50 Things I Believe

~~ Matthew 7:12 (NIV) ~~  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

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by Carley Cooper

Free source photo

I’ve been planning this list for a while.  What you believe in says a lot about who you are.  Have you ever stopped to seriously pay attention to what you believe in?  Do you know yourself as well as you think you do?  Here are a few of the things I believe in.

I believe:

1. Jesus (the Son of the only living God, the virgin birth, the death & resurrection)
2. I believe God
3. I’m stronger than I think I am
4. that one of the ways God talks to me is through the messages I read in so many places
5. in the gift of saying good-bye when it’s needed
6. that positive thinking can be a cure
7. anything is possible if you have faith in God
8. in big family Christmas’s
9. in the Golden Rule (Do onto others as you would have the do onto you)
10. I have nothing to fear as long as I keep my eye on Jesus
11. forgiveness can change your world
12. showing your emotions is a sign of strength not weakness
13. dogs are family too
14. all people and races are equal
15. God loves me
16. giving is more fun than getting
17. as long as you don’t quit you’re not a failure
18. getting lost in a good book is a wonderful way to escape
19. in honesty
20. that sometimes honesty is really hard, but important in the end
21. in good friends
22. in great sex
23. in the power of chocolate
24. pizza is the perfect food (Oh, and Dorito’s too!)
25. in the rain; it’s good for the earth and for dancing in
26. in hot, sunny summer days
27. in lying under the stars on a summer night
28. in dancing to Motley Crue and Nickleback in my living room
29. Gary Allan is one of the sexiest men alive
30. God will take care of me
31. red is my best color
32. well designed interiors are good for your soul
33. in Rock & Roll
34. it hurts more to hurt a friend than when they hurt you
35. there is a husband in my future
36. the need for shoes is way over rated (& long pants too)
37. television is sucking out our brains
38. I have forgiven those who hurt me
39. menopause should be outlawed
40. I see God in my pets
41. we have a responsibility to take care of the earth
42. that God gave us certain animals as food
43. that God meant for peanut butter to be extra smooth and creamy
44. no one in the history of the world has waited as long as I have to get their first car
45. it’s really not fun when a plastic container melts in the microwave
46. it’s also not cool when your paper shredder eats your computer-mouse cord
47. the thought of God curing me from Bipolar Disorder is scarier than not being cured
48. that I mess up on a regular basis, but God forgives me
49. I can’t survive without God’s grace and mercy
50. it’s time for me to hear what you believe.  Share your beliefs in the comment section below. 

Let’s Pray

 ~~ Dear God ~~  Your ways are perfect.  I am not perfect.  Thank You for giving me the freedom to form my own opinions and beliefs.  Thank You for this wonderful country of Canada that gives us so many privileges and freedoms that others around the world do not have.  Please help me to always share my beliefs about Your Son, Jesus, with all that I meet.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

Now It’s Your Turn

Thoughts?  Questions?  Want to share your story?  Ask for prayer?  Please consider sharing in the comments section; even if the link you clicked to get here was on another site.  (If you’re on the homepage, click on the post headline, and scroll down to find the comments section.)

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas

~~ John 14:27 (NIV84)~~ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

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by Carley Cooper

Carley - Christmas 2011
Photo by M. Cooper

The new year is here Worshipers.  Have you made any resolutions?  Are you sticking to them?  Have you cheated on that diet, skipped a workout, or watched just one more episode of that TV show for old times’ sake?  I’ve been sticking to mine so far, but I’m pretty stubborn most of the time.  When I really set my mind to something I tend to hold on to it like a dog with a bone.  The fact that I made any resolutions is probably a step forward.  The only resolution I ever made before was that I would never make any resolutions!  I try to think of it more as ‘Goals’ instead of ‘Resolutions’.  It seems a little more solid somehow. 

Don’t you just hate it when you try so hard to hold on to something, only to get so weak because of the fight that you have no choice  but to let go; only to come to the realization “Wow, I really wish I didn’t hold on so long!”  Sometimes it’s even hard to remember why you were holding on so long in the first place.  It feels a little like someone told you that you’re wrong, or having to admit you were wrong.  Just based on that alone, I feel like I should hold on longer.  Now that Christmas is over that’s how I’ve been thinking... wishing that I hadn’t held on for so long.  If you read my last blog “Sliding on the Ice”, you’ll know that holidays are always very difficult for me; with Christmas being the worst.  It’s been almost two decades since I had a truly happy Christmas.  That is, until this year.  I was telling my doctor about this the other day.  He said “so what was different about this Christmas”.  Honestly, I had to say, “nothing”.  It was the same Christmas that my family has had every year since... well, always. 

Tigger Christmas-Tree
(The topper was accidentally cut off
in the shot... it was an angel Tigger)
Photo by Carley

We carted all our Christmas gifts and stockings to my brothers house.  After we piled them all around their Tigger Christmas-Tree, we practically filled up his living room.  Yea... the tree.  Well, my nephew, who’s 26 now (the baby of the family) has collected Tigger’s his whole life, so they decided to do a whole tree dedicated to Tigger and put all his little stuffed Tigger’s on the tree as the ornaments.  Well, except for a 6 foot inflatable one wearing a Santa hat, which had to sit outside the front door.  It’s a very happy tree actually.  I mean, have you ever seen a sad Tigger?  Anyway, I’m getting side tracked.  We have Christmas at my brother’s house because he has the biggest place.  His home can actually fit us all, along with all the stuff.  Well, I went to church on Christmas morning and had a wonderful time with my Church Family.  Then, I went to spend the rest of the day with my ‘other’ family at my brothers house.  By the time we got around to starting our gift-opening it was noon.  It’s a good thing we don’t have any little kids anymore... ‘cause it took us four hours to get them all open!  My first thought after it was done was “Wow, we really are in a society with way too much stuff”.  Anyway, we finally got around to eating my Mom’s Christmas Quiche for breakfast in the middle of the afternoon.  It was really yummy!  Then we finished off the feast with an awesome turkey dinner, a glass of wine, and way too many treats.  Also, really yummy!  I gained 10 lbs through December because of Christmas baking and Christmas eating (refer back to the resolutions section!)  The family spent the day laughing together, loving the family-time, listening to Christmas music, and watching a fake fireplace burning on my brothers big screen TV (which sits on top of the real fireplace).  Oh, yea, I almost forgot.  We also spent some time watching the 3 doggies learn to use their new little staircase that my dad built so they could get up on the bed by themselves!  Some Chihuahua’s are fast learners; others, not so much.  Anyway, I was on top of the world all day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that we were celebrating Jesus’ birthday.  I had a truly happy Christmas.

So why was this year so different, when the past 18 years were so overwhelmingly painful?  Well, in a “nut shell”, the difference was that this year I let God join me for Christmas.  The very slightly longer version is this... I prayed for God’s peace to be with me for Christmas; then, there was a very timely sermon about God’s peace by Pastor Jenn, and I topped it off with a talk with Pastor Henry about it.  All this helped me learn to be open to the idea of having a good Christmas.  I allowed my heart to be open to let the Holy Spirit do His work within me. Boy, that was a long time to learn that lesson!

But wait, my lesson wasn’t over yet!  In the lobby of my apartment building there is an awesome Nativity set as part of the seasonal decorations.  I have one of my own that I sit on top of my fireplace and it’s very charming, but I love looking at the one in the lobby because it really is an incredible scene.  It makes me feel good when I look at it and think about the awesome gift that God gave us in Jesus.  Sometime during Christmas week, following Christmas Day, some Grinch stole the baby Jesus figurine from our lobby Nativity set.  Since then, I’ve thought about that fact many times.  I think, it’s obvious that someone wanted to show some sort of symbolization that Jesus doesn’t belong to Christmas.  The only thing that I can get out of my brain about the idea of this Grinch attempting to steal Christmas is “sad”.  That is, it’s just so very sad that someone could steal the baby Jesus.  Over and over this kept running through my mind. 

Then, it hit me.  That’s exactly what I did to my own Christmas’ for such a long time.  I wouldn’t let go of the misery that I needed in order to keep the focus on myself instead of Jesus.  I stole my own happiness, and refused to let God give me His peace.  So who’s the bigger Grinch?  Now, I just have to think “Wow, I really wish I didn’t hold on so long!”

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~~ Dear God ~~    Thank You for the awesome Christmas celebration of Jesus’ birthday.  Thank You, also; for the gifts, family time, fun, food and laughter.  Mostly Thank You for the most incredible gift of all when You gave us Your Son so that we may be saved from ourselves.  Please don’t ever let me hold on to any more pain that will steal Your peace from my heart on any holiday; or any day of the year.  Father, please let the person who stole the baby Jesus figuring also be open to seeing and receiving Your peace.  Please make them an awesome servant for Jesus.  Oh, and Lord; Thank You also for Tiggers and Chihuahuas.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

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Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

~~ Romans 10:13 ~~   for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

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Casey & Taco
"What did we do wrong, Mommy?"
Photo by Carley

You know those moments when you think “what in the world was I thinking?”   Everyone has those at some point or another.  I was thinking about some of these things earlier.  There are just way too many times when I spoke without thinking first, or when I jumped without looking, pressed ‘send’ on my email without thinking about what the result would be.  Sometimes I have to wonder if I have the common sense that God gave a gold fish.  Would you believe that I was absent from class that day when they covered the ‘rational’ chapter?!  Never mind... I didn’t think so.  I guess you would need the common sense of a gold fish to believe that! 

Anyway, this post is a little more ‘light hearted’ than the others.  I thought I would share with you some silly things that I’ve done in my life and the lessons I have learned from them.  I have:
 

• put rice cakes in the toaster.  Note to self: Rice cakes can be flammable.
• filled the washer with laundry and put the water level on minimum instead of maximum (twice).  Note to self: Too many clothes with not enough water will burn out the motor (every time!)
• vacuumed hot embers from the fireplace hearth.  Note to self: Hot embers inside a vacuum filled with dust are also flammable... and can damage the vacuum cleaner too!
• set a plate of food on the coffee table.  Note to self: The coffee table is within doggie reach.
• set a wet paint project on the floor to dry.  Note to self: Don’t get mad at the dog when wet-paint puppy prints end up all over the project and the floor!  It’s a good thing it was in the garage!
• drank too much vodka.  Note to self: Bad stuff happens when you drink vodka... ‘nuff said!
• took photos at wrong times.  Note to self: When the lay-z-boy chair tips over backwards, stop laughing and taking photos, and help BF up off the floor.  (For those who are not 100% computer literate, BF means Boyfriend)  
• tried to be the ‘perfect housewife’.  Note to self: With issues such as; flooding the kitchen, not being able to figure out how to turn on the vacuum cleaner, and fires on the stove (once or twice... well, ok, ok... quite a few times) it means you are not Martha Stewart and you likely never will be.  Accept it!
• tried to make oatmeal – the old fashioned way.  Note to self: Oatmeal is not that hard to do!!... but when the dog refuses to eat it, something did not go right. 
• rescued a kitten from inside a heating duct.  Note to self: Even 8 week old kittens have claws sharp enough to shred an arm.  Reminder to self: Next time you rescue a kitten, wear thick clothing for protection. 

OK... I hope you had a good laugh at some of those things; but, seriously, I bet you also did some silly things.  Please share them with me in the comment section below.

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~~ Dear God ~~    Please forgive me for all the times I have ‘jumped before I looked’, ‘spoke without thinking’, ‘acted without using the intelligence you gave me’.  Thank You for being there to protect me and rescue me each time I end up in a mess.  Oh, and one more thing, Lord.  I am so happy that You do not keep a count, because I am sure that the number of times I have fowled things up are at a very high number.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

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Wanna go for a Tin Roof Sundae?

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Photo by M. Cooper

I have had another blog for about 3 years now where I write about all sorts of things.  It is one that is shared with my healthy living / weight loss community.  I get very good response from it among the members there.  As a matter of fact, just recently, I was voted, by other members, to be a Motivational Member.  It is very exciting for me.  I am so very honored by this and the overwhelming support that they give me.  It is this support that inspires me to keep writing.

I so very much enjoy writing and sharing with these people.  However, it is rather limited. I wanted a place I can write about other things that are not necessarily devotional messages, yet be a more public forum.  So, I have launched another blog website.  I view it like it is bits and bites of fun and curious things that you might find in an ice cream sundae!  I hope that you will just want to dig in and see what the next spoonful will hold for you.

The new blog site is called Tin Roof Sundae.  You can also sign up to follow by email on that site, as you can here on Worship Melodies.  Pleaseeee.... leave me some comments.  The feedback is very motivational for me. 

So grab some sprinkles, your chocolate sauce and a spoon; we're about to have some fun together!

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Big Dreams

~~Acts 16:31~~ Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.

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Photo by Carley

Well, it is finally here.  The first day of summer!  Yea!!!  I love summer.  If God let me run the world, the first rule I would make would be ‘No more winter’.  The second rule would be ‘No more need for long pants’... or shoes.  I am not a huge fan of long pants.  I like living in shorts, skirts and tank tops as much as possible.  It feels so much less restrictive; and I love feeling so feminine.  Some may think that this is a silly dream, but I think that is a fun dream.  Summer is a great time for dreaming.  What do you dream about?  I think about romance, drive-in movies, long walks along the beach at dusk, water-balloon fights, and pansies (because they were my Grandmother’s favourite).  The whole world just seems lighter, happier, and freer in the summer time. 

I had a chance recently to write about one of my dreams.  The requested topic was to write about a place that I would like to travel.  Well, that was not something I had to sit and think about for more than half a second.  Italy.  La bella Italia.  Just the sound of it is romantic.  I have dreamed most of my life of going to Italy.  In a perfect world, I would go on an extended tour, taking maybe a couple years to take in the culture and beauty of Italia.  Then maybe I would buy an old villa in the Tuscan country side that I could fix up, where I could spend some time.  I am not sure why I have always had such a passion for Italy, I just now it is there. 

A perfect day would be to wander through city streets chatting with fascinating people and having lunch at some small bistro.  Then I would go on to spend the afternoon picking through old treasures at a flea market.  One of a kind items that I could never find anywhere else.  Things that I could bring home and use to decorate my house in Canada to look like that old Tuscan villa.  Another afternoon might be spent posing for a slightly risqué portrait painted by a fine-looking ‘starving’ Italian artist.  Or maybe, I could go to a vineyard and experience a wine and cheese tasting, Italian style.   Then, to accept a dinner invitation to a big Italian party from a handsome gentleman who speaks to me with such romance, yet I have no clue what he is saying; and it does not matter because we are having so much fun together.

As I did some research on this topic so I could write about it, I found myself being led to biblical resources about faith.  I was surprised, but as I thought about it; that is exactly what a dream is all about.  It is faith in God that the dream He has put into your heart will indeed come to be reality one day.  When you have a dream that is a passion you cannot explain and it never seems to die; it is then you know that your dream is from God.  If God put it there, it is there for a reason.  Our pastor tells us all the time that “God does not waste anything”.  It is by the gift of grace from God that, because we have faith, He will save us (Ephesians 2:8).  What is faith?  “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 – Emphasis mine).  If all it takes for God to do the amazing undertaking of saving us from spending eternity without Him is for us to simply believe in Jesus, then surely He will have no problems with a dream or two while we are here on earth. 

What are your dreams?  Travel?  A big home?  Missions trips around the globe?  A marriage and a family?  A fulfilling career?  Or maybe, it is simply just to have a vacation for a couple of weeks in a serene place where you can just escape the reality of the world, and focus on Him.  Whatever your dreams, have faith; and it just may become a certainty.  I do suggest, though, that you keep it to something realistic, and never let anyone else take your dream away from you.  For example, I do not expect God to put me in charge as much fun as I am assuming that would be.  Nor do I expect to escape the winter cold, long pants or shoes.  Through prayer and listening to His voice you just may find that the dreams you thought were ‘too crazy to be real’ just may become your world!  Do not be afraid to dream big.  God can handle big dreams!  Maybe I will get to travel to Italy one day.  I have faith.

If I still believed in past lifetimes, as I did before I was a practicing Christian, I would think that in a past lifetime I was Italian.  I feel like I miss it.  I think if I went there today I would want to stay.  I can honestly see that happening.  Well, until next time 'Ciao Baby'.

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~~Dear God~~ Your ways are so amazing.  You give us dreams so that we can hold on to faith in You.  Please help me to always hold on to my big dreams because as long as I have them I will know that I have big faith and that You are forever with me.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

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