It's been awhile...

I haven't forgotten about you; honestly, I haven't. In part, I just have wondered what to say. Lately, moments of peace have been scattered--mostly because of my distracted and overwhelmed spirit. I haven't been relinquishing like I should. Yesterday was kind of crummy; we found out that my grandma is in the hospital from a heart attack, which she didn't want anyone to know about--weird, I know. Also found out that she has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease--no one knew about the Parkinson's either. What in the world! Then Aaron's parents called last night and Aaron's uncle, Rod's younger brother, just found out he has colon cancer. I love this man so much and it pains me to think that he's going to have to struggle through and overcome this issue. And to top it off, the Hanley dog died; Rod and Donna found her out by a tree.

I felt overwhelmed with concern and fear and determination. I went in the kitchen and made us a fruit salad, I was so determined to do something healthy. But of course, like Aaron reminded me, we can't control everything. Sometimes it's the healthiest people, who eat right and exercise, that end up having a stroke and dying. And sometimes the boozers and smokers live to be 90. It doesn't always make sense. And it's not about our control; it's about our submission to an All-Knowing God. Ultimately, the circumstances of this world don't matter; yes, they're painful and difficult to overcome, but the truly significant comes from and through our hearts.

Tuesday night, at our women's Bible study, we were discussing James 1 and the trials we face. Donna asked a very appropriate question, "How do you respond to a trial?" Do I resist it, fight to change it, whine against it? Most often. Or, do I embrace it (uck, challenging verb) and ask God to use the situation to refine me? I hope that this answer becomes more frequent. For we know that this life isn't about comfort or even happiness. It's about glorifying God and becoming more holy.

...a little green

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Ring of Kerry

Mood Booster

In the April 2010 issue of Prevention magazine,

an article, "Carb Your Enthusiasm"

discussed how the benefits of carbs can affect your

serotonin levels.

Researchers in Australia took one year and put a group on a low-carb diet.

Although they lost an average of 30 pounds per person, "the low-carb group felt more angry, depressed, and confused than the low-fat eaters" (45). So, go

ahead and eat that bagel; just make sure it's whole grain.

:o)

things that make me go...

....ahhh....
*pure sound of birdsong
*buds on the trees
*swimming with my daughter
*going to bed early after several late nights


....ahahaha....
*the jokes my husband tells that never get old to me(man from India and the Irish joke)
*Maddie's belly laugh as she pokes the hole in my sock to get a reaction
*my dear friend Casey and her expressive stories
*brother Bill and his witty little responses
*playing games of charades


....yippee...
*70 degree weather--does it get any more heavenly?
*sunsets
*sounds of baseballs pinging off bats in our backyard
*reading my Bible in the hammock

Thanks, God, for this season.

Contentment as a result of...

Most of us understand (at least with our heads) that contentment cannot be based on any circumstance. "Whether well-fed or hungry..." refers to any time, all the time, no matter what. That we get. What proves to be more challenging is that elusive middle step. How do we learn to get from here to there? What's the secret, Paul?

During our Philippians's discussion tonight in our Bible study, I was struck by something simple. If you read the whole chapter (and the whole book too), you see that Paul instructs us about this "mystery" of contentment. What does he say? "Rejoice always..." JOY"Be anxious about nothing, but in everything..." PRAY. "Let your gentleness be evident..." Don't be cruel or contentious. "Whatever is true, noble, right, lovely..." DWELL ON THESE THINGS.

Our contentment isn't a conjured spiritual "umph" of will-power. Contentment naturally follows a heart that is submissive to God, loving to others, and thinking about truthful and worthy things. If our fears overwhelm our heart and our mind is cluttered with deceptive and negative thoughts than we are going to struggle to maintain joy, and thus, contentment.

So, my friend, dwell on those things. Pray for God's perspective. Pray for His filtering of our thoughts and feelings. Pray that we would rejoice always!

WW: ...about anything

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

~William Cowper,
God Moves in a Mysterious Way

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phil. 4:6