ENJOYING LIFE MY WAY

Lately, I seem to be enjoying life more. I am not sure when it started, but I am just having a great time. No, I have not won the lottery. But I think in this year of not working, I have found me again and have fallen back in love with me.

I know I mentioned this a couple of months ago, but it is worth talking about again. We hear enough sad stories of lonliness and unhappiness. I would like share some of my joy.

I am still trying to find out what else I want to do, but I am not sad about not having all of the answers. There was a time when not knowing would have completely stressed me out.   But for some reason now, I am ok with where I am.

I am thankful for this inner peace that God has given me. I feel some where in my spirit, that He is preparing me for something great.  I am sure that some will not understand this peace that I have, but I am grateful for it and I am enjoying it.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to be so much to others, that we fail some times to value ourselves. Some of those closet to us tend to not understand us and tend to disappoint us. But I have found out, that God never disappoints us and He always understands our needs.

I have determined that when I keep my thoughts on Him, He gives me exactly what I need. I know for sure that He never gives me more than I can handle, because even when I thought I could not go on, I am still here.

So even if you are not where you think you should be on your journey, if you are reading this, then you are right where God needs you to be.

Let me know your thoughts... Keep the conversation going! Leave your comments by clicking on the "comments" link just below this post. Don't forget to share this with your facebook friends and follow me on twitter @askjema

Until next time
Be Blessed, Sisterfriend

Lemons, Grapes, Oranges, Apples

In life we are told, 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade'. Why are we never told to make 'grape juice' out of grapes? Or 'orange juice' out of oranges? Or 'apple juice' out of apples?  Is it because grapes, oranges and apples are sweet tasting whether eaten alone or made into a juice?  Is it because lemons are considered to be a 'bitter tasting' fruit when eaten alone, but when squeezed to its core, it makes something tasty?

Is this the lesson, that when we are 'squeezed' to our core, we still turn out ok?  I believe this.  I know when I am pushed, my product is better at the end.  My husband has a unique way of getting to my core when we are working on something. I don't like the process, but I love the results.

So I guess that is why we make lemonade from the lemon.  I am sure the lemon doesn't like the pushing, and rubbing, and rolling, and cutting and finally the squeezing. But when it is all over, and you add a little sweetness to cut through the bitterness, you have a pretty good product.

This is life. Things don't always come in the package that we like, but when we work at it, we end up with something great.  Can you imagine the face of the person that created lemon juice and then eventually lemonade?  How labor intensive that process was? I doubt that the lemonade drink we enjoy today was accepted immediately.  But they kept squeezing and squeezing until they got it right.

That is how God works.  He sometimes has to take us to the very core of our existence to get out of us what He wants to use.  It doesn't feel good.  Sometimes I feel misused, misunderstoond, isolated, bruised (both physically and emotionally) and mistreated.  In my mind, I am wondering, 'does it take all of this', 'does it have to hurt so much'?

The short answer is yes. To get the best tasting lemonade, you have squeeze a lot of lemons to get the right mixture. It doesn't matter what you add to it, at the core, at the base of it all, it is the processing of the lemons that makes the lemonade. 

Let me know your thoughts... Keep the conversation going! Leave your comments by clicking on the "comments" link just below this post.  Don't forget to share this with your facebook friends and follow me on twitter  @askjema
Until next time
Be Blessed, Sisterfriend

Do You Feel Worthy?

I love the fact that it is my faith in God that sustains me and not my faith in myself. I am not sure about any one else, but I sometimes let myself down. I sometimes don't always finish what I start. I sometimes get distracted and forget what I am suppose to be doing. I sometimes get bored with 'MY' plan, and create something else to do. I sometimes just stop caring and thus will stop doing. Does this happen to any one else?

I am glad that even when I stop being true and faithful to myself, God does not. He maintains His position. He stays in His lane. He is there from beginning to end. Even when I change lanes, fall behind, take the wrong turn, or just stop completely, He is there. For that I am forever grateful.

I am glad that everyday that He awakens me, gives me another day to finish what I have started and what He has started in me. There are some days that I get discouraged because it doesn't seem as if things are moving fast enough. There are some days I don't feel worthy to even have another chance. However, all days I am grateful and thankful that He loves me more than I love myself.

I continue to grow in accepting God's love for me. It is so awesome and so powerful, that I am thankful that He deems me special enough to receive it. So for that I say thank you.

Let me know your thoughts... Keep the conversation going! Leave your comments by clicking on the "comments" link just below this post. Don't forget to share this with your facebook friends and follow me on twitter @askjema

Until next time
Be Blessed, Sisterfriend