Tag: broken

Posted in Christian, failure, Faith, Family, Life Inspiration

Faith: Without it life just happens

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Faith: Without it life just happens

I watched many of my relatives live out their lives of faith. I was thinking this morning how blessed I was to have family who spoke of faith in my presence and the conversation was of their relationship with the Lord, just like their relationship with each other. They knew Him like they knew their brothers and sisters. They spoke of Him in their daily walks because He was in their presence and they determined their directions in life because of that relationship. I still have many family members for which I talk of faith. What a blessing! I unfortunately have many that have no concept of what it’s like to walk with Christ, and for those my heart is broken.

But today my thought is on the unseen. The hope I personally have in what the world says there is no evidence of. But there is. And if you know Christ, you too know there is.

Hebrews 11:1 -2 KJV says
[1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [2] For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Just as it was then, so is it now that my elders obtained a good report because they stood before us and reported to us of what Christ had done in their life. Evidence of His presence.

There are many things I cannot see, but I have faith it’s there. I cannot see the air, but the fact it fills my lungs lets me know it’s real. I cannot see gravity, but I adjust my life to it’s circumstances. I do not jump off cliffs because that’s gonna hurt. I don’t drop a piece of glass because it’s gonna break. I turn the steering wheel in my car at the onset of a turn, because otherwise gravity will pull the car in an adverse direction. Gravity is not always your friend. It takes no faith to disrespect gravity. Just live your life, and crap will happen.

The same can be said about faith.

THERE ARE TOO MANY CLIFFS TO LIVE WITHOUT FAITH

I cannot say for certain where I would be if I had not found faith in Jesus Christ, but I am most certain it would be a very dark place. Because that’s what state I was in prior to faith. I had a worldly mindset that life would workout, because it always did in the movies. Well, it didn’t in real life. And when bad things happened I opted to ignore them rather than deal with them because that was easier. It was like stepping off of a cliff and thinking the ground would “catch” me softly. I was ignorant. I had seen faith from my elders lived out in front of me, but I chose to ignore it thinking the world had more to offer. Surely there was something better to do on Sunday morning than church. Well for the love of Pete, I can’t think of what that would be now. Because I know that on Sunday morning I’m going to receive the word of God in my church which will prevent me from stepping off a cliff on down the road when it comes to making decisions in my life. That’s good preachin! If you’re not in church, if your’e not in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, there’s no soft landing for what’s coming down the road.

THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS TO GET BROKEN WITHOUT FAITH

Number one on that list would be the heart. People will break your heart even if they love you. It’s part of life. And because of that so many people have lost hope in their friends and family and have turned to earthly things for comfort. I have a friend who fell physically this week and broke herself all over. Literally. Her body is bruised, she has broken bones and scraped edges and she hurts dreadfully. Life happens when you least expect it. Bodies break. Hearts break. But isn’t it amazing that the Lord Jesus Christ can heal both the physical and the emotional if we allow it and are receptive of the ointment.

In Jeremiah 8:22 KJV Jeremiah asks the question:
[22] Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Why did the people suffer when there was obviously a cure for what ailed them? Why then are the broken hearted and broken spirited not healed in our world today when the soothing balm of Christ is there waiting to heal it all? I couldn’t see it either pre-salvation, so I’ll not be throwing any stones. The reason I would suffer from brokenness is because I would not take care of my spirit and soul. I would allow people to trample it and even I would damage it because I would not take of myself. But then Christ came into my life and I realized how valuable I was to God. I realized that He loved me like I had long to be loved but had never found it. People hurt me. But God has never one time caused me pain. His comforting presence is felt in my life daily! It is evidence that He is there when He soothes my tired and weary soul. Hallelujah!

THERE ARE TOO MANY TWISTS AND TURNS TO LIVE WITHOUT FAITH

I cannot tell you how many times I have driven my life into a ditch because I chose to just “let it run it’s course.” That’s a bad idea. That’s as dumb as not steering the car. Without guidance and direction in our lives there will only be dented fenders and totaled lives. I speak from experience. I am now the elder! My dad did not always make wise choices as a young man, but then praise God he found Jesus. My uncle Brooks and Uncle Carol did not always make wise choice but then they found Jesus, the same is true with their sisters and the witnesses they were because I could see how their lives took a turn when they began steering it by the Word of God. It’s amazing how life changes, and even the smallest of decisions you realize should be made by the foundation of the word of God for good results.

I just preached myself a sermon! I still make regular pit stops in a ditch line with many of the decisions I make. I am a woman of faith, but I’m also very much a woman of flesh that can fail to do what I know I should do. How about you? Where are you at in your life with gravity? Do you understand the “gravity” of your life without faith in Christ. There’s an eternal ditch, that’s actually not a ditch at all, it’s a pit called Hell. The worst thing in life you can do is let gravity take it’s course. There is no return from that bad turn when all is said in done.

Please, if you have not accepted what Christ did for you on the cross, that He died, took the keys of death and Hell away from Satan and informed him he would never again have power over it, and because Christ did that, you have the key to Heaven. Just believe in Christ and what He did for you on the cross. You don’t have to fully understand it all to make that decision. Just refuse to fall for the lies of Satan, and God will fill in the blanks. Then you too will have the evidence of things not seen!

Glory to God I wrote myself happy! Have a blessed day! – Shari

Posted in Bible Journaling, failure, Faith

Broken Again

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Whoever coined the phrase “getting old ain’t for sissies” was so in tune with my life right now. So by way of confession, I’ll let you in on a secret, 2018 was brutal on me and 2019 isn’t so great either!

I stopped going to cardiac rehab at the hospital because I’m a wimp with cold weather. It was just easier to stay home. But I didn’t want to lose the progress that I’d made so I was doing some exercises at home. Which included a step aerobic that I really enjoyed when it was pain free. I was having some knee issues but I was determined to fight my way through. So as I step step stepped on my little Gold Gym ® stepper I misplaced my foot and stepped backward really hard. I immediately knew I was in trouble when a blood curdling scream proceeded from my mouth that brought the critters running to my rescue. Except Callie the cat, she is way too important to worry about her handler.

I refused to go to the hospital because it was cold outside. I told you I’m a wimp. So I waited 24 hours, for which worked really well for me because the temperature outside dropped to the negatives. But after x-rays and exams it was determined (as best they could without an MRI) that I have a torn meniscus. So I’m “peg leg pete” as my daughter Whitney now calls me, and I’m feeling very feeble. And not just physically.

Psalm 38 was written by David as a Psalm of remembrance. Although there is debate whether the Psalm was written to remember his sin with Bathsheba or the distress of Israel, for me it matters not. I only know that it resonated with my heart today.

Physical pain, and the pain of sin and regret take its toll on the body. It weakens me spiritually and causes an angst in my soul.

David penned it well when in verse 8 he wrote “I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.”

Feeble Folk

Feebleness is a state of frailty, weakness or delicacy. None of which I care to be described as. But I doubt I’m alone. We all have times when we feel weak whether or not it’s physical or emotionally in times of life’s woes. It brings to mind our mortality and just how very little we are in control.

While my torn meniscus could have been remedied by using a little common sense when exercising on laminate floors, my sins can be remedied by using a little common sense in my brain. Neither of which I overly skilled at. Obviously a trait King David bore as well.

I recently have been following a couple of gals on Instagram that are just a tad too perfect. Their actually not, they’re very human, but they’re posts are “pretty”. Their homes are pretty, their lives are pretty, their spirituality is pretty. They make me nauseous. Yes. I’m sinning in thought. But it’s the truth. I can’t handle all the “pretty” stuff. I need some reality. They really do inspire me to be better. But I also tune into a preacher who has been an utter failure! But he’s fighting back and roaring through the hard times and allowing me to see into his life of blunders and mishaps and helping me to understand, I’m not alone.

When I fell off the step, I roared both in my soul and in my physical being. I let the puppies know, momma was hurt. I believe we need to do that spiritually as well to a world of perfectionistic attitudes that see only the “pretty” images on social media and in life. We come into church with our perfect attire and attitudes having just left the brokenness of life at home and the reality that all is not necessarily as well as it looks.

It’s why I appreciate people like my preacher friend who lets me see his realness. Then my realness doesn’t make me feel like a complete failure, just a recovering failure. Which is truthfully what I am.

If there was an F.A. meeting (Failures Anonymous) I’d go. But there’s not. And once you attend you’re no longer anonymous. Everyone knows! So I’ll just go to church, read the word, talk to God and share with you. My therapist. Thanks for not charging me an arm or a leg (for which I only have one left.)

Posted in Life Inspiration

Have You Heard it Said?

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Have You Heard it Said?

chick excuse“That’s just how I am!”

How many times have you heard it said? I’ve heard it far too many and each time I do I want to give them a holy slap on the back of the head! (I wouldn’t, but if I got in the flesh I could) I’m speaking about people who have told me they’re saved but their behavior (not randomly) but habitually doesn’t back it up.

They’re often of a critical and negative spirit about others, especially toward fallen Christians and yet they don’t see that same critical and negative spirit as an issue.

I want to say to them in return “Ummm… okay. Explain this.”

You’re Broke Buddy!

You’ll note that I called you friend. I’m not throwing rocks because my garden is full of my own. I’m not sin free, or self-righteous….but I’ve been charged as a mouth piece for the Lord and I feel the need to share this thought today.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

If you’re saved, that may have been how you were –  but now you’re broke and you need to fix it. (Totally stole that thought from Pastor Perry Noble) And it put the shout in my soul! It’s truth in it’s entirety when you read 2 Corinthians 5:17 and you are without excuse. That way you were; God fixed it when He saved your soul. But you put it back in your sack and thought it might come in handy later on when you needed to call someone out and make them miserable, stomp on someone’s heart and call it “tough love,” be rude or smart aleck for the cause of comic relief. You’re not only broke…

You’re Busted!

Galatians 6:15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

No matter what you do (not of works lest any man should boast) or say (It’s under the blood of Jesus) justifies it. Are you forgiven, of course! But what damage are you doing to the cause of Christ who has now entitled you through His blood to be a member in good standing in Heaven? And the lost or hurting soul looks at you who just told them “You need to get over it because that’s just how I am!” and thinks, really? Thank you for showing me Jesus.

Owch!

Like I said, I’m not throwing rocks because I’ve been guilty of getting in the flesh and saying “stupid stuff.” But I’m talking about someone who habitually uses the flesh as an excuse or because they’re speaking to family, feels that they know how they are and should just get over it and go on.

Sorry… you’re busted. Jesus’ blood covered it all, but He didn’t excuse it.

Matthew 12:36

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Owch again!

chick encourage 2

Posted in Grace, Life Inspiration

But Now… an awkward alliance turns awesome!

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on But Now… an awkward alliance turns awesome!

broken chick

Joshua 9

12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:

These were the words spoken to Joshua and the children of Israel by the Gibeonites in order to deceive them into believing they were from a far country; yet instead they were neighbors to Israel for whom God had instructed Israel to make no treaty with. Joshua knew enough to talk to God before he went into battle, but what’s the harm in a peace treaty? God loves us to be buddies, right? Ummm… not always. It wasn’t long before Joshua had figured out that he’d been duped, but they had already sworn peace in the name of the Lord, and that’s serious business. So instead of killing the Gibeonites, the Gibeonites became Israel’s servants.

All sounds innocent enough, but Israel had still sinned in that they had failed to seek counsel of God. God may continue to use you, He may continue to bless you, but not to the degree that He would have if obedience had been factored in. But it’s the rest of the story that I love about the Israelites and the Gibeonites. They were not supposed to be mingled in with the children of God, and deceitfully got there. But God’s got a plan and as human as we are we can’t mess it up. God used the humility of Gibeon as a life lesson. They were humbly willing to be servants to the house of God if their life was spared and because of their willingness to serve Him He continued to use them.

After Joshua 9

  • The Gibeonites became servants at the tabernacle, just as Joshua had commanded.
  • Gibeon becomes a priestly city; the Ark of the Covenant stayed at Gibeon often in the days of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 16:39-40 and 21:29).
  • At least one of David’s mighty men was a Gibeonite (1 Chronicles 12:4).
  • God spoke to Solomon at Gibeon (1 Kings 3:4).
  • Gibeonites were among those who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7 and 7:25)

Isn’t it great what God can do with us when we come to Him in humility and love, willing to be used where ever it is that He sees fit. As Gentiles we were not God’s chosen people, but in His great mercy He allows us to be a part of the family of God, grafted in, adopted in as one of His own. It was an awkward alliance that Joshua made, but because of it Gibeon was saved. Stop kicking yourself because of your past mistakes and rather see if God can turn awkward into awesome!

Posted in Uncategorized

About that bubble you’re in…

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on About that bubble you’re in…

huh

For many of the friends, family and strangers that I talk to about Jesus, this is the same look I get from them. They wonder if I’m in a bubble, having never truly experienced life, because surely I should be able to see that life is better outside of Christ. And I look at them the same way, only on the inside, so as not to offend them. Because I know the truth.

1 Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Their Broken Receptor

Receptor – A specialized cell or group of nerve endings that responds to sensory stimuli.

For the most part, I get on their last nerve. This Jesus Chick talking about Jesus all the time, praying over her food, thanking God for her candy bar, mentioning God’s design and will, etc., etc., will she ever shut-up. ~ I sure hope not!

I’m trying to fix their receptors. Somehow between birth and now they stopped feeling God move in their life, or they just turned the switch off.

Romans 1:19-22 ~ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

They’ve taken their eyes off the Creator and put them on the created. They look for peace in their pocketbook only to discover you can’t buy it. They look for it in the people of their lives, only to discover that they’re looking for it too. They look for it in the satisfaction of their station in life, only to discover that they’re quickly expendable. And as they search God walks beside them, waiting, patiently for them to turn to Him and say, “So there You are, Peace, where have You been?” And He says, I’ve talked and walked with you every step of the way, but you turned the volume up on the world, and I won’t yell to be heard. – at least that’s how it was for me.

That’s why when my friends and family give me that “Huh?” look, it’s okay; because I’ve been there. But I want to keep showing them by the way I live my life that God is real! That is why it’s important for me to show my grandbabies and anyone else that I’m thankful God provides for me. Whether it’s an 8 course meal, or a Hershey ® Bar. He provided it.

Today is Sunday, June 30, 2013. I’m getting ready to get ready to go to the house of the Lord. Not because I have to, but because I get to! It’s an honor and privilege to go into His house and be in His presence and feel Him move. Really! So… how’s your receptors? As you read my words did you feel a tingle in your soul from God saying “that’s my girl, listen to her.” Has it been a while since you’ve felt it? Then it’s time to get back in touch.

POP! – There went that bubble you were in. God is real!