Are You Feeling Hopeless?

This is the time of year that so many are dealing with depression or hopelessness. The holidays are over and for many it seems as though winter is never going to end. And reality sets in, we still have another 2 months of winter left.
And along with the doldrums of winter come flu season. This year has been exceptionally rough with the flu and the viruses out there. So many have been very ill with these nasty bugs. For someone like myself that is immuno-suppressed, it is very important that I do not get exposed to those germs. I would be in the hospital for weeks. That certainly doesn't interest me.
I was seeing several posts on social media of people feeling very depressed. So that got me thinking, am I feeling depressed? Am I feeling hopeless? I can say with total confidence I am not either of those. But it does take work and an active mindset of being an overcomer, of being victorious.
Where do I get that help to push me in the right direction? How do I maintain that "overcomer" mindset? It is very simple folks. My help comes from the Lord Jesus. Our Maker! He knows exactly what we need before we do. He knows when we need it, and He knows how to get our attention so that we call on Him for His help. The problem we have so often, are we listening or paying attention?
Are we actually calling out to Jesus and asking Him for His help? I dare say, too often I believe we get very lax at this. And believe me, I can be just as lax as the next. We are always learning. And the more we learn to trust in Jesus, ask Him for His help, the more free we will be, the more we will be victorious.
My faithful readers, there is hope within our reach. There is that peace of mind knowing we will be ok, knowing there is our Lord Jesus right here with us, waiting for us to ask Him to help us through our difficult time.  I was sharing with a precious friend this morning that I could feel the warmth of Jesus wrapping His big arms around me. The love Jesus has for you and for me is massive but right here within our reach.
I am attaching a song this week that reminds us where to look for our help. Take a listen, read the words as they come up. (You may recognize a few familiar faces also) Let these words speak to your heart and encourage you my friends. We always have HOPE! Because our Lord Jesus never leaves us.

Who or What Defines You?

The last few weeks have been brutal for many people across the globe. Here in the northeast it has been brutally cold. For many of the older folk or those with chronic illness it is particularly difficult.
For myself it elevates my pain levels tremendously. Neuralgia or neuropathy, which is pain in the nerves of the legs, is very difficult to manage on a regular basis. But the extreme cold elevates that pain, making it almost unbearable at times.
One morning I was doing my devotions and prayer time, the thought came into my head, do I let my pain define who I am emotionally, and spiritually. I am not talking about the physical aspects. But I am talking about our attitudes, our personality, and how we represent Jesus Christ in us.
Wow, I had to sit back and think about that for a bit. How do I react when my pain is severe? Am I extra "grumpy"? Do I get angry with God? How do I treat others? These are all legitimate questions, and ones we all need to ask ourselves at times. I will be the first to repent, I know I am far from perfect and need to be better at handling my pain at times.
I know that our Lord Jesus is bigger, stronger, and totally capable of getting me through those difficult days. And that is how I need to approach my day. Being totally confident that Jesus will keep His promises, He will not leave me, He hears my prayers and will answer my prayers. When I am feeling extra weak He will give me strength. Does this mean my pain will go away? Not necessarily.
Remember I am talking about how we react emotionally and spiritually. I am talking about our attitudes. And are we allowing that pain to define who we are?
My prayer for myself is that I will not allow my pain to show by way of my attitude, my speech to others, and mostly how I react to God. I want others to see Jesus in me, not pain. I want them to see the joy of the Lord in me. I pray that I can reach deep down and pull out that strength that Jesus has given me. And mostly, I want to always give Jesus the glory and thanksgiving He deserves.
I don't want to be known for my pain, I want to be know as a daughter of the King of Kings, an heir to the Kingdom, and someone who loves Jesus Christ with all I have within me.
We all have different issues in our lives. And many different things affect us physically. But we do not have to let those things drag us down spiritually. Jesus will never leave our side, call on Him, He will lift you up.
One thing I want to mention, I am not saying you must hide your pain. After all, we want others to pray for us. We need to be honest with ourselves and with others. But what I am saying is we do not need to get into a negative frame of mind, or be angry with God because we have pain. We need to stay in God's Word and gain strength. We need to persevere and press on, because Jesus has so much more for us.
I pray for you, faithful readers, whatever you are struggling with, whatever is trying to pull you down, call out to Jesus. Stand up tall and strong, because your pain doesn't have to define who you are. Our life with Jesus defines us. The hope, love, faith that we have in Jesus defines us.

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
Philippians 1:6

New Years Resolutions

New Years resolutions, some of us love those words, and some of us despise those words. 
Let me tell you where I stand with this idea.  First let me explain, whether or not you agree with my views, I am not condemning anyone for your choice. This is just how I see it. And what I hope to accomplish with this blog is to make you think about it and make the best choice or decision for you.
My views on resolutions, I am not a fan. To me it seems as though you are setting yourself up for failure. Face it, every year many of us make those resolutions and we get through a month or so and then we forget all about it. At some point through the year we may recall the resolution we made and wonder why we didn't press on with it, then feel guilty because we failed.
For me, I have chosen not to make any resolutions. I really do not need to add any more to a list of failures. I do not need to infuse myself with that feeling of failure and disappointment into myself. For many it is hard enough to succeed without putting more pressure on one's self. 
I like to call resolutions goals. You may be thinking it is the same thing. Not really. A goal is something we have with no defined limit of time perhaps. It may be for your lifetime. Or it may just be something you'd like to accomplish with no time in mind. A goal is something that if we do not meet it by a certain date, we keep on pressing forward. We do not leave that goal at the curb, but we pick ourselves up and continue pressing on. 
We all have goals in life. They may be work related, family related, church related, and so on. And it may be something just between you and God. No one else knows about it. 
I want to encourage you faithful readers, do not set yourself up for failure. But instead set those goals, and with the help of our Lord Jesus, you can be successful.  It is important to have goals. We want to  improve at our jobs, or being a better friend, or a better spouse. Or how about we want to be better servants for the Lord. There are so many goals we can have. Instead of approaching them like resolutions, in a manner that have a time limit, in a way that sets up up for failure, lets change our approach. 
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 
Philippians 4:13-
I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me. (HCSB)
The  Amplified Bible puts it this way:
I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]
The way I see it, when we are seeking the Lord, asking Him to guide us and give us goals, the He will strengthen us and help us be victorious. 
A resolution that hasn't been met means we failed. 
A goal that is on it's way to being met, with the help of our Lord Jesus, means victory. 
When we continue to put God first in our lives, ask Him for guidance, then He will give us a vision and a goal. And that goal may have a different ending then what we thought. 
I am convinced Jesus will let us know in our hearts when we have reached the goal that He has set for us. 
So readers, I'd like to encourage you all, with the help of our Lord Jesus, set those goals. Persevere through the struggles, through the trials, and lean on the strength the Lord gives you. You will be victorious. And it may surprise you what the finish line looks.
Have the hope, faith, and trust in the Lord to meet your needs and desires. He may have something totally different in mind for you. And His ways are always BEST.