365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 191

I was in quick work mode yesterday as I had again to process the mail which ended up taking me all day long. By mid-afternoon, my shoulder was starting to ache from the repetitive motion. I leaned over my chair to pick up an envelope that had dropped to the floor and my long necklace caught on my chair arm and ripped apart. I blew like a volcano that was stewing for a long time. I managed to keep my tongue and just stormed off to the water cooler to get some cold water into me to cool me down. I had peacefully taken the task of doing the mail again even though my own work is now behind 4 days but the necklace was personal. I was angry and everyone knew it. But one of my co-workers thoughtfully came over to my desk and said she repairs jewelry because she has a lot of the tools from her musical days so she took a look at the necklace. It is going to need a sodering iron to fuse the piece together that broke apart which she doesn’t have. It humbled me that she reached out to help me. I know it is just a cheap necklace but I really liked it. I think the mail aspect is what I was really angry about because it put me so much more behind. But I am only one person and do the best I can so I need to leave it at that. Lord, may your peace be within me all this day and all the days to come.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 186

Not surprisingly, my office environment got worse yesterday. We have to badge in and out of our office including going to get coffee, breaks and bathroom. The badge mechanism has been very inconsistent. You go out but it won’t let you back in kind of thing. Management started keeping track of all the time we aren’t in the office at our desk working and decided we aren’t working enough. If we are under 7.5 hours, than it is because of these three things… blah, blah, blah. The email we received ruffled the feathers in us all. My thought was we are now ball and chained to our desk and it won’t be long before we will have to ask if we can get up to go to the bathroom. Sadly, it isn’t the tasks of my job that are unbearable but the lack of any appreciation and the complete dominating micro-managed control that management is doing. It was insulting to me because I work, work, work but I also feel insulted for my co-workers because I know they are working very hard too. I thought I did not love my boss and company owner with my anger but after more thinking, realized it is okay to be angry. You can love someone as a human being but not like or even hate what they are doing. The really funny thing about all of this is at lunch time a virus was discovered to have invaded our computer systems so we couldn’t work the rest of the afternoon as they tried to get it corrected. A co-worker called it “karma” but I like to think of it as justice from above. I am not bitter. Okay, maybe a little. I am working on it.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 178

I am so thankful for the help of the Holy Spirit yesterday at work. My team lead got some kind of email about her not working a full 8 hours and was angry and griping about it. I was naturally curious what it was all about and wanted to hear more details but I stopped myself several times and told myself to stay quiet. I didn’t jump on the complaining band wagon! It has been a challenge not to so this was a huge leap forward for me. I don’t want to sit in judgment of others. It is not my place. God is the only judge. I can imagine Him up in Heaven cheering for me and my accomplishment. I know it was just one day but there is hope knowing I can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

James 5:9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 66

As I worked away on the 700+ pieces of mail I had to open, sort and count, I began thinking of how I have a college education and here I am opening mail. I was feeling pathetically angry with myself being in this situation. Needless to say, it is the hormones talking as I normally know that I am where God wants me to be for now and I am working on equipping myself for his calling.  I can’t say I was filled with peace my whole day but I got little micro bites of it when I caught a glance of my prayer cards and stopped to read one. For just a minute, I felt a smile on my face and in my heart. I know the hormones are not done with me yet this month so I am arming myself with my headphones and I-phone to listen to the Christan music that inspires me today and will pray for peace to reign in my heart just as Jesus reigns over the world.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 30

Our sermon series at church for Advent has been on Isaiah 9:6 A child will be born to us, he will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Our former senior pastor John Stevens gave the sermon about the fourth name in this scripture: Prince of Peace. He made it clear that Jesus is the only way to get the peace that our hearts desire. We often will resort to our human condition and try to find peace in other ways but true peace can only be achieved with Jesus in our hearts. As I prepared to write up something this morning, I was watching Fox News channel and heard what happened to Father Jonathan Morris who is a regular on Fox News. He had gone to visit an 80 year old man who was dying just the day before. As had become a tradition for him, on the way out he asked the nurses if there was anyone who had no family or friends, nobody visiting. The nurses were hesitant but with his request they took him to see another man aged 45 dying of some horrible disease. The second he entered the room that man became very agitated. The nurses urged him to just leave but he took a step closer and the man got really angry. Instead of giving up, he took a step closer and the man got even angrier. He prayed to Jesus for help and ended up on his knees with his hands put together in prayer. Immediately, the man calmed down and repeated the words Father Morris had said, “Jesus knows me and loves me”.  The man was filled with peace and ended up praying a prayer the Father was amazed by. That is the power of the love of Jesus. When all else had failed to give comfort and peace to this dying man, the Prince of Peace showed himself in Father Morris in the simple act of being on his knees with his hands in prayer. The love of Jesus brings peace and so much more. May you find his love for you and realize that he knows you, knows what you are going through and loves you with an unfathomable love.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 16

Do you know someone that you have never or very rarely seen angry? It is possible but it seems we live with anger all around us. Anger at the government for not doing their job and taking more of our hard-earned money from us. Anger at schools for not educating our children in the best way possible. Anger at our employers for wanting more from us but not giving us anything in return. Anger at America for voting off the wrong singer on The Voice. Yes, it is everywhere and for everything. So how do we overcome all the anger around us and keep us from being angry too? Only the Holy Spirit can do the job but we have to ask for help everyday to be able to live a life of joy, peace and forgiveness; a life of praise, worship and prayer. The antidote for anger is thanksgiving. I think it is said best in one of my favorite scriptures:  Phillipians 4: 4-7 Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful. Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will wash over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 16

Have you ever wished for a do-over? Last night was one of those times for me. To make a long story short, I had to pick up my daughter from a Girl Scout meeting because my hubbie was busy with our new spa delivery, a very joyful thing! But. I drove into the fire station drive way and found it was not plowed so I quickly turned and tried to make my way back out and up but unfortunately got stuck. So, I went inside and told the father who is a co-leader for the troop and he was like no problem, I can give you a push. Unfortunately, his idea of a push turned out to be bringing his truck up against the back side of my car. You can already see where this is going, right? I was unfortunately brain dead at the time and just wanting to get home for the joyous celebration of our new spa. Let's just say it could have been worse. I told myself that all the way home after the truck did it's damage and the father figured I should try backing up and going sideways out which, of course, worked. I made even more of a mess of it by putting up my defensive wall thinking what I was doing was being calm about it so I could go home and tell my hubbie what happened. It did not go well. He got mad. I felt blamed. I got mad and stormed off which is my MO and always has been. So, we spent the rest of the evening in angry silence and the eruption occured after I got in bed and broke the silence with a thank you for all you did for the spa stuff today. He was mad but he was more mad at me for storming off and not talking about it. So, what do I find to praise in all this mess. In all the yelling and tears, I prayed for God to help me and I finally just sobbed, "I'm sorry". It really was something so simple. So, in looking back, I wish I could do it all over again and that I would have just picked up my cell and called my hubbie before doing anything but most importantly I wish that I had called on God at that point before the mess rather than in desperation after the mess. So, despite all the bad, I am praising God for helping me learn from it. I am thankful to God for a husband who can forgive me.
Psalm 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.