Magnet use

This Yesterday morning I turned on the TV to sit with the kids for a few minutes and it came on to the channel that Joyce Meyers was speaking.  I've listened to her in the past, but don't often have time or the quiet to listen much lately.
But here's the point: not even 2 minutes after turning on the television she says something that really caught my attention - Satan uses a magnet to keep pulling you to your past - to keep you focused so much on past things in your life that are bad that you can't move forward - and as soon as you try - he uses a stronger magnet! He causes chaos in your life and if you just recognize that you can talk your way thru a situation in your mind and pray - pray - pray
I know some people that are so stuck in the past things that they don't see the joy ahead of them - they can't just enjoy the moment - surrounded by people that love them.
The last couple of years my friend Susie has helped me open my eyes and ears to hear and see God and how he is working in my life.  I  have often questioned why certain things happened and have said WHAT ABOUT ME! Where is my blessing - She has guided me into opening my eyes to see .........how blessed I am.
I pray to win the lottery -   God's answer - friends and family worth millions of dollars
I pray for a dream house - God's answer - when my husband retired - I kept hearing a little voice in my head   to pay off the house instead of investing the money - pay the 10% penalty for using IRA money before we were 59 1/2 and pay off house - I did some research and found that when "purchasing" your 1st home the 10% penalty is waived for $10,000.  This was our 1st home - WE PAID IT OFF !  I am thankful everyday for that because when I retired I rolled mine into another IRA - and within a year BOOM the market crashed and we lost almost 1/3 of our investment - GONE ...........but my house is paid off and no one can take that from us.
In my lifetime I have set goals and reached them - many never do, I get to spend every weekday caring for my 3 youngest grand-kids- there are some grandparents that never get to see their grandchildren.
So yesterday as my mind created this blog post - I have to tell you - the grand-kids were calm and playing nicely, and as soon as I started typing this post ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE ! They started fighting, I got a phone call about the accident that my son was in months ago, my husband called angry about the insurance company, I got the worst headache, my mom called upset about her eyes (again-) so I got up and just saved this post- until things calmed down .......and so today I've tried to sit down and post 3 different times - and as soon as I do ............the phone rings  - yep husband still angry about the insurance ..........the calm kids started fighting ..............So I am saying out-loud that Satan doesn't want me to write this - BUT GOD WANTS ME TO !  Today is the day .........I'm posting in the midst of chaos - and I've forgotten several things but I am still making my point ---- Satan doesn't want you to be happy - he creates chaos to keep you from God .......because when things go wrong do you say Satan screwing with me ..........Nope ........you say why doesn't God want me to be happy
So my parting words..........if you can open your thought process ........to step back from a situation ... and see that if chaos is around ............It Ain't God .............Stop looking backwards ........break that magnet hold on yourself to move forward ............

Fair weather or all weather friend

My mom used to talk about "fair weather friend" - a friend that is around when things are going good - then she had what she called "all weather friend" - a friend that is around no matter what.

Lately I've been reading lots of blogs, and seems like I'm not the only one that has some fair weather friends - some of the ladies in these blogs have lost their baby or has been diagnosed with cancer or lost their husbands/boyfriends due to the war or given their child up for adoption.   Almost all of them say their friends back away when something bad happens- but this is the time they need someone the most.  Some of the friends will say call if you need anything - and you know as well as I do making a call to say I need something is very hard to do.  I'm thinking a lot of these friends just don't know what to say or feel very uncomfortable being around the sadness.  So I ask you to stop and think - a true friend finds a way to be supportive - and yes I also avoid sadness - but have tried to be more creative in support.

My husband had major surgery a couple years ago, none of my kids could be there with me - some had to watch the kids, some had meetings that couldn't be missed - and I was just gonna sit there by myself - which I know a lot of people do that - but as I was sitting in the waiting room - some of my friends texted me off and on - with just idle texting as we call it - but in walks the pastor of our church and he sat with me 3 1/2 hours until I got the call that the surgery was successful and he was in recovery.  And in that time he didn't look at his watch once nor his phone - we just sat and talked about all kinds of stuff. The comfort that brought was interesting to me since I thought I could handle being alone, but I was so grateful he showed up.

The majority of the people that I've read about have stated all they needed was someone to listen and not judge them - they didn't ask that someone agree with decisions or understand the pain - but just to listen - whether on the phone or in person.  So if you know someone that is having a difficult time right now - give them a call - say how are you doing - want to talk about it and then just listen - say something every few minutes so they know you are still there.

And do something - call and say what night can I leave dinner on your doorstep?
If someone is having a funeral - offer to drop off breakfast - take it in throw away pans - biscuits - scrambled eggs and bacon - and some cinnamon rolls -
If someone is in hospital - pack a cooler for the person with them at the hospital - everyone needs to eat or snack and when my daughter-in-laws mom was in intensive care - the family didn't want to leave the room or waiting room - we packed a cooler with ice and few waters- someone brought subs - chips - few paper plates - and lots of quarters for the vending machine. Another night someone ordered pizza - someone dropped off Starbucks - Each and Everything that was brought meant the family could eat and not leave the area.  For anyone that has experienced the hospital - you know that as soon as you walk away, the doctor makes his rounds -
If someone has been diagnosed with cancer - the treatments zap their strength - offer to go to grocery for them, pick up the laundry and do it - take the dog for a walk, mow the grass, go put out their garbage cans night before collection - ask if they need stamps for bills or cards -

So my challenge to you is to stop and think about the kind of friend you are.