I am challenging myself this week. I hate that I tear someone down when I feel threatened or the possibility of being hurt. I think and/or say not nice words in order to feel better about myself and protect myself. This is the "make them hurt before they hurt you" attitude. This is a struggle I have been dealing with for over 6 years. I have a bad habits formed from past family issues.
So my challenge is when I feel the need to put someone down in my mind or verbally, I will turn to prayer for them and myself. Our situations are God allowed and if I turn from my falleness and seek Gods counsel, wisdom and His ways I will be transformed from my sin. So please pray for me as I seek to be more Christ like.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A friends example
I have to admit that I am being blessed by my friends trials. I am not bragging by telling you this but letting you know that in your own struggles, others can be blessed by them.
My friend Kelly and her family have been having more than their fair share of struggling for answers. They have been trying to buy a house for years now. Nothing has worked out for them. House after house, hope after hope have come and gone and still nothing. I think she is close to touring almost 400 houses by now!!! Even though houses come and go, Kelly knows that God is sovereign and everything is done according to His will. This is not an easy doctrine to accept (believe me) but when you put your full trust in God and accept that He is in control and nothing is left up to chance, then there is a peace within the pain and disappointment. It has been a blessing to me to know their family but it has also be such a blessing to see their steadfast love and faith in the Lord.
I am a follower of Kelly's blog and check it daily. I have to admit that I have never met someone like her. Most of my friends are less mature in their faith than I am. So it nice to see someone who is on a similar level. It is because of this I am learning so much about God and myself through Kelly's situations. She often posts about her hardships and struggles with finding a home to buy and I am encouraged by her faith in God and His providence. The other night I was thinking about her family and my heart ached for them. I always want to leave a comment of encouragement on her blog but I always want to put thought into my comments. Her problems deserve more than a generic comment. The struggles are real, their faith is deep and they deserve a thoroughly thought out Godly response. (I am sorry Kelly that I never post them :( ) It takes me days of praying and listening for those words of encouragement to come to me....sometimes they never do. So the other night while I was again struggling with what to say the words "I am sorry" popped into my head. This perplexed me!!! Why would I say I am sorry?? Yes I am sorry that they are suffering and want to know God's answers too, but He WILL provide for them. He will keep them safe, protect them and guide them where he wants them to be. It dawned on me that to tell them "I am sorry" means to completely go against God's soveriegnty. God is in control and perhaps right now, even though her family is ready for a house, their house is not ready for them. So until that time comes, they have to wait. Tests, trials and suffering are the life a Christian, but when your eyes and hearts are focused on the one thing that matters most......a soverign God, our bumpy unsure road is easier to walk down.
So Kelly......I am sorry that you are awaiting your answers and you are having bumps in your road, but God is great and you are going through these things for a purpose. We don't know or understand the whys and hows (yet), but I am so looking forward to seeing your rewards after these times pass. God can do wonderful things and I truly am excited to see Him glorified in this process.
Even though this is a tough time, please know that you are not alone. My heart aches for you and I wish I could make things better. I hate to see others suffering but I do know that through our suffering it draws us closer to Jesus. I can only pray that when the tough times come my way, I have the same grace, strength and faith as you do. Thank you for being an encouragement and a great witness to me.
You are always in my prayers my dear sweet friend :) Love you Kelly.
My friend Kelly and her family have been having more than their fair share of struggling for answers. They have been trying to buy a house for years now. Nothing has worked out for them. House after house, hope after hope have come and gone and still nothing. I think she is close to touring almost 400 houses by now!!! Even though houses come and go, Kelly knows that God is sovereign and everything is done according to His will. This is not an easy doctrine to accept (believe me) but when you put your full trust in God and accept that He is in control and nothing is left up to chance, then there is a peace within the pain and disappointment. It has been a blessing to me to know their family but it has also be such a blessing to see their steadfast love and faith in the Lord.
I am a follower of Kelly's blog and check it daily. I have to admit that I have never met someone like her. Most of my friends are less mature in their faith than I am. So it nice to see someone who is on a similar level. It is because of this I am learning so much about God and myself through Kelly's situations. She often posts about her hardships and struggles with finding a home to buy and I am encouraged by her faith in God and His providence. The other night I was thinking about her family and my heart ached for them. I always want to leave a comment of encouragement on her blog but I always want to put thought into my comments. Her problems deserve more than a generic comment. The struggles are real, their faith is deep and they deserve a thoroughly thought out Godly response. (I am sorry Kelly that I never post them :( ) It takes me days of praying and listening for those words of encouragement to come to me....sometimes they never do. So the other night while I was again struggling with what to say the words "I am sorry" popped into my head. This perplexed me!!! Why would I say I am sorry?? Yes I am sorry that they are suffering and want to know God's answers too, but He WILL provide for them. He will keep them safe, protect them and guide them where he wants them to be. It dawned on me that to tell them "I am sorry" means to completely go against God's soveriegnty. God is in control and perhaps right now, even though her family is ready for a house, their house is not ready for them. So until that time comes, they have to wait. Tests, trials and suffering are the life a Christian, but when your eyes and hearts are focused on the one thing that matters most......a soverign God, our bumpy unsure road is easier to walk down.
So Kelly......I am sorry that you are awaiting your answers and you are having bumps in your road, but God is great and you are going through these things for a purpose. We don't know or understand the whys and hows (yet), but I am so looking forward to seeing your rewards after these times pass. God can do wonderful things and I truly am excited to see Him glorified in this process.
Even though this is a tough time, please know that you are not alone. My heart aches for you and I wish I could make things better. I hate to see others suffering but I do know that through our suffering it draws us closer to Jesus. I can only pray that when the tough times come my way, I have the same grace, strength and faith as you do. Thank you for being an encouragement and a great witness to me.
You are always in my prayers my dear sweet friend :) Love you Kelly.
Monday, April 26, 2010
A New Chapter
Today begins a new chapter in my life. Today I turn 30!!! I know, many of you will probably say it is only 30, you are not old but I have been blessed with this weird infatuation with numbers and for some reason 30 just "doesn't feel right". I probably make turning 30 sound more traumatic than the transition will actually be. I think the only hard part is actually saying those words.....I am 30!
I have been really encouraged over this past week by my friends. My best bud Amy pointed out to me that not only is 30 going to be a great decade but it is off to a fantastic start (ie: party with my friends and a trip to Maui). Over the rest of that day Amy's words soaked in more and more and the veil was lifted from my eyes. This really IS going to be a great new chapter in my life. God used Amy to reveal heavenly truth to me. All will be okay and it is as if God yes, it is your birthday but look at what blessings and beauty you will get to enjoy in just one a short week, calm down and trust me. Yesterday God used someone else to speak to me, Pastor Will . During Sunday school he said, "the only reason you wake up each day is because God has something important for you to do still. If not, you would leave this earth and head to your heavenly home." With these two resonating reminders of God's grace and love, I woke up today with a new attitude. An attitude of gratefulness and a renewed spirit to seek a closer relationship with my Lord as well as a willing heart for the challenges and blessing that lie ahead.
So today I will hold my head proudly and admit it is my birthday because I am special and beautiful to God and he is not through with me yet. No, no, no, my ministry time is still ahead of me and that is exciting.
I want to leave you with one last thought. It's a neat quote I read years ago: "The beauty of a woman isn't who she is, but Whose she is." Amen to that!!!
I have been really encouraged over this past week by my friends. My best bud Amy pointed out to me that not only is 30 going to be a great decade but it is off to a fantastic start (ie: party with my friends and a trip to Maui). Over the rest of that day Amy's words soaked in more and more and the veil was lifted from my eyes. This really IS going to be a great new chapter in my life. God used Amy to reveal heavenly truth to me. All will be okay and it is as if God yes, it is your birthday but look at what blessings and beauty you will get to enjoy in just one a short week, calm down and trust me. Yesterday God used someone else to speak to me, Pastor Will . During Sunday school he said, "the only reason you wake up each day is because God has something important for you to do still. If not, you would leave this earth and head to your heavenly home." With these two resonating reminders of God's grace and love, I woke up today with a new attitude. An attitude of gratefulness and a renewed spirit to seek a closer relationship with my Lord as well as a willing heart for the challenges and blessing that lie ahead.
So today I will hold my head proudly and admit it is my birthday because I am special and beautiful to God and he is not through with me yet. No, no, no, my ministry time is still ahead of me and that is exciting.
I want to leave you with one last thought. It's a neat quote I read years ago: "The beauty of a woman isn't who she is, but Whose she is." Amen to that!!!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Blessings in Abundance
On Sunday afternoon I received phone call from my sister, asking me if my trip was paid for, would I fly to Maui to attend her wedding and walk her down the aisle (or beach). I couldn't believe what I was hearing because I had research the cost of Tyler and I flying going there and it just wasn't possible. Now I have a free trip to see my little sister get married. I couldn't turn that opportunity down even if that meant that Tyler would have to stay behind. Not my ideal situation but we couldn't afford me to go let alone both of us. So I said yes!!!!!!However God was not done with us that day. I started looking at packages, hotels, air fair, and after a few phone calls God provided a paid trip for both of us!!! Not only has our lives reflected this but alone over these past three days God has provided for us and blessed us in abundance. We are so undeserving of this trip but I will graciously and joyfully receive His blessings and have a great time :)
These events have been a true testament to God's love, mercy and blessings not only to myself but also to my husband, my sister, her soon to be husband, his family and our family and friends.
God is great and I look forward to being a witness to all the glorious things God has waiting for us.
These events have been a true testament to God's love, mercy and blessings not only to myself but also to my husband, my sister, her soon to be husband, his family and our family and friends.
God is great and I look forward to being a witness to all the glorious things God has waiting for us.
So Ka'anapali beach Maui, I eagerly wait to enjoy your heavenly beauty!!!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A new blog for me
Hi there. I am Alethea and this is my second blog. My first blog is our family blog and I don't really post my thought, feelings or theological ideas there, so today I decided to start this blog for me to post just those things.
I am excited to have a place to vent, to write about my struggles, praise God, minister and commune with other believers. I don't have any clear aspirations for A Pure Reflection but I pray that God will guide me in this journey. I hope you will enjoy my journey too!!
Welcome!!
I am excited to have a place to vent, to write about my struggles, praise God, minister and commune with other believers. I don't have any clear aspirations for A Pure Reflection but I pray that God will guide me in this journey. I hope you will enjoy my journey too!!
Welcome!!
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