In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by  Mark Batterson

As I continue my reading of this book, I begin to think of my journey in life. Have you ever wondered, not regretted, but just wondered what life would be like if at a much younger age, you began seeking God? I do, I wonder, but don’t regret, that I didn’t know of or about God more than I did as a young person. I wonder why my parents, most specifically my mom because my dad was out of my life more than he was in it. My brother was a devout Catholic, went to church almost every day, but yet he was in his late 50’s when he actually began a real relationship with Jesus Christ. Why didn’t he disciple me? This is one question I will ask him and God when I’m in His presence. That brings me to the scripture of Deuteronomy 29:29 “There are secrets the Lord God has not revealed to us”)(I have a file of these questions, do you?)

Are you on a journey? Do you dream about things you would like to do, or would have liked to have done? I know I do and I started this journey of me and God a bit late in life but His word says  “ and I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust and the chewing locust” Joel 1:4 It says to me that my God will replace all the years that I wasted in the world, doing the foolish things of the world instead of following His plan for me, instead of searching for Him and heeding His call for my life.

Chapter 3 of this book talks about unlearning our fears.

The price of our vitality is the sum of our fears. David White

When I moved to NJ with my daughter in the winter of 2009, one of the first things we did together my daughter and I was to attend a “Missions Conference” for women at a church about 2 hours from where we actually lived. My mind said “what am I doing here, I’m not the least bit interested in mission’s trips” or was I? At the end of this conference I ended up taking home information on a trip to Budapest, Hungary! In Sept of 2009, I went on my first trip as a missionary to Budapest, Hungary for 10 days. I stepped way out of my comfort zone and little did I know it was to be the first of such experiences but certainly not the last.

We have to face our fears of chasing those lions!

A few things went through my head as I thought about this trip:

*I’m not a missionary

*I don’t have $1,700 just lying around

*I’ve never been out of the USA

*I’m not what you would call a “physically ambitious gal”

*What if I get sick?

But I only needed one reason to go: I was called.

The plane ride to Budapest was long, about 12 hours if I remember correctly, the plane didn’t run out of gas or crash.

God provided every red cent for the price of the trip.

The work that was required was not hard or physically straining and,

I didn’t get sick!

So here is my advice: don’t let mental lions keep you from experiencing everything God has to offer. The greatest breakthroughs in your life will happen when you push through the fear. The defining moments will double as the scariest decisions. You’ve got to face those fears and begin the process of unlearning them.

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, by  Mark Batterson

As I continue my reading of this book, I begin to think of my journey in life. Have you ever wondered, not regretted, but just wondered what life would be like if at a much younger age, you began seeking God? I do, I wonder, but don’t regret, that I didn’t know of or about God more than I did as a young person. I wonder why my parents, most specifically my mom because my dad was out of my life more than he was in it. My brother was a devout Catholic, went to church almost every day, but yet he was in his late 50’s when he actually began a real relationship with Jesus Christ. Why didn’t he disciple me? This is one question I will ask him and God when I’m in His presence. That brings me to the scripture of Deuteronomy 29:29 “There are secrets the Lord God has not revealed to us”)(I have a file of these questions, do you?)

Are you on a journey? Do you dream about things you would like to do, or would have liked to have done? I know I do and I started this journey of me and God a bit late in life but His word says  “ and I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust and the chewing locust” Joel 1:4 It says to me that my God will replace all the years that I wasted in the world, doing the foolish things of the world instead of following His plan for me, instead of searching for Him and heeding His call for my life.

Chapter 3 of this book talks about unlearning our fears.

The price of our vitality is the sum of our fears. David White

When I moved to NJ with my daughter in the winter of 2009, one of the first things we did together my daughter and I was to attend a “Missions Conference” for women at a church about 2 hours from where we actually lived. My mind said “what am I doing here, I’m not the least bit interested in mission’s trips” or was I? At the end of this conference I ended up taking home information on a trip to Budapest, Hungary! In Sept of 2009, I went on my first trip as a missionary to Budapest, Hungary for 10 days. I stepped way out of my comfort zone and little did I know it was to be the first of such experiences but certainly not the last.

We have to face our fears of chasing those lions!

A few things went through my head as I thought about this trip:

*I’m not a missionary

*I don’t have $1,700 just lying around

*I’ve never been out of the USA

*I’m not what you would call a “physically ambitious gal”

*What if I get sick?

But I only needed one reason to go: I was called.

The plane ride to Budapest was long, about 12 hours if I remember correctly, the plane didn’t run out of gas or crash.

God provided every red cent for the price of the trip.

The work that was required was not hard or physically straining and,

I didn’t get sick!

So here is my advice: don’t let mental lions keep you from experiencing everything God has to offer. The greatest breakthroughs in your life will happen when you push through the fear. The defining moments will double as the scariest decisions. You’ve got to face those fears and begin the process of unlearning them.

Women of Influence

I named this post Women of Influence because that is just exactly what we are. If we are married we can be an influence either bad or good on our husbands. If we have children we can influence them to, hopefully do good. Most of us have friends that we can be an influence on. If we work we our selves are influenced to do a good if not great job at our work place and our bosses can be influenced by us as we present new ways of doing things, organizing and changes the way things are done, we all can be Women of Influence.

in-flu-ence(n) 1. the act or power of producing an effect without apparent force or direct authority 2: a person or thing that exerts influence. To effect or alter by influence, sway. To have an effect on the condition or development of, modify.

Lately, within the last few months God has been speaking to me about being influential within the areas of my friends, family and co-workers. He also has given me some very strong words on how, we as women, need to buckle down, straighten up and get on with Kingdom business. Point in fact Isaiah 32:9-11. When I read that, during my morning devotionals, I kind of just skimmed over it but then something brought me back to it and I read it with a bit more intensity and even more intensity the next day and a few days after that. Why was God bringing me back to this passage I asked myself. Then He gave me certain words that I felt needed deeper thought so I wrote them down: Ease, Complacent,Vintage,Strip, and Bare.  Humm, I thought to myself and went to the dictionary and got the meaning of these words and here they are.

Ease: Comfort in body and mind, freedom from difficulty or effort, relaxed, rest, leisure.

Doesn't that sound like the body of Christ in today's world? But God's Word says, "Rise up you women who are at ease, Hear MY voice;

Complacent: Self satisfaction,(Pride) God's Word says, "You complacent daughters, give ear to My speech. In a year and some days you will be troubled , you complacent women;

Vintage: Old, recognized and enduring, interest, classic, importance and quality, do we settle for the old, recognized ways of doing things, our lives that give us stability, but not the stability that God gives us. "For the vintage will fail, the gathering will not come".

"Tremble you women who are at ease; be troubled you complacent ones; strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, and gird sackcloth on your waists".

Strip yourselves bare: To take the covering off, make bare or clear, divest, denude, deprive or dismantle.

Bare: Unconcealed, exposed, leaving nothing to spare, plain, unadorned, nude or bald.

Gird: To encircle or fasten with a belt to invest with authority or power(influence)
Ephesians 6:14

Sackcloth: A rough garment worn as a sign of repentance.

You can take this as a grain of salt or you can take this as I'm taking it and here is what I discern from this blog.

Jesus is coming soon, we all can agree on that I'm sure. But we as women have a job to do. We have to train ourselves for the fight that is coming. We will be in this war, like it or not and we will have to fight. We need to gird ourselves with the belt of truth around our waist. Bare ourselves from our fancy clothes, jewelry and such because it won't matter a hill of beans at this time. We need to take God's word and devour it, eat it like food so we can know His will and when the day comes when we have no Bible to read His Word will be written on the tablets of our heart.

We need to be real with each other as women, each of us have something to give to each other, love, a good word, a smile, hug and some good conversation. We may even have to give each other a rebuke from time to time. We are all in this together, we need to fight together and run the race to the finish line where we will see and be with Jesus.

One last thing, if you really want to get the full impact of these verses read them from the Message bible but don't yell at me I didn't write it.

Until next time, thebedouinwoman, over and out :-)

















 

My Journal for Go Go Maw Maws

Today is Sept. 3, Labor Day 2012. I went bike riding with Leannda Moore and Ronda Amos, Chris Amos, Kimberly Amos and Michelle Lacerda.

The Go Go Maw Maws are a group of ladies(well, two right now)that are training for a cross country bike ride in hopes of raising $50,000 for the Go Go Grandmothers in Malawi, Africa. The grandmothers are raising children that have lost parents to either HIV/AIDS or some other disease and these women are well into their senior years. No, I’m talking SENIOR years, I’m a teen senior compared to some of these precious women.

So, because they have inspired me so much with their dedication and determination that I said, “I want to do this too”! However I know that there is a lot of training that goes into this and you must have the right bike and equipment that goes with it.

Since these ladies started bike riding they have lost many, many inches, sizes and pounds, without changing their eating habits much. This I like J.  My doctor informed me I need to lose weight and I need to change my eating habits and since that alone will not help the cholesterol that is already built up on my arteries, I have to take cholesterol medicine and I take blood pressure medicine. BUT, I will NOT let this stop me! I spent 4 months in Brazil, I can do this!!!

I arrived at the Amos household and they were all out there filling tires with air, determining which bike would be good for me, a first I looked at the sizes of these bikes with fear and trepidation. Ronda talked to me and eased my fears. They helped me on the bike and I rode around the driveway a few times and then, I was ready, or so I thought, I mean how bad or hard can a 9 mile ride be? You have NO idea.

Let me just say I was not well prepared, those ladies were if you see the pictures they took you know these ladies know what they are doing! Helmets on their heads, saddle packs on their bikes, along with mirrors, horns, water attached to the bike, well you get the picture. No worries they had it all for me too!  Off we go!

About a mile down the road, stop,”are we there yet”? Haha, “almost, one yells out” you know there lying to me,,, Stepping off the bike my legs felt like jello, but I got back on and off we go again.

Ok, I won’t go through the whole painful process but suffice it to say, I was hot, I drank a lot of water, we stopped about 4 times and then finally made it back to the Amos’s homestead. I was never so happy to see a home then I was that very moment! BUT, I DID IT!!

The ladies were proud of me, heck, I was proud of me and we made a date to do it again!!

Happy Biking till the next time,,,,,,

Jesus was not a Rolling Stone but He was a radical. More radical than any of us are or ever will be. How do I know that, you say? You weren’t there in His day, you say. No, I wasn’t however I have His words in a book called the Bible that say as much. Let’s read some of it together than you decide, if He was a radical or not.

First let’s look at Jesus Cousin John the Baptist, now that man was a radical and he came a few months before Jesus made His appearance on the earth. John the Baptist was sent to prepare the world for Jesus. Most people thought John was a wild man. He probably was a little crazy but in a good way. John prepared the way for Jesus, I guess if the world saw John first they wouldn’t think Jesus so radical.

I’m not sure if the cleansing of the temple was the first radical thing that Jesus did or not but it was pretty intense John 2:13-16. So how do you think He feels when He sees His people playing bingo in the churches today? J/S

What about His witnessing to the Woman at the Well? Samaritans and Jews were not even suppose to speak to each other but yet Jesus sat down at the well and actually asked this woman for a drink of water and proceeded to tell her about the Living Water He had, that was pretty radical. John 4:6-26

The woman who was being stoned because she was caught in the very act of adultery, what a lot of oomph to go there and stop those people from hurling stones at this woman, but He did it and therefore she was saved. John 8:1-7

You’re most likely wondering why I’m writing about being radical. I read a book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love and it’s mostly about the love Christ has for us. I also read another book (author escapes me) called Radical and in that book is how we, as Christians should live and be. Man, we are so far from it, it scares me. When I prepared to go to Brazil these books were recommended (strongly) to read prior to departure. A lot of it escapes me right now but some of it will be with me until I die.

What does living radically for Christ sake really mean and is this what He wants for us? I will only speak in relation to myself from here on because if you have a strong relationship (not about religion) with Christ then you will also hear Him speak to you and it may be totally different than how He speaks to me. I’m just giving you my perspective.

Many years ago I would worry about money, did I make enough, can I make more, can I buy this or that, can I pay my bills and still have some left for vacations or entertainment? This was only part of what I worried about. We all know that if we worry we are not trusting God Matthew 6:25, trusting in Him is what it is all about Pro.3:5. Is it easy to trust, no, is it easy to worry, yes, because we were naturally brought up to worry, or at least I was. My mother was a worrier, my brothers were worriers, and so as a young person, it was in my nature to be a worrier too.

Once I gave my heart and soul to God, the first two things He took away from me was my dirty mouth and my need to worry, these two things came very easy for me (God) to overcome, not on my own strength but His.

As we grow in God and let me interject here for a minute. Growing means learning about God, how do we learn about someone? We spend time with them. You would not know a whole lot about your husband if every day he left in the morning and came back after you were asleep and did this on a daily basis, it would be impossible to get to know him. That is how we learn about God, spending time with Him in His word and in His presence. I doubt very much if you can know God any other way. Some people think they know God because they can quote a few scriptures but ask them how much time they spend in His word everyday and they can’t tell you the last time they picked up a bible or a spiritual book, fiction or non-fiction.

Folks, I have said this before, “as for me and my household we shall serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:15, this means (to me) no trashy books, magazines or other secular reading materials. We don’t watch any other news channel (when we watch news) but Fox News because they are more conservative than any other news channel such as CNN, NBS, CNBC, or CBS. You watch these news channels you are not getting the whole truth.

If you think everything is ok in Washington, then you have been sadly deceived. AFR, American Family Radio 89.9, has the truth like you have never heard and it’s pretty scarey. Google The Muslim Brotherhood in America and see what you get but trust me you won’t like what you see and hear. Sharia Law is being practiced right here in the USA, in the state of Michigan. The Muslims want to infiltrate the USA and take over. They are already in the White House, don’t believe me, look it up. And they are not the nice Muslims either. Most of them are from the brotherhood. Hilary Clintons own White House aide, Huma Abedin, comes from a long line of Muslim Brotherhood family. Former assistant US attorney, Andrew McCarthy has dug deep and connected the dots surrounding Huma Abedin and has shown how deeply embedded in Muslim Brotherhood the Abedin family really is.

Abedin’s family, McCarthy reveals, has worked for the Institute and other MB-related organizations, thereby being intimately connected with Naseef at the centre of the Saudi-MB-al-Qaida nexus.

OK, I think I kind of got off the beaten path, but maybe this is the way I was suppose to go because I sincerely believe God was us educated in all of the above so we know what we are up against. Brothers and sisters we are coming into some serious stuff and we need to be educated and prayed up so we can fight the good fight. I don’t know, maybe y’all know about this stuff, but I didn’t until I started listening to these people who are educated in this and relay their information to us so we can relay to others.

Dan Celia, he’s the financial guy he is on AFR Mon-Sat, Mon.-Fri. 8-10 am, Sat. 10-12. Sandy Rios, Mon-Fri 7-8, she really gets fired up about the MB and she will fire you up too. Crane Durham, Nothing But Truth, Mon-Fri 4-6 pm.

Next blog, more about being radical for Christ!

Auntie Flo

Auntie Flo

Today I want to tell you a story about a very dear friend of mine. Her name is Florence Witko, we called her “auntie Flo. Even though she wasn’t my aunt, she was an aunt to my children and so we all picked up that nickname for her.

Auntie Flo was my sister-in-law, my husband Gene’s sister. Now my husband and I didn’t always get along but auntie Flo and I did! She was the kind of woman that always had time to sit with you and talk no matter what was going on in her life, she was just that kind of person. You don’t find someone like that very often in a lifetime.

I’m going to take you way back even before Gene and I were married. It was my 18^th birthday and there was a surprise party for me at auntie Flo’s house, in the country, all planned by her. I can remember all my friends and all the food and unfortunately yes there was also beer. Don, auntie Flo’s youngest son was there and he was so dang cute and so sneaky. He was the one that made the best of the beer. But it caught up with him the next day, I can remember his color was like pea soup, the poor boy was so sick and it lasted the day with him, I think he learned a very valuable lesson that day.

I’m not just going to take you on a trip with me and aunty Flo but some of the other family members as well. Edna, Eddie and Marion will also be added in on this story because they all played such an integral part in my life. I hope you all enjoy this blast from the past!

Back to Auntie Flo, I have to tell you she was the glue that held the family together, even though she didn’t live with us(well, she and Eddie did for a very short time)but you could count on her no matter what time of day or night, she would be there for you!

As I developed this story in my head I was looking through some boxes looking for a certain picture of her and I that I couldn’t find. It was of us in her second story home in Renesselaer, we were both dressed up so we must have been to church or some other important function J I love that picture and will treasure it as my memory of auntie Flo. I know I have it somewhere as I’ve seen it several times in the past move.

I did find another picture equally as touching; it is a picture of Auntie Flo with her beloved “Rusty”, a little Chihuahua, that was indeed a part of the family. It was a sad day when “Rusty” passed one that I thought Auntie Flo would not recover, but she did. She was a very strong woman; she mourned her loss for awhile but then got right back on the road to life once again.

If you needed something and auntie Flo had it, it was yours, even if it was her last piece of bread or her last quarter, it was yours. She was the most giving woman I have ever met. She was a hard worker. Working in a printing press is not an easy job. Sometimes, if a family member needed her car, she would take a bus to work; seriously she was generous to a fault.

When my son Matt was 5 years old, aunty Flo, Eddie, Matt and I went on a “road trip” however we didn’t drive, we went by train. That was an experience, a fun one. We went to Florida to visit my oldest son Patrick and his girlfriend Christine. Imagine 24 hours on a train, she and Eddie kept me entertained. Anyone who knew Eddie at a younger age knows exactly what I’m talking about. He had auntie Flo wrapped right around his little finger, I say that in a good way, she loved Eddie as we all did and she wanted to provide him with memories, and that she did!

I may jump around a little in the telling of this story so bear with me please. I want to tell you the first time I met Marion. I was surprised that my boyfriend’s(at the time) sister had the same name I did and we both spelled it the same way, unusual. She was very intimidating to me, why you ask? She was very tall and at first she was very quiet and didn’t smile much, but as we got to know each other we formed a bond as well but not the same bond as auntie Flo and I. Auntie Flo and I clicked right away but with Marion it took some time to get in her good graces but once you did you were her forever friend.

Now I will tell you about Edna, Eddie’s mom and one of auntie Flo’s daughters. Edna was one of those people who didn’t let you in right away. She had to observe you from a distance and if she felt safe after awhile she would let you in little by little. Edna and I got along well, she was, like I said distant she was cordial, always made you feel welcome, but stayed a step back if you know what I mean.

Here is when Edna and I became sisters. Back in 1970 I was pregnant for Gene Jr. I was about 7 months along when the doctors found a tumor on my lung. They had no idea what it was so they sent me to Thoracic Surgeons, who told me as soon as this child was born I would need major surgery to find out what kind of tumor this was and to remove it! I was shocked. I had no idea what I was in for. I needed child care and I need a baby sitter for a newborn, as Gene Jr. was 10 days old when I went in the hospital for major surgery. Who stepped up to the plate, you ask? Yes, you guessed it Edna. She didn’t have to be asked, she volunteered. For nearly 3 months she took care of my precious baby boy with love, care and nurturing. She lived close to us and brought him to me every day to see him and let me know that he was doing well, she did a marvelous job. Thank you Edna, I know I must have thanked you before but as I bring all this to memory, what would we have done without you?

I don’t think I mentioned the youngest daughter of Auntie Flo’s Nancy. She was about 6 or 7 I think when I met Flo and bless her heart she was plagued with Asthma, she had many trips to the ER from what I remember with asthma attacks. Even with all this going on, Auntie Flo had time for us.

This story could go on and on but my memory is not what it used to be and I see scattered pieces of life with auntie Flo, her marriages and her fight just to survive at times. But I want to, I have to remember the good times we spent together, the bingo parlors we visited, New Years Eve parties, the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners we shared together, such happy memories with this sweet, sweet lady.

When we got the call that she had passed I was as shocked as everyone was. They told me she was found sitting in her chair, at peace. One day I will see her again, dancing in the presence of Jesus her King, how do I know this you ask because the bible says when you are absent from the body you are in the presence of the Lord. Auntie Flo accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior several years before her passing and that’s how I know.

I hope this little jaunt back in time was enjoyed by all and brought as many pleasant memories to you as it did to me.