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Above All

Jun4

I value honesty above all. I was taught by my parents, that no matter how hard it is, to be honest, at times, it is still the very best way to live.

I believe that with my whole heart. I have grown up believing that a person’s integrity will carry you far in life and integrity builds character. Anyone can tell a lie, but the person with a clear conscience is always honest, all the time.

I always strive to give my honest opinion when asked, and most of my close friends and family might say that I am brutally honest or very blunt. I do not like hurting people’s feelings and/or making them feel bad. When this happens, I have to stand back and take a look at how I reacted when I was asked a question, because I know that although many people claim to believe honesty is the best course of action, not all people carry through.

There have been many times in my 52 years that I have had to apologize. Feelings were shattered, friends felt betrayed and I felt like the worst friend in the world. I am the same whether I am at home, church, a job, or in public. I am not afraid to give my opinion, whether solicited or not, I stand up for my beliefs.  I can’t imagine how people do it when they act one way at work, a totally different way at home and yet another way when they’re out with friends. That seems like it would be very tiring and very disingenuine.

The one thing I need to learn, is I don’t always have to offer my opinion on the subject. I could do a better job of creating boundaries and explaining that I do not feel like I am the best person to answer on all subjects I am asked. I do feel I have significant knowledge to deal with most things that cross my path, but there are moments, after I have spoken, what I believe to be the truth, that I wish I could take it back. Not because it isn’t a truthful statement, but because of the injury it may cause to another person. Many times, most people, don’t want to hear the truth because truth can hurt, but if we don’t walk and live in Truth through Jesus and live out our lives according to Him, are we really His disciples?

Walking in truth means to be able to walk in love and share the love of the Lord with others through our conversations and remember to season our words with grace. Along with being honest above all, forgiveness must play a role if I overstep my boundaries.

Earlier this week, a friend asked for my opinion and I told her the truth, what I believed to be the truth and I hurt her deeply. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt someone I love so much. I am very extroverted and speak my mind. I have realized that maybe I could have handled that conversation a little bit better than I did, but there is no manual you can seek and it will give you rules of living, except one, The Holy Bible. I do my best to live by the examples of how Jesus lived. And this time, I know I messed up.

I am sorry that I hurt you. I have asked for the Father’s forgiveness in this and now I ask for yours. I love you deeply and can’t imagine my life without you in it. I will not mention names or details, she knows who she is and she reads this blog. If I threw the stone, please forgive me.

 

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John 8:1-11New Living Translation (NLT)
8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

May you know the Jesus Loves You!#HopeAlwaysHaveFaith

Blessings to you!

Prayer Is Powerful

May28

Prayer is one of the most powerful tools there is. I can honestly speak from experience.  Yesterday was one of the worst days for me. I was ready to give up AND then my prayer warriors and total strangers prayed for God to invade my body and give me peace.

Today, has been a great day! Pain levels have been considerably lower. Completed work that needed done. Spent the evening out with my husband and friends, enjoying life. I’ve learned not only is it important for me to seek the Lord, when you ask others to pray, miracles happen.

Thank you Jesus for your never ending, ever faithful love and mercy.

May you know Jesus Loves You!

Blessings to you! #HopeAlways#HaveFaithprayer-1308663_640

Exhaustion

Jul13

As I sit her listening to Tenth Avenue North singing Worn,  I know God is still on the throne and is still in control and in charge.

This has been a long week for me and it’s only Tuesday! Today was a reminder how precious life is and how we should live every day as if it is our last. We said goodbye to our cousin. He was one of the most loving souls I knew. He always had a kind word for everyone he met; he saw the good where other’s were more judgmental and he was a good man. Always doing the right thing. Honest and loving. He will be missed. I hadn’t seen him in many years. Life gets busy and we think we have all the time in the world and in a heartbeat we lose that moment.

I had kept in touch with him through social media, a comment here and there or a short instant message, which I am thankful for, but it’s hard to believe he is no longer with us.All of us know he has gone home to the Lord. His service was beautiful and we saw family we hadn’t seen in years.

Comments were made from all there, how sad it is that there are no more reunions or get together’s …we all wish for days gone by, when we would sit down together to take in a meal and fellowship with one another, but now we are all scattered and our schedules are too full.  When did family time become a thing of the past? Was I sleeping through all of it?

The hardest thing to accept is he hadn’t been sick, was healthy and happy and it was just his time.  Living in a family of Christians, made it easier to accept his passing, knowing we would reunite when it was our time. Regardless of whether a loved one has been ill and death is imminent or it is a total shock, the grieving is the same. It’s hard to let go. But God gives you the strength to carry on. He comforts us when we are totally exhausted because times like these are so painful to your heart and spirit.

And if having a funeral isn’t enough to have to deal with, we are dealing with our youngest grandson that isn’t speaking like he should by all earmarks of language development. Testing today and more testing tomorrow.  Long days with no clear answer in sight.

A family member struggling with Alzheimer’s and all of us struggling with a way to make things routine and “constant” for him. Praying God gives us wisdom to know what to do and what to say.

Then there’s this lovely Fibromyalgia thing. Running (not literally) all over the place, a lot of walking, runs you down to where you feel you can’t take one more step. The pain increases and if you’re not careful a flareup sets in. Flareups don’t last for a few hours, usually more like a few days, sometimes a week. Then everything else goes to the wayside. Laundry and dishes pile up, getting out of bed and maybe dressed, takes all the energy you have. You feel like you’re not even human.  OR 1/2 human. Things like doing laundry and folding clothes that came so easy before, now take twice to three times as long to get done, because you have to sit down and just rest.  When you are in a flare, what might normally take 30 minutes to do, now takes hours and you still don’t feel like you accomplish anything.

I am thankful for friends and family that love me no matter how worn out I am. Sleeping for several days is just a dream. The fatigue associated with Fibromyalgia is like being awake for 3 or four days straight, with no rest.  This fatigue makes me feel nauseated and an overall feeling of “blah”. Depression sets in because the pain, the fatigue, feeling like you can’t make plans or making plans and then you have to cancel because you just can’t function like normal.

Never take a single moment for granted, because none of us are promised a tomorrow. Live each minute to the fullest. Love extravagantly, tell people you love them, don’t wait until it’s too late to live your life. I have learned that housework can wait. Family can’t.

To my cousin Tim, you will be missed. You left a lasting legacy and may you rest in the arms of the Savior.Tim H

Blessings to all. Remember Jesus Loves You,

Carlene

 

 

 

 

Sharing a Status

Jul8

World HealingI recently just posted this on my Facebook page. I wanted to share with all of my followers.
My heart is so heavy. Thinking about the senseless killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, The Five Dallas Police Officers and many other senseless murders of people all over this country. When will it stop? When will the hate end and love begin. As Christians we are called to love all people.
Being a person of Caucasian descent, I have been very “privileged” to not be profiled because of my looks. I have never been pulled over or stopped by police because of my color. I cannot imagine the horror of always looking over your shoulder, watching everything you say and do, just because of your skin color.
I grieve with those that have lost people they love because of all the racism in this world. Every time the news breaks in with a “Breaking News” report, I wonder who else has died?
Have we, as American’s, become so desensitized that when you hear of one person being killed or many people being killed that you say you’re sad, you grieve and then move on-until the next event happens?
We should all be outraged at what is happening – and maybe more people are than I know.
I don’t have all the answers, the only answer I have is Jesus. If you look at how Jesus lived on earth and how he treated others, why is it so hard for us to treat others with kindness and compassion and love.
None of us are perfect. From what I have been able to glean from all the information on the web, yes, Alton Sterling did have a police record, but he paid his dues and he was selling CD’s as a way to provide for his family. He wasn’t causing any harm or violence to anyone. And he died for that. He died because two officers decided that it was his time. And they’ve been placed on ‘Paid Leave”. This infuriates me to no end. They killed this man, and they get paid for it.
Then there’s Philando Castile. He was doing what the officers requested, they wanted to see his ID. He was reaching for it and he was shot-and worse yet-in front of his child in the car and girlfriend! What an unimaginable horror for this young child to have to witness.
As a community in Dallas, come together in PEACEFUL protest over the shootings, someone decides peace is not the right thing and starts shooting-many are injured and 5 Dallas Police Department officers are killed!
And the saddest part of all is there are more killings daily of all people. When will enough death, senseless racial related deaths be enough?
My prayers go out to all the families of all these victims. My prayers go to the Police Officers around the country that uphold the oath they took to Protect and Serve who actually care about the people they protect and who are willing to put their lives on the line every single day. The ones that don’t take justice into their own hands and end a life because of someone’s color.
Listen up people, this has to stop! We have to band together and be the light of the world! Darkness is all around. Be the Light!
Father God, this nation and her people-we need you more than ever. Our nation needs healing-not anguish. Help us Jesus.
If you don’t agree with what I have posted, you may unfriend me. I truly believe that we have to stand up for what we believe in and not sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to take a stand.
“Doing what’s right is not always popular, and doing what’s popular is not always right. You have to stand up for your beliefs, even if you have to  stand alone.”-Carlene Wooddell

My Heart is Heavy

Jun15

Today my heart is heavy.   With all the death that has occurred in the last few days. The massacre at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  I mourn with those that have lost loved ones, I mourn for the survivors that have forever had their lives changed. The only thing I can do is pray, without ceasing.  Pray for healing and pray for peace.  I know how much the Lord weeps over these losses, because I can feel it in my spirit.  Continue reading →

Senseless Sorrow

Jun13

memorial candleThere are no words to describe how I am feeling right now except pure sadness.  It seems that everyday there is some type of killings or pre-meditated murders.  When I heard of the shootings at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida and at last count 50 killed and 53 critically injured (CBS News), my heart is broken.  And I know I am not the only one that feels this way.

On July 20, 2012 my cousin, Matt McQuinn, was one of the victims in the Aurora Colorado movie theater shooting.  There are no words that comfort you when tragedy like this happens. We knew Matt loved Jesus and we know he is with him. That was the best comfort we could have.

Dear Lord Jesus,

We don’t know why things like this happen? We don’t understand, but we know that you have plans for all our lives. Lord I know that you will cause good to come out of this horrible tragic situation. Lord I ask you be with the family members that lost loved ones, for all the survivors and for everyone that has been affected by this senseless killing, yet again.  I come to you, and ask that you pour out your peace upon each and every one of them and comfort them. In your Holy name, Amen.

 

 

 

 

Understanding What is Important

Jun12

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In all areas of life, understanding is part of the process.  In order to do anything well, you have to understand how something operates, what is the main goal of the process and how you fit into that process.

There are so many topics that could be covered discussing understanding, but I am going to talk about healing from hurts  and hangups in life.

Many people, at one point in their lives will need people to understand what they are going through or what they are experiencing and even if you have never been through the same situations they have encountered, you can have a empathetic understanding. You can be someone that can feel safe talking to and confiding  in.

I know I have been hurt in the past, by people I trusted with details of my life that I just wouldn’t share with anyone and sometimes those confidences were spilled out in other conversations.  No one intentionally set out to hurt me, they just forgot and it ‘slipped’ out before they could retract their words.  Other times, because I perceived something that was said to have a totally different meaning that what it actually was, it created mis-understandings and caused rifts.

If you have been emotionally, physically or mentally abused, and your are stuck in a relationship that you know in your mind is not good for you, but in your heart, you don’t see any way to let go, do not fear, you are not alone. Many people become stuck in unhealthy relationships.  They love the person they are with either because at one time there was an honest raw love or perhaps they have been alone for so long that even if the attention isn’t good all the time, it’s better than no attention. Many abusers, are control freaks, it has to be their way or now way. So you walk around on eggshells, start to isolate yourself, because you don’t want to upset them and in my opinion that is exactly what they hope to accomplish. If you stay isolated from good friends, family and a support system, it’s easy to fall into the belief that you will never be worth anything; no one would want you. If you start off in this kind of relationship with little or no self esteem or self worth, it won’t take long for that to plummet to zero.  And if you have lots of self worth and a high confidence level and you slowly slip out of sight of friends and family, you feel like you have failed, because you should have known better.

The lie that you are not worthy; useless; unlovable comes from the enemy of our souls. He wants you to walk in darkness, where he can continue to perpetuate the falsity that you will never amount to anything and as you sink deeper in the pit of despair, you start to believe this. The devil will use any tool or person to keep you in the darkness.

The truth is you are so worthy that Jesus died for you, nailed to a cross, so you could be set free from the lies of the enemy.  In Psalm 139:14 (NIV) it says:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.

God created you. You are not just a hap-hazard design with flaws. You are loved by the King. He knows everything about you. He knows when you get up and when you sleep. He knows your thoughts. He knows your dreams. He knows everything about you and all he wants for you is His very best. His son, Jesus. 

And understanding that you were created by a loving Father in Heaven and that he sees you, even in your hurting, he is there to help you overcome. When you can reach out to others, who have been in similar situations, it is very helpful because then you have a support team that understands exactly what you are dealing with, how you are feeling, what causes you fear and how to get help.

Loving yourself and being happy with your self is the first step to leaving an abusive relationship and this does not necessarily mean that it is a partner relationship. It could be a toxic person in your life that at one time was your friend. You changed and you grew and they are still stuck, by their own choices. The only person you can change is yourself.  You can’t fix anyone else. You can offer solutions, but ultimately, they have to be willing to take that first step.

I would recommend to anyone that is dealing with hurts, hangups and habits to check out Celebrate Recovery.

Proverbs 3:5 New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.

Dear Lord Jesus,

I ask that you bless each person that reads this post. Touch them in a way only you can Father. Show them that you have everything under control and everything that happens in their lives, you will use for good according to your purpose and plans. Jesus, You are the Light of the World and Light always penetrates darkness.  Thank you Father God for loving us, even when we don’t know how to love ourselves.                                                 In Jesus name,  Amen