Monday, August 22, 2011

Lollipops and Roses




This life is full of lollipops and roses; love and laughter. Experiences come. Some are good, some are bad, some are dull and some are fabulous. Some experiences hurt. But regardless, we must march steadily through each one of life’s happenings with joy. WHY? Its all a learning process, really.

Our pathways even the most uncomfortable ones are sanctioned by God. “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). If we belong to God, our pathways and our decisions are sanctioned by God. It doesn’t really matter if you don’t excel as you go through each trial so long as you go through with faith, with a smile, with a desire to learn. NO FEAR.

This week, I will endeavor to skip through my day with more lollipops and more roses. I promise, darlings!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Now Which Way?




Major decisions require specific prayers. Every now and again each us of will come across game changers: those people, places and things that shift our focus for better or for worse. Our challenge, as Christians, is to encounter obstacles, triumphs, loss, pain and to respond wisely with temperance and joy.


HOW?


We are aware that living in this world can dull our spiritual senses. We are not yet with Jesus so we do not see ALL. Instead, we see through a glass darkly. We do not have all the facts. It is imperative, therefore, that we lean on our spiritual guide, the Holy Spirit to enable us to make good decisions.


James believes that we can triumph here on Earth. But, we must pray for God’s WISDOM. Wisdom for me means knowledge of God’s will and the courage and fortitude to follow God’s directives- come what may.


"...If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting)..." - James 1: 5-6a


The path is clear, darlings. We have nothing to fear. We can make good decisions and we can stick to them, with God’s help! HOORAY.


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Rose Colored Glasses Are Essential


I believe Rose Colored Glasses are ESSENTIAL for survival here on earth. They can enable you to roar with laughter despite being surrounded by chaos, malice and discomfort. Your mood does not have to alter everytime your environment shifts.

I choose to see the world differently, with God's help.

I wrote this song some months ago. It's called, "Rose Colored Glasses."

Let me know what you think....

Lyrics by Mariessa Terrell
Music (Guitar) by James Terrell
copyright June 2009
All Rights Reserved












Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Sometimes its OK to be a Jackass!




Have you ever tried and tried and tried to make something work to no avail?


There are many times when despite our strategizing and multiple attempts, we can not transition out of a situation into a new one.


Instead of becoming hysterical, somber or resigned, try to remember that GOD has a plan for you. Now, let God's plan unfold.


Jeremiah: 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


God knows what HE is doing. Let HIM do it.


Do you remember the story of Balaam? Balaam asked God what do about the Moabites. God instructed him NOT to go with them.


Balaam asked God a second time. God is angry now and says, okay GO.


Balamm then rides his donkey to reach the Moabites. During the journey, the donkey begins to act peculiar. Despite being prodded and beaten by Balaam, the donkey refuses to budge. Balaam is furious. Then all at once the donkey speaks..... It turns out that the donkey saw an angel of God (sword in hand) standing in the roadway. The donkey actually saved Balaam's life.

The lesson: Sometimes it is a good idea to be a donkey and to STOP and WAIT right where you are.


If you are unable to transcend out of your situation, perhaps it is because GOD is blocking your progress.... In this instance, the roadblock is actually a blessing! Curious. And fabulous.


NUMBERS 22: 21-35


21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.

24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.


26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”


29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”


30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”


“No,” he said.


31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.


32 The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.[a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”


34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”


35 The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Search For Beauty



God is Good. And He does not change. So the God we meet in Genesis is the same God we greet in Revelations.

This same God created heaven and earth. I believe that it is important to search out God's beauty in nature and in our surroundings.


April in DC presents a marvelous opportunity to find beauty all around. The cherry blossoms were resplendent this year. And the azaleas are poised to bloom all over the DMV soon.


Take a moment to study the delicate beauty of these flowers up close. Impress the image of their tiny petals into your hearts. it is this fragile beauty; basically God's perfection and peace that will enable you to face inevitable dissappointments, harsh words and misunderstandings with a wink in a smile.


The secret is that God is in the tiny details of each April azaelea blossom. He provides for them and will provide for you.


DON'T Worry, darlngs. Rejoice, with the butteflies, It is Spring 2011!

AND GOD IS GOOD!


Matthew 6:28-34


28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

JUST WAIT ON HIM, Darlings!




28
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.


Many times, it is advantageous to just sit in the presence of the Almighty without a request, without a complaint.


Did you know that you can be revived, refreshed, renewed just by coming in contact with God?


How? Supernaturally, of course.


We are told: 28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. Matthew 11: 28-29


All we have to do is approach. Be quiet. Be Calm. And Know that HE IS GOD.


Wait right there, close to HIM, for as long as it takes for your countenance to change and your spirt to lift. Remember it is direct contact with the HOLY ONE (through prayer, through bible study, through praise, through thoughts of HIM) that cures everything that ails.


There is nothing that is too hard for GOD. He promised to work it all out, darling. All we have to do is wait with HIM.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

DREAMING OF MY FRIEND




When I was a child I could not wait to go to sleep. As soon as the lights went out I would begin weaving intricate tales of all kinds. Typically, the dream would start with me taking a long trip. Sometimes, I'd travel via the Orient Express through remote parts of India or I would ride a split level barge down the Nile River in Egypt. Very often, I would live in a giant rambling bungalow nestled at the top of a few towering trees. In order to visit neighbors I'd have to navigate a series of wooden ladders anchored by leather tassels. Or, I lived in an igloo with opulent fur rugs and secret underground passages carved out of ice. Regardless of where I lived, I was always the oldest daughter of the king and queen. I was the rebellious, beautiful, intelligent Princess with a killer wardrobe and hair like Pam Greer.

I am much older but my dreams still represent a form of escape from the humdrum monotony of life. Through the past 30 years or so, I have learned the hard way that constantly seeking this world's thrills when confronted with tragedy, disappointment or sadness is NEVER the way. It inevitably leads to errors and mistakes.

God through his son Jesus has shown us that the only thing we should seek with regularity is HIS WAY. This is not easy.

Who would choose to die on a cross if she could help it? (Jesus chose to die even though he had the power to avoid this horrible death)

Who would choose to watch his friends grieve for another when you knew you had power to revive the deceased? (Jesus did not come to Lazarous' aid even though he knew Lazarous was sick sick unto death. But when he arrived, he wept with his friends and raised Lazarous from the dead.) See John chapter 11 (below)

The point is that if God has commanded us to do something, we MUST do it. We must not seek escape. We must not run away. The up side is that God will reward obedience.

Today, my favorite dream is always the same. I am climbing very steep and rocky terrain. The sky is gray and devoid of bright sunlight. I am bruised and exhausted. Just when I feel I can not take one more step, suddenly a gift will appear. Once I received an ice cold bottle of Fiji water. Another time a hammock appeared in my favorite color. Another time, I found a bowl of juicy peaches that burst like drops of sunshine in my mouth.

Finally after what seems like 80 plus years I reach the summit. There I am greeted by a large silver gate. I touch it lightly and the gate swings open to reveal the most beautiful green grass I have ever seen. In the middle of the grass is a bubbling fountain that has my name on it. As I touch the water, my entire body is revived. I am suddenly imbued with the energy of a child. All of my aches and pains from my journey have gone away. In fact, I no longer even remember them. I am radiant and can see everything around me with a new clarity. I can see butterflies everywhere and I can immediately recall all the fun facts that I ever learned about butterflies. I remember their scientific name, place of origin, etc. I am as wise as Solomon.

Thus refreshed, I begin to look for my Friend. I know I will find him sitting under my favorite tree. Sure enough, I see him there. And we sit and chat under the weeping willow about everything for ever.

Never forget that Jesus is here to help you. Stop now and ask him for help. Thank him for taking care of every situation. His power is supernatural, darlings.

John 11

The Death of Lazarus
1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymusa]">[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two milesb]">[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Nevermind Those Pesky Feelings-2011 is Gonna Be Grand, Darlings!


Isaiah 49
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands

We are commanded to love GOD, to keep his commandments to obey his directives. But what happens when your feelings get in the way of and even work to thwart your compliance?

It is essential that we figure out a way to battle certain feelings especially those feelings that cause us to act contrary to God’s law.

Where do these feelings emanate? How can they be overcome?

Let’s start with a few basic truths about feelings.

  1. Feelings are essential to Christians. Recall that God commands us to love him with all of our hearts, our minds and our soul. When we read his word, when we confront his great works in nature, science and the heavens, we are moved. We FEEL awe, wonder, joy.
  2. Feelings cannot be created or commanded. You cannot conjure a genuine feeling. And really, the more you try, the more miserable you may become.
  3. Feelings change because they are based on variables that change from day to day moment to moment. Physical conditions affect us. Hurtful comments affect us. Lack of money or over abundance affects us. Encounters with certain people affect us. The “mean reds” can creep in for no apparent reason. Yesterday you may have been perfectly content only to find that this morning, you are despondent.
Because feelings ebb and flow, we must not allow them to control us.

Instead we must seize control!

HOW?

1. REJOICE.

We are commanded to REJOICE. (But, notice “rejoice” does not mean “be happy.”) You can not conjure up happiness at will. But you can make yourself REJOICE.

Phillipeans 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

So put on a praise song and PRAISE HIM! Regardless of your circumstances. REJOICE in the Lord for something, for everything. Dance and sing until your spirit lifts.


2. STIR UP THE GIFT


2 Timothy 1:6
For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands.

When that dastardly mood descends, initiate a dialog with your fabulous self.

Say to yourself, "DARLING, I am not going to allow you to descend into that pit today." Remind yourself of who you are, what you are and to whom you belong. Then get outside and take in the sights and sounds of the most perfect Creator.


3. BELIEVE

Acts 16:31
They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household.'

Remember his promises. You may not be able to make yourself happy, but you can remind yourself of your belief in a God who can do ANYTHING. This is where all those bible stories come in handy. Remember how Jesus raised Lazarus? Remember Jacob wrestling all night with the pre-incarnate Christ? Remember the promises of God never to leave us. Remember that he sent a Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us to comfort us. Remember that he has prepared a place for us. Remember that we see through a glass darkly on this side but it will be revealed in God’s time.

John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.

Do not worry about your feelings.

Blessed (truly happy) are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness- not happiness.

Do not continue to seek thrills. Instead seek to be more like Jesus. Seek to live righteously. Seek to be holy.

Go directly to God and seek His face. Dive into his word and search for His truth. The revelation thwarts feelings of despair.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER THIS:
Isaiah 49
“I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

As you approach a new year, don’t dwell on the past-past feelings, past failures, suffering, loss. Instead, leave those feelings of negativity buried in 2010.

Go boldly forward into 2011 remembering that GOD holds the new year in HIS HANDS in trust for us.

If you commit to doing things HIS way, He will guide you one day at a time. HE PROMISED, Darlings.

REFERENCE:
Spiritual Depression Its Causes and Its Cure by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
fantabulous book....