The Life of Mrs. Miles

download

Howdy There Folks! Hope yore enjoyin' these western themed elements, and I thank y'all for the great suggestions pourin' in. I hope y'all don't mind if I took care of lil Miss Lucy's request first, as she sounds like she's already got a heritage theme cookin' and said if I made some frames she could use them. Ah think ah kin handle the other requests - they are terrific, keep 'em comin! Just leave me a comment here on the blog and I will do my very best!

I had a HOOT at Amy W's BINGO madness yesterday - got me addicted, she did, and I even won a prize! You need to go to the next one - the best fun you can have for an afternoon. Thanks Amy - put me on the list for the next one!

Today's blog is going to be short and sweet as I'm having some quality time with my dear, dear Sister-in-Law, Judy, and my beautiful niece Melissa! Hope you all have a great weekend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!

Happy birthday today, to a special young man in our lives - Mark. We want you to know we are thinking of you as you celebrate. May the coming year be one where you realize your hopes and dreams. All our love to you!

You know, it has been a bit rough in my Christian walk recently. This may shock some people to hear me say this – but you know Christians are REAL people, and just because we know and accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour does not mean our troubles miraculously disappear. Oh no, not at ALL. Sometimes I think it may even feel harder, being a Christian because I am accountable to my faith and can't just divorce my feelings and actions from being accountable to God and those around me. It does not mean I won't have trials and troubles like my worldly brothers and sisters, but hopefully, if my faith is real and strong enough, I will handle them in a different way. Where before I could simply get mad, brush things off and walk away, abandon, now I must work through them using the Holy Word as my template. It does not make it easier – in fact, sometimes its a lot harder because I can't just say “thats the way it is” and so forth... because I know that God knows my heart and He's expecting me to do what's honoring to Him.

This makes things tricky at times as the old self would have just said “Get over it” or “thats Your problem” or just ignored things altogether, but when I died to self in the name of my King I recieved in my heart some sort of Spiritual Warning System which doesn't allow me to just brush life's situations off, like a pesky housefly. I know that ALL struggles put in my path are knowingly allowed by my Father – and He's counting on me dealing with them in the correct way, that's pleasing to Him. His Word tells me He allows just what I am able to handle, so I must walk in confidence of this. I need to turn the seemingly impossible situations into His hand, and listen for His counsel. And I may not always like where that leads me, but I must trust the outcome is for my own good. How much less work to trust in His plan for me, than the huge amount of energy I used up when I struggled along in my own way... plus, I almost always inevevitably wound up making a bigger mess!

The bible tells us that we must 'suffer a little' to get to there – to the place with Him. And we all know there is no 'free ride' in life. Theres no real life like the song I once heard of 'No Consequences' Trust me, my friend, there are ALWAYS consequences, and I would far rather put my trust and hope in the consequences of doing what is right in the sight of my Lord. As I do this I find He trusts me with more. I used to get quite angry – to the point of physically throwing things in the heat of anger, but today – I can't think of when I last felt the urge to do this. In fact – it sort of all seems like a bad memory, like it happened to another person. If you struggle in this way – I can assure you from personal experience that the Lord can remove it right from your life, if you ask Him to!

But lately I was tortured with all sorts of yicky, icky 'human feelings' – the big E (envy) and A (anger) and I (impatience) Oh how silly I have been, to allow myself to even let my heart be so blind. How the enemy can use me so easily in these very times – fill me up with myself and my own needs. Its only now, with introspect on it all that I can see that by not trusting in the Lord, I was robbed of opportunities to actually have compassion to the very people I chose to be upset with in my heart! In the instances, upon looking back and consider, I have missed opportunities to witness and bring comfort. I really did not understand that there was pain in the lives of the people I was upset with.

And so, God has allowed me to 'stew in my own juices' for a bit, until I was obedient to His word, and now that I've given it all over, I can see the folly of my ways. I had to suffer to learn the lesson. And His word tells us we will suffer, if we choose His way. Only, this suffering will have a far far far more precious outcome. Won't you turn your troubles and problems and anger etc over to the One who can really help?

1 Peter 1:6

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

1 Peter 5:10

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Psalm 57:2

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

Are you standing at “Wits End Corner,”
Christian, with a troubled brow?
Are you thinking of what is before you,
And all you are bearing now?
Does all the world seem against you,
and you in the battle alone?
Remember – at “Wits End Corner”
Is just where God's power is shown.

Are you standing at “Wits End Corner”
Blinded with wearying pain,
Feeling you cannot endure it,
You cannot bear the strain,
Bruised through the constant suffering,
Dizzy, dazed, and numb?
Remember – at “Wits End Corner”
Is where Jesus loves to come.

Are you standing at “Wits End Corner”
Your work before you spread,
All lying begun, unfinished,
And pressing on heart and head,
Longing for strength to do it,
Stretching out trembling hands?
Remember - at “Wits End Corner”
The Burden Bearer stands.

Are you standing on “Wits End Corner”
Then you're in the very spot
To learn the wondrous resources
Of Him who faileth not;
No doubt to a brighter pathway
Your footsteps will soon be moved,
But only at “Wits End Corner”
Is the “God who is able” proved.

- Antoinette Wilson

I'm going to leave you today, with a video which was shared with me by my close friend K. - amazing how she sent the link to me just as I was preparing to publish the previous poem and journalling. I think you will agree its so fitting. So, without further ado, I leave you with this powerful portrayal of how God is always longing and waiting for us to turn to HIM.