Psalm 94:19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brough joy to my soul.Winter doldrums
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
1 Corinthians 7:32 I want you to be free from anxieties
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
I have for years had issues with SAD, seasonal affective disorder. Gosh, the slumps in mood and activity were awful feeling. I went to work in the dark, came home in the dark, and just had little appreciation for anything winter brought.
I felt a bit better living in Germany. This probably was easier since I was outside walking, enjoying the fresh air, the wonderful countryside, and just the appreciation of being able to live in another country and learn other’s customs. Although I worked full time, the hours were not the 10 hour days I’d been doing in my prior job inthe states, I worked from 8-4:30, so there were still a couple of daylight hours left. I enjoyed meeting all the various military and dependents and the various roles I handled in the clinic. I did not have the awful oppression I had felt during the winter living in New England.
But this year, the shortest daylight hours of the year, December 22, did not seem as dark and short as at other years. Living at the beach is a wonderful blessing, I have the lovely eastern sky out one side of my home with sunrises; and the western sky with glorious sunsets. And for the past several months how the sunrises and sunsets have radiated lovely colors! I serve a wonderful Creator and Artist! And how fortunate to recognize it and give Him thanks for some gifts He generously bestows.
I am so thankful that my winter blues seem to be easing, and certainly the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 have me rejoicing with the days appearing longer, and what a vibrant collection of colors we have been bestowed—lavendars, pinks, oranges, grays, and blues. WOW!
Thank You, Lord; You not only chose me, but You hand me gifts abundantly—flowers, weather, animals, whether pets, birds and so forth. Thank You for my family and friends, my eyes which see, my hearing, my taste, my health, and the list is endless. You have given an over-indulgence of gifts to me. I so appreciate the beauty and peace of this winter’s shorter daylight hours; the fact I have not had anxiety or doldrums and the blessing as each day’s daylight gets a bit longer. But You have created such beauty in the skies for sunrises and sunsets this winter. You are awesome!
Thank You for the path You have given me and “mybellaviews.”
Hebrew 4:20,21 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Genesis 17: 15-17, 19-21 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Then God said, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”
Exodus 33:14 “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
John 12:44-48 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.
Do you ever feel confused about being on the path God wants you to be on? What’s His will for your life? Yes, His word promises He wants us to prosper, and to experience good things. But do you ever wonder if you are walking on the path He gave you the abilities and gifts to accomplish? Are you walking the path He wants you on for success?
How do I know it was God who urged me in this direction? So many doors are closing going this way, maybe it’s His way of telling me no and I just don’t want to acknowledge that. Maybe my motives are wrong. Maybe this is not from Him; or am I doing it for my accolades, or not doing it for His purpose or something? Or is He giving me hurdles I have to climb to reach His purpose? Is He trying to teach me endurance before I reach the goal? Or am I totally on the wrong path? How to know?
And my doubts continue and grow. Sometimes I walk away from a project for a period of time and then suffer the guilt of not working at it at all. (That’s hardly being diligent and faithful).
I KNOW it’s a matter of being patient and following the direction I received. But then did I? Was that really God? Did I put my own spin on things? Nothing further is happening? Though I stumble, I don’t fall; I worry, but I don’t quit. I am continuing to trust I am doing His will. But sometimes when things are not changing or seeming to progress, I wonder if I missed something. I try to push the worry aside, as I know Satan creeps in with his sneaky lies, whispers, and doubts, planting them here and there in my brain…and they begin to sprout, especially if I am not tending the garden of my mind. The demon loves to cause us to doubt, fear, worry, and eventually we might quit. So, it is a persistent matter to push doubt away, tend to the weeds before they truly take root.
But I know, and have experienced having God step in when I was not going the path He directed. I was so uneasy and not at peace. I had no comfort in thinking I was doing the right thing. Everything felt wrong. Peace and relief came when I backed away.
I know He has a plan for each of us. I have–always have had–a problem with impatience, and want reassurance I am doing the right thing. If I don’t “hear” from Him for a while, then I wonder if I missed a clue or “quiet voice” murmuring I needed to change direction. I become questioning and unsure. And that leads to being anxious. And the Holy Spirit gently reminds me of verses I’ve repeatedly needed regarding patience…and my great lack of. I remember I have to WAIT and continue along the path being PATIENT. Psalm 27:14, Psalm 37:7, Psalm 40:1-2, Isaiah 57:19, Phil 4:6,7
Needless to say, most times when impatience creeps in, my frenzied seeking then does not get addressed. After a time, I remember, I am waiting on God’s timing, and, most importantly, I am serving HIM in this world. I have all that I need. Then I apologize for my sinful doubts. “Right, patience. Ok, I need to read and study on that. Again.”
And I sit right down and open to the words dealing with impatience, worry and anxiety. I read about not wavering, keeping on the path…Wait on the Lord. Have no fear and He will strengthen your heart: wait on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 And I feel my soul, my thoughts settle. And peace comes again.
Trusting. I am again able to squelch the doubts and seeds Satan tries to plant. ‘Go along, now demon, you are NOT welcome here.’
So even after years of trying to follow and not doubt, not worry, I still have periods of uncertainty sneak through. Those times are far less frequent than they used to be, but they occasionally still sneak through. And now when they come, I can more easily identify Satan tweaking me toward worry and anxiety. Then I can quote some scripture which reminds me of God’s promises and allay the insecurity. And I can sometimes feel the slithering demon slide away…for now.
Yes, I recognize Satan will make an appearance later. It is his goal to try to bring me to my knees, to listen and believe his lies. But I choose not to follow his will. I chose Jesus as my savior. I have only to open His book and refresh my mind with promises to remove the lies Satan whispers.
I have found over the years, that I feel stronger, achieve and work more patiently when I have scriptures to refer to. Once I recognize my doubts, it is easy to find scripture to change my “stinkin’ thinkin'” to quote Joyce Meyer. Stinkin’ thinkin’ has no place in living God’s word and will for your life.
I am more confident and at peace knowing God has a plan for my life….helps me wait more patiently in “mybellaviews.”
1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Psalm 25:5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 119:160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I am sure when I did not know Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life, I thought I was in control—after my parents, of course! Then, after a bad relationship and allowing my self-esteem to be flattened, I realized there were always going to be other things in control. Not me. It was about this time, I accepted Jesus, but thought things would just iron out and I would be protected and go on my merry way. I didn’t realize then, I had to seek Him, and use a bit of energy to find who He truly was/is.
Over time, thankfully, I came to realize I am not in charge. I seek, He directs. My life is not without issues, but certainly my handling of problems, worries is much simpler. I ask, seek and wait. And the answer comes. It used to be that waiting 15 minutes was a long time. I was SO into immediate gratification. So, with His help, the help and coaxing of the Holy Spirit, I tapered my impatience. It is still an occasional flaw I deal with, but I know He will guide me as I wait. NO question.
There is no question in my mind, heart, and soul as to whether Jesus really is the Son of God and came to die for us. Not a single one. It grieves me that so many believe they are solely in charge of their life and destiny. I don’t like the feeling of losing friends and not knowing in my heart that they were saved. The fact they may not have ever accepted Him, grieves me. There is only one way to be in heaven and live eternally, and that is through acknowledging Jesus Christ is your Savior, He died on a cross taking your sins as well as all others who accept and hold Him as Savior. He freed us. He has taken our sins, so we can have an entry pass to heaven.
Yes, He hopes we strive to get to know Him personally. He wants a relationship and I must say it is awesome to share a smile or giggle with Him. Obviously, He knows what will please me, surprise me, and gifts me with it. I can feel HIs grinning when I exclaim in pleased surprise that there is a hawk on my back deck, or a painted bunting, or having dolphins jumping and putting on a show, a glorious sunset or rise….but He knows me, He knows what treasures tickle me and bless me. I can do nothing more than give thanks and praise HIs awesomeness; He opted to drop by and gift me with one of His blessings—just because He loves me.
That is so freeing. I am so sure of where my eternity is. I don’t know the path I will take before reaching there, but I know it will be good and prosperous because He promises that in Jeremiah 29:11. There is no doubting for me. It grieves my heart that others are arrogant enough to think they are in control and in charge of their destiny. They are so afraid thinking they are relinguishing control. We are guided by Jesus and the Holy Spirit—they show you the best path—it is still your choice to accept or deny and go in a different direction. I’ve done that a few times—not the best decisions, and the price was high.
I know some think they will “have to give up too much.” He blessed us all with free will. Free to choose Him and eternal life, or your fun and control and eternal hell at death. Shudder!
Once I learned that I needed to work at knowing who He is through bible reading, going to a bible teaching and living church, bible studies and my own delving to a closer relationship, things became calmer, less stressful, and I gained patience, peace, gained with kindness and gentleness. I gained; never lost or gave up anything that was a struggle. I still want to give up more—coarse mouth, overeating, and more. But it will come.
I had been sucked into the belief that we could compromise. Yes, God loves all people, but He does not want sin and sinful behavior to be accepted by us, and then for us to have an expectation of forgiveness when we are going to continue the sin. No, God does not want us to compromise. But in your relationship, you become less willing to compromise, you want to be pleasing for Him.
You can’t recognize gossiping is sinful, confess it and expect it is okay to do an hour later. You need to work with the Holy Spirit to have immediate correction brought into your mind. And this is so for any of the sins we commit, whether it be lying, overindulging, sexual misbehaviors, and a myriad of other sins that are listed clearly in the bible, when you choose to read and study.
I am by no means a saint, and still sin—a lot. But it’s a process, just like any other relationship you have. It grows and develops over time.
Bible does not change. His Word still stands; there is no compromise.
But as my relationship grows, I want to do things for others first. It is more about others than about me. I have all I need. I am blessed indeed. But I still pray for others in my life whom I love who are resistant to believing there is a greater power than them.
You give me rest. I am so thankful I get to lean on You for ‘me and mybellaviews.’
Psalm 37:3 Be kind and good to others; then you will live safely here in the land and prosper
Proverbs 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ
Hebrews 13:16 Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.
Have you ever had your heart touched when a stranger gives a big smile and lets you step in front of him at the cash register? Or when someone calls or sends a card when you’ve been feeling blue to say they are thinking of you or how thankful they are you are in their life? Or a neighbor volunteers to take care of your pets when you are going to be away for an extended time, maybe an overnight or two?
There are many good and kind people in our lives. I am so often touched by others—strangers or friends, and am so thankful for their benevolent gestures. Frequently, I say a quick prayer for someone who has touched me by doing a something thoughtful or nice. People are so kind, and although I am sure they are appreciative of hearing a ‘thank you’ for something they have done, I say a quick prayer they receive something they need, something important to them. I have no idea if the prayer is answered right away, but I know God answers prayers, and my good wishes for them are brought about in a manner which they need.
Sometimes I wish I knew what occurs for these folks, mostly strangers I’ve prayed for. I would love to know how God answered the prayer sent up as a means of thanking the person who showed me a kindness. There is no question to my mind God answers my plea for the person. But sometimes, I would like knowing how it was answered.
But in truth I will never know the outcome. However, it never stops me from uttering a plea in their behalf, and believing God will honor that for them. It is just a means of acknowledging the kindness. I hope there are others who have sent up prayers in my behalf. And I have to believe that probably is so since I have many blessings in my life.
Thank You, God, for all You have given me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Job 17:9 Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.
Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presecne only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
1 Timothy 4:15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.
Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard my self as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgettinbg what liwa behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
While researching for this blog post, I found a great article. It was in Crosswalk.com, written by Jennifer Heerin entitled God is Pleased by our Progress not Perfection published January 27, 2017. I’m so thankful I found it.
Do you make commitments to change something on New Year’s? Very rarely have I dont that. Mostly because I make a “habit” of changing something throughout the year….and usually fail and revert back to the old before very long. For example, I smoked for several years. I would pick a favorite number and decide to quit on that numbered day of a certain month. There was extra certainty if that number landed on a Monday—first day of a new work week, so that much power in the date chosen. Nope, could just as easily fail.
I generally was not controlled enough to stick with my improvement decisions for long. So, if I could not stick to it on regular days, why would I risk a bigger fail choosing to change something in the New Year? There are still areas I work on and try to become better at, or give up things that arfe less healthy for me to deal with, and I believe that will be a life long process. But certainly, and thankfully, smoking is no longer on that list. There are a few other things that have been mastered over the years, but again, not given up on that brand new start of a new year.
I do try to choose a word for each new year. I want a word that will remind me I need to grow and improve in an area. A couple years ago, I chose ‘open’ as I needed to be more open to other ideas and be able to show them the truth in the Word; and I also needed to try to force myself to be approachable as well as more easy approaching others. For decades, I allowed whatever to hold me back from greeting and seeking others. (Yuck, how much did I lose with THAT behavior?) However, it was work and a great effort for me to push away from my shyness, hesitancy, and nerves. And when I would feel myself holding back, hesitating, or even getting ready to retreat, the Holy Spirit would remind me of the word ‘open.’
In all honesty, occasionally I would retreat, get to my car, then scold, tell myself to stop being a ninny, and go back in…and I’d go back in. And always had a pleasant experience. Imagine that! There were other times, when remembering my word and my intent for the year, I’d go forward and the warmth of another was a “reward” in a way. (Not a big deal for most others, but it was a chore for me to go forward and not choose to duck out.). My relationships with others grew, I gained some confidence, and had some real nice experiences.
So, this year, I will choose a word that is pertinent and see what the following of that will bring. It’s a way for me to see progress, writing the word, remonding myself of the word, and following His lead.
So, just a thought, but do you do anything special for a new year? Happy New Year to all with abundant blessings.
Thank You, Lord, for all You do for ‘me and my bellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!