Worship Melodies: Encouragement

Showing posts with label Encouragement. Show all posts

Angels: A Jack-of-All-Trades!

~~ Psalm 91:11-14 (NIV84) ~~ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

by Carley Cooper

Photo by Carla Cooper
One of many Angels in my collection
All Copyrights Reserved

This is the fifth and final article in this current series on angels. In the first post (Angels From Heaven) I talked about how people in our lives can be like angels sent by God to help us. I shared a poem I wrote to someone special in my life who has been like an angel for me. In the second post (Who Is Your Guardian Angel?) I talked about how God has given us angels, celestial beings, to protect us; to keep us from danger. Sometimes, if we are paying close enough attention, we will even get to see our angels as they’re digging us out of a pit that we got ourselves into! My friend and author, Paul Duarte, experienced this first hand; literally! As a Worship Melodies Guest Author, he shared his personal true story of being rescued by an angel from a situation that could have been fatal, on a cold winter day. In the third post (I Think I Just Saw An Angel) I talked about how God uses angels, of all types, to redirect us and keep us from getting into dangerous situations; or to keep us from wandering into a place that was never in His will for us to be. I shared my own angel story about a woman who pulled me back when I was about to go ‘over the edge’. Then, in the fourth post (The Warm and Fuzzy Side of Angels) I talked about how our angels are there to give us comfort in our time of need.

So with all of this angel talk about how they interact with us; what does the bible say about them? First of all, did you know that the bible mentions the word ‘Angel’ 290 times! Now, that’s a lot of angel talk! So, for certain, it’s not possible to go into much depth in an article or two. Many volumes can be written before we could really come to understand the full purpose that they have in our lives; and you can be sure that they are indeed important, or God would not have created them (Colossians 1:16). The list of questions that we have about angels can go on and on:

What are angels?
Where did they come from?
Are our loved ones who have passed on, now angels?
What do they look like? Do they have bodies?
What’s the deal with wings and halo’s?
What are their purpose?
Are all angels members of the ‘Good Guys’ team?

Any one of these questions, and more, can be a whole study on its own. The word ‘Angel’, in the Old Testament, comes from the Hebrew word Mal’ak, meaning ‘messenger, ambassador’. In the New Testament, from the Greek word Aggelos, also meaning ‘messenger’. On a side note, I highly recommend the FREE bible study software eSword to assist in doing these types of in-depth studies. The bible talks about angels as celestial spirits, and gives us many examples of appearances from angels.

Angels are referred to as messengers (Luke 1:11-20, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:9-14), ambassadors (2 Chronicles 35:21, Isaiah 30:4), servants, worriers (Revelation 12:7), and they even go into battle (Daniel 10:13, 10:21, 12:1). But the list doesn’t stop there. Angels have many references:

the Angel of the Lord
the Angel of God
His Angel
An Angel
Mine Angel
An Angel of God
Angel from Heaven
Strong Angel
Mighty Angel
Holy Angels
The Archangel
Michael the Archangel
Michael and His Angels
Gabriel

They hold different forms; such as Seraphim (Isaiah 6:2), Cherubim (Hebrews 9:5), and Archangels (Jude 1:9).

Sometimes ordinary people (Luke 7:24), priests (Malachi 2:7), prophets (Malachi 3:1), and church leaders (Revelation 1:20) are also referred to as messengers of the Lord.

People and angels are two separate groups (Matthew 22:30). Angels are celestial beings, but they can sometimes appear to be human (Genesis 19:1-22). If God wants you to be able to see them, He will open your eyes so you can see them (2 Kings 6:17). Not all angels are said to have wings. We’re told that Seraphim's and Cherubim have wings (Isaiah 6:1-3); but we are never told that they are the cute plump, babies that we see in pictures. The bible only ever refers to them as adults. Nowhere in the bible do people have the response of pinching chubby cheeks or playing with kids as their response when an angel appears to them. They are stronger than man, but not invincible (Psalm 103:20, 2 Peter 2:11). They are wiser than people, but they’re still students; they are not all-knowing like God(2 Samuel 14:20; Matthew 24:36). They are more decent, gracious, righteous and dignified than man; but not perfect like Jesus (Daniel 9:21-23, 10:10-14).

Angels have a lot of purposes. We’ve already talked about those people in our lives that are our angels. We also noted how angels can protect and guide us, deliver messages and comfort us. But that’s not all! They also teach us things (Acts 7:52-53), provide us with material things (Genesis 21:17-20, 1 Kings 19:6), encourage and take care of us (Matthew 4:11, Acts 5:19-20), be an answer to prayer (Acts 12:1-17), and be there for believers when we are about to die (Luke 16:22). They worship and praise God, and they carry out His will (Isaiah 6:1-3).

So, they sound pretty awesome; don’t they?! But don’t get too excited about all this, just yet. See, as great as they are we are not to worship them (Revelation 22:8-9). Not all angels wear a white robe and polished halo. And not all that do, are good guys. They are not perfect; they can commit sin like the rest of us (2 Peter 2:4). They can make the decision to choose God or reject Him (Jude 1:6). Even those that cheer for the dark side are referred to as angels (Matthew 25:41). As a matter of fact, Satan, being an expert in deceit, can disguise himself, or anything else he wishes to use, as something wonderful in order to trick us into sinning. He’s referred to as the angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

For me, all this information boils down to one thing! God loves us! So, much that He makes sure we always have the support, guidance, protection, help, instructions, and the stuff that we need in our lives; for our whole life. Our angels are with us always; from the time we are born until we are ready to walk through Heaven’s gates! When God’s hands are full; He sends His angels to help. They do so many things, fill so many purposes that I can only think of them as a Jack-of-All-Trades... perfectly trained in each and every trade by God Himself ... all because He loves us that much!

~~ Dear God ~~ You are all-knowing, invincible, and perfect. Your glory and mercy is incomprehensible to us. I have skills that can help me, and others in my life, accomplish many things; but they are but a drop in the ocean compared to all the training that You have given to the Jack-of-All-Trades workers. You have done all this, and provided me with a team of angels to get me through this journey on earth until I can come home to be with Jesus forever. Thank You for this Lord. In Jesus name, AMEN.

The Warm and Fuzzy Side of Angels

by Carley Cooper

Photo by Carla Cooper
One of many Angels in my collection
All Copyrights Reserved

This is the fourth article in this current series on angels. In the first post (Angels From Heaven) I talked about how people in our lives can be like angels sent by God to help us. I shared a poem I wrote to someone special in my life who has been like an angel for me. In the second post (Who Is Your Guardian Angel?) I talked about how God has given us angels, celestial beings, to protect us; to keep us from danger. Sometimes, if we are paying close enough attention, we will even get to see our angels as they’re digging us out of a pit that we got ourselves into! My friend and author, Paul Duarte, experienced this first hand; literally! As a Worship Melodies Guest Author, he shared his personal true story of being rescued by an angel from a situation that could have been fatal, on a cold winter day. In the third post (I Think I Just Saw An Angel) I talked about how God uses angels, of all types, to redirect us and keep us from getting into dangerous situations; or to keep us from wandering into a place that was never in His will for us to be. I shared my own angel story about an unknown woman who pulled me back when I was about to go ‘over the edge’.

So other than being our assistants, guides and protectors; are there any other hats that our angels wear? Yes, our angels can also be sent to comfort us in times of need. Whether we are depressed, grieving, sad, lonely, or just need some encouragement in a certain situation; our angels are there for us. When our lives are in a place that’s less than perfect we often have a tendency to believe that we’re alone in the world. Satan fills our minds with lies and questions that give us doubt and draw us further away from Jesus. “I’m alone”, “No one loves me”, “I’ve sinned too much for God to forgive me”, “How is it possible that I can go on without my lost loved one?”, “I need a mate; I can’t go on being single”, “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?”.

Every need that we have God can and will fulfill. He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV84). When you think you’re alone, you’re not. When you know you can’t move on; you can and you will. When you believe that you’ve crossed the line of forgiveness; you haven’t. When you assume that He doesn’t hear you; He does. And, He sends our angels to be with us so that they can comfort us and encourage us when we need it the most. They help us get through the dark, cold tunnel and come out the other end into the warm light. Just like Satan can whisper lies in our ear; our angels can whisper comforting things in our other ear.

I had an experience one day that helped me realize this message. It was in church on a Sunday morning. At the time of the alter call, I went forward to the prayer rail. I was going through a very difficult time in my life. I felt alone and lost. I saw no hope of light in my future. I knelt at the prayer rail and talked to God, crying the whole time about my troubles. Of course, like everyone else kneeling before God at that moment, I wasn’t speaking aloud. I was praying in my heart to Him.

As I prayed, I wondered “Does He even heard me at all?”

Why did this have to hurt so much? Why does my troubles seem to be going on and on forever with no end in sight? As in most churches, when people are at the prayer rail, other members of the church family will come forward and stand behind you, with their hands on your shoulders, to pray and support you.

On this particular Sunday, once the prayer time was over, I stood up wiping my tears, ready to go back to my seat. The lady who was standing behind me hugged me and then whispered in my ear “I just wanted you to know that there was an angel standing right there in front of you”, as she pointed to the area directly in front of me on the other side of the rail. “He really does hears your prayers”, she said.

I started to cry again. How did she know what I was thinking about and praying for? I hugged her and thanked her for telling me that. I never asked her if she really saw an angel or if that was just a message of encouragement. I’ve considered, since then, asking her; but the truth is, I don’t think I want to know. Either way, God used that angel that I couldn’t see and He used this wonderful woman as another angel to send me a direct answer to my prayers. I had angels on both sides of me that day and didn’t realize it; one I could see and one I couldn’t. I thanked God for the fast reply. Even email doesn’t always get delivered that fast! Our angels are just like your favorite blanket when you need it; all warm and fuzzy, and an incredible source of comfort. God handed me my blanket that day. It kept me warm for a long time.

~~ Dear God ~~ You are so wonderful Lord. You never leave us, you make sure our every single need is met. Every tear I cry, You are there to wipe away. Whenever I feel lonely or lost, You remind me that I am loved and never forgotten. Each temper tantrum I have You calm me down and help me see that there are solutions. You do this for each and every one of Your children, Lord. Thank you so much for the warm and fuzzy angels that you give me for warmth and comfort during all these trials. Help me to never forget these things. Help me to hear the whispers of my angels more clearly; and help me to block out the lies of the enemy. In Jesus name; AMEN.

I Think I Just Saw An Angel!

by Carley Cooper

Photo by Carla Cooper
One of many Angels in my collection
All Copyrights Reserved

This is the third article in my series about Angels. In the first post (Angels From Heaven) I talked about how people in our lives can be like angels sent by God to help us. I shared a poem I wrote to someone special in my life who has been like an angel for me. In the second article (Who Is Your Guardian Angel?) I talked about how God has given us angels, celestial beings, to protect us; to keep us from danger. Sometimes, if we are paying close enough attention, we will even get to see our angels as they’re digging us out of a pit that we got ourselves into! My friend and author, Paul Duarte, experienced this first hand; literally! As a Worship Melodies Guest Author, he shared his personal true story of being rescued by an angel from a situation that could have been fatal, on a cold winter day.

Being a good friend, or rescuing us from our own messes aren’t the only purposes for angels in our lives. Sometimes they are also sent to us to assist God in redirecting our paths after we’ve wandered into dangerous territory. They help to prevent something terrible from happening in the future. I have my own angel story about a day when an angel lifted me out of a very bad place.

It happed one day, several years ago; before I was an obeying and practicing Christian; before I knew the Holy Spirit or had a relationship with Jesus. Even though I wasn’t living the life of Christianity; I did believe that there was a God, and I did believe that there was a man named Jesus who died for me. If you’ve been a regular reader of my posts for quite some time, you’ll know that I am Bipolar. I don’t hide it. I talk about it freely because more people need to know that mental illness is not something to be afraid of; but that’s a whole other blog. For that matter it’s a whole other book!

Well, one night I was in the midst of a very bad depression episode. It was one of the worst I’ve had. Today, well, I no longer go to this dark place, because Jesus has rescued me. That’s not to say that I’m totally cured... yet! Back then, though, when I was in this dark place I would pray to God. I’m not sure I ever really thought it was going to do anything for me realistically. However, when I needed it the most and I had nowhere else to turn, I figured it couldn’t hurt. Of course, back then most of my prayers were prayers of petition. I just asked for things from God either for myself or others. I never gave back to Him or worshiped Him.

As I mentioned, on this particular night in question I was at the end of my tether. I felt completely alone and I literally had no hope left inside me. I was to the point where I didn’t want to live. Even, with this in my heart, and not knowing God; I also knew that doing something desperate to myself was not the answer. I believed that no matter how bad things looked, hurting myself would only make it worse. So, for that reason I was, literally, up all night crying and begging God to let me leave this world. I begged Him “Please don’t let me see the morning light”. I figured that asking Him to do it for me, would get me out of the mess that doing it myself would cause. Of course, now that I’ve seen the light and I can think more logically, I can see the flaws in this kind of thinking.

Well, the morning came, and I was still here. With that in mind, I knew that the day must go on. My first order of business was an errand to the bank. I had a financial issue that couldn’t wait, and I had to actually go to the bank to resolve the problem. But, I got there early. It was about ten minutes before opening time. So I stood in the mall outside the bank door waiting for it to open.

Standing closer to the door, than me was an older lady with a walker. I saw her there, but I didn’t speak to her. She was short; maybe five feet tall. She appeared to be in her late sixties; and white hair that was short with large loose curls.

After a couple of minutes another lady walked in from outside. She stood next to me as though she were waiting in line for the bank as well. She looked at me like she knew me; but I didn’t recognize her as anyone that I had ever seen before. I’m not good at remembering names, but I am very good at remembering faces, so if I knew her I’m sure I would have recognized her face. She was about five and a half feet tall, and looked to be in her mid sixties. Her hair was shades of grey; salt and pepper type. It was straight and about shoulder length, curled slightly in around the bottom; and straight bangs cross the front. She was wearing a dark-red cardigan sweater and a white, or light colored, blouse.

She simply said to me “Do you have the time?”

It bothered me that she asked for the time. I don’t know why, but I felt angry and irritated. I tried not to show it though, and I looked at the time on my phone and told her what it said. After a couple more minutes, the doors to the bank were opened. All three of us that were waiting, walked into the bank. There were several tellers on duty; more than enough to serve all of us .

I was the one to walk the fastest, I am assuming, because of my younger age and much longer legs. So, I was the first in line. However... this did not sit well with the little old walker lady. She came at me practically waving that thing and rushing to the first teller ahead of me screaming “I was here first, you’re not going to butt in line ahead of me”.

It shocked me. I would not have expected that to happen. She looked so frail and sweet before. My mind was still in a state of surreal after the night I had just lived through. It took every ounce of energy that I had, plus some that I didn’t know I had, to hold back my tears and appear normal in a public place. Having a feisty old lady in front of me at the bank would normally not be something that bothered me. On a normal day, I probably would have laughed at it. That day, though; that little incident was bigger than anything else I had ever had to handle. It was enough to push me over the edge. The surprise I got literally took my breath away for a minute. I stood there with my mouth open in surprise not knowing if I should or could say anything without crying; or worse.

In that minute, the third lady standing behind me; the one who asked me the time stepped closer to me. She put her right hand on my right shoulder. I turned my head to look at her. She leaned in close to me, as if she were about to whisper something. I simply heard a soft “Shhhhh. Shhhhh”. No other words were spoken. In that instant, I felt the most overwhelming wash over my body. I felt an instant, there was a warmth and sense of peace. I stepped up to the teller, took care of my business and walked out of the bank. I went home and had a good day.

I don’t know if this lady was an angel, or just some kind old lady who was very intuitive. I did not look back as I walked out of the bank; so I don’t know if she would have still been there if I had looked back. I just know that God used her to bring me back from the edge. From the edge of what?, I have no idea. What would have happened to me, or what I may have done, or how I would have reacted if she hadn’t touched me; I do not now. Literally, God only, knows! Either way, she was an angel sent to me that day and I will be eternally grateful to both her and God.

~~ Dear God ~~ I have so many things to thank You for. You are so awesome, and Your love is so great that “Thank You” hardly seems sufficient. Thank you for the angels, of all types, that you send to rescue me. Thank you for not letting me fall into the pit of darkness where I could be lost forever. Thank you for the journey that I have travelled that has brought me into a relationship with You. I am so thankful to You that I dedicate my whole life to serving You. I am Yours. But, who am I that my sinful soul and broken body could be of value to You? Yet, it is because You gave Your Son to save me. Thank You. Please use me in whatever place that will help Your will to be done, and to advance Your kingdom. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Sliding On the Ice

~~ Psalm 25:15-16 (NIV) ~~ My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

by Carley Cooper

Playful Baby Polar Bear Sliding On the Ice
Free Source Photo. No Copyrights Claimed

Sometimes it seems that no matter how many times I go through an experience; how many times God teaches me a lesson... and sometimes I even pass the test!... I still feel like it’s in one ear and out the other. I wonder if this frustrates God much. Personally, I get irritated when I have to repeat myself over and over to get a point across. My patience level is limited. I seriously can’t imagine how I don’t, sometimes, get on His very last nerve.

Christmas is almost here. I am honestly trying harder than I have in many years to keep a good outlook and to keep my focus away from the fact that I don’t have what others have to celebrate the season with. There are many moments when I can honestly see a possibility that I could have a great Christmas without all that. This is more than I’ve been able to see in past years; so this is a step forward. I am truly thankful for that. This morning, just when I needed it the most; I got advice from three different sources.

First there was an inspirational message from a dear online friend by the name of Ravyna, who gives me so much advice and support when I need it. She said “You are a Princess of the King, the Lord of Lords. He promises to never leave you or forsake you. He is always with you. Always by your side, always there to listen to your needs. Remember, Jesus looks at you and sees a princess, and wants you to rest in him. Blessings.” Honestly, this reminder that Jesus is the answer escaped me at first. I saw it as meaning “as long as I’m lonely it means that I don’t love Jesus enough” or “if I truly love Jesus, I wouldn’t feel any loneliness”. But, I am lonely sometimes. And, some of those times, so much that I can have physical pain throughout my body. During these times, the loneliness not only overwhelms me but so does the guilt. I have overwhelming guilt over the fact that I feel lonely, because I think that it means I’m failing Jesus somewhere. It’s hard for me to remember that these are lies whispered to me by the enemy. That’s the problem with lies, deception and falsehoods... as long as you’re inside them looking out you can’t see that they are not real. It’s only from the outside looking in that you can see the true picture.

Secondly, there was the ever present advice and support of my angel and friend (who I wrote about in an article called “Angels From Heaven”). He told me this morning that “Loneliness is a legitimate feeling. Jesus was surrounded by 12 of his friends most of his ministry and when he went to pray shortly before his death he invited his closest to pray with him. Loneliness is an appropriate feeling to have. Where we get into trouble is how we at times seek to fulfill that need. Jesus is with us all the time but he recognizes that we also need other people. That is why he has given us Christian community.” He finished with “Got to go for lunch. There are some deviled eggs that are waiting for me in the fridge. Have a good one. As the shrink on Mash has said ‘Take my advice. Pull down your pants and slide on the ice.’"

Finally, there was a devotional message by Samantha Reed of Proverbs 31 Ministries called “All By Myself”. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she took the passage from my own journal. I don’t mean the piece she wrote; but the story she told. It is my story. It is the story of so many people who spend the holidays hurting and lonely. If the holidays are difficult for you, I highly recommend that you read this article. She reminded me, again, that I have to focus on Jesus. He will lead the way to a brighter future.

Even though I am physically alone; and at times that hurts emotionally, mentally and physically; Jesus is always with me. That doesn’t mean that I will have to be totally cool with being single forever and give up on my dreams. It means that I have all the hope that Jesus has to offer that He has a plan for my future that is better than any dream or plan I could come up with. God knows my needs down to the tiniest detail. He created me and He loves me. He can, and will, and does supply all of my needs... and that includes the dreams that He has put on my heart. I am thankful that God has the patience to keep telling me things over and over again; to keep reminding me of lessons that I’ve already learned. Hopefully these reminders, and these people that he has put in my life to help me, will get me through another Christmas season; or at least another day. Though, more realistically; with the way I tend to fall and keep wanting to focus on myself instead of Jesus, it’s more likely to be advice to carry me through the next fifteen minutes. After that God may need to send me more encouragement. But, I know if I need it that I will get it; because He never fails me when I need Him the most.

So, at least for today... who wants to go sliding on the ice with me?

~~ Dear Lord ~~ Help me to keep my eyes focused on Jesus for, I am lonely and afflicted. Thank You for being so patient, merciful and gracious to me. Help my heart to be free from the torment that I seem to be determined to carry with me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Yuletide Cheer

~~ Luke 1:47 (NLT) ~~ How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

by Carley Cooper

It’s almost here! Christmas, that is. The excitement is in the air so thick you can practically smell it. Do you have your tree and decorations up yet? Are you finished your shopping? Have you done your Christmas baking yet? Oh, and don’t forget the Christmas cards!

We put ourselves through weeks of preparation for this day. Hundreds or even thousands of dollars are spent for gifts that we don’t really want to buy so we can give them to relatives we don’t see the rest of the year because they get on our nerves so much. Decorations are hung everywhere, and more food is prepared for that one day than we need for several days. Then there’s the parties with eggnog spiked enough to knock out a black bear. We write out so many Christmas cards to people we never see or talk to that we get writer’s cramp; and keep the post office in business for another year. Weeks are spent baking fruit cakes that have the daily caloric limits to keep the average healthy elephant going for several days.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we do so much for what is essentially one day? We put up a tree... inside the house. I mean, think about it for a minute. A tree? In the house? Does that not strike you as just a tad bit odd? Only to put all sorts of completely useless and colourful doo-dads on it. And we finish it off by letting some strange fat guy come into our house in the middle of the night where gets to eat our snacks, and have the freedom to snoop to his heart’s content around the house and we are be none the wiser. Oh, have you ever stopped to notice that not only has he not shaved in... forever... but he has also been wearing the same coat and pants for decades? Truthfully, I’m not sure I would want my kids sitting on this old guys knee.

What is the excitement about anyway? Do you even get excited? Some of us have a difficult time through the Christmas season. It’s been about 18 years since I’ve had a truly great Christmas. It’s a very long story, but the bottom line is that it’s been a long time since I’ve looked forward to Christmas. It is a very emotionally draining time of year for me. When the Yuletide Cheer was handed out, I seem to have missed getting my portion. There’s one person out there who got a double shot of joyfulness; and who’s just a little bit too cheery; and it isn’t from the eggnog.

I put my Christmas tree up last week. That alone was emotionally draining for me. But wait... it wasn’t decorated yet. I mean, literally, just putting the tree up. And it’s only a small tree about 3.5 feet tall sitting on top of a small table; which I have to stick with because of space issues. I am proud to say, though, that I haven’t killed any trees for my own pleasure in many years. I’ve stayed with some very nice artificial trees. Anyway, since I put it up last week, it took me all whole week to force myself to put any decorations on it, which I did yesterday. The place looks nice. Except I wasn’t feeling it.

This morning, when I got up I showered and got ready to go to church. Except, that I had no interest in going and my joy was completely nonexistent. The tension has been building inside me for a couple months at the thought of Christmas coming. This past week was the worst, and the height of that was since yesterday. I have been questing a few important things in my life in the past week. I talked with my Pastor in a counselling session a few days ago, about the doubts that I’ve been having. I have had strong believe for certain things in my life for a long time. One of these things didn’t come to pass. It made me question my faith; if it was placed right. If I could be so wrong about one thing, than how do I know that I’m not wrong about more important things? My vision of the future became very bleak. I wondered if I am to spend the rest of my life in this same struggle. Will it ever end, or if I should try to come up with a solution to my issues and go out and solve it myself.

Well, I forced myself to go to church because I know that in the past when I have been in this state of mind, going to church has always been a wise move. Today was no exception. Being the second Sunday of Advent, the sermon was about... wouldn’t you know it... about “Joy”. I went and spent the first half of the service trying to hold back tears because of how I was feeling inside. Then I heard the message of the day. God definitely wanted me to hear this sermon today.

Pastor said that as a culture, we are confused and disoriented about Christmas. When the angel appeared to Mary to tell her she would conceive a child; she didn’t exactly jump for joy. Mary was “confused and disturbed”. I try to put myself in her place. How would I feel if God said that I was chosen to give birth and be a Mother to the One who would save the world? I’m not sure, but I think I would panic at the very least. I mean, my first thought is “but God, I’m having a hard time just with writing a book.” However, Mary took the angel at his word, and decided to obey God. Then she went to visit her cousin who she could talk to; who she knew would understand, support and encourage her. After being obedient, Mary found true joy. It is by being obedient that we are rewarded with try joy. (Luke 1:26-47 (NLT))

Pastor asked us if we were hearing from God, as Mary did. He said that we will always hear from God in many ways in our lives. He said that we probably feel like it’s shaking up our lives and rattling our cage. It’s confusing and scary. My thought was “yep, that sounds familiar!” But if we surround ourselves with supportive people, and vow to take God at His Word, and obey Him; we will find joy.

After the sermon I went to the prayer rail and cried; partly because I needed to let out all the emotion inside me and also because I was thanking God for how well He takes care of me. God knows that I want so very much to obey; but when I need someone the most, that’s when I’m least likely to reach out. So, He sends people to me. For example, yesterday when I was feeling overwhelmingly lonely and alone; my friend Jeff from Myrtle Bach popped up on Skype. The conversation got around to where he was telling me that when Jesus taught us how to pray He said we are to ask that God “give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV84)). Jeff said that means ‘Today’; not tomorrow, or next week. We are to pray for what we need on this day. Tomorrow will take care of itself (Matthew 6:34 (NIV84)). Yesterday, I needed someone to talk to, and God gave that to me at the moment I needed it the most; along with a great message of guidance and support. Today, He gave me what I needed to hear to realize that I am on the right path. I don’t have to try to fix my own issues. God has a plan, and as long as I stay on this track and obey; joy is at the other end.

I got out of service today, and had another pep talk from a wonderful friend, Garry which topped off what we had just heard. I told him that every year for many years I have only asked for one thing. Every year I don’t get it. Garry asked me if I was asking for what I wanted for Christmas, or what God wants for me. I had never thought of it like that before. He was right. I have been asking for what I want in my life, not what He wants in my life. I left there feeling like there is a real possibility that I may have a great Christmas this year. Where do you find your Christmas cheer?

In my life, the cultures that I have been blessed to be part of, at times, during the Christmas season wish each other a Merry Christmas in the following ways. How do you say it?

English – Merry Christmas

French – Joyeux Noel

Portuguese – Feliz Natal

Here’s a video of everyone’s old Spanish favourite... Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano

~~ Dear God ~~ Thank You for the joy, and the path of obedience that you are taking me on to find it. Please help me to keep Jesus at the center of my Christmas cheer, and to never lose sight of that. Help me never to forget that neither fruitcake, decorated trees or fancy wrapping paper will ever bring me the joy that only You can bring. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Aunt Sadie’s Encouragement

~~ Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) ~~ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

by Carley Cooper

Aunt Sadie & Carla (early 1990's)
Candid Photo Shot by Marj Cooper

I have a plaque that is about 7.5” x 5”, and it has one of those little flaps on the back, like a picture frame, that allows you to stand it on a table top or shelf. The front of it is a sliver plate, with the bible verse from Philippians 4:13 written on it “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This little treasure belonged to my Aunt Sadie once. She has gone to be with the Lord now. Cancer took her away from us in 2005. When she passed, this little keepsake was one of a couple things that I asked for that was hers. The other item is a marble collection that she had; that was made into a sun catcher for the window. I keep both of these things in my living room and I think of her every day when I see them. The reason I chose this particular plaque was because Philippians 4:13 was her favorite bible verse.

Aunt Sadie was one of those super special women. I think all of us cousins, in my family; felt she was a favorite Aunt. There are a lot of cousins and a lot of Aunts and Uncles in our bunch. Aunt Sadie, though, didn’t live in Newfoundland where most of the rest of us lived. Aunt Sadie lived in Albany, New York. We only ever got to see her every 5 years or so when they came for a visit. Oh, how we enjoyed those visits! It was the highlight of our summer. Actually, it was more like the highlight of our year! What I remember most about her was that Aunt Sadie always talked to me like I was a real person. What I mean by that is she never talked down to me like other adults tend to do with kids. She talked to me like I counted for something; like what I had to say, no matter what it was, was important and interesting. Then she would always give me advice. Never once did she tell me to stop being so silly, or so childish, or to get over it.

Little did I know how special Philippians 4:13 would come to mean to me as well since then. In the past few years I’ve been through some of the most difficult times of my life. Knowing that Christ brings me more than enough strength to carry me through any trial has come to be of incredible comfort to me when I felt like I was otherwise alone in the world. Well, I am about to embark on an adventure, of sorts, that requires I need every bit of God’s strength and guidance that He is willing to give me. See, starting tomorrow, I will begin serious writing on my book. Remember the book I mentioned, in my last blog post, that I want to write about my story?! Well, I have been making notes and coming up with ideas about this project for quite a while now. I didn’t think I was ready to start doing any serious writing yet. My thoughts were that sometime next year I would be ready to begin.

Then, a few days ago I got an email from my beautiful friend, Brenda Wood. She told me that she and a couple of her friends have entered a writing challenge on a website called “National Novel Writing Month”. The challenge is to write 50,000 words... a novel.... in November! Yep... the whole thing is to be written in only a month; or the first draft of it anyway. As is Brenda’s usual way with encouragement, I was convinced. I need to start this book now. It’s time to stop delaying, puttering around, and coming up with excuses. I am tempted to say that she talked me into it. However, she only made the suggestion. It was God that talked me into it. I am excited and looking forward to this chapter of my life. I am also scared half to death. See this project means going through a lot of emotion to remember the most painful things; as well as the best parts, of my life. When I am done, my whole life will literally be an open book for all to read. The good, the bad, and the ugly will all be in print, with my name on the cover.

I can’t help but look at this little plaque on my bookshelf in front of me and think “Thank You, Lord for that strength. I need it now more than ever”. It will be the leading of the Holy Spirit that will get me through this time; and the days, weeks and months to follow. There are things that will upset a few people. I know that; but I cannot show the glory of God, or grow closer to Him, by hiding things. Showing the miracles that He has worked in my life; and inside my heart is one of my goals. I have to be willing to lay it all out in the open or Jesus cannot carry it for me. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that nothing is hidden from His sight, and that we must give account for everything. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. Unless I open my life and leave nothing in the dark, I will be useless to Him. The strength of Jesus will carry me when my energy is gone because I am feeling beaten, battered, exposed, judged, and possibly even hated; by others. In the end, the only opinion that should / will alter my life in any significant way is that of Jesus.

I hear God’s gentle voice talking to me. I feel the tug of the strings of my heart about this project. It is the right thing to do at this time. I can also hear Aunt Sadie’s encouragement telling me that I can do it; and that He will be with me every step of the way.

~~ Dear God ~~ Please guide my every word as I write. Make my story one that will help others, help me to grow closer to You; and show Your awesome glory. Thank You for using me to do these things. In Jesus name, AMEN.

God: “You’re Gonna Do What?! LOL”

~~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV84)~~ “...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. ...”

by Carley Cooper

"...and you thought that plan would work?!"

Microsoft Office Copyright Free Images

OK, so here is the plan for my life. Please, pay close attention to this people because we are going to hit the ground running. Nothing or no one is going to get in my way. First, I am getting married to a wonderful man. He will be tall, dark and super sexy. He will have a wonderful sense of humor, and a great job earning a very good salary. He will be my best friend and a fantastic lover. He will have all his own teeth and hair; and worship my body and the ground I walk on. We will spend our first few years traveling the world together. Then we will have 4 kids; and they will be 2 boys and 2 girls, since every girl should have a sister as a BFF and every boy should have a brother for the same. Since, pets are one of childhood’s greatest pleasures; our family will be complete with the addition of a dog, a hamster, and a couple of parakeets. Every child should have a dog. Finally, the last step is a great career that will be the ultimate in fulfillment. It will be so enjoyable that it will not even feel like work. Once these things are all done... and in that order, then we will be able to live a very healthy no-one-ever-gets-sick, happily ever after life. Sounds like an awesome plan, if I do say so myself! Does any of it ring a bell with you? Sound even a little bit familiar?

Well, here we are many years later (but wait...not too many. I’m not that old. LOL) and it seems that somewhere along the line when I turned my head for a minute my plan ran into a glitch. Somewhere in the building of my life, the blue prints seem to have been misplaced and forgotten. Things have not turned out like I had hoped. Not even close! So what really happened? Well, it took me years longer than I planned to meet someone and get married. Only for it to be short lived, and ended up with a divorce hearing on my 30^th birthday. That certainly was not my idea or my choice, but I had to go along with it... both the divorce and the hearing date. The babies did not have the opportunity to be born due to medical issues, failed attempts, and ever-off timing.

Oh, and that wonderful career? Well, that was a big stumbling block because I had no idea whatsoever what I wanted to do. I did not go to university because no one told me that you could go before having every detail of your life planned out in advance. I seriously thought I was the only one, and I was embarrassed by that so I told no one. I turned down two acceptance letters to college because of this. I was under the impression that if you were to going to school, you knew from day one why you were going and what the course plan was. No one told me that you could go and figure out the details later. Then, as time went on I always felt that I was too old, and it was too expensive. Instead I chose a small community college that provided me with a diploma for skills that were already out of date when I completed the program.

Another unexpected and unplanned spark that burned all my life plans turned out to be health issues, which took over my life with a life of its own. Then, the final fuel to the fire was that I ended up in some abusive relationships. That certainly was not in my original plan either.

So where does my life sit today? Well, I have survived a long string of traumas. They are too much to go into here. I intend on writing a book about it. Wow! Me, writing a book?! I am told all the time that I have some natural talent for writing. I take it as a wonderful compliment, but who would have ever thought?! English-Lit was my worst subject in high school. I have also been invited, recently, to be a guest speaker next year at a women’s retreat. Me, a guest speaker?! I am social-phobic, yet I am excited about this! Hmmmm... isn’t that a contradiction?! Anyway, I am being told that it is time for me to start sharing my story to inspire others. Again, me an inspiration?! If it wasn’t for the fact that these things are such a surprise to me, I would laugh at them!

I have been told quite a few times in recent weeks that I have affected people, in a positive way. Along the route that my life has actually taken, I picked up a lot of knowledge and experience that can help people improve their lives by healthy eating. I have another, smaller book, project that I am working on about healthy living. It’s more of a booklet or a paper actually. However, I have several people that are already interested in reading it, including a couple of people who work at the local hospital in the mental health department where they hope to share it with patients. They are amazed at how I have improved my life and health through the discoveries that I have made by finding and changing patterns, and changing my diet. There have been a few people who have told me that they are also noticing patterns now and changing things that are helping them improve their health and life, because of what I have told them about myself.

I have another friend who is chasing a dream of opening a Christian Cafe / Karaoke Bar here in Barrie, Ontario because of encouragement that I gave her to never give up. I never would have thought, on my own, to even consider that I could have such an impact on other people. I feel such humility, and so very blessed by this.

I have no idea what the future holds for me. Will I ever be a wife? A mother? A career woman? An entrepreneur? Only time will tell. I never would have thought, or would have wanted; to plan such things as being a writer, or a guest speaker, or someone to provide health advice to others. But these things are on my plate right now as very real possibilities.

So many times in life we say things like “If only we had more money, we could buy that item we need so much”, and then we pray for it. We never once stop to consider asking God what His plans are for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, God is the one in control of our lives. We either go along with His plan letting the Holy Spirit lead the way to happiness, and a future brighter than anything we could have ever come up with; or we try our own path and run into trials, troubles and problems. Granted I know, and agree with, the thoughts that you are probably having right now that this can be easier said than done. It is in our nature to want o be in control of our own lives. Sometimes, I actually look up to God and ask Him “God, surely You can’t be serious about this? So, I guess You think this is funny don’t you?!” The truth is that my original plan would have led me to be a child of the world, and not of God. My original plan did not include Jesus as a member of my family, let alone to take His rightful position as Head of my family! My happiness would have been completely dependent on the world falling into place in a way that I needed it to. Thinking about that now, really is funny! How often does that happen? My original plan was completely self-focused. It did not include helping others in any way. If I had followed my own plan, I would not have an impact on other people; and more importantly, I would not have a relationship with Jesus right now. Neither, true happiness or my salvation would be possible. It seems that old saying is true, “if you wanna make God laugh, just tell Him your plans”.

~~ Dear God ~~ Thank You, that long before I was ever born, You had my life planned out for me. Thank You for not letting me follow my own plan. I am so very blessed to have gone through the trials and traumas that I have because they have brought me into a relationship with Jesus; and as such I will get to spend eternity with Him. My future has never looked brighter. Please continue to use me to bless others; and to let the Holy Spirit lead me, and mould my life. I am anxiously waiting to see what wonderful blessings you have in store for me next. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Pages

Angels: A Jack-of-All-Trades!

The Warm and Fuzzy Side of Angels

I Think I Just Saw An Angel!

Sliding On the Ice

Yuletide Cheer

Aunt Sadie’s Encouragement

God: “You’re Gonna Do What?! LOL”

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