sweet confidence in our morning renewal of a clean heart and steadfast spirit.
Hebrews 10:22 (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Psalm 30:5
New International Version (NIV)
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
.
By ending my day in prayer and meditation and forgiveness, I can truly experience receiving a renewal of a right spirit within me with the morning. Each day truly is a new day and a new opportunity to be a blessing in the lives of others. It is important to take time to reflect on daily things we have done poorly or neglected doing, asking and accepting God's forgiveness and then sleeping in the comfort of forgiveness, confident we will be renewed in the morning with a fresh daily abundance of blessings and a renewal of our "right" spirit.
Once again, I have grown in knowledge and understanding because of one tiny positive thought from The Grace Place that connected to another and grew into a realization of joy. Not only am I connecting with God each morning through devotions and prayers, but my faith is renewed with each new day! I am so grateful for the friendships I have made in this time of studying and writing and prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is you who calls us and you who waits patiently for us to come to you. You give us the choice, but your hope is that we will come in faith, believing as a child as we grow in faith. With each evening, hear our prayers filled with the days concerns and mistakes and forgive us so that in the morning, we will experience joy in the morning as our faith is renewed!
Praise God for all that is Good!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Peggy Mack
September 14, 2013
Friday morning, I read the following post from The Grace Place:
"Lord…give me the gift of faith to be renewed and shared with others each day. Teach me to live this moment only, looking neither to the past with regret, nor the future with apprehension. Let love be my aim and my life a prayer.' ~Roseann Alexander-Isham
I immediately responded heart and soul to those words. As I read them, I experienced an old memory swirling in my mind. It was the words to a prayer we sang in church every Sunday morning.
Psalms 51:10-11
Create in me a clean heart, Oh God!
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
I am beginnning to recognize the feeling of "having something touch my soul." I understand how when we are daily connected to God through conversation that we are more open to being touched in some positive way by what we experience through reading, speaking, coming in contact with others, etc. I am realizing that while we may celebrate the day we gave our lives to Christ, that is only the date of the beginning of our journey. I am accepting that faith is a living well spring of God's loving grace. We are free to go to Him throughout our days to be strengthened, calmed, refreshed, protected, etc. Our faith is a "doing" part of our life.
Now, I have a tiny library of devotional sources that I keep by me in a large purse/storage bag that once held my laptop securely for flying to Nashville. Those books are the sources I turn to in my morning readings. A new one, which was recently added, came from a dear friend of 45 years! Sandi Lloyd sent me a precious "Pocket Prayers for Women~Simple Prayers of Blessings". As tiny as it is, it is packed with amazing, encouraging words. She is a blessing in my life over decades of trials and joys. The quote for today reads as follows:
"Blessings, like miracles, appear only when we believe in them. Faith gives us the eyes with which to see and to believe what we see."
One of the sweet gifts I have received this summer is the sense that blessings flow so gently and await each of us around the next corner. Yes, the world and our daily routine flood us with challenges, but, if we keep our hearts filled with faith, we will see and experience daily blessings that hold us strong. And, if throughout our day, we return to this "Fount of Blessing" we are strengthened and renewed.
The blessing I received from the tiny words on Facebook Friday said, "....give me the gift of faith to be renewed....." Zap! The light went on in my brain! Faith is an active participation of our minds, hearts and souls in a chosen decision to answer God's calling to us to speak with Him and in doing so, we open ourselves up to daily renewal of faith and so many blessings.
How amazing is that? I wrote a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) lyric with a wonderful, Christian, composer and minister of music in Panama City which later lead to completing lyrics for his CD. The title of our first song was, "Is It True?" In my first moments of renewal of faith and my own personal relationship with Christ in 2004 the thought hit me like a truck! What am I waiting for? If God is right here and He wants to communicate with me, love me, lead me, give me everlasting Salvation, grace and hope, what am I "thinking"? "What am I waiting for?" Jesus is right here! He is waiting for us to ask Him to enter our lives for abundant forgiveness, blessings, grace and salvation. So the question really is, "why would anyone wait?" I felt like a huge light had lit up my mind to clarify my own thoughts.
When I saw this line about renewal of faith and I remembered the song in church, ".....Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a RIGHT spirit within me...." I felt this total realization that our faith is not stagnant. it is ever moving, ever changing and ever growing. In that moment, I smiled and realized, "Oh no! oh wow! There's another step to this summer adventure!"
I need to not only start my day with morning meditations and fill my day with whispered conversations with God, but I need to add evening prayers of confession, asking God for forgiveneness. I need to leave my frustrations, shortcomings, disappointments, etc, at His feet. Before I go to bed at night and spend the night tossing and turning, maybe I should take in a deep breath and thank God for the day and all its blessings. Ask forgiveneness for all the things I did and didn't do that I should have done. Finally, I should ask Him for blessings for others. And in releasing the burdens of the day, I should believe that God has taken those burdens, forgiven my sins and granted me a place of rest in His comfort, believing He renews my faith each morning.
For while it is true that David requests that God requests God will "create in me a clean heart", that request is preceded by his humble confession of sins and his recognition of God's power in Psalm 51: 1-9.
It is important to end our day by humbling ourselves to God in prayer, recognizing His power and mercy and asking His forgiveness. Then we can follow our surrendering of sins in our night time with sweet confidence in our morning renewal of a clean heart and steadfast spirit.
Hebrews 10:22 (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Psalm 30:5
New International Version (NIV)
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
.
By ending my day in prayer and meditation and forgiveness, I can truly experience receiving a renewal of a right spirit within me with the morning. Each day truly is a new day and a new opportunity to be a blessing in the lives of others. It is important to take time to reflect on daily things we have done poorly or neglected doing, asking and accepting God's forgiveness and then sleeping in the comfort of forgiveness, confident we will be renewed in the morning with a fresh daily abundance of blessings and a renewal of our "right" spirit.
Once again, I have grown in knowledge and understanding because of one tiny positive thought from The Grace Place that connected to another and grew into a realization of joy. Not only am I connecting with God each morning through devotions and prayers, but my faith is renewed with each new day! I am so grateful for the friendships I have made in this time of studying and writing and prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is you who calls us and you who waits patiently for us to come to you. You give us the choice, but your hope is that we will come in faith, believing as a child as we grow in faith. With each evening, hear our prayers filled with the days concerns and mistakes and forgive us so that in the morning, we will experience joy in the morning as our faith is renewed!
Praise God for all that is Good!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Renew My Strength
Renew My Strength
Peggy Mack
September 8, 2013
In these last few weeks of summer, I am looking back on my newfound adventure in faith. It is one that includes being more committed to a disciplined approach of opening my mind and heart to God's presence through quiet morning devotions. I always looked at "suggested daily devotions" as a routine too restrictive to my free spirit, not unlike brushing your teeth, washing your face and taking your vitamin. I felt it was one more "to do" in a long list of many for my already tight morning schedule. Retirement has brought me so many new joys, but this may be the finest of them all! I truly have time to spend with God in meditation, prayer and reading each morning.
In this new summer adventure into faith, I am able to take time to notice special words of encouragement, hope and faith from (who would believe it?) Facebook. Let us be honest for a moment. We must be "part of the world, but not in the world" as we are admonished.
Romans 12:2 and be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You cannot make a positive difference in others' lives if you have become monastic in your faith for fear of being exposed to the "negative" influences we see. I love that the United Methodist Church, who I "friended" on Facebook, by the way, leaves me a positive thought and a Bible verse to consider with each new morning. The same is true of a special congregation in the Golden Isles of GA, named The Grace Place, which is a Baptist Church lead by and attended by many high school friends.
Each morning, as I weed through the cranky discourse associated with current events and politics and the endless recipes which make me salivate while trying to read, I can keep up with friends recent adventures while coming across words of encouragement and strength and hope. I remember shortly after the election I was overflowing with fury and disatisfaction in the results and was "babbling" not "bubbling" over with contempt. I was in the world without any connection to God each morning. I was all me running amuk on the internet with confusion and revulsion until finally, one morning, I woke and was silent. I made the choice to "give it up." All the angst was making me weary and beginning each new day with negative thoughts. Something had to be done to end the effect it was having on my life. I was not only "in" the world, but I was "of" the world.
Friday, I read the following post from The Grace Place, 'Lord…give me the gift of faith to be renewed and shared with others each day. Teach me to live this moment only, looking neither to the past with regret, nor the future with apprehension. Let love be my aim and my life a prayer.' ~Roseann Alexander-Isham
I immediately responded heart and soul to the words I read while experiencing an old memory swirling in my mind. It was the words to a prayer we sang in church every Sunday morning.
Create in me a clean heart, Oh God!
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
I am beginnning to recognize the feeling of "having something touch my soul." I understand how when we are daily connected to God through conversation that we are more open to being touched in some positive way by what we experience through reading, speaking, coming in contact with others, etc.
I have a tiny library of devotional sources that I keep by me in a large purse/storage bag that once held my laptop securely for flying to Nashville. Those books are the sources I turn to in my morning readings. A new one, which was recently added, came from a dear friend of 45 years! Sandi Lloyd sent me a precious "Pocket Prayers for Women~Simple Prayers of Blessings". As tiny as it is, it is packed with amazing, encouraging words. She is a blessing in my life over decades of trials and joys. The quote for today reads as follows, "Blessings, like miracles, appear only when we believe in them. Faith gives us the eyes with which to see and to believe what we see."
One of the sweet gifts I have received this summer is the sense that blessings flow so gently and await each of us around the next corner. Yes, the world and our daily routine flood us with challenges, but, if we keep our hearts filled with faith, we will see and experience daily blessings that hold us strong.
The blessing I received from the tiny words on Facebook Friday said, "....give me the gift of faith to be renewed....." Zap! The light went on in my brain! Faith is an active participation of our minds, hearts and souls in a chosen decision to answer God's calling to us to speak with Him and in doing so, we open ourselves up to daily renewal of faith and so many blessings.
How amazing is that? I wrote a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) lyric with a wonderful, Christian, composer and minister of music in Panama City which later lead to completing lyrics for his CD. The title of our first song was, "Is It True?" In my first moments of renewal of faith and my own personal relationship with Christ in 2004 the thought hit me like a truck! What am I waiting for? If God is right here and He wants to communicate with me, love me, lead me, give me everlasting Salvation, grace and hope, what am I "thinking"? "What am I waiting for?" Jesus is right here! He is waiting for us to ask Him to enter our lives for abundant forgiveness, blessings, grace and salvation. So the question really is, "why would anyone wait?" I felt like a huge light had lit up my mind to clarify my own thoughts.
When I saw this line about renewal of faith and I remembered the song in church, ".....Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a RIGHT spirit within me...." I felt this total realization that our faith is not stagnant. it is ever moving, ever changing and ever growing. In that moment, I smiled and realized, "Oh no! There's another step to this summer adventure!"
I need to not only start my day with morning meditations and fill my day with whispered conversations with God. I need to add evening prayers of confession, asking God for forgiveneness. Before I go to bed at night and spend the night tossing and turning, maybe I should take in a deep breath and thank God for the day and all its blessings. Ask forgiveneness for all the things I did and didn't do that I should have done. Finally, I should ask Him for blessings for others. And in releasing the burdens of the day, I should believe that God has taken those burdens, forgiven my sins and granted me a place of rest in His comfort, believing He renews my faith each morning.
Hebrews 10:22 (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Psalm 30:5
New International Version (NIV)
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
.
By ending my day in prayer and meditation and forgiveness, I can truly experience receiving a renewal of a right spirit within me with the morning. Each day truly is a new day and a new opportunity to be a blessing in the lives of others. It is important to take time to reflect on daily things we have done poorly or neglected doing, asking and accepting God's forgiveness and then sleeping in the comfort of forgiveness, confident we will be renewed in the morning with a fresh daily abundance of blessings and a renewal of our "right" spirit.
Once again, I have grown in knowledge and understanding because of one tiny positive thought from The Grace Place that connected to another and grew into a realization of joy. Not only am I connecting with God each morning through devotions and prayers, but my faith is renewed with each new day! I am so grateful for the friendships I have made in this time of studying and writing and prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is you who calls us and you who waits patiently for us to come to you. You give us the choice, but your hope is that we will come in faith, believing as a child as we grow in faith. With each evening hear our prayers filled with the days concerns and mistakes and forgive us so that in the morning, we will experience joy in the morning as our faith is renewed!
Praise God for all that is Good!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Peggy Mack
September 8, 2013
In these last few weeks of summer, I am looking back on my newfound adventure in faith. It is one that includes being more committed to a disciplined approach of opening my mind and heart to God's presence through quiet morning devotions. I always looked at "suggested daily devotions" as a routine too restrictive to my free spirit, not unlike brushing your teeth, washing your face and taking your vitamin. I felt it was one more "to do" in a long list of many for my already tight morning schedule. Retirement has brought me so many new joys, but this may be the finest of them all! I truly have time to spend with God in meditation, prayer and reading each morning.
In this new summer adventure into faith, I am able to take time to notice special words of encouragement, hope and faith from (who would believe it?) Facebook. Let us be honest for a moment. We must be "part of the world, but not in the world" as we are admonished.
Romans 12:2 and be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You cannot make a positive difference in others' lives if you have become monastic in your faith for fear of being exposed to the "negative" influences we see. I love that the United Methodist Church, who I "friended" on Facebook, by the way, leaves me a positive thought and a Bible verse to consider with each new morning. The same is true of a special congregation in the Golden Isles of GA, named The Grace Place, which is a Baptist Church lead by and attended by many high school friends.
Each morning, as I weed through the cranky discourse associated with current events and politics and the endless recipes which make me salivate while trying to read, I can keep up with friends recent adventures while coming across words of encouragement and strength and hope. I remember shortly after the election I was overflowing with fury and disatisfaction in the results and was "babbling" not "bubbling" over with contempt. I was in the world without any connection to God each morning. I was all me running amuk on the internet with confusion and revulsion until finally, one morning, I woke and was silent. I made the choice to "give it up." All the angst was making me weary and beginning each new day with negative thoughts. Something had to be done to end the effect it was having on my life. I was not only "in" the world, but I was "of" the world.
Friday, I read the following post from The Grace Place, 'Lord…give me the gift of faith to be renewed and shared with others each day. Teach me to live this moment only, looking neither to the past with regret, nor the future with apprehension. Let love be my aim and my life a prayer.' ~Roseann Alexander-Isham
I immediately responded heart and soul to the words I read while experiencing an old memory swirling in my mind. It was the words to a prayer we sang in church every Sunday morning.
Create in me a clean heart, Oh God!
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
I am beginnning to recognize the feeling of "having something touch my soul." I understand how when we are daily connected to God through conversation that we are more open to being touched in some positive way by what we experience through reading, speaking, coming in contact with others, etc.
I have a tiny library of devotional sources that I keep by me in a large purse/storage bag that once held my laptop securely for flying to Nashville. Those books are the sources I turn to in my morning readings. A new one, which was recently added, came from a dear friend of 45 years! Sandi Lloyd sent me a precious "Pocket Prayers for Women~Simple Prayers of Blessings". As tiny as it is, it is packed with amazing, encouraging words. She is a blessing in my life over decades of trials and joys. The quote for today reads as follows, "Blessings, like miracles, appear only when we believe in them. Faith gives us the eyes with which to see and to believe what we see."
One of the sweet gifts I have received this summer is the sense that blessings flow so gently and await each of us around the next corner. Yes, the world and our daily routine flood us with challenges, but, if we keep our hearts filled with faith, we will see and experience daily blessings that hold us strong.
The blessing I received from the tiny words on Facebook Friday said, "....give me the gift of faith to be renewed....." Zap! The light went on in my brain! Faith is an active participation of our minds, hearts and souls in a chosen decision to answer God's calling to us to speak with Him and in doing so, we open ourselves up to daily renewal of faith and so many blessings.
How amazing is that? I wrote a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) lyric with a wonderful, Christian, composer and minister of music in Panama City which later lead to completing lyrics for his CD. The title of our first song was, "Is It True?" In my first moments of renewal of faith and my own personal relationship with Christ in 2004 the thought hit me like a truck! What am I waiting for? If God is right here and He wants to communicate with me, love me, lead me, give me everlasting Salvation, grace and hope, what am I "thinking"? "What am I waiting for?" Jesus is right here! He is waiting for us to ask Him to enter our lives for abundant forgiveness, blessings, grace and salvation. So the question really is, "why would anyone wait?" I felt like a huge light had lit up my mind to clarify my own thoughts.
When I saw this line about renewal of faith and I remembered the song in church, ".....Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a RIGHT spirit within me...." I felt this total realization that our faith is not stagnant. it is ever moving, ever changing and ever growing. In that moment, I smiled and realized, "Oh no! There's another step to this summer adventure!"
I need to not only start my day with morning meditations and fill my day with whispered conversations with God. I need to add evening prayers of confession, asking God for forgiveneness. Before I go to bed at night and spend the night tossing and turning, maybe I should take in a deep breath and thank God for the day and all its blessings. Ask forgiveneness for all the things I did and didn't do that I should have done. Finally, I should ask Him for blessings for others. And in releasing the burdens of the day, I should believe that God has taken those burdens, forgiven my sins and granted me a place of rest in His comfort, believing He renews my faith each morning.
Hebrews 10:22 (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Psalm 30:5
New International Version (NIV)
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
.
By ending my day in prayer and meditation and forgiveness, I can truly experience receiving a renewal of a right spirit within me with the morning. Each day truly is a new day and a new opportunity to be a blessing in the lives of others. It is important to take time to reflect on daily things we have done poorly or neglected doing, asking and accepting God's forgiveness and then sleeping in the comfort of forgiveness, confident we will be renewed in the morning with a fresh daily abundance of blessings and a renewal of our "right" spirit.
Once again, I have grown in knowledge and understanding because of one tiny positive thought from The Grace Place that connected to another and grew into a realization of joy. Not only am I connecting with God each morning through devotions and prayers, but my faith is renewed with each new day! I am so grateful for the friendships I have made in this time of studying and writing and prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is you who calls us and you who waits patiently for us to come to you. You give us the choice, but your hope is that we will come in faith, believing as a child as we grow in faith. With each evening hear our prayers filled with the days concerns and mistakes and forgive us so that in the morning, we will experience joy in the morning as our faith is renewed!
Praise God for all that is Good!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
I Do Like Bologna!
I Do Like Bologna!
Peggy Mack
September 3, 2013
My friend, for over thirty years, came to visit the other day. She brought a precious gift for our new granddaughter and we talked and laughed about our dogs, Percy and Rooney.
Recently, she accidentally let Percy out in the backyard and forgot he was out there. Over an hour later, she said, "Where's Percy?" and realized he must still be in the backyard and it was dark. When Percy came in he was a "wee" bit beside himself with having been left outside and proceeded to ignore everyone in an effort to pout and show disdain. He had experienced something he was not expecting and had found it unpleasant.
In life we must understand there will be times when we find life uncomfortable. We may be placed in a new situation that we did not expect and are left, in some cases, feeling helpless and rejected.
At the wise age of 58, I found myself having to learn how to live on my own. With all those responsibilities came a lot of adjustment in all areas of my life; physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. There were times when I felt helpless and rejected and searching for a focus in my "new" life.
One of the most amazing ideas I ever came across turned out to be a positive game changer for me. I had gone from relying on someone else in my life to taking care of all the day to day business of running a family. Now, I was being thrown into having to learn to do it on my own. Now that I was on my own, simple things like deciding what I liked to eat, what I enjoyed doing and, yes, even what I liked to eat were all part of adjusting to this life I had never expected myself to be living.
I realized that what I was experiencing was something many people in my age group transition into following the death of a spouse or a divorce. There is this learning curve of self-discovery that you are tossed into and the effect can be overwhelming or even dizzying.
After teaching school one day, I was relaxing in my apartment and watching some "mindless" tv in the early afternoon. I watched an Oprah show where the guest was enthusiastically talking about the importance of making your own "vision board" whenever you or someone else you know goes through a major life change.
As I began to intently listen, I kept thinking, "I can do this!" "This looks like something that might be worth making!" That Saturday I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a variety of magazines with themes of travel, cooking, homes, fashion, etc. I went to Walmart to pick up a sheet of poster board, glue and stick on letters.
When I began the project I had a purpose based on the designing of the Vision Board. My goal, as I looked through pictures, was to find images that reflected where I want to see myself in 5 years based on my tastes, my goals, etc.
Briefly I will explain that the poster was divided into five or six sections representing, where I wanted to live, what I enjoy doing, where I wanted to travel, how I would be living...and in the center was the most important thing in my life. Some of the photos I cut out represented my constant joy in seeing my children, my love of travel and reading, my desire to save money and be financially responsible, etc. One of the last ones I chose was whether or not I saw myself in a relationship in five years and what kind would it be. Other fun photos revealed my favorite foods and my love of friends, etc.
As I cut out the photos, I could feel a sense of self-awareness and goals for my life. I could hear myself thinking, "I do love that!" "I do dream of going to Ireland!"
"I do like pajamas all day on a rainy Saturday!" "I do like bologna!" "I do like bright pink in a bathroom!" And as I glued them to the board, I thought, "I like who I am!"
I began to own who I was and like what I saw. It was a joy-filled experience. When the picture identifying, cutting and gluing was completed, I paused for a moment. I asked myself, "What is the most important of all these things?" "What is the core of who I am?" The answer for me was "Christ" in my life. No matter what else I pasted on the board, they were all connected by my love of Christ and the need I had to have Him in my life. Some might choose money or family or who knows what else and it's important that honesty and self awareness guide the activity.
Once the board was completed, I hung it on the wall across the room from my bed. Each time I passed it on the way out of my bedroom those images were replayed in my mind. The purpose of the board is to help one discover self, to set goals that would bring joy and to help keep yourself on the path to reach the goals for five years from now.
That single activity defined for me every aspect of my life and helped me move from feeling like I had been rejected and put out of the life I wanted. Instead, I was on my way to taking positive steps to the next five years. Instead of being stuck in a cycle of re-visiting the past, there is a choice that can be made to move forward.
If you are going through an unexpected or unwanted or unpleasant change in life, I strongly suggest you do something like the vision board. I was skeptical and incredulous when I first heard about it, but I tried it anyway. For me, it was exactly what I needed. If you are not one for cutting out pictures, you could divide your life into columns of interests and write what you want, but I think what makes this so positive and successful is that it remains on your wall to reinforce your choices and keeps you in a positive place of self-awareness while seeking new goals in life.
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Make-a-Vision-Board-Find-Your-Life-Ambition-Martha-
God can speak to us through others in ways that will improve our lives, keep us focused and positive and help us to live in a place of joy in our faith. Wherever you are in life, keep your heart open to ways to grow and improve and appreciate who you are as a child of God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
When life throws us out in the dark unexpectedly, help us find our strengths. Teach us to know ourselves better so we can be our best for others.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Peggy Mack
September 3, 2013
My friend, for over thirty years, came to visit the other day. She brought a precious gift for our new granddaughter and we talked and laughed about our dogs, Percy and Rooney.
Recently, she accidentally let Percy out in the backyard and forgot he was out there. Over an hour later, she said, "Where's Percy?" and realized he must still be in the backyard and it was dark. When Percy came in he was a "wee" bit beside himself with having been left outside and proceeded to ignore everyone in an effort to pout and show disdain. He had experienced something he was not expecting and had found it unpleasant.
In life we must understand there will be times when we find life uncomfortable. We may be placed in a new situation that we did not expect and are left, in some cases, feeling helpless and rejected.
At the wise age of 58, I found myself having to learn how to live on my own. With all those responsibilities came a lot of adjustment in all areas of my life; physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. There were times when I felt helpless and rejected and searching for a focus in my "new" life.
One of the most amazing ideas I ever came across turned out to be a positive game changer for me. I had gone from relying on someone else in my life to taking care of all the day to day business of running a family. Now, I was being thrown into having to learn to do it on my own. Now that I was on my own, simple things like deciding what I liked to eat, what I enjoyed doing and, yes, even what I liked to eat were all part of adjusting to this life I had never expected myself to be living.
I realized that what I was experiencing was something many people in my age group transition into following the death of a spouse or a divorce. There is this learning curve of self-discovery that you are tossed into and the effect can be overwhelming or even dizzying.
After teaching school one day, I was relaxing in my apartment and watching some "mindless" tv in the early afternoon. I watched an Oprah show where the guest was enthusiastically talking about the importance of making your own "vision board" whenever you or someone else you know goes through a major life change.
As I began to intently listen, I kept thinking, "I can do this!" "This looks like something that might be worth making!" That Saturday I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a variety of magazines with themes of travel, cooking, homes, fashion, etc. I went to Walmart to pick up a sheet of poster board, glue and stick on letters.
When I began the project I had a purpose based on the designing of the Vision Board. My goal, as I looked through pictures, was to find images that reflected where I want to see myself in 5 years based on my tastes, my goals, etc.
Briefly I will explain that the poster was divided into five or six sections representing, where I wanted to live, what I enjoy doing, where I wanted to travel, how I would be living...and in the center was the most important thing in my life. Some of the photos I cut out represented my constant joy in seeing my children, my love of travel and reading, my desire to save money and be financially responsible, etc. One of the last ones I chose was whether or not I saw myself in a relationship in five years and what kind would it be. Other fun photos revealed my favorite foods and my love of friends, etc.
As I cut out the photos, I could feel a sense of self-awareness and goals for my life. I could hear myself thinking, "I do love that!" "I do dream of going to Ireland!"
"I do like pajamas all day on a rainy Saturday!" "I do like bologna!" "I do like bright pink in a bathroom!" And as I glued them to the board, I thought, "I like who I am!"
I began to own who I was and like what I saw. It was a joy-filled experience. When the picture identifying, cutting and gluing was completed, I paused for a moment. I asked myself, "What is the most important of all these things?" "What is the core of who I am?" The answer for me was "Christ" in my life. No matter what else I pasted on the board, they were all connected by my love of Christ and the need I had to have Him in my life. Some might choose money or family or who knows what else and it's important that honesty and self awareness guide the activity.
Once the board was completed, I hung it on the wall across the room from my bed. Each time I passed it on the way out of my bedroom those images were replayed in my mind. The purpose of the board is to help one discover self, to set goals that would bring joy and to help keep yourself on the path to reach the goals for five years from now.
That single activity defined for me every aspect of my life and helped me move from feeling like I had been rejected and put out of the life I wanted. Instead, I was on my way to taking positive steps to the next five years. Instead of being stuck in a cycle of re-visiting the past, there is a choice that can be made to move forward.
If you are going through an unexpected or unwanted or unpleasant change in life, I strongly suggest you do something like the vision board. I was skeptical and incredulous when I first heard about it, but I tried it anyway. For me, it was exactly what I needed. If you are not one for cutting out pictures, you could divide your life into columns of interests and write what you want, but I think what makes this so positive and successful is that it remains on your wall to reinforce your choices and keeps you in a positive place of self-awareness while seeking new goals in life.
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Make-a-Vision-Board-Find-Your-Life-Ambition-Martha-
God can speak to us through others in ways that will improve our lives, keep us focused and positive and help us to live in a place of joy in our faith. Wherever you are in life, keep your heart open to ways to grow and improve and appreciate who you are as a child of God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
When life throws us out in the dark unexpectedly, help us find our strengths. Teach us to know ourselves better so we can be our best for others.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Monday, September 2, 2013
Wings of God's Grace
Wings of God's Grace
Peggy Mack
September 2, 2013
I wrote this little poem from my heart in January 2010, after learning of the passing of my dear, co-writer, composer, delightfully, cheery friend from Glasgow, Scotland who patiently taught me about becoming a better lyricist, though I was not immune to the moments of chiding and fussing and correcting.
He often frustrated me with his need to make "one more correction on a lyric to get it perfect!" "Peg, I'll not have this", he'd say! "If this is the best you can do, today, then put it down and move on! But we'll never find ourselves on a stage with the audience roaring with applause over this daft attempt at writing! You can do far better than this!"
I never dreamed that he would become my angel on earth from afar who would help me find my way to a safer, calmer, happier life in Myrtle Beach, SC even though we never had a chance to meet! He literally kept the walls from crumbling in my soul and kept me focused on what I needed to do to make it on my own, all the while believing and convincing me it could be done!
Never doubt the grace you can find in a few special friendships or the blessings you can bring to others even if you never meet face to face! The person you spend time with today may invite you to lunch, a simple activity of the day, but in those moments of friendship, God can use you to make a positive difference and you may not even know what it is!
John Bernard Patrick Bonner was a light in so many lives while he faced his own daily battle with muscular dystrophy. When asked, "how are you doing today, John?", he would answer, "not bad, not bad, and how are you? Let's write a tune and have a laugh!"
An angel he was, from afar, one who proudly wore his kilt on special occasions and would kick into a Gaelic dialect in a heartbeat sending me off into moments of uncontrollable laughter. What a gift from God! I was blessed to work with him in emails and on Skype for six years. Only now, after all these years of missing him and all his endless gifts of kindness, do I feel the immense void and come to realize; no one could ever be like John Bonner!
We are each so unique, so capable of touching lives like no one else can! He seemed to accept his "cross" in life and chose to focus on bringing joy to others. I often called him Gabriel, God's strong angel,l and he was. He would not have wanted to leave. You see, he had unfinished business with his children. He had dreams of creating more music with his friend, Gordon, and selling his music to share it with the world. He had more love and adventures with his wife, Jackie, more jokes to tell, more people to "wind" up with laughter, more mates to discuss life and politics with in a local pub or in his home and sisters to watch over and protect with his loving, brotherly care. But the pain from MD got to be too much and his heart simply gave in and he flew home, leaving so many wondering, how do you live life without John?
Oh to be loved and missed like John Bonner, to touch so many lives knowing no matter how long or short life may be, you've not wasted the life God gave you.
To be able to look back and know you have faced your sadness, adversities, weaknesses, shortcomings and sufferings, by choosing to ignore them. Instead you handed the world your best making so many lives happier, safer, sweeter and wonderful! Faults, of course, John had faults. Some were in much need of forgiveness and others were "wee" ones that could be overlooked. He was human while we he was with us. But he loved God. He felt God's presence. He looked forward to reuniting with his Mum and Dad and brother Hughie and sister, Maureen. And when he woke in Heaven, I am certain, he said, "Why I can't be here, yet! I have songs not finished and a new tune playing in my head! I have to capture it before it's gone!"
We are all called to be more like John Bonner, to close our minds to the things that hold us down and to learn to fly free on the wings of God's grace!
Wings of Grace
Peggy Mack
January 13, 2010
Verse one:
Like a butterfly
on a window sill
Flying up to the screen
And down again…
Hoping (that) if I don’t give in…
I will finally be free.
Verse two:
I’m a soul who’s lost
my own, best friend,
I'm trying hard to find
my way, again,
Turning my face into the wind.
knowing you had to leave.
For, I believe……
Chorus:
Angels come…..
To lift us up
To hold us strong
To help our dreams come true.
When angels leave
On silent wings of grace,
Like gentle butterflies…
We simply
must set them free.
Verse three:
Echoes of laughter
Now fill my mind
tears erased by smiles
For a little while
Your goodness fills my memories
And I trust in God's sweet grace.
Bridge:
Now, when I see a butterfly
I hear you softly
Whispering…..
Chorus:
Angels come…..
To lift us up
To hold us strong
To help our dreams come true.
When angels leave
On wings of grace,
Like gentle butterflies…
We simply must set them free.
Peggy Mack
September 2, 2013
I wrote this little poem from my heart in January 2010, after learning of the passing of my dear, co-writer, composer, delightfully, cheery friend from Glasgow, Scotland who patiently taught me about becoming a better lyricist, though I was not immune to the moments of chiding and fussing and correcting.
He often frustrated me with his need to make "one more correction on a lyric to get it perfect!" "Peg, I'll not have this", he'd say! "If this is the best you can do, today, then put it down and move on! But we'll never find ourselves on a stage with the audience roaring with applause over this daft attempt at writing! You can do far better than this!"
I never dreamed that he would become my angel on earth from afar who would help me find my way to a safer, calmer, happier life in Myrtle Beach, SC even though we never had a chance to meet! He literally kept the walls from crumbling in my soul and kept me focused on what I needed to do to make it on my own, all the while believing and convincing me it could be done!
Never doubt the grace you can find in a few special friendships or the blessings you can bring to others even if you never meet face to face! The person you spend time with today may invite you to lunch, a simple activity of the day, but in those moments of friendship, God can use you to make a positive difference and you may not even know what it is!
John Bernard Patrick Bonner was a light in so many lives while he faced his own daily battle with muscular dystrophy. When asked, "how are you doing today, John?", he would answer, "not bad, not bad, and how are you? Let's write a tune and have a laugh!"
An angel he was, from afar, one who proudly wore his kilt on special occasions and would kick into a Gaelic dialect in a heartbeat sending me off into moments of uncontrollable laughter. What a gift from God! I was blessed to work with him in emails and on Skype for six years. Only now, after all these years of missing him and all his endless gifts of kindness, do I feel the immense void and come to realize; no one could ever be like John Bonner!
We are each so unique, so capable of touching lives like no one else can! He seemed to accept his "cross" in life and chose to focus on bringing joy to others. I often called him Gabriel, God's strong angel,l and he was. He would not have wanted to leave. You see, he had unfinished business with his children. He had dreams of creating more music with his friend, Gordon, and selling his music to share it with the world. He had more love and adventures with his wife, Jackie, more jokes to tell, more people to "wind" up with laughter, more mates to discuss life and politics with in a local pub or in his home and sisters to watch over and protect with his loving, brotherly care. But the pain from MD got to be too much and his heart simply gave in and he flew home, leaving so many wondering, how do you live life without John?
Oh to be loved and missed like John Bonner, to touch so many lives knowing no matter how long or short life may be, you've not wasted the life God gave you.
To be able to look back and know you have faced your sadness, adversities, weaknesses, shortcomings and sufferings, by choosing to ignore them. Instead you handed the world your best making so many lives happier, safer, sweeter and wonderful! Faults, of course, John had faults. Some were in much need of forgiveness and others were "wee" ones that could be overlooked. He was human while we he was with us. But he loved God. He felt God's presence. He looked forward to reuniting with his Mum and Dad and brother Hughie and sister, Maureen. And when he woke in Heaven, I am certain, he said, "Why I can't be here, yet! I have songs not finished and a new tune playing in my head! I have to capture it before it's gone!"
We are all called to be more like John Bonner, to close our minds to the things that hold us down and to learn to fly free on the wings of God's grace!
Wings of Grace
Peggy Mack
January 13, 2010
Verse one:
Like a butterfly
on a window sill
Flying up to the screen
And down again…
Hoping (that) if I don’t give in…
I will finally be free.
Verse two:
I’m a soul who’s lost
my own, best friend,
I'm trying hard to find
my way, again,
Turning my face into the wind.
knowing you had to leave.
For, I believe……
Chorus:
Angels come…..
To lift us up
To hold us strong
To help our dreams come true.
When angels leave
On silent wings of grace,
Like gentle butterflies…
We simply
must set them free.
Verse three:
Echoes of laughter
Now fill my mind
tears erased by smiles
For a little while
Your goodness fills my memories
And I trust in God's sweet grace.
Bridge:
Now, when I see a butterfly
I hear you softly
Whispering…..
Chorus:
Angels come…..
To lift us up
To hold us strong
To help our dreams come true.
When angels leave
On wings of grace,
Like gentle butterflies…
We simply must set them free.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
A Cross To Bear
A Cross to Bear
Peggy Mack
September 1, 2013
In 1976, a few months after I married, I began having huge moments of time that seemed lost to my memory. The most apparent proof of that came when my husband and I spent the day walking through Torreya State Park, at least, that's what he said and the photographs documented. The problem was, I had no recollection of any of that day or the places we visited in the pictures. After a series of tests, it was determined that although there was no damage to my brain caused from a trauma, I definitely was having petit mal seizures, which in most states, is grounds to lose your driver's license unless you have documented proof of having them under control with medication.
So the beginning of treatment using medication to control seizures began.
Years later, after Allie was born, I was still struggling from time to time with a recurring seizure which caused more of an embarrassment to me than anything else, though seizure activity over time can cause damage to the brain. Joe and I had become active in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. We had each experienced a strengthening in our faith through separate weekends in Cursillo experiences and had been invited to join a small group within the church, called Earthen Vessels, who met on Wednesday evenings for prayer and communion. I remember loving the young couples who felt so strongly about their faith. Many nights I prayed with all my heart, asking God, to remove these seizures from me. I was slowed by the medication, embarrassed by the incidents in public and wanting to have another child but afraid of what the medication would do.
As time passed and the seizures continued, I lost any understanding of why God had not answered my prayers for healing. There was no damage to my brain so the seizures seemed to come from nowhere and would not leave me.
I became frustrated and was readily willing to prove that God does not answer all our prayers. With time we left the church.
When Rick Warren from his Saddleback Church returned to the pulpit after the suicide death of his son, I heard him say, "Even though I do not understand why God did not hear my prayers to heal my son's mental illness, my lack of understanding will not lead me away from God. The devil has messed with the wrong family, now."
Faith without understanding is the challenge of a mature Christian. We wll suffer and grieve like all others. There will be setbacks and even total loss, but in those times, It is up to us as individuals to grab hold of the faith we have and to stay focused on God's love and His Holy Word. We do not have the capacity of knowing, seeing and understanding what God has in His loving will for us. The moment of loss of understanding is when we truly begin our walk in faith. We tell the devil and all his evil ways that in spite of our pain and our loss, we will not forsake our faith in God.
Twenty years after I walked away from my close relationship with God, I was working with four other Kindergarten teachers in pre-school planning. At one of those meetings, the principal explained that a five year old with grand mal seizures was on our roster and he asked, "Do any of you volunteer to take Jeremy?" After a few mintues of listening to squabbling and backing out and statements of "there's no way I can handle that!", I volunteered. I felt God fill me with peace in that moment and a confidence that not only would I be fine with him in my classroom but so would Jeremy. I understood seizures as a medical condition and not anything that defined the child.
During that year, 911 was called three times for Jeremy at school. His dad was a sheriff's deputy and had many friends working with law enforcement, fire departments and EMT services so they were always wonderful help when called. I taught the other children how to exit a room to an adjoining classroom to remove them from all the activity around Jeremy and to alleviate their concerns. On one incident in the classroom, Jeremy went into a grand mal seizure on the rug. I went to his side while instructing my little troopers to line up facing the adjoining class and gave directions to the leader to start walking across the shared kitchen area to my co-workers classroom. My classroom assistant dialed 911 and notified the office and then joined my other children.
While resting my hand on Jeremy, I saw his tongue extended and his face turning purple so I gently rolled him to his side which opened up his breathing passage. The EMTs arrived and took him to the hospital.
The following summer his family took him to a children's hospital in Miami which had excellent services in neurology, especially child onset of seizures. His seizures began to decrease in number and he began to heal. I learned so much from Jeremy and his parents and I learned a lot about myself and the depth of calmness I have in a storm. I thanked God that I was there for this child. His parents told me I was a "God send" which was far more praise than I deserved, but now I know it was not about me being anything. It was about God using me to care for another when most people would shy away from it.
In all these years later, I have finally learned a lesson. We may be given a "cross to bear". And often, it will be a cross that we do not understand. It may be a cross that no amount of faithful service or fervent prayer removes from our lives. God did not remove the cross where Christ was crucified. Jesus understood that to reach his Heavenly home in the form of man he would have to suffer and die. We will face challenges. We will have "crosses to bear". We will face aging and feel its limitations. We will experience deep grief and loss and have no understanding but what I learned from Jeremy is this. If we keep ourselves open to God's word, His love, His still voice, we will see him use our "cross" to help others in a way no one else can help. When facing a "cross" we must lose our need to understand "why" and change our focus to "how can I use this to help others?"
God used me to help Jeremy and his family get through an extrememly frightening time when he was having endless seizures and was in constant danger of physical harm. The seizures and medication were doing irreperable damage to his brain. I was placed in their lives to be a voice of calm and hope and caring because I understood seizures better than anyone else on the staff. God used my "cross" to lighten the burdens of others. God will use Rick Warren to help others with mental illness. He announced from the pulpit on his first return, "I will use this to help those with mental illness where there is little understanding and hope." Let God use you and your "cross" to help others.
In my last year of teaching, Jeremy's dad, who still worked for the Sheriff's Dept. was hired to work in the high school where I was teaching. I walked out of my classroom to hear him talking about the year in Kindergarten with Jeremy and when he saw me, he hugged me with one of those amazing hugs where you can feel God's love pass through you. Tears were in his eyes, and he said, "She literally saved my son's life." I knew I did not do it. God did. And the burden of that cross was lifted and seemed lighter than air. My 40 years with seizures and medication had served a purpose. My "cross" made a difference and I was a witness to it all.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Teach us to stop asking why and begun to start asking how. "How can I use this "cross" to make a difference in the lives of others?" Use me, Lord, in a way only you can see and know. Let me experience the joy of making a positive difference in others' lives. Use me, Lord.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Peggy Mack
September 1, 2013
In 1976, a few months after I married, I began having huge moments of time that seemed lost to my memory. The most apparent proof of that came when my husband and I spent the day walking through Torreya State Park, at least, that's what he said and the photographs documented. The problem was, I had no recollection of any of that day or the places we visited in the pictures. After a series of tests, it was determined that although there was no damage to my brain caused from a trauma, I definitely was having petit mal seizures, which in most states, is grounds to lose your driver's license unless you have documented proof of having them under control with medication.
So the beginning of treatment using medication to control seizures began.
Years later, after Allie was born, I was still struggling from time to time with a recurring seizure which caused more of an embarrassment to me than anything else, though seizure activity over time can cause damage to the brain. Joe and I had become active in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. We had each experienced a strengthening in our faith through separate weekends in Cursillo experiences and had been invited to join a small group within the church, called Earthen Vessels, who met on Wednesday evenings for prayer and communion. I remember loving the young couples who felt so strongly about their faith. Many nights I prayed with all my heart, asking God, to remove these seizures from me. I was slowed by the medication, embarrassed by the incidents in public and wanting to have another child but afraid of what the medication would do.
As time passed and the seizures continued, I lost any understanding of why God had not answered my prayers for healing. There was no damage to my brain so the seizures seemed to come from nowhere and would not leave me.
I became frustrated and was readily willing to prove that God does not answer all our prayers. With time we left the church.
When Rick Warren from his Saddleback Church returned to the pulpit after the suicide death of his son, I heard him say, "Even though I do not understand why God did not hear my prayers to heal my son's mental illness, my lack of understanding will not lead me away from God. The devil has messed with the wrong family, now."
Faith without understanding is the challenge of a mature Christian. We wll suffer and grieve like all others. There will be setbacks and even total loss, but in those times, It is up to us as individuals to grab hold of the faith we have and to stay focused on God's love and His Holy Word. We do not have the capacity of knowing, seeing and understanding what God has in His loving will for us. The moment of loss of understanding is when we truly begin our walk in faith. We tell the devil and all his evil ways that in spite of our pain and our loss, we will not forsake our faith in God.
Twenty years after I walked away from my close relationship with God, I was working with four other Kindergarten teachers in pre-school planning. At one of those meetings, the principal explained that a five year old with grand mal seizures was on our roster and he asked, "Do any of you volunteer to take Jeremy?" After a few mintues of listening to squabbling and backing out and statements of "there's no way I can handle that!", I volunteered. I felt God fill me with peace in that moment and a confidence that not only would I be fine with him in my classroom but so would Jeremy. I understood seizures as a medical condition and not anything that defined the child.
During that year, 911 was called three times for Jeremy at school. His dad was a sheriff's deputy and had many friends working with law enforcement, fire departments and EMT services so they were always wonderful help when called. I taught the other children how to exit a room to an adjoining classroom to remove them from all the activity around Jeremy and to alleviate their concerns. On one incident in the classroom, Jeremy went into a grand mal seizure on the rug. I went to his side while instructing my little troopers to line up facing the adjoining class and gave directions to the leader to start walking across the shared kitchen area to my co-workers classroom. My classroom assistant dialed 911 and notified the office and then joined my other children.
While resting my hand on Jeremy, I saw his tongue extended and his face turning purple so I gently rolled him to his side which opened up his breathing passage. The EMTs arrived and took him to the hospital.
The following summer his family took him to a children's hospital in Miami which had excellent services in neurology, especially child onset of seizures. His seizures began to decrease in number and he began to heal. I learned so much from Jeremy and his parents and I learned a lot about myself and the depth of calmness I have in a storm. I thanked God that I was there for this child. His parents told me I was a "God send" which was far more praise than I deserved, but now I know it was not about me being anything. It was about God using me to care for another when most people would shy away from it.
In all these years later, I have finally learned a lesson. We may be given a "cross to bear". And often, it will be a cross that we do not understand. It may be a cross that no amount of faithful service or fervent prayer removes from our lives. God did not remove the cross where Christ was crucified. Jesus understood that to reach his Heavenly home in the form of man he would have to suffer and die. We will face challenges. We will have "crosses to bear". We will face aging and feel its limitations. We will experience deep grief and loss and have no understanding but what I learned from Jeremy is this. If we keep ourselves open to God's word, His love, His still voice, we will see him use our "cross" to help others in a way no one else can help. When facing a "cross" we must lose our need to understand "why" and change our focus to "how can I use this to help others?"
God used me to help Jeremy and his family get through an extrememly frightening time when he was having endless seizures and was in constant danger of physical harm. The seizures and medication were doing irreperable damage to his brain. I was placed in their lives to be a voice of calm and hope and caring because I understood seizures better than anyone else on the staff. God used my "cross" to lighten the burdens of others. God will use Rick Warren to help others with mental illness. He announced from the pulpit on his first return, "I will use this to help those with mental illness where there is little understanding and hope." Let God use you and your "cross" to help others.
In my last year of teaching, Jeremy's dad, who still worked for the Sheriff's Dept. was hired to work in the high school where I was teaching. I walked out of my classroom to hear him talking about the year in Kindergarten with Jeremy and when he saw me, he hugged me with one of those amazing hugs where you can feel God's love pass through you. Tears were in his eyes, and he said, "She literally saved my son's life." I knew I did not do it. God did. And the burden of that cross was lifted and seemed lighter than air. My 40 years with seizures and medication had served a purpose. My "cross" made a difference and I was a witness to it all.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Teach us to stop asking why and begun to start asking how. "How can I use this "cross" to make a difference in the lives of others?" Use me, Lord, in a way only you can see and know. Let me experience the joy of making a positive difference in others' lives. Use me, Lord.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
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