Teachable or Not Teachable…That Is the Question?

Do you have a teachable spirit or are you one who is stubborn, stiffed neck and a know-it-all?

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems we are losing our teachable spirits at such an early age anymore.

My 11 year old granddaughter tried to stand me down concerning a slang word she was trying to use. The truth of the matter it isn’t even a word in the world of slang let alone the English language. But the biggest problem for me is that at the tender age of 11, you think know more than an adult. In all fairness young people do know things and we can learn from them, I’m not trying to negate that fact, but what I’m trying to point out is the “know-it-all” spirit that so many have today. And the sad part is in many cases they don’t really know diddly!

When I was 11 years old, you weren’t allowed to voice your opinions too much, especially if they differed from the adult you were talking to. It was considered being rude. My granddaughter wasn’t being rude in her mannerisms to me, and I do believe that children should be able to have conversation with adults and voice their opinions. But as with anything it is all in the way that you do it. And though she wasn’t rude in her speech or tone, she did eventually get on my nerves, because she was wrong and not willing to take a look at that. Finally when she couldn’t find the word in the dictionary or even on google, she relented. But even then, I don’t think she was fully persuaded that it was not a real word. I know…go figure?

I guess the saddest part of all of this is that “unteachable” spirits run ramped in the Church, which includes all ages. That’s right, young and old alike.

The other day I was standing on the corner waiting for the bus when two women were talking about the woman in Ohio who had gotten jail time for putting her daughter in a school district she didn’t live in. The young woman’s father lived in this district and she wanted her daughter to have the better education that was offered there. Many are up in arms that she received jail time. My stance is though it might have been harsh; she lied and falsified papers, which is against the law. But being an advocate for homeschooling, there are other viable options for us as parents to ensure our children are educated versus being fraudulent. Okay back to the conversation at the bus stop….

….This young woman was very upset because she had to take her daughter out of private school and put her in public school a couple of weeks ago (for lack of money) and she was having real problems adjusting because she is in a school that is not teaching her and the kids are off the hook. I questioned why she didn’t have her tested for one of the better city schools or put her in cyber school since she had to come out in the middle of the school year? Well, long story short, she stood me down that she could do what I was suggesting because she was told that she couldn’t. I tried to tell her that she could and how to go about it, but she wasn’t hearing it. Yes, I did shut my mouth and began to pray for her and her daughter. Also the woman she was with told her to not take “No” for an answer and listen to my suggestions. Her final answer was, “I’m believing God to give me the money to put her back in school.” Now I can understand that, but in the meantime your daughter is suffering? Of course I kept my opinion to myself and wished her the best.

Her attitude is not uncommon for today — an attitude of not hearing what others have to say, thinking she has it all figured out. This woman could have been a Believer for all I know, and in her cry to God, I could have the answer for now. We often miss opportunities God sends our way, only because it doesn’t look the way we think it should.

From what this young woman was saying, her daughter was in trouble, and she wanted her to be able to go back to the school she had been in for years. But she didn’t seem to grasp that for right now there was an alternative. It seems she didn’t receive the information I was offering because it wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted money to pay tuition and things back the way they were.

How much and how often are we like this young woman or my granddaughter? Probably too much. Young people think they know what they are talking about even when they don’t, older saints think they have arrived and you can’t tell them anything. It really is a mess.

Bottom line for all of this is “Pride”. This is why the Lord talks so much about how He hates a prideful heart, haughtiness, and that know-it-all spirit that feeds off pride.

Are you teachable or not teachable? If you are one who can’t receive instruction or insight from others, then you are not teachable. If you are one who surrounds yourself with godly people with godly wisdom and are eager to learn then you are teachable.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you have walked with the Lord, there is so much more for you to learn on this earth. And for you younger woman, you have just begun to learn about the things of the Lord and this world. ~Smile~

In Deuteronomy the Lord gives us the choice of life or death. A teachable spirit chooses life; a spirit of pride chooses death. So again I ask, “Are you teachable or not?”



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

The Greatest Love of All

In 1986 Whitney Houston released a #1 hit, “The Greatest Love of All”. The last line of the chorus is: “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all”. As daughters of the Most High, I think we could use some encouragement in that area.

Paul really sums up Love in I Corinthians 13:4-8a. My favorite translation is the Amplified Bible, because it is very detailed, but the blessing is we have many translations to choose from. Mostly when I have read, studied or meditated on this passage of scripture, it has always been to work on how I am to walk in love toward others. I never used to look at how it pertains to me loving myself.

The love walk is a daily struggle in the life of the Believer, because it is the heart of who we are to be. We are to walk in love toward others in a way that basically makes no sense to those outside the Household of Faith. Pray for those who mistreat you. Turn the other check. Be kind to someone who has wronged you. Forgive the one who has used and abused you, over and over again. These are the commands of God on how we are to live our lives. So, yes, it is a daily struggle to obey, because our flesh doesn’t roll like that. ~Smile~ But I think in our daily struggle to walk in the love of the Lord toward others, we completely forget about loving ourselves.

Verse 4 starts off “Love is patient, love is kind.” Wow, we often pray to be patient with others, but when was the last time you prayed to be patient with yourself? Maybe never. How kind are you to you? I think these are valid questions we would do good to answer. Why? Because often we are not patient with ourselves or as kind to ourselves as we should be. And to honestly sit down and take the time to examine “Why not?” would be a great benefit to most of us.

The more patience we can have for ourselves the more we will be able to accomplish in life. Patience helps us to persevere (hang in there) in the goals that we have set for ourselves. But mostly in the things that God is teaching us. We are quick to give up on “us”! We are quick to fall into failure mode when we don’t get it right away. But when we can begin to look at ourselves through the eyes of love that is laced with patience and kindness, we will fair much better. Being kind to oneself is not an excuse for poor behavior or the makings of a pity party. No, that’s not what it means. It means to give yourself a break. Have compassion for you in the areas you have messed up in and those that still need change. Stop being your own worst enemy and harsh critic of yourself. It means striving to see ourselves as God does—a work in progress.

Love holds no record of wrong. In order to not hold a record of wrong against someone, we must forgive the wrong done and the person responsible. You know what sisters that includes us too. We have to stop beating ourselves up for past mistakes and poor decisions. There is nothing we can do to change the past. Okay, so you did something really stupid, and it has changed the course of your life and that of your family. But to continue to live a life of regret when you have been forgiven by God (and He has put the infraction in the sea of forgetfulness); doesn’t make sense. It’s time to stop holding that record of wrong against yourself. It is time to let go, and allow yourself the joy of loving you.

I’m going to change the lyrics a little so it says, “Learning to love yourself is one of the greatest loves of all.”

Love is an action word, and we have a say as to whether we are going to love or not. It is all based on our decision. I want to encourage you, to make the decision to learn to love yourself.

Have a blessed and wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing you next week!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!

The Storms of Life

This morning I woke to a snowfall of around 15 inches here in Philadelphia. Before last year, that would have been a major storm for us, but this past winter proved to be one for all the record books and 15 inches today isn’t so bad! LOL!!

For the past 4 weeks we’ve had some type of snow or freezing rain every week. And a couple of weeks ago, we had back-to-back snow. I am grateful they were not big storms and only added up to a few inches. Up until today it’s only turned out to be more of an inconvenience than anything else.

Today’s storm has closed down schools, some businesses and will be a real pain when it comes to using public transportation for a couple of days. And to top it off they say we are looking at more snow on Saturday and maybe some on Tuesday of next week. So far, they are not predicting them to be major storms, but the bottom line is, we have to wait and see what God has to say about it all.

These weekly snow storms prompted me to think about life and the many storms we encounter. I think we all know what it is like to have a season in our lives where it seems like “there is always something” going on. Just like the weekly snow most of us on the East Coast have been experiencing. You begin to feel like—can we get a break here!

One of the things I’ve noticed about the heavy snowfalls is that it has brought neighborhoods and neighbors together to help each other shovel out. This is the way it should be in the storms of a Believer. We should come together to help our brothers and sisters, and those around us.

We have a tradition here in Philly, the minute they say snow—it seems like everyone runs to the market for food and toilet paper. I understand the food, but do question why the toilet paper? ~Smile~ The night or day before a predicted snow storm, the markets are jammed packed and if you don’t get there early you will not find a piece of bread, milk or eggs! Yes, this is last minute but this is how most of us do it here.

Now my friends, who live in the Midwest, such as places like the Dakotas, prepare for the winter much better than us Philadelphians…they don’t take any chances and spend their summer stocking up. Because if they didn’t get a lot of snow, that would be national news. So, their pantries, root cellers and wood plies are stocked and ready.

When you look at how folks prepare who know they are going to have snow storms, it seems we as Believers should be doing the same. Jesus tells us that we can count on trials and tribulations in this life, and James tells us they make us stronger when we persevere through them, so why is it that many of us are like the folks in Philly who run to get provisions when there’s a threat or a storm upon us?

Being prepared for the storms of this life means being full (current) of God’s Word.

If you live in a rural area and get 30 inches of snow topped off with an ice storm, you aren’t going anywhere. And if the electricity is out because of downed wires and you didn’t make sure you had plenty of wood for the wood burning stove; you might find yourself cold. If you didn’t spend the summer (the good times) stocking your pantry, you might even go hungry. Why? Because until the weather changes or someone can get to you to lend a helping hand, you are stuck and in trouble. Well, that’s the same way it is when you have not been spending time with God in prayer or the Bible and a major storm comes into your life. It is hard to get into the Word in the midst of the storm you haven’t prepared for. Your heart is faint and so is your faith.

Just as the folks who live in places where harsh winters are the norm prepare for them, so should we as Believers be prepared for the storms of life. We may not know when they’re coming or how, but we do know they will come.

Midwesterners also have a system of checking on each other to make sure things are okay or if there is a need. We too should check on each other (in our daily lives) to make sure things are okay or if someone is in the midst of a storm and we can lend a helping hand.

God uses everything to show us how we should live our lives and look to others. The snow has been an eye opener for me as to how we must be prepared for the storms of life. I’ve also been thinking about other types of storms where people have lost everything except their lives. I’m going to write about that another day, because things like this do happen and the best insurance one can have is not from Allstate, but a heart that is filled with trust in God!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Been Tempted Lately?

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. I Corinthians 10:13 NIV

I am so glad there is no sin in the “temptation” of a thing, because I am tempted all the time. It is the “giving into” or “acting upon” the temptation that takes us into sin. For instance, you might be tempted to tell someone off, but when you hold your tongue there was no sin only the temptation. But when you decide not to do it God’s way, then with the first mean word out your mouth, there lies the moment your temptation turned to sin.

Take love for instances, many are tempted to stop loving their spouses; under the guise of “I fell out of love.” Love is an action, so therefore we have a choice to love or not love someone. Just as in forgiveness, we can choose to forgive a wrong or not forgive. The temptation is not in the thoughts of “not forgiving” or “not loving”. But the actual sin comes into play the minute we make the decision we will not forgive or walk in love.

We are tempted to lie about the simplest things sometimes and since in God’s kingdom there’s no such thing as a little white lie….it’s sin. It can be something as minor as dividing the last piece of cake fairly or keeping the extra money when given the wrong change. Temptation comes in so many ways in the course of a day it’s not funny. But in all of them, “big” or “small” we have a way out, if we choose to take it.

I think one of the most common temptations to mankind we experience is the temptation to not trust God.

Giving into that temptation can send us right over the edge. Single women, who give into the temptation to not trust God with their lives and well being, venture out on their own to make things happen. This often leads to sin and a broken heart. Married women begin to try to manipulate circumstances or their husbands. The end result is never good. Worry and lack of sleep is also a symptom of giving into the temptation to not trust Him. Not trusting God can lead us to lying on our income tax returns, backstabbing on the job, even stealing from the church. It all starts out as a simple temptation, (no sin in that) but as me make the decision to not accept the out that God has supplied, we quickly move into the sin aspect of the matter.

Another common temptation to mankind is the temptation to complain. We as a people are whiners and complainers by nature, but with the union of the Holy Spirit of God, we no longer have to give into the temptation to whine and complain. Yes, there is sin in complaining. How? Well, for one you cannot complain about things and be grateful at the same time. A complaining heart is not a grateful heart. It is a heart that is not satisfied and not looking for the good. It is a heart that thinks God should do better by them. It lacks humility.

If lately you’ve found yourself giving into the temptation to not trust God, then it’s time to fight back. How do we do that? By bringing our thoughts that are out of line with His Word under the submission of Christ. We do that by standing on what the Word of God says about our lives and circumstances and not giving into how things may look. It is a fight, but one that we can win.

Every time you are tempted to complain about your life, job, husband, kids, neighbors, boss, pastor and the many other things that we find to complain about…don’t! Take God’s out by choosing to see the good in your life. Your boss might be a person who is unfair and unjust in their dealings, but how would not having a job to pay your bills affect your life? So, the out is to pray for your boss, praise God for your job and the provision He uses it to make, and you will be able to endure until such time there is change.

Temptation is something that never takes a holiday, so it is up to us to resist in every way that we can. And it is also our job to remember that God is faithful; and He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

How Green Is Your Grass?

I think most of us are familiar with the old adage, “The grass is greener on the other side!” Is it? Well, in some cases it might be, but at what cost?

I’m a city girl so what I know about grass and lawns is limited. But the one thing I know for sure is that you have to tend a lawn if you want it to be its best. And from a distance a lawn or meadow can be very deceiving. It can look full and green but once you actual stand in it you might find trash, and a bunch of dog doo. At first glance it looked like a place you would like to spread a blanket for a picnic lunch and hangout, but you soon realize it’s not what you thought it was.

My oldest daughter has a lawn service that comes in the spring and puts down the fertilizer and then cuts her grass routinely through the summer and fall. But if she isn’t faithful in the watering, it will turn brown and not look as nice as others on her block. I have a friend who lives in the burbs and has quite a bit of grass in the front, side and back of her house. She and her husband love to tend it themselves. And all their hard work pays off each year, because their landscaping is absolutely beautiful.

A few years ago they went on a 2 week vacation and asked me to house sit for them. Since I’m an early riser, I chose to water the lawn around 5:45am each morning. But after about day 3, I realized how much work it was. The lawn was so vast; there was a long hose in the front of the house and one in the back. Plus they had a slew of flowers and shrubbery and they left it all in such wonderful condition, I was soon praying every day that I didn’t mess up and any of it turn brown while they were away. That particular summer was very hot. Well, we all know that we serve a merciful and caring God and not only did He answer my prayers but threw in a couple of good soaking rains, which let me off the hook from having to water the lawn every day. Long story short—my girlfriend and her husband were very happy when they returned, because not only did they find the grass green, all the flowers blooming and the tomatoes plants weeded and doing well, the grass was long. LOL!! Yes, they had to mow it immediately.

As humans we often look at others desiring what they have. Single women think that married women have it made. Married women secretly wish they were single again. Young women can’t wait to get a little older, older women wished they were a little younger. Single moms think having a husband would make their financial struggle less; married women are disillusioned that their husbands are not making the money they wished they were. Women with short hair wish they had longer hair; women with long hair cut it off and wear it short. Petite (short) women envy taller women, taller women wish they weren’t so tall. Women with large breast wish they were smaller when other women are trying to figure out a way to have breast implants. Women who live in apartments want to own a home; women who have homes want a bigger one and then there is the group who wish they could sell their houses and move into a condo. Married women look at other married women and wish their husband was more like hers. Are you getting my point about how the grass can look greener on the other side?

But being on the outside looking in can often trick the eye. Just as my friend who lives in the burbs, when you drive by her house it is something to behold. It is really beautiful. But it takes a lot of time and money to keep it that way. My girlfriend spends a lot of hours each week working on the inside and I already told you about the outside. Personally, it was way too much work for me. ~Smile~ Take for instance my daughter’s front lawn, now that I could handle. It’s a small plot of land and easy to care for.

The point I’m trying to make is that things are usually not what they seem. We have a tendency to want what others have, without knowing the price they pay to have it.

The best advice I have is…learn to tend, nurture and care for (what you have) your own grass. If you live in an apartment, keep it clean and make it as homey and comfy as you can. If you are a single parent, put your expectations in the Lord and not in the hope of a husband to make things better. If you are married—the same goes for you! If you feel you’ve outgrown your current house and would like a bigger one or a different neighborhood, well, until that happens — enjoy and take care of what you have.

How green is your grass? Is it brown and dry with discontent or is it green and lush from a heart of gratitude.

If you are one who has been complaining about what you have or what you don’t have…STOP looking at someone else’s grass and figure out what it is you need to do to make your side green.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

OLD LOVES

I’ve heard stories of couples who dated in high school or college and then went their separate ways only to find each other years later and marry. I also know of couples who found each other later and when the dust settled, wonder what it was they ever saw in that person to begin with. ~Smile~ I guess we would put these type of encounters (good or bad) under the heading of “Old Loves.” If you have lived long enough, then you might have an “old love” you wonder about or maybe even still long for. There is a part of our brains and emotions that love the fairytale version of life, and likes to linger in the “what ifs”. Sometimes that is harmless and other times it can be dangerous, depending on how much we fixate on the “what ifs” and how deep the longing is.

But what I’m finding is that we have old loves that are not just human beings. We have old loves that are hobbies, talents, entertainment and other things.

Last week I shared how having my paid TV service suspended for nonpayment of the bill, helped me to see more clearly as to how I was living my daily life. The Saturday before last (service off) I spent most of the day reading and listening to music. Tovah even joined me for a couple of hours. But now that the satellite is back on, when Saturday rolled around I still wanted what I had the week before. Because what I had discovered was that I’d reconnected with a couple of “old loves”!

I fell in love with reading when my birthdays were still in the single digits. I think the love of music was a close second. But for the past few years I’ve fallen into the habit of reading a chapter a day in whatever new book I had, and sometimes a few more near the end because I wanted to tie it up. But lately, I’ve been spending a couple of hours just reading or listening to music. This is something I used to do all the time and you know what? I found I’ve missed it—a lot! This past Saturday I didn’t go on the internet at all. Nope, didn’t peak at one email or Facebook status. I had a couple of chores in the morning, but the rest of my day consisted of reading, listening to music, and thinking. Tovah came downstairs and noted that I was listening to CDs she hadn’t heard me play in a long time. And she was right. They were old loves I had forgotten about.

Hooking up with an “old love” (human or otherwise) can be very exciting and invigorating to say the least. It usually rekindles old passions, (not talking sexual). For me, the past few weeks of spending more time on meditating, reading, being quiet, and just listening to music, has inspired me to be more hopeful in life. You might ask, “How’s that?” I guess I would have to say that being still has forced me to look at things I might have been trying to avoid. It has made me think more on the promises of God and enjoy what I have. The truth of the matter is I prefer a discounted book from Amazon to the many venues paid TV has to offer. Listening to a CD with my eyes closed for an hour brings so much more peace to my soul than an hour of American Idol.

In the book of Revelations, the Messiah talks about us getting back to our First Love, (Him) and when I look at my life, I’m seeing that I enter into periods when I deal with God like I do that book I don’t spend much time with, but rather bit and piece it until I’m done. I have a tendency to forget about CDs that I’ve had for a few years, and all the joy they once brought me. I love fast upbeat music when I do housework so I can dance around, and play my more current CD’s when cooking dinner. But to just sit and listen to select music…I’ve sort of been to busy. Well, not really. I’m finding more-and-more; my busy is not so much the things I must do as much as stuff I just do.

Are you finding yourself spending less time with God? How often do you just sit and think about His goodness? The last poor decision you made, was it because you didn’t slow down long enough to hear what the Holy Spirit had to say about it? How often do you talk to the Messiah about things? Is it time for you to reconnect with your old Love? The One who has loved you with an everlasting Love. The One who has drawn you with loving kindness? The One who will never leave you or forsake you. The One who laid down His life for you?

As I stated earlier, getting back with an “Old Love” can be very exciting and invigorating. It can rekindle great passion in us, especially when it comes to our relationship with the Lord.

I challenge you to sit for half an hour listening to a CD that inspires your heart to think about God. You will be blessed—for sure!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED...Part 2

“Now you should finish what you started…” 2 Corinthians 8:11 (NLT)

Hello “The Kitchen Table” Ladies,

I don’t know about you, but I have missed you all! Happy New Year and May God continue to bless you and your family!

I have persevered and stood firm balancing life plus college!

Since my last blog, “Finish what you have started” (11/2/10), it has been a definite roller coaster!

I was taking the global business class twice a week...I just got my final grade, and by the grace of God, I received an A-, so Happy! God knows the challenges I faced during the semester and Thank God for HIS help, but also thank the people who have been there for me when I needed them during this difficult season in my life (which most of you already know my mom passed away last year), The semester is over which means I have a break until the next semester...Thank God!...Next semester is the spring semester, I will be taking “Business Communications”. This class will definitely be out of my comfort zone, because in this class, I have to do a lot of speaking in front of the class. AHHH...you will definitely read about those challenges I will face during this class. LOL!

I continue to learn and trust in the Lord and live life to the fullest...so much so that if you think that balancing life plus college was a challenge, we are still active in our local church and have family time as well, not to mention we also have animals in the house...we got an albino rabbit named “Junie”, last year after mom passed away, we received a guinea pig that we named “Munchkin” and if that wasn’t the end of it...last year in December we got a dog named Toby! LOL! Who said life cannot be balanced? Mine is...only God can do that!

Currently, as I said before, taking a break before I take my next class, my husband and I are working with the kids on their science projects; and my husband is still out of work from his shoulder surgery last year.

God continues to provide the peace in my heart and strength to overcome all challenges. I’m still here...moving forward and pressing on toward the goal, the purpose God has for my life!

Well its time for me to go, until next time...May God continue to bless you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the opportunity to share “Balancing life plus college” with the ladies of The Kitchen Table. I pray for the strength and peace you have given me, that the ladies may receive it. I pray they may move forward and press on toward the goal, which is the purpose you have for their lives. In the name of Jesus, AMEN!





Many blessings,
Maria

Monday's Blog: Ponnie






Termina Lo Que Empezaste -Parte 2




"Ahora debes terminar lo que empezaste…" 2 Corintios 8: 11 (NLT)

Hola Mujeres de "La Mesa de la Cocina",

¡No sé usted, pero yo les he extrañado a todas ustedes! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo y que Dios les continúe bendiciendo a usted y su familia!

He perseverado mantenido firme balanceando mi vida más Colegio!

¡Desde mi último blog, "Termina Lo Que Empezaste", ha sido una montaña rusa definida!

¡Estaba tomando una clase de negocio a nivel mundial dos veces por semana...Acabo de recibir mi último grado de primaria, y por la gracia de Dios, he recibido un A-, estoy bien feliz! Dios conoce los desafíos que enfrente durante el semestre y gracias a Dios por su ayuda, pero también las gracias a las personas que han estado ahí para mí cuando yo necesitaba durante esta temporada difícil en mi vida (que la mayoría de ustedes ya sabe mi mamá falleció el año pasado), el semestre termino así qué medios tengo un descanso hasta el próximo semestre...Gracias a Dios!.. El próximo semestre es el semestre de primavera, tomaré "Comunicación de Negocios.” Esta clase será definitivamente fuera de mi zona de comodidad, porque en esta clase, tendré que hablar en frente de la clase muchas veces. AHHH... definitivamente usted leerá acerca de esos problemas que se enfrentará a durante esta clase. LOL!

Sigo aprendiendo y confiando en el Señor y vivir la vida al máximo... tanto que sí crees que balancear la vida más colegio fue un desafío, estamos todavía activos en nuestra Iglesia local y teniendo tiempo en familia, y ni hablar también tenemos animales en la casa... tenemos un conejo albino llamada "Junie", después de que mamá falleció el año pasado, recibimos un conejillo de Indias que hemos llamado "Munchkin" y si no fue el fin de esto... El año pasado en Diciembre obtuvimos un perro llamado Toby! LOL! ¿Quién dijo que la vida no puede ser balanceada? La Mia lo es... sólo Dios puede hacerlo!

En la actualidad, como he dicho antes, tomando un descanso antes de considerar mi clase siguiente, mi esposo y yo estamos trabajando con los niños en sus proyectos de ciencia; y mi esposo está todavía fuera de trabajo desde su cirugía de hombro el año pasado.

Dios sigue proveyendo la paz en mi corazón y la fuerza para superar todos los desafíos. Estoy todavía aquí... avanzando y presionando en la meta, el propósito que Dios tiene para mi vida!

Bueno es tiempo para mí de ir, hasta la próxima vez...Que Dios los continúe bendiciendo.

Oración: Señor Jesús, gracias por la oportunidad de compartir “Balanceando mi vida más Colegio" con las mujeres de “La Mesa de la Cocina”. Oro por la fuerza y paz que me has dado, que las mujeres pueden recibirlo. Oro para que puedan avanzar y empujar hacia la meta, que es el objetivo que Tú tienes para sus vidas. En el nombre de Jesús, AMEN!



Muchas bendiciones,
María

Seeing More Clearly

A couple of months ago, our satellite TV service was suspended for nonpayment of the bill. It wasn’t a surprise, I knew I wasn’t going to make the deadline and I couldn’t get an extension since they had given me one a couple of months before. In the priority of paying bills, paid TV is on the very bottom of the pile. Even so it has never been shut off in the 7 years we’ve had it. So instead of three TV’s we were down to one, because the others are the old antenna televisions and need an analog box to work without the satellite dish. The service was disconnected for 2 weeks. The first day or two I did miss a couple of shows I watch on Bravo, TNT, HGTV and the Food Network. But of course life went on and Tovah and I shared the one TV we had and watched shows on the internet. And then it was back on. Of course there was a very happy teen in my house, but I began to question what I was really spending my money on?

Well, a little over a week ago I made the decision to let it be shut off again for a couple of weeks. But this time, I haven’t missed it at all. I do miss the convenience of watching the news in my bedroom but that is really about it. But what happened this time, was that Tovah and I spent more time together talking and reading. It was like old times. When I first purchased paid TV, Tovah was around 10 years old and we mostly watched it together. There were only a few programs she could watch in her room by herself. But as the years have passed and she’s gotten older she likes to stay up until midnight most nights, and I have trouble watching a complete episode of any program that is on between the hours of 9–10 pm…LOL!!!

Because we’ve had paid TV for so many years, at first it felt like something I really didn’t want to lose. My heart was a little sad about the whole thing. But the truth of the matter, it doesn’t bring a whole lot to my life. I’m a writer and I can go without putting the TV on at all. I do try to keep up with what is happening in the world, but I have spent an entire weekend writing without watching TV. Also now with the service being off, I just read more at those times I might have been watching it. To me there is nothing like a good book. But what I found is that I’m not bored and I had more quiet time to talk to the Lord and think. It is important to have this extra quality time with myself each day. Time to unwind and time to think. As the old folks would say, “Time to chew on things.”

The conclusion I have come to is that I’m going to let the service go very soon. I would like to have a digital TV in my bedroom, only because I found myself falling asleep at night downstairs and that wasn’t good. But, why struggle to hold on to something that really is not such a great benefit as much as a drain on my finances. Of course my daughter doesn’t agree so much with me, but since she has no monies to pay the bill…momma rules!

Is there something in your life that you are struggling to hold onto? Something that is really more of a hindrance than a benefit? Are you trying to keep up a beauty regiment that is draining your finances? Are you paying a car note on a car that is way too expensive? Is your house about to go into foreclosure? You want your kids to stay in private school, but you are barely making ends meet? Life is tough right now for many people. We are being told that the economy is picking up, but if you look closely—that’s not necessarily true. And so many of us need to make adjustment in our lifestyles, but there is something that is not so easy about doing that. It’s hard to let go of those things that are comfortable to us, and the things that we have worked hard for. Yes, it is not so easy to let go of them.

The best advice I can offer is that you seek God (with all your heart) about letting go. The first time our TV service was suspended, I knew there was nothing I could do about it. But it did give me food for thought as to why I was even struggling to pay for it? Once that seed was planted, I began to talk to God about it. With His wisdom, it really makes sense to rethink having paid TV at this time. Does it mean I will never have it again? No! It just means that in tightening my belt and exercising wisdom…a sista’s gotta do what a sista’s gotta do!

What’s in your life that you maybe need to let go of?



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Maria Guzman will be here tomorrow...English & Español

Who Do You Look Like—Cain or Abel?

Last week I had a phone conversation with a dear friend. I don’t remember how we got on the subject of “Dollar Stores” and the abundance of them in Canada where she lives, but we did. And if the truth be told I love a good dollar store with the best of them but we must be honest about the fact that along with the good deals, they also sell a lot of junk. Our conversation turned to how God’s people fill up the “Good Samaritan” Christmas boxes (which are sent to needy children all over the world) with a bunch of cheap toys and junk from the dollar store each year. Now this is sad, but I didn’t see it as unusual to me, because I remember growing up with churches having rummage sales to raise money for things the church needed and folks just bought a bunch of junk. In fact I think it was a welcomed opportunity to clean out their closest, basements and attics! I’ve seen clothing drives where people (who say they belong to God) bring rags to give to others in need. I call those the “Cain” offerings.

Cain was jealous that God looked with favor on his brother Abel’s offering, but not on his. And instead of making the correction that God had told him too, he killed is brother out of jealousy. (Genesis 4:1-8)

We may not actually physically kill our sisters with our jealousy, but we have been known to kill a few with our tongues.

I often talk to women who are looking at what God is doing in the lives of other sisters in their church and they are envious and covet what they have. But I try to share with them and that we don’t have a clue as to this person’s heart, what their relationship with God is and why He has chosen to shower them in the way that He has. Also, just as in the case of Cain and Able, God gave Cain the way for him to gain His favor, but like many of us, he chose not to do it.

Single women in the Body of Christ sometimes are the worst. And the reason I say that is because, they won’t spend time with God to find out what it is He expects a wife to be. Then they are upset with Him when He does not look at them with favor.

If you’re not a good housekeeper and dirty dishes and a not so tidy bathroom are your signature style. How could you be a help to a man who has the gift of hospitality? You couldn’t. You would be an embarrassment to him, because he wouldn’t feel free to invite people over. You are one who doesn’t like to cook, do you think because you get married that is going to change? If you have a hard time submitting to God’s authority, trust me…you will have an even harder time submitting to a husband. Which by the way sets you up to become one of the foolish woman Proverbs talks about that destroys her house with her own hands. You also have the potential to become that nagging wife it warns men about. A man who has a nagging wife is not a happy camper—at all! But most of all, you are not complete in the Lord. And like many single women are deceived into thinking a husband can be to you what only God can. These are attitudes more reminiscent to that of Cain. He was selfish and thought about himself more than he did God.

Abel on the other hand, put God first, offering Him his best. I see the sister with a heart like Abel, packing the Samaritan box as if she were giving it to the Messiah Himself. If someone had a need for clothing she would look in her closet and pick out her best to give away; making sure it was clean, gently used like new. If she were called upon to help someone who needed food, she would not look in her cupboards and pull out the expired bent up cans to give. No, she would give the best and or go shopping for them. And most of all, God is the first and foremost love of her life.

It is common place in some churches to teach that when you bring your tides and offerings to God, you can look for Him to do this that and the other for you. But if you read your Bible in its totality you will find this is not true because God may not find your tides or offering acceptable to Him. For one He judges the state of our hearts and our motives just as He did Cain and Abel.

When it comes to giving of yourself, your things, your money and your relationship with the Lord, are you like Abel? Or are you more like Cain?



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Maria Guzman will be back on Friday, be sure to check in

The Little Things Still Count

We have two cats (sisters from the same litter) that are a little over 3 years old. They love to sleep most of the day and play all night long…errrr! I have to close my bedroom door at night because they make so much noise playing on the laminate floors downstairs. You might wonder what they are playing with—truth is anything they can find! They love the plastic ring that comes off the containers of milk or OJ. If you give them a crumpled piece of paper they will use it like a hockey puck across the floor. They do have a few toys that were purchased for them, but once I saw that they enjoyed playing more with things meant for the trash, I stopped wasting my money.

Children are the same way when allowed to be free. Parents really get upset when they purchase an expensive toy and their child finds more enjoyment in the box it came in than the actually contents. There’s a great children’s book about that called, “Crispin The Pig Who Had It ALL! by Ted Dewan. When given the chance it is the things that entice us to use our imaginations that we seem to enjoy the most. Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s we were taught at an early age that you had an imagination and using it made life more enjoyable. You weren’t allowed to watch TV all day long, there were no home computers, internet, video games, personal phones with text messaging, and if you wanted to play cards, you pulled out a deck and played solitaire or a game with someone else. It is funny how you don’t see girls playing jacks like we used to. It was a great pastime in my day, in fact I would practice on the kitchen floor so that when I got the chance to play with my friends I was really good. Flipping ten jacks on the back of your hand and catching most of them takes skill! ~Smile~

The more days the Lord gifts me, the more I’m seeing how it is still often the small things that bring us great joy and pleasure in life. We are just fed a constant diet through the media that we must buy and obtain more and more things in order to achieve joy and satisfaction. We have been brainwashed into believing that we need stuff that we really can do without. And that the bigger and more lavished it can be, the better it is. Example, this past Christmas season there was a TV commercial where the dad went outside and his wife had a new car sitting for him with a big red bow on it. At first he was excited until another car drove by…the ad was saying that was the car he really should have gotten. What!!! The media feeds our selfish nature and enriches our covetousness on a daily bases. Am I guilty of being a victim of this brainwashing? You bet I have been, but I’ve been working on getting back to enjoying the little things.

Finances will most surely dictate what we can and cannot do, but it also depends on our attitude how much fun we can have on a shoestring. In other words, if we look at life from the viewpoint of Paul, then we learn to be content when we have a lot or when we have a little. It’s all in the attitude.

Want to have friends over for dinner but your food budget is crying “Help me!” every time you enter the market? Why not ask each person or couple you invite to bring a dessert or appetizer and a bottle of their favorite salad dressing. Fix three different pastas and three different sauces, a salad and garlic bread. This is something you can stock up on when you see pasta on sale. The same goes for the frozen garlic bread, and the meats or seafood you might want to add to your sauces. This meal is not a budget buster, and you can invite several people over and still have plenty of food. Make it a game or card night. The joy will be in the fellowship and gathering of friends or family and a hearty meal.

It doesn’t cost anything to turn the TV off and get everyone together in the family room to spend an hour reading together and sharing what their book is about. And the benefits can be huge —time shared and often a lot of laughter and togetherness. Have you ever had a 9 year old share a book about kids eating boogers? Well, I have and yes while it is gross, it does come with a lot of good laughs and crazy comments!

Most of us have been gifted with a great imagination and when challenged we can be very creative in the things we find to do. So, today I want to encourage you to put your thinking caps on and come up with ways to have fun. Plain old ordinary every day fun and laughs! I think we could all use a little more laughter in our lives. Proverbs 17:22a tell us “that a cheerful heart [laughter] is good medicine”. My paraphrase.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Maria Guzman will be back on Friday, be sure to check in

Holding Onto the Old...

Personally I am not a fan of the Kindle or any other electronic readers. I’d much rather have a newspaper in my hands than sit at the computer and read it. If I should leave before the “rapture” it will be said of me, “She went down fighting to keep books on paper!” LOL!! It makes my head spin to think about the possible loss of children’s books with all their beautiful pictures!! I sort of hate the thought of them being on Kindles. I love it when my 3 year old granddaughter asks me, “Mimi, can I read a book?” I don’t want to hear, “Mimi, can I read your kindle?”

Have you noticed that many children of today can’t tell “real time” — meaning they can’t read clocks with hands. Are digital clocks taking over? I can’t envision a grandfather clock with a digital reading or flashing red numbers on church steeple clocks. And what about the fact that we have a new generation of people who cannot spell? The reason being spell check, modern teaching methods of allowing children to spell how they think it should be, and texting abbreviations. Think about it—spell check can’t help you when you don’t know which word to pick. Dah!

For some reason I just want to hold on to these things, I don’t like the threat of them becoming obsolete in my world, especially books printed on paper. Some might think I’m trying to hold on to tight to the past, not allowing the so called “new and improved” technology in. But you know what? I think there are things we should hold onto. Everything new is not better. And most of all I’m seeing the Christian walk becoming a reflection of the times. We are fast to let go of the old for the so called “new and improved” doctrines. But if you look closely the “new and improved” in the Church has an awful lot of compromise to it, and that compromise seems to fall under the guise of “tolerance and complacency” of sin.

I do see where electronic readers can make things better in some ways. Many inner city schools struggle to have textbooks for their students and electronic readers could vastly change that, “But at what cost,” I ask? Over the past 2 years many books stores have closed all over the world, especially the Mon & Pop stores. Christian chains have also been hit pretty hard but now we see that Barnes and Noble books and publisher are in trouble. It seems that in our world we have a hard time striking a balance with things. It is either all or nothing. And at times it looks like the “Church” has the same problem.

Just as many of us are quick to run out and buy the latest gizmo and discard whatever it has replaced. Sadly to say we are also as quick to throw out the truths of the Bible for something that seems easier and newer. But unlike electrical gadgets that can become obsolete overnight, this is not the case with the Word of God.

Of late there seems to be unrest amongst God’s people because so many of us don’t really know what the Bible has to say about the times we are living in. We also lack knowledge of the fact God has outlined the way we are supposed to live down to every little detail, and therefore we’ve become confused and entangled with the world’s way of doing things and are finding ourselves in messes of our own making. Our faith is wavering because we are not really familiar with how God works and the “new and improved” doctrine can be very misleading.

Unlike the way we view this fast paced moving world of obsolete gadgets, God’s Word (our Bibles) will never become obsolete. There is no part of it that does pertain to us today, because the Word of God is alive. And if there is ever anything we should hold on to tightly—it is the “Truth” of God’s Word to us.

How much time last week did you spend reading your Bible? Not including devotional books, homework or Bible Study assignments — you just sat down and read your Bible. How much do you know (on your own) about what the Bible has to say?

After thinking about the above questions if you found that you’re lacking in overall knowledge of the Bible, maybe it is time to spend more time reading it? So I suggest you pull yours off the self, turn on your Kindle or read it on Biblegateway.com on your computer. Pick your vehicle of choice and just read. It’s time to hold on tight to what God has to say, even the more as our world continues to rapidly change….and not always so much for the better.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Maria Guzman will be back on Friday, be sure to check in

Trust GOD!

In Mark 11:22 the Messiah tells his disciples to “Trust God!” This verse varies in different translations. You might also find it to read, “Have faith in God,” or “Believe God.” But no matter how it is said, it still boils down to “Trusting” God.
A few days ago, I was thinking about the time Tovah and I went on our first vacation while homeschooling. We went to the Jersey shore for a 4 day 3 night package. It was the Tuesday after Labor Day (the last summer holiday in the USA) until that Friday morning. We stayed at this very family friendly place called “The Lollipop Motel” in Wildwood, New Jersey. That was one of the things about homeschooling that I grew to love, you can vacation in the off peak times of the tourist seasons. Our stay was a little less than $300.00, but that same room and days during the peak season would have cost almost $900.00. We still have pictures of all the fun we had.

I am not a big fan of sand and so the beach was not my favorite place to be. I’d much rather swim in the pool, yet Wildwood has one of the best boardwalks in New Jersey. The rides and games are fantastic and we had a great time each day hanging out. Tovah and I both were introduced to miniature golf—she fell in love with it, I didn’t. LOL!! I had to take her on the beach at least once, but we spent the hottest portion of our days at the motel pool.

At the time Tovah couldn’t swim and she was terrified to let go of me even with a noodle under her. No matter how hard I tried to convenience her that I wouldn’t let her go under; she would cling to me as if her life depended on it. The other families staying there were such a great group of people; they came each year at the same time and everyone sort of knew each other. And all of them (even other children) tried to reassure Tovah it would be okay to let go just once. Finally after 3 days of coaxing, begging and pleading with her, she finally took a leap of faith and let go. She finally trusted me enough to not let her drown, and let go. It was our last full day there and we only had about an hour left in the pool before we had to get dressed to go on the boardwalk for dinner and our last rides. She had so much fun splashing and moving around with the noodle to support her she didn’t want to get out of the pool.

While we were getting dressed she sat next to me on the bed and said, “Mom, I wished I hadn’t waited so long to let go.” There was a sadness in her voice, because I think she realized some of the fun she had missed out on the past couple of days being so afraid. That moment was also a mirror for me of how I have a tendency to be with God. How He has pleaded with me at times to “trust” Him. Reassuring me that He would not fail me in the least, but I was too afraid to let go of whatever it was that I was holding onto. When I told Tovah I wouldn’t let her drown, I was telling her the truth and she could trust me—so is it with God and us. Whatever He says is “Truth!”

Today some of us are at a place in our lives where the Messiah is telling us to let go and “Trust God”, yet we are having difficulty doing that. Times are tough and getting tougher with each passing day around the world. It seems that no one is exempt from the many devastating things that are happening. We are losing loved one, our homes, our jobs, our freedoms, our health, our children (to the world systems), our money and the list goes on. But I want to reassure you that through all these hard times, we can “Trust God!” We can Trust Him to do what needs to be done for us.

Trusting God is not a magic potion that makes everything okay. It doesn’t mean that we will not continue to experience hard times, trials and tribulations in our lives. No, it doesn’t mean that. But what it does mean is that through all the hard time we have Him to lean and rely on. It means that we are not alone and that He is totally aware of whatever it is we may be experiencing. It empowers us to stand with great confidence that as promised He will not leave us or forsake us.

Things might be looking a little bleak for you at this moment, but all it takes is “one” word from God to change things in our lives. So until that word comes to you—keep trusting Him!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!

Maria Guzman will be back next week, so be sure to check in!

WORDS....

Being a writer I love “Words”! I love to not only write them but read and speak them. You will find that most (not all) writers are talkers. Words are our own private little heaven. But “words” are not exclusive to writers, since as human beings it is our way of communication with one another. So, words belong to everyone.

This month I’ve decided to read through the book of Proverbs. It never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times I have read it, the verses on our words, speech and mouth are always the greatest reminders for me to step back and take a look at how my words have been lately.

The thing about words is that they can cut like a knife, or be as sweet as a honeycomb to the soul. And it is not always so much as “what we say” but “how we say it” that makes the difference. Proverbs tells us that a nagging wife is not something a man would want to have. It also reminds us that a “soft” answer or response can turn away another’s anger. Picture it, someone is yelling or speaking to you in an angry voice and you start to whisper, “I’m so sorry” or “Please don’t be upset with me.” They would have to stop to hear what you were saying…. and the softness of tone does not fuel the fire of their anger. Have you ever encountered a cashier who deep down you wanted to tell them to “GET IT TOGETHER” but instead you said something kind and pleasant to them? I have, and it works. It catches them off guard. From being a manger for a large retail chain and having to take a lot of guff from the public, I am very sensitive to cashiers and the fact that they catch it many days for no reason other than it is Tuesday. Yet on the other hand I still am tempted from time-to-time, to also let some know “If you don’t like your job then quit, because there are hundreds out there that will be glad to have it!” Of course I’m wise enough to keep it to myself, but it has taken years to learn to harness my mouth.

It would be wonderful if I were able to tell you that I can control my mouth all the time, but I find that my greatest failure is in my home. I can go from 0 to 60 in a split second, if the mood is right. I can be tender and caring with my words or short and to the point and a few octaves too high. That is my nice way of saying “I raise my voice.” ~Smile~

Words are everything and the Bible tells us that in so many ways. Our words can bring joy, confidence, healing, encouragement, understanding, forgiveness and help. Or our words can induce emotional pain, heartbreak, low self-esteem, ruin relationships, start fights, and destroy. Our words can literally shape the life of someone. Take a child who has a verbally abusive parent. It will take years for that person as an adult to work through the pain and damage those hurtful and mean spirited words caused. Often that child also becomes a verbally abusive adult.

With today’s technology, we are able to send words to others with the click of the mouse! Technology is wonderful, but as with anything it can be used for good or used for evil. I have seen (and been the object) many mean and hurtful words written on Facebook. But I guess it is to be expected since Facebook is a social network, and when we get together with family and friends there is the potential of things being said that should not be.

I want to pose a question to you this morning—“How have your words been lately?” Do you find yourself responding curtly? How do you respond to coworkers who get on your nerves? Are your feelings showing up in your words? Is your spouse on the short end of the stick when it comes to your angry words? Are you touchy and the way you respond shows it? Are your kids walking around on egg shells because you have been off the hook in the way you have been yelling and raising your voice? If someone is short and curt with you, how do you respond? Do you ignore it and respond in a soft and gentle voice, or do you put your hands on your hips and want to know, “Who do they think they are talking to!” Have you written something rude back to someone who wrote something you didn’t like on Facebook or one of the many other social networks you could be part of?

Since our words (written or spoken) hold so much power in them, is it maybe time to rethink how you have been using yours?



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Who Do You Pray For?

This morning as I was watching a little of the Today Show, they showed a segment on Ted Williams. Ted has become an overnight phenomenon in the media. He was a homeless man living in Ohio who had once been a radio announcer and personality. He also had drug and alcohol problems which lead him down a road of different illegal activities to support his habit. He has 9 children and because of his drug habit was not the best of father’s. But he has been drug free for 2 years and he says the difference this time is that Jesus is Lord in his life. From his first interview on the Today show 2 weeks ago, I vowed to pray for my brother-in-Christ. Sadly to say, I don’t remember praying for him the past 5 days, and this morning’s Today Show segment showed that he is starting to have trouble. Which I was afraid might happen with so much being offered so quickly.

It hit me hard how it didn’t take long for me to forget about him. But he is someone that the saints should be praying for. His success will be a great success for the Lord. Here is a man whose life has been anything but hard and sad, and can be a great example to the world how great our God is in the second chance department. Well, we know that God gives so many chances we can’t number them, but I think you understand what I am saying. Another person who I didn’t bother to pray for because I felt her family would take care of that was Whitney Houston. Last year this time she was making a big comeback and did that special 2 day interview on Oprah. But with her long history of drug abuse and being away from the Church, she needed prayers and wisdom. Sorry to say, she slipped backwards pretty fast.

Do you ever watch the news about the many problems that famous people (mainly Hollywood types) are experiencing in their lives? Are you like me and just shake your head about them and their messes? This morning I started thinking? What would happen if we as Christians started praying diligently for people in the limelight? How would that impact their lives? So many of the people we see on TV and in the movies really need the Lord and though we may not be in the position where we can share the gospel with them, we are all in the position to pray that the gospel is shared with them. And we are also in the position to pray for those who were raised in Christian homes to come to themselves as the prodigal son did. Take a look at Brad Pitt, I watched his story on Biography and he was raised in the Midwest in a Christian home. He said it out of his own mouth, but now he is really confused and his union with Angelina Jolie, reminds me much of the women that Proverbs talks about whose road leads to hell. My point is we as Believers can do a lot through prayer for others.

Here’s a challenge I want to put out there. I want to challenge you to pick just one person in the limelight to pray for on a daily bases. Just was we pray daily for our children, husbands, and family, let’s add just one extra name to that list. Wouldn’t that be something if 100,000 Believers started interceding for Brad Pitt, the sane way we run to spend money to see him on the big screen or a home rental movie? What if one million of us were to pray on a daily bases for Ted Williams our brother. How much would that help hold him up in this time where so much is being thrown at him including many temptations?

I know now that I must write Ted’s name down so that I don’t forget him again. And I now realize that instead of shaking my head at Brad and what he was saying about Christianity, I should have been praying for him. I guess I better add him too. ~Smile~ If you are reading this blog through a Facebook link, please repost it (click on the “share” tab) on your profile, so that we can enlist others to join in too.

Let us use what God has given us so freely to make a difference in the life of someone else who needs Him too.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Goals versus Resolutions!

I gave up making New Years Resolutions several years ago. They always seemed to be an exercise in futility. Like most people, I would start out with a bang and within a week or two; I was slowly creeping back into my old ways. I almost always wasted money buying something that ended up collecting dust. Then there was the emotion of guilt for a little bit, but eventually that passed and I would be right back where I started. Soooo, a few years ago, I made the decision, “No more New Years Resolutions” for me. It has been a good decision on my part, because for me change and moving forward is something we should always be doing as Believers anyhow.

As 2010 was coming to an end I did begin to take inventory on setting a goal I would like to accomplish in 2011, and I chose two that I thought were pretty good. One was for my spiritual wellbeing and the other was for my financial wellbeing. Now, I thought I was ready and had made good choices when in Women’s Bible Study; I was given the challenge of setting 5 goals for the New Year. I’m like, “What!!” Five! No way! “God are you sure about this, or is this something Pat came up with on her own??” The reason my flesh went there was because when we set goals we must keep a record or check in to see how we are doing. And 5 goals (at least 2 had to be spiritual) to me was too great a challenge and I didn’t want to take it on. So for a few days, I tried not to think about it, but in the inner most part of my being there was an unrest of sorts. That’s when I decided to stop fighting and go with the flow. I wonder how many others felt that way when she gave this challenge to all her classes. ~Smile~

Okay, so now I have my goals and a plan to check in with myself each week to see how I did. I chose Friday evening because I’m usually home resting. It is my chill and distress night from my busy week. At first I started out looking at the things I had not accomplished, but then I came to my senses and said to myself, “Self, you are looking at this all wrong.” Yeah, I got that from Patsy Clairmont…she talks to “self” all the time…LOL!!! And I began to weigh all that I had done versus the weeks before and guess what girls? That’s right. I did pretty darn good! Is there room for improvement? Of course, but the bottom line was that I did move forward and that is all that really matters.

I think as women one of the main reasons we fail at our New Years Resolutions or Goals is that we heap on unrealistic expectations and we are too hard on ourselves when it comes to the checks and balances. We have the tendency to look at “what we didn’t do” versus “what we did do”. I broke my 5 goals into 2 spiritual, 2 personal and 1 for others. One of my personal goals is “taking better care of me”. That consists of eating better, more exercise, a weekly facial, manicure, and pedicure. Beefing up my social life by getting out, having more company over, and hanging out with friends. On my Friday check in, I also have to take a look at what was going on during the week so if I didn’t do well, I can pinpoint why not? Well, I must say, “I didn’t do as well as I would have liked on this particular goal.” But as I looked at my overall week, meeting a writing deadline really took the first priority. Once I could pinpoint the “why” there was no need to beat myself up because I could see what was going on. Saturday my girlfriend is taking me out to celebrate my birthday, and next week I have a dinner date with an old friend on Thursday. Wednesday evening I have scheduled time for me to give myself a nice facial and get my hair cut by Friday. God willing I will get to go out as planned and do some of the other things for myself. But if I don’t achieve everything that will be okay too, because if I only accomplish one thing, it will mean that I am still moving forward.

Sisters, if you are starting to peter out already on your New Years Resolutions, I want to encourage you to maybe rethink them as goals and have a check and balances with yourself each week, looking at what you have done, versus what you didn’t!

Don’t give up and keep moving forward girls!!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Mental Clutter

Though my January issue of Better Homes & Gardens was a bit thin, the cover was still very enticing. I mean just take a look at it (see picture to the left). Everything is bright (very spring like) and I could see that being a nice area for me to write in. Everything has a place and the area is nice and neat just the way most of us like it—even if we are not quite there yet. ~Smile~ But like losing weight, getting organized or decluttering are also one of the top 5 New Years Resolutions.

While walking through Walmart last week I noticed they had huge displays of different sized organizational containers. The displays weren’t there 2 weeks ago or right before the New Year. Like losing weight we can get all hyped up about getting organized and decluttering our homes. And the retailers know this trend and try to sell us a bunch of containers to help us achieve our goal. And as I was looking through my magazine and reading the articles on decluttering, I began to think about how much mental clutter we have, yet we often don’t think about how that affects us on a daily bases.

Personally, I cannot sleep well in a cluttered room. Was I always that way…nope! I used to have an exercise bike that basically housed 2 weeks worth of clothing, and my dresser top would be loaded with things that needed to be put away, my TV usually had books or magazines piled on top of it (before flat screens) and the night table wasn’t much better….but that was then and this is now, and the older I get the more I can’t stand clutter. And I know that I am not alone in how clutter can affect my emotional well being. So if sitting in a cluttered room can make you uncomfortable, how does our mental clutter affect us? So what did I come up with? Well….

….I think most of our outward clutter is the result of the inward clutter of the mind. Now this is just my personal opinion and I’m looking at who I was when I lived in clutter versus who I am today. I’m not talking about the teen years (that is a horse of a different color all together) but I’m talking about being an adult with my own space. When I think about the bedroom that looked like a hurricane hit it, emotionally I was all over the place. It wasn’t that I had not been trained in how to keep a neat home and pick up my clothes…no that was not the case. The problem was, for one I didn’t care, and I was so busy doing this-that and the-other. But it seems that as I began to grow in the Lord by taking time to sit and be quiet and let all the voices and mish-mash of my brain calm down, life began to look differently to me. Just like the long overdue cleaning of an overstuffed closet, my mind needed sifting through and things needed to be discarded and put away.

In order to think, (meditate) we need quiet. Okay you can listen to soft music—maybe? But it is hard to think when someone else is talking to us or at us. We are so busy in our lives we often miss the opportunity to be quiet and just think. Or for some of us, we run from sitting and being quiet because we are purposely trying not to deal with the issues (or clutter) of our minds.

Take for instance that exercise bike that housed my clothing to the point you almost didn’t recognize what it was. I often wondered if I was also trying to hide the fact that I had begged God for the money to buy the thing and then realized I hated riding it, and guess what? That’s right…I didn’t.

Before you tackle that closet or all the clutter you have lying around, sit down and ask yourself, “How did it get like this?” The answer should give you the best starting point for change.

Sisters, do you have outward clutter that is a symptom of your inward clutter? If so, what do you plan to do about it?



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

I'm Just So Busy…

Life was already hectic to begin with and we’ve added a daily exercise routine and maybe cooking a couple of nights a week and now we really don’t have much time to spend with the Lord. Yet it is amazing how as humans we can find ways to fit so many things into our day except quality time with the One who is our source for EVERYTHING. I have a news flash for you my dear sisters that must change…because if God is not part of what we are trying to build for ourselves, we labor in vain.

We should spend at least 15 minutes each day reading our Bibles. And that does not include a daily devotion and the reason I say that is because there are way too many in the Body of Christ who have never read the entire Bible let alone the Old Testament. It is important that we have a sense of what the Bible has in it versus what someone else is saying it does. We also need time to rest our minds and be still for a moment so that we can hear the small voice of the Holy Spirit, and talk to God.

Now this might be easier for some than others depending on your stage of life and how many are in your family and their ages. But, nonetheless it is still very doable. It just all depends on how high a priority we make spending time with God in our lives.

It may not be a problem for some of you to get away from your family each night for ½ an hour or so of peace and quiet, but you might be one who can only get your 15 minutes of reading by hiding out in the bathroom. But that is okay because when something is important to us we find a way to make it happen. Some of us put having a clean house before time with God and at the end of the day of caring for small kids, washing clothes, shopping, cooking, dirty dishes and baths…you are pooped. But I’m sure if you will let something go you can find the time. Once you get home from working all day and still have kids to care for and dinner to fix, you are tired. But if you find time to watch TV before the night is up, then you can find 15 minutes to read the Word of God and another 15 just to sit and be quiet. The point I am trying to make is that if we don’t have time for God, we really shouldn’t have time for much else. He is to come first in our lives and not be the after thought at the end of our long and busy days.

With all that being said, my dear sisters, without God’s help and a heart to find out what the root cause (or problems) for being overweight, your struggle of losing/gaining will more than likely continue. Healing is necessary to be free for freedom’s sake and that means looking into things that we have tried to cover up with food. It also means looking at the things that have caused us low self-esteem issues and has tainted how we view our self-worth.

Father I pray that 2011 will be a year that your “daughters” will spend more time with you. That we will seek your approval versus that of man and we will learn to love what we see in the mirror as much as you do. That we set goals that will improve our relationship with You, food and the value of our self-worth. May we come to the realization that apart from what Christ has done for us on the Cross, we can not achieve anything, do anything, have anything or be anything. Help us to see that everything pertaining to us is wrapped up in Him and not anything that the world has laid out for us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) holy name….Amen!

I pray sisters that you have been encouraged this week in your venture for a healthier and better you. That you have come to the realization that you have to love who you are now, and that you need the Lord’s help in order to achieve change.

We will be back next week with more encouragement to help you forge on in your life as a “Daughter” of The Most High! Because we all know—some days that ain’t easy! ~Smile~



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!

Wait! Think Twice Before You Sign That Gym Membership.

How many of us have wasted money on gym memberships? I have!!! And I know that I am not alone. The emotional part of us that wants to lose weight quickly can also lead us to make “not so wise” decisions. To me, a gym membership can fall under the heading of “Impulse Spending’ which we all know is something we should try our best to stay away from. So all I’m asking of you is to STOP and PRAY about it before you sign on the dotted line. If you know yourself really well, you may not have to pray about it. Because if you are one who gets all excited and gun hoe in the beginning about things but has trouble sticking it out, then you probably know the answer to how much you are actually going to go to the gym each week once the excitement of it all fades. And if you’ve had gym memberships in the past and did not use them, you should honestly ask yourself “What is different about this time?”

If you are a person who really has not been very active on the exercise front, I suggest you try walking for starters. It is free and something you will be able to do easily. If you live in an area where the winters are harsh and you find yourself inside a lot, you might want to try an exercise video or dancing for 30 minutes a few times a week. This form of exercise is inexpensive and easy to start off with.

Treadmills are fun only if you really like them. Personally it is my favorite piece of exercise equipment to have, but I have owned others and ended up giving them away, so before you shell out big bucks for a treadmill or any other type of equipment make sure you like using it.

If you can find a gym that has a low monthly fee (or pay as you go) and will not tie you into a contract, then I say go for it and see how you do. But don’t jump out there all hyped and find yourself paying for something each month that will end up not benefiting you physically, emotionally or monetarily. If you are not going it doesn’t help you physically, and emotionally you will have guilt and regret every time you pay that monthly bill. ~Smile~

The secret to weight loss is not really a secret at all. There are two basic principles and that is “Eat Less” and “Exercise.” Nothing profound or complicated about that, but yet we (especially Americans) fail at achieving the goal of longtime weight loss. So with that being said, take your time easing into whatever form of exercise you choose. Tryout a few things to see what you like or what you don’t like. Ask yourself, can you realistically keep up the plan you have set for yourself on a daily bases? Think about how you can incorporate excise in your daily tasks, such as taking the stairs at work or getting off the bus a few blocks before your stop or parking further away from your place of work. Taking a 15 minute walk each day at lunch time. Little things like this start to add up along with changing your eating habits. But most of all, it will become another lifestyle change that can help you maintain an ideal weight for the rest of your lifetime.

If you have ever watched the show “The Biggest Loser” then by now you probably know that many of the contestants on the show have gained back a lot or all of their weight. Why? Because they couldn’t keep up the 4-6 hours of exercise a day in their normal everyday lives and the root cause for their obesity was never dealt with. So keep in mind that slow and steady from permanent lifestyle changes is how you are going to achieve and maintain a healthier you.

Monday we looked at setting realistic goals for ourselves, Tuesday we started working on loving who we are, Wednesday we looked at how to change the way we view food and cook it. And today we’re thinking about a realistic exercise regiment we can sustain for the long haul.

Tomorrow is Friday and we will finish up our week by looking at the “Spiritual” aspect of our journey to a healthier us. Hope to see you then



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!