Ups & Downs
May 6, 2011
Ok, I haven’t written God’s Tug in quite some time. The truth is that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue it. I didn’t feel God tugging at me to write this blog. Yet, so much has happened this week and I wrote to two of the Christian women I know online with this concern. They both emailed me back with great answers. Thank you both.
Downs:
I found out that my psychiatrist might be leaving. I’ve only seen him once and may see him again in June. It’s quite frustrating to see a health care professional, especially once or twice for my emotional disability.
Well, this is a minor down – my iPod bit the dust.
I didn’t have enough money to pay my bills, but I did manage to buy food – quite enough of it to last me for awhile.
Ups:
I finally got my “Blue Dot” training at the Humane Society so I can volunteer with the Mobile Adoption Unit, which I’m doing this Sunday, Mother’s Day.
I’ve been writing quite a number of poems, since I discovered a nice, peaceful place for inspiration.
I’ve been getting cuttings of plants, so I can add more green to my apartment.
The other day when I was shopping in Trader Joe’s, I was sharing with another woman and told her how much I wanted an orchid, but never seemed to have the money. A few minutes later, she came up to me with a purple orchid inside a Trader Joe’s bag, for which she’d paid. I never expected that.
I will continue writing God’s Tug, but it may not be on a daily basis. God continues to call me to write this blog. And through this week I’ve seen His hand in my life no matter what the situation.
One issue I continue to have problems with is being a toxic food dump. It’s something that keeps separating me from God and it’s one of my most difficult addictions to get a handle on. I’ve done all kinds of things. So, I will continue to pray to God for solutions. I ask for prayer for me in this area. Thank you.
May God richly bless you, your family, and your furkids (if you have any).
Michelle Rose
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
In the Midst of Praise
In the Midst of Praise
May 1, 2011
1”In that day you will say:
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
2Surely God is my salvation:
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and
my song;
He will become my salvation.”
3With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
4In that day you will say:
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his
name;
make known among the nations what he
has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious
things;
let this be known to all the world.
5Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of
Zion,
for great is the Holy one of Israel
among us.
Isaiah 12:1-6
I couldn’t help but include this whole chapter, maybe the shortest in the book of Isaiah. Yesterday when I was feeling down, and asked God to help me find something in the Bible that would help me, this is the first verse to which I opened.
After that, I thought, well, what’s the best praise song I know, and the Doxology came to mind. So, I sang it until I felt better.
Tonight’s God’s Tug will be short, since this was a lesson I’ve learned in the past and I have a feeling God will teach it to me until I know it by heart.
I’ve become somewhat lax about posting God’s Tug – I apologize for that. Not just for the fact that others (many I don’t know) receive courage and inspiration from it, but also because God has directed me to do these writings.(and we all know what happened to Jonah when he ignored God) ;~D
God’s blessings upon you, your family, and your furkids (if you have any).
Michelle Rose
May 1, 2011
1”In that day you will say:
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
2Surely God is my salvation:
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and
my song;
He will become my salvation.”
3With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
4In that day you will say:
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his
name;
make known among the nations what he
has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious
things;
let this be known to all the world.
5Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of
Zion,
for great is the Holy one of Israel
among us.
Isaiah 12:1-6
I couldn’t help but include this whole chapter, maybe the shortest in the book of Isaiah. Yesterday when I was feeling down, and asked God to help me find something in the Bible that would help me, this is the first verse to which I opened.
After that, I thought, well, what’s the best praise song I know, and the Doxology came to mind. So, I sang it until I felt better.
Tonight’s God’s Tug will be short, since this was a lesson I’ve learned in the past and I have a feeling God will teach it to me until I know it by heart.
I’ve become somewhat lax about posting God’s Tug – I apologize for that. Not just for the fact that others (many I don’t know) receive courage and inspiration from it, but also because God has directed me to do these writings.(and we all know what happened to Jonah when he ignored God) ;~D
God’s blessings upon you, your family, and your furkids (if you have any).
Michelle Rose
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Strong Prayer
Strong Prayer
April 28, 2011
32 For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God? 33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places. II Samuel 22: 32-34 KJV
Just awhile ago when I was in the bathroom, I made the statement, “My prayer is so weak.” And I decided to examine, just exactly what makes my prayer this way. Is it me? Is it my laziness? Is it the fact that I feel the only time to pray is in the morning? Maybe all of these things and a misconception I may have about prayer.
Yesterday in the shower, two men I’ve never met, but are strong Christians came into my mind. Now, this might be a strange place for me, a woman, to think about Christian men I’ve never met, but God doesn’t want His followers to pray when it’s convenient for them. So, right then and there, I prayed for these two men. The thought occurred to me that there is no correct time to pray. That’s what makes it strong.
I knew a lady in a church I attended who told me many times, “Pray without ceasing.” This, too, is what makes prayer strong. In David’s prayers to the Lord when Saul kept persecuting him, David prayed all the time. Second Samuel 22 is an amazing prayer of David. The whole chapter is filled with praises to God. And if David prayed in caves, before battle, as a king, and in all kinds of other situations, then I guess I can, too.
There’s never a correct time or place to pray and that is what makes it strong.
God’s blessings upon you, your family, and your furkids (if you have any). If any of you would like to pass this on to others you know, please feel free. Also, if you’d like to be removed from this list for any reason (like you read it in other places), please let me know – there will be no hard feelings. I do this not for those who read it, but because of what happens between God and me.
Michelle Rose
April 28, 2011
32 For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God? 33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places. II Samuel 22: 32-34 KJV
Just awhile ago when I was in the bathroom, I made the statement, “My prayer is so weak.” And I decided to examine, just exactly what makes my prayer this way. Is it me? Is it my laziness? Is it the fact that I feel the only time to pray is in the morning? Maybe all of these things and a misconception I may have about prayer.
Yesterday in the shower, two men I’ve never met, but are strong Christians came into my mind. Now, this might be a strange place for me, a woman, to think about Christian men I’ve never met, but God doesn’t want His followers to pray when it’s convenient for them. So, right then and there, I prayed for these two men. The thought occurred to me that there is no correct time to pray. That’s what makes it strong.
I knew a lady in a church I attended who told me many times, “Pray without ceasing.” This, too, is what makes prayer strong. In David’s prayers to the Lord when Saul kept persecuting him, David prayed all the time. Second Samuel 22 is an amazing prayer of David. The whole chapter is filled with praises to God. And if David prayed in caves, before battle, as a king, and in all kinds of other situations, then I guess I can, too.
There’s never a correct time or place to pray and that is what makes it strong.
God’s blessings upon you, your family, and your furkids (if you have any). If any of you would like to pass this on to others you know, please feel free. Also, if you’d like to be removed from this list for any reason (like you read it in other places), please let me know – there will be no hard feelings. I do this not for those who read it, but because of what happens between God and me.
Michelle Rose
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Life's Pebbles and Boulders aka Problems
Life’s Pebbles and Boulders aka Problems
April 12, 2011
24 Then the end will come, when he [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he [Jesus] has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. I Corinthians 15:24-27 NIV (but if you are so inclined, read the whole section of Paul talking about the resurrection of the dead and the body – I Cor. 12-58 – it’s amazing!)
It took me quite awhile today to read the whole section that Charles Stanley used in his magazine In Touch for the meditation today, which was from verse 20-58. I’m glad I did. In life everyone has problems and they are as varied as anyone can think of. I’ll just mention them generally – health, loneliness, grief, natural disasters, poverty, victims of crime and at least a gazillion more.
I think about problems, but I’ve also heard so many things about God taking care of them. Here are several of them:
God is bigger than any problem I have. (I’m sure many have heard this one before)
God is good all the time.
Life’s not fair, but God is good. (This saying is on a mug a late friend gave me.)
I’m sure everyone has some sayings of their own that they’ve either heard or have been brought up with. One problem, though, which neither I nor anyone else for that matter, can successfully overcome is victory over death. When I read the verses above I had to read them several times over, since I was so amazed by them. Only Jesus through God the Father can do this. I know this, but it's still always amazing to read again.
This will be a short God’s Tug tonight. I’ve been dealing with quite a bit of pain in my lower back and bad headaches the last few days (no I’m not complaining, I just have to take care of myself), so I’m off to bed after I post tonight’s blog. Also a praise for God - my company has offered me (and other tutors) a chance for some temporary work until the end of June, so I will not be unemployed just yet. YAY God! ;-)
God’s blessings upon you, your families, and (any) furkids.
Please note that you may pass God’s Tug on to anyone you think would like it. I appreciate any comments you have for me, whether I agree with them or not.
Life's
Michelle Rose
April 12, 2011
24 Then the end will come, when he [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he [Jesus] has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. I Corinthians 15:24-27 NIV (but if you are so inclined, read the whole section of Paul talking about the resurrection of the dead and the body – I Cor. 12-58 – it’s amazing!)
It took me quite awhile today to read the whole section that Charles Stanley used in his magazine In Touch for the meditation today, which was from verse 20-58. I’m glad I did. In life everyone has problems and they are as varied as anyone can think of. I’ll just mention them generally – health, loneliness, grief, natural disasters, poverty, victims of crime and at least a gazillion more.
I think about problems, but I’ve also heard so many things about God taking care of them. Here are several of them:
God is bigger than any problem I have. (I’m sure many have heard this one before)
God is good all the time.
Life’s not fair, but God is good. (This saying is on a mug a late friend gave me.)
I’m sure everyone has some sayings of their own that they’ve either heard or have been brought up with. One problem, though, which neither I nor anyone else for that matter, can successfully overcome is victory over death. When I read the verses above I had to read them several times over, since I was so amazed by them. Only Jesus through God the Father can do this. I know this, but it's still always amazing to read again.
This will be a short God’s Tug tonight. I’ve been dealing with quite a bit of pain in my lower back and bad headaches the last few days (no I’m not complaining, I just have to take care of myself), so I’m off to bed after I post tonight’s blog. Also a praise for God - my company has offered me (and other tutors) a chance for some temporary work until the end of June, so I will not be unemployed just yet. YAY God! ;-)
God’s blessings upon you, your families, and (any) furkids.
Please note that you may pass God’s Tug on to anyone you think would like it. I appreciate any comments you have for me, whether I agree with them or not.
Life's
Michelle Rose
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Use, Used, Using
Use, Used, Using
April 9, 2011
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 New Living Translation
I am the vessel. The draft is God's. And God is the thirsty one. ~Dag Hammarskjold, Markings, 1964
Use can be either a noun or a verb. The concept can be either a bad or good. People can use other people – friends use friends for many good reasons. There are also people who use others for their own selfish and evil purposes. God uses people for His own purposes. Ok, Sasha uses me, since I feed and love her and clean her litter box out. I use her for companionship and another one much more important – helping ground me in my emotional disorder –manic-depression (shhhh, Sasha doesn’t know it).
God used me today to write today’s blog. I wanted to walk away from the computer, but I knew if I did, this blog would not get written.
You’ve all heard the following story, I’m sure, but it’s a funny example of the way God uses people. I’ll summarize it. It’s about the God-fearing old lady and the atheist who have a verbal war each morning about the existence of God. One day the old lady prays to God for groceries, since she’s hungry. The next day she opens her door to see groceries are there, but the last two lines are the funniest:
'PRAISE THE LORD!' she cried out 'HE HAS PROVIDED GROCERIES FOR ME!' The atheist neighbor jumped out of the hedges and shouted: 'THERE IS NO LORD; I BOUGHT THOSE GROCERIES!!' The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted: 'PRAISE THE LORD! HE HAS PROVIDED ME WITH GROCERIES AND MADE THE DEVIL PAY FOR THEM!'
God’s blessings upon all of you, your families, and you furkids. If you wish to share my blog with others, please feel free to do it.
Michelle Rose
April 9, 2011
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 New Living Translation
I am the vessel. The draft is God's. And God is the thirsty one. ~Dag Hammarskjold, Markings, 1964
Use can be either a noun or a verb. The concept can be either a bad or good. People can use other people – friends use friends for many good reasons. There are also people who use others for their own selfish and evil purposes. God uses people for His own purposes. Ok, Sasha uses me, since I feed and love her and clean her litter box out. I use her for companionship and another one much more important – helping ground me in my emotional disorder –manic-depression (shhhh, Sasha doesn’t know it).
God used me today to write today’s blog. I wanted to walk away from the computer, but I knew if I did, this blog would not get written.
You’ve all heard the following story, I’m sure, but it’s a funny example of the way God uses people. I’ll summarize it. It’s about the God-fearing old lady and the atheist who have a verbal war each morning about the existence of God. One day the old lady prays to God for groceries, since she’s hungry. The next day she opens her door to see groceries are there, but the last two lines are the funniest:
'PRAISE THE LORD!' she cried out 'HE HAS PROVIDED GROCERIES FOR ME!' The atheist neighbor jumped out of the hedges and shouted: 'THERE IS NO LORD; I BOUGHT THOSE GROCERIES!!' The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted: 'PRAISE THE LORD! HE HAS PROVIDED ME WITH GROCERIES AND MADE THE DEVIL PAY FOR THEM!'
God’s blessings upon all of you, your families, and you furkids. If you wish to share my blog with others, please feel free to do it.
Michelle Rose
Friday, December 11, 2009
Some Days...
just have the feeling that God has sent his angels to watch over me.
Photobucket.com image by loveej
just have the feeling that they are going to go right from the minute I open my eyes. Today was one of them. It's not that everything went right, but it had a smooth feeling to it. My landlord brought me over a new tv, a larger one than the one I had. All the people on the tv are the right color; they're not purple, green, or blue. I paid my phone bill, even though I had to pay an extra $5 because I had to do it with an agent. I dealth with DPSS (Dept. of Social Services) and I didn't get totally upset. I asked for further explanation when I didn't understand something and they were very patient and cleared my confusion. I didn't realize I had MediCal all this time, but I did. So now I just have to send in some paperwork once I receive it for my redetermination. Then I went out shopping and to a late lunch/early dinner.
I have learned to go with the flow, even when it's not exactly smooth. I have waited a very long time for my live to be like it is now and I wake up and go to bed grateful everyday for the God that loves me and blesses me as He does. How could I not believe in the Lord, when I see the miracles He showers me with? Even when things are challenging, He blesses me. Today is one of those days that I truly believe that God is good all the time, because even the pain I had yesterday is gone. Last night while I was watching tv, my cat, Sasha, was going beserk, playing with her catnip mouse. Suddenly my pain didn't appear so bad. God sent me laughter in the midst of my pain.
Michelle Rose
Friday, December 4, 2009
Going Beyond My "Borders"
Image from photobucket.com by marysiadat_2008
I usually don't like to go places that are too far from where I live, especially if I haven't been there before. That's not to say I don't do it. I did it today. I went to an AA meeting way out on the far end of the Sunset Strip. I heard a wonderful speaker and some terrific sharing. The ironic part was that the meeting was above a bar in a room where there was another bar. But, it felt so good to be in that room with other sober alcoholics.
The thing is, with the freedom I have in my life being sober, being a Christian, being creative, and more, I can break free of many of the borders, or more like "prison" walls, that were holding me back, always of my own making. I'm not sure what happened to change my fear. Secluding myself within the walls of my apartment became boring and the fear fed on itself as a continuing cycle.
I thank God for the personal and emotional freedom that I feel and can exercise. Even though I'm still not going all the places I plan to go because I still have a bit of fear holding me back, I've broken out of something that was extremely difficult to change.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Children and Challenges
I tutor a very challenging 6th grader. He gets bored very easily, so in the past couple sessions, I've been challenging him more. We work on the lessons that I'm supposed to teach him, but I do it slightly differently. Here is where my creativity comes in handy. I've always been able to be spontaneous and ad lib in my stories and examples to my students. With this student, it helps so much because I can see him becoming more interested and wanting to work through the lesson.
I am not a parent, nor do I have children of my own, but I've learned from my other students what can awaken their interest and what makes them bored. Sometimes it takes a bit of searching to see how to get through to a student. I've had my "failures" in the past, but these are only lessons to me, helping me with new students.
If anyone had asked me when I was younger what I wanted to be when I got older, I would never have said a tutor. I wanted to work with animals, but I found out I didn't want to do that as a job, only as a volunteer. I love what I do and the challenge each new student presents to me as a tutor. Finding my niche in life was so important to me, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find one. When I stopped looking, God put me where He wanted me. Now, how amazing is that? I'd say quite amazing!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Grumpy, grumpy...What?
Photo from photobucket.com by findstuff22
All day I have been checking my bank balance. Nope, the deposit didn't go through. I've been feeling quite down about that. Ok, tomorrow's Thanksgiving and I had planned a nice vegan menu, but I can't do it because I have around $6 in my checking account and a couple dollars in quarters.
But on the tail of these self-pitying thoughts came others. Some people can live a whole month on $6, while I only have to wait for a couple days to get my deposit. I have food in my refrigerator. Ok, it's kind of empty, but there's food in there. Some people go to bed and wake up hungry. They wish they had a refrigerator and food. Children and babies in third world countries cry from the hunger they feel and die from lack of food. I am nice and warm in my apartment. Other people, like the homeless in Los Angeles (and many other places) sleep on concrete and have no roof over their head. I am in fairly good health and I have medical insurance and doctors to take care of my medical needs. People in 3rd world countries and even here in the United States die from diseases that medicine eradicated many years ago. I have a computer, phone, cellphone, television, MP3 player, alarm clocks, a bathroom with a toilet, shower and sink, plus other luxuries some people only dream of having.
So...what do I have to be grumpy about? NOTHING! It never fails to amaze me how much I have that many others would do with what I have for a longer period of time. My Saviour, Jesus, had no home, no food in a refrigerator, no place to lay His head. Yet, He sacrificed everything for the sake of my forgiveness and salvation. Sometimes I can be so fixated on material things, when concepts like friendship, love, kindness abound all around me.
I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.
Michelle Rose
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