Walking On Broken Glass

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Lynn

broken_glass_sI had been having a tough time sleeping that week.  Hibernation mode had caught up to me shortly after Groundhog Day but unlike the little varmints (gophers) who were still napping on our acreage, I had a hard time catching the “Z’s” necessary to function at peak performance.  It was equally frustrating when I couldn’t seem to find time for a good power nap through the day either.  So there were some days that didn’t go as well as I had originally planned.

Take for instance, that fateful Saturday night…

I appreciate my teens unloading and loading the dishwasher.  In fact, I don’t usually complain about them not putting dishes away in the same cupboards the dishes originally came from because I’m just glad they’re doing the task at all.  Unfortunately sometimes that means I have to go hunting for some kitchen utensil or glassware that has somehow gone “missing”, but usually it’s just been put in another drawer or cupboard.  Such was the case that Saturday.  I looked into my glassware cupboard and discovered a plethora of mismatched glasses and my OCD cut in and I just had to make it right!

The problem was lack of sleep had caused me to not think things through as well as I should have.  I am short-statured so I stand on this handy-dandy little foot stool that I keep in the kitchen whenever I need to reach high shelves.  I should have known that balancing on a stool, and reaching into high cupboards when my reaction time was less than optimal was likely not a good idea but still I pushed on.  Now, my husband, bless his heart, could hear my OCD ramblings from his station in front of the T.V. in the family room, but he did not register my grumblings enough to realize that I might just need his assistance.  I hinted, complained rather,…loudly…but he just wasn’t getting it.

Anyway, sensing I was alone in this task, I climbed up on my little foot stool and balancing on tip toe I moved a glass.  My sleep-deprived body reacted far too late to prevent the catastrophic event that happened next.  Before I knew it, a long-stemmed glass tipped over somewhere in the far recesses at the back of the cupboard.  Of course I could not reach it in time and I was helpless to prevent the domino effect that rippled through all the other glasses as they began to tumble unconstrained from the cupboard.  I made a valiant effort to juggle a few in my outstretched arms, but with my balance being precarious, my reflexes iffy, all I was able to muster was a blood-curdling scream, and just duck the waterfall of glassware!

It only took a few seconds but I’m convinced a bull in a china shop wouldn’t have wrecked as much damage.  As I stood on my footstool in shock at the glass carnage around me I heard a small voice calmly call from the family room, “Honey, why didn’t you wait for me to help you out?”

I love the man, but seriously?

At that point I was just too tired, too miserable and too shell-shocked to respond in a way to my sweetie that would have been…let’s just say…less than edifying.  Instead, inexplicably, I held my tongue, and refused to allow myself to respond to him in the manner my sin nature wanted me to at that moment.  I merely grabbed my broom and swept up the carnage.   Later, I couldn’t help but giggle when I came across this scripture:

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”  Proverbs 29:11

I can’t say I have always reacted that same way as I did that night.  Let’s just say, it’s a daily struggle to not allow my emotions to overtake me and say or do something that results in much more than broken glass.  The point of course is that my usual response, sleep-deprived or not, is to make matters worse by playing the blame game for some of life’s little “catastrophes”, some of which I inadvertently cause due to my impetuous and rash judgment.  Some others are caused by someone else or through an out-of-my-control life circumstance.  That particular night I soooo wanted to lash out at my sweet husband rather than just admit I should have waited for him to “help me”.  I could have avoided the glass cascade had I done that, however, on that particular Saturday night, I was too impatient and could not blame anyone else but myself for the mess that ensued.  However, I still wanted to blame someone (my husband) for the disaster, as was my habit, but quite uncharacteristically of me, I showed self-control and did not allow my bad temper to take over.  The result was that all I damaged that day was a bunch of glasses, but our hearts were left intact.

 

 

 

Posted in Family Life, Hope through Humour, Proverbs 16:9 - Journey Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Lynn

As a member of the “Faithful Bloggers” community, as well as Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG2)!  and partnering with a great website called “What Christians Want to Know“, I came across a very timely article, “25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength“, that I thought I’d share with my readers.  We are currently praying for a dear family we know who is going through an exceptionally difficult time.  If you would like detailed updates I encourage you to join the Facebook group here dedicated to praying for this precious family.

Bible Verses About Strength- 25 Encouraging Scripture Quotes

Bible Verses about  strength must start and end with God. It is the power and strength that comes  from God that carries us on. As Christians we need to surrender to the strength  that God provides and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. As you read  through these scripture quotes about strength be encouraged in that it  is  not your strength that is needed but the strength that God willingly supplies.  Feel free to use this study for a devotional, topical Bible study or Sunday School lesson.

All Strength Comes From God

It is so refreshing to know that we can rest in  the strength and comfort that God will provide when facing troubles of many  kinds. Let Him have the glory and show himself strong. Listen to this Bible  verse: 2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro  throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose  heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on  you shall have wars.” God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf.  Surrender to Him today and let the peace that He gives you take over. We cannot  fully serve God without full surrender to his Strength.

Strength Comes From God Bible Verses

Isaiah 40:28-31 Have  you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting  God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or  grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the  faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even  youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who  wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount  up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be  weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will  strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Chronicles 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his  presence continually!

Exodus 15:2 The LORD  is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and  I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Philippians 4:13 I  can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Psalm 18:32-34 the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my  feet like the feet of a deer  and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God  is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to  endure it.

Psalm  119:23  Even though princes sit plotting against me,  your servant will meditate on your statutes.

Examples of Showing Strength in the  Bible

The following Bible verses on being strong show us biblical examples of strength and the faith it takes to trust in God so completely that He is your strength. Imagine how much faith it took  for Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his long awaited son Isaac.

  • David

1 Samuel 30:6  And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David  strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

  • Paul

2 Timothy 4:17  But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

  • Peter

1 Peter 4:11 whoever  speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.

  • Joshua

Joshua 1:9-11 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be  frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”  And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”

  • Abraham

Genesis 22:1-3  After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the  mountains of which I shall tell you.”   So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.  And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Bible Verses Showing Strength Comes From  Faith Not From Fear

Are you struggling through a situation today and are grasping for answers? How should you respond? Respond with faith and not fear, knowing the promises of God and His mighty hand will hold you through any situation!

Psalm  27:1  The LORD is my light and my  salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Matthew 17:20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith.  For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”  And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Matthew 21:21  And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

Bible Scripture Quotes About Strength as  Related to Courage

Jesus has truly overcome the world the day he  gave His life for all on the cross.  Take peace and be encouraged knowing it is Him who is mighty to save. He will not leave you  or forsake you.

Deuteronomy  31:6 Be strong and courageous.  Do not fear or be in  dread of them,  for it is the LORD your God who goes with you.  He will not leave  you or forsake you.”

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalm  23:4   Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Strength Bible Verses- Because of the  Hope and Love we have In Jesus Christ

Do not lose heart or become discouraged as we have the Hope of Jesus Christ and eternal life to carry us through.  Stay in the Bible and pray continually seeking the face of God and He will be with you.  I pray these Bible verses fill your heart with hope from the truth of  God’s mighty word.

Zephaniah  3:17   The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is  preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Timothy 1:7  for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.

Romans 5:5  and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Christian Quote About  Strength

“Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out thy granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat.  The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs.  God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness?  Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.” – Charles  Spurgeon

D.L. Moody once said that “If you partner with God, Make your plans big!”   I encourage you today to make God your  partner. Whatever your burden is that caused you to search for strength, give it up to him now.  Do not let another minute go by without completely surrendering your burdens to Him.  God wants to be your strength.  Surrender to Him in your weakness and let Him show Himself strong.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-strength-25-encouraging-scripture-quotes/#ixzz1km8tBOMy

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Polar Plunge

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Lynn

Unless you’ve been dead or living in Edmonton, as my friend Jack likes to say, most Canadians (including Edmontonians) have been experiencing first-hand the unbelievably frigid temperatures Old Man Winter has been dishing out to us this past week.

Now, I know we Canadians are a hearty bunch when it comes to our winters.  That limerick by Ogden Nash comes to mind whenever the wind howls and the snow blows here in Canada:

There once was a man from Quebec

Who was buried in snow to his neck.

When asked, “Are you friz?”

He said, “Yes, I is,

But we don’t call this cold in Quebec!”

Of course we Albertans believe that we still hold the title for far harsher and colder temperatures than our Francophone brothers in Quebec, although we must bow to our hearty neighbours in the province of Manitoba for wind chills that even have brass monkeys booking tickets to Florida.

But this week Alberta has experienced what our weatherman likes to call a “Polar Plunge”.  Many schools (notice I did not say ‘all schools’) were closed on Wednesday when the ambient temperature outside dipped to – 30 (that’s -22 F for my American friends).  Yes, despite the temperature many children still trudged off to school wearing only their hoodies and flip flops.  But I did notice that when we factored in the windchill and the mercury dipped to a balmy -40 (that’s -40 F), some kids elected to wear long pants to school rather than their shorts.  Can we all say “Brrrrrrrrrrr!” together?

Luckily, Alberta is looking forward to another “snow eating” Chinook coming our way in the next twenty-four hours and our temperatures will soar to +2 C.  To all of you who have never experienced what that kind of radical barometric change does to a body just ask my friend Emilie, or my son Brett and all those others who suffer from migraines when the Chinook winds start to blow.  If asked, they might even say they like the cold better than the Chinooks.

But for now we’re headache free and still freezing our buns off here in sunny Alberta and so here’s to all of my Canadian friends making the best of a cold situation right now.

50°F – New Yorkers try to turn on the heat. Canadians plant gardens.
40°F – Californians shiver uncontrollably. Canadians sunbathe.
35°F – Italian cars won’t start. Canadians drive with the windows down.
32°F – Distilled water freezes. Canadian water gets thicker.
20°F – Floridians wear coats, gloves & wool hats. Canadians throw on a t-shirt.
15°F – Californians begin to evacuate the state. Canadians go swimming.
0°F – New York landlords finally turn up the heat. Canadians have the last cook-out before it gets cold.
-10°F – People in Miami cease to exist. Canadians lick flag poles to see if their tongue will stick.
-20°F – Californians fly away to Mexico. Canadians throw on a light jacket.
-40°F – Hollywood disintegrates. Canadians rent some videos.
-60°F – Mt. St. Helens freezes. Canadian Girl Guides begin selling cookies door to door.
-80°F – Polar bears begin to evacuate Antarctica. Canadian Boy Scouts postpone “Winter Survival” classes until it gets cold enough.
-100°F – Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Canadians pull down their ear flaps.
-173°F – Ethyl alcohol freezes. Canadians get frustrated when they can’t thaw the keg.
-297°F – Microbial life survives on dairy products. Canadian cows complain of farmers with cold hands.
-460°F – ALL atomic motion stops. Canadians start saying “Cold ’nuff for ya?”
-500°F – Hell freezes over. The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

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