Today's Forecast: The *weather is a changing*

The weather is a changing.
What is brewing in my body?
some partly cloudy days
and rays of pain seem so naughty.

The weather is a changing.
I feel it in the air. 
The moisture stabs my skin
and it's a caution to beware.

The weather is a changing
My skin is crawling off its shell.
My muscles are wanting to scream
and my bones complain, "o well".

The weather is a changing
More sleepless nights to endure
because my hands and feet are burning.
My vision and dreams are such a a blurr.

The weather is a changing.
There's burning in my head to my feet;
neck, hands, and back;
nothing is lacking with this pain of heat.

The weather is a changing.
I have to deal with fibro fits.
All of my body is hurting, 
and even both of my arm pits.

The weather is a changing.
I have to keep my spirits up high 
because this fibro can throw you for a loop
and make you want to cry.

The weather is a changing.
Sometimes the rain is out and tears flow,
so I have to keep my umbrella handy
and hold it tight, so with the wind, I don't blow.

The weather is a changing.
Days like this, make me lean on God more
because the pain has increased;
and is intense even more than before.

The weather is a changing.
I know it's hard to comprehend,
yet I wanted you to know 
that through all of this, God does lend.

The weather is a changing.
He gives me strength to en-dure
and the people he sends me
helps me and lifts me up, for sure.




The weather is a changing.
It brought me closer to Him, that's true.

It made me lean on God so much more;

especially when I feel oh so blue.


The weather is a changing.
I guess, my character needed refreshing, no doubt.
My heart knew so much pain
and the weather changed my life's plan and route.


God thank you for the weather a changing.
I know that you know I deal with so much.
Please give me strength, give me peace,
and God, I thank you for your special touch.






Chronic Pain and Fibromyaligia awareness.
People with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Chronic Pain Syndrome like I have tend to feel a lot of pain if the barometric pressure changes, the temperature changes, or if there is any moisture in the air. If there is any humidity of moisture in the air, it could be our worst enemy. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially on those days. Thank you


Note: all pictures are by Expressive Praise

I Thank God for All My Senses*

I try to thank God
when I smell something awful,
like sewage or burned popcorn
because that means I have my sense of smell.

I try to thank God
when I see graffiti on the walls
or watch as the thick smog we breathe rolls on in
because that means I have my sense of sight.

I try to thank God
for painful jaw joint procedures
or when I have burnt my finger or had a paper cut
because that means I have my sense of touch.

I try to thank God
for the roaring sound of the ambulances that pass by
or having to wear ear plugs because of my ear sensitivity
because that means I have my sense of hearing.

I try to thank God
for the nasty medicine I sometimes have to take
or of sometimes the awful food that my tongue can't handle
because that means I have my sense of taste.

I may complain at times because of the strange or awful senses I have experienced, Yet I do thank you God that I can smell, see, feel, hear, and taste. Some people are not as fortunate. Thank you God that I have these senses.

Crazy OV Appts*

I went to my  M.D. or what they also call GP for a TX for my TMJ,  FS also known as M.E., and CPS. All he did was gave me a PX and another DX.

Awhile ago, he sends me to a Physio  because he thinks I need it..They give me a PX and turns out I don't need it anymore and I have been off of that Med since August of last year.  YAY...That Psych Dr wasn't too happy when I decided to get off of the med but once I did she was surprised that I was doing well... Yay for me for standing up for myself.

I tell the G.P. that I am going to a D.C. and he thinks they don't work...Well, I would rather go to a D.C. with no meds and get relief weekly then have another med added to my list from GP. My Dr wasn't happy when I got off the px I did last year...

One med gives you side effects and then you end up taking another med to get rid of those side effects...So yes I got off of 4 meds last year. Yay Me...lol

 So I have been going to my D.C. and he was nice enough to give me actual TX that really helps, with and adj, plus hooked me up to the EST, or was it the IST equipment, and other TX..


If you can understand this, then you are either in the medical field or you have been to the doctors way too much, like me. lol.

Fibromyalgia Poem*...What We Deal With*

Fibromyalgia is no doubt a pain.
You may feel like you are going insane.
Your skin hurts to touch
Your brain is not alert, that much.
The pain is so intense and excruciating everywhere,
and even your skin feels like it's crawling and hard to bear.

The vision is blurred, doubled, or even spotted
and the neck and back muscles, are all knotted.
Your head may hurt and feel like it will explode;
the pressure is so intense and feels like a huge load.
Your brain is so numb, unclear, and foggy
and if you didn't sleep well, you may be groggy.

Pain in the hands and feet increase when the weather changes
and runs through the body in different ranges.
Then there is the snap, crackle, and pop of the TMJ jaw syndrome
and it's even affected by the food you intake, from going out or eating at home.
We don't know what a good night sleep is all about
and it's hard to handle and not focus, no doubt.

The skin may itch all over your body and all you want to do is scratch,
and your immune system is lower, so sickness, you may catch.
The muscles spasms are no laughing matter;
they make everything worse, even the bladder.
Then there are the sensitivities to food, allergies, meds, and more.
Sorry if all these many symptoms, to you, are a bore.
But this is what we deal with on a regular basis
and we try to be our self and put on different faces.
We try to smile, yet there are days that it hurts to even do that.
Then there is the IBS that causes bloating and make us look pregnant or fat.
It is so embarrassing at times, with all that we have to put up with
and people say Fibromyalgia is all in our head, but that's such a myth.


We just want people to believe in us
and not to make a huge fuss.
We so want to live a regular life without pain
yet our daily challenges keep our energy drained.
So please take us seriously, we have feelings too.
Stand with us when we are happy or feeling blue.
Encourage us, pray for us, and help out when you can.
We need your support, your love, and to be our big fan.
Cheer us on, encourage us, so we don't feel alone,
by emailing, texting, visiting, or calling on the phone.


We appreciate all the encouragement we can get
yet if this is too much for you to handle, don't fret.
But PLEASE do not minimize what we go through,
because everyday it feels like we have the flu.
Think of going through body aches, weakness, and of the worst cases.
Well, that is what we deal with and even more, on a regular basis.

Fibro buddies, keep your chin up and breathe in fresh air;
Look up into the sky, and remember someone does care.
There is the God of the Heaven who knows what you go through.
He knows when you are having a hard time and feeling blue.
He has an unconditional love for you, He wants to share.
Acknowledge Him because He loves you and does care.
I  totally understand what you all go through
because I have a list of health issues along with Fibromyalgia too.

Poem By Expressive Praise 4/1/2013 (12 am)

(all pictures are from photobucket.com)

Cloud Therapy* (in Memory of Debbie Hodson)*

Cloud Therapy. 

There is something about looking up into the sky and seeing white, puffy clouds.  It is very relaxing and peaceful.  My dear friend, the late Debbie Hodson, loved to talk about looking up into the clouds and thinking about God's great love.  In 2008, when she was going through chemo therapy due to cancer, I made her a fleece blanket.  It was sky blue with white puffy clouds all over it.  I have been wanting to make more of them but for some reason I cannot find that same material in the stores that used to sell them.  I guess I should have listened to my mom and bought that material when we had that idea several years ago.  

I miss Debbie and I am still reminded of God's love when I look into the clouds. I imagine that she is having the time of her life as she is totally in God's presence without any pain... I wrote this poem in honor of her:

When the pain is so great and times are so tough

and you don't think you can make it, because life is so rough,

Look up into the clouds, high in the sky

as they are sitting still or passing by.

When the clouds are pure and inviting and are white as a dove

they are a small reminder of God's great and awesome love.

When it is overcast and the clouds seem, oh so gray

remember God isn't leaving; He is here to stay.

When all the clouds seem to have disappeared and want to hide

Remember if you do not see God, He is still always at your side.

so if you are having a sad moment or some major uncertainty

Lift your chin up, look up at the clouds, and remember God's cloud therapy.

I originally wrote this poem on February 18, 2009. Also the picture of the dove is a copy of the oil painting I painted in 2011 called "The Holy Spirit is our Comforter." The original painting is displayed at the Loma Linda Children's Hospital in Loma Linda, CA. It is in the children's cancer ward (infusion room). With a help of a friend, we donated it to inspire children who are going through cancer treatments and for their parents who need encouragement too.

To My Fellow Pain Buddies*

To those of you who have Chronic Pain or Fibro, this post is for you:

I'm so glad you all are in this group...I wish you all didn't have to suffer but I feel a new bond of support because we all seem to go through the same things. You all are my new fibro buddies....or should I say the msd's "moist-sensitive buddies" or the bpf's "barometric pressure friends"...whatever we call our selves, I wish we didn't have to go through the horrific pains and other health issues that go along with it...

I have learned through all this pain, to encourage others since I know what it is to be in various types of pains....To all of you...I hope and pray you have a great day...with more strength to do what you have to do, the courage to face the day...and to remember to take care of your self whether it is hot packs, Epsom salt baths, relaxing, or doing whatever you have to do to take the edge off.

Some of the most frustrating things we deal with is not being able to do what we want to do when we want to do it.  I did whatever I could yesterday to take care of myself so that I would be able to go to church..I took the Epsom salt bath, used the massager and the healax,  rested, and stretched but all night I suffered in pain.  It can be so frustrating to not do simple things like going to church.  It is good to go out and socialize and be connected with people yet it is so hard when pain has got me down. So it is a breath of fresh air to know I have you all on my team.

I know you all know what I mean because you deal with it daily too.  Remember to take care of yourself. Plus try to find an outlet for your pain.  I paint and do creative writing to help me forget the pain I am in and to focus on other things. I also have to lean on God for his strength because I would go nuts if I didn't.


Dear God
I pray for my new fibro friends in the support group.  You know what we all are going through. I ask for a healing in our lives, to take away this excruciating pain.Yet I know if that is not your will, I pray you give us strength to be able to get up, face the day, help us to take care of what we need to in our lives, and help us to be able to get out of the house when we are in so much pain so we don't seclude ourselves.  God, you are the God who saw Jesus die on that cross thousands of years ago.  You even heard Jesus cry in the garden of Gethsemane before he was on the cross, "Lord, please take this cup from me. Yet Let your will be done."  It was your will for him to die on the cross to take away our sins. and He ended up being raised from the dead and is alive and well...

 Lord I ask for your healing...Yet if you do not heal us, I ask you to show us what your will is for us. Thank you that you have brought us this far. I know I couldn't have lived with all this pain, without your unconditional love and strength... God, please touch each of my fibro buddies today and everyday and if anyone of them is mad at you for not taking the pain away, please help them through it.  I know that I used to be angry with you for not healing me but now I know I have a purpose in my life to help others...Help them through the hurt, the angry, and the frustrations, but most of all help them through the pain so that they can lean on you for love, grace, strength and hope like I have.....Thank you
Amen


Fibro buddies, have a blessed day...Remember to take one day at a time... Live second to second...We are strong people to have to deal with all this pain...Remember we are conquerors...


note: portrait picture taken by  Expressive Praise
Dove painting painted by  Expressive Praise

I Need Rams and Bulls*

I was reading the first half of Numbers 23:1-3 and I could not help but laugh because of my big, creative imagination. Read this scripture and then I will explain.

Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”  Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height."

etc...

First of all Balaam tells Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” First I am assuming he has to get the animals before he can sacrifice them.  I am picturing Balak trying to catch seven bulls and seven rams..  He decides to gather some of his friends to help him. Some of them chickened out and asked, "Are you crazy or what?" Yet Balak insisted that he needed these animals so he can hear from God.

So he gathers about 5 of the strongest men he knows.  

(photobucket.com)

"One by one they capture the rams. Okay 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...yes they are all here. We have captured 7 rams. Okay now we need 7 bulls." 

He and his friends head over to where the bulls are.

Have you seen a bull lately? They are not the most gentle animals out there. And you must never make them mad, is what I gathered when watching a bull fight on TV awhile ago.  

(wikipedia.org)

Picture Balak getting ready. He has made a loop in his rope and has it ready to catch the big bull. He throws the lassoed rope and misses the bull. He gathers up the rope again and throws it again. Missed again.

The next thing you know, the bull is running towards him. Balak is getting all hot and sweaty...He is gritting his teeth because this bull won't cooperate and he is thinking as he is running down the field: "Man, I have to get seven of these." He yells for his macho friends to help...They are doing the best they can by lassoing their own ropes and swinging them toward the bull. Yet they keep missing.

The next thing you know is that there are 10 bulls running down the field in their direction.  All the men are scattered in the field running for their lives. They each finally get to the same spot, yet out of breath. The older guy asks Balak how badly does he need these bulls...Balak tells him that he really needs them. Another guy pipes in and says that he knows of a place in the city next over where they can buy the 7 bulls. They all decided unanimously that they will just go buy the 7 bulls in the next city over.

Balak finally presents the 7 rams and 7 bulls to Ballam to sacrifice.

I have just given you a picture of what might have happened at the beginning of Numbers 23... Some of the stories in the Bible, we have to speculate what happened because, they do not tell all of the details. Like this story you just read, Ballam tells Balak to sacrifice 7 rams and 7 bulls; he doesn't say how he was going to get the animals that he had to sacrifice. Just picture yourself in that situation and see where it takes you.

The rest of the story you will have to read on your own to find out what happened...

Check out Numbers 23 from www.biblegateway.com 

Are you like a Cat?*

I have noticed that my cat Buttons has a mind of his own. Buttons comes to me when he is hungry, when he wants love, and when he wants to play yet ignores me when he wants to, like when I want to pet him. Yet he always comes running when I am cooking or if I give him his food.  He comes to me when he wants attention, like when he wants me to pet his long-haired fur. Many times, even in the middle of the night, he will meow to get my attention while I am asleep and wake me up, just for me to pet him.  I won't allow him on my bed, so I tend to sleepily, throw down my arm and try to find him in the darkest of night to stroke his gobs of fur.  During those times, he just starts purring as though he is content because he has made contact with me and then he will go off on his merry way. There are other times, I just ignore him because I am too tired to reach down to where he is even though he will be persistent in his meows. Sometimes I wake up with him just starring at me while sitting beside my bed.  I wonder how long he watches me.

During the day, I enjoy petting Buttons. He has this beautiful purr that touches my heart.  I like to cuddle him in my arms and pet him. I don't have children, so this is the next best thing, or is it? lol. Half of the time, he tries to jump out of my reach so I can't touch him when he doesn't want to be petted. Most of the time if he wants to be petted, he will come to me so I will pet him. I love it when he throws his body down, and lands belly up; it's my invitation to rub his belly.  Yet there are those times that he still wants to be rubbed but he will lay just far enough so I have to move closer to him so I can pet him... Even when I give him treats, at times, he will sit or lay close to me, yet far enough for me to have to reach him.  I decided he may be trying to play a game or outsmart me, so I put the treats where he has to move.  I have seen him become so lazy that he won't even get up; he will lay down while he eats his treats or food.

My cat can be a "scared-y" cat at times.  If I turn on the vacuum cleaner in the living room, he will run as fast as he can and go hide under the bed. Then when I am vacuuming the bedroom, I know he is under the bed and I know he will jump out and run to the living room.  He scares me at times when he jumps out from under the bed even though I know he will do it. It's like I know he is coming, but I never know just quite when. He hates those vacuum cleaners.

I have a recliner. I have to be careful with the recliner. Because when I pull the leverage to recline the chair, Buttons runs as fast as he can to the other room as though the recliner is alive. He is afraid of the mop, the broom, and even anyone that comes to the door. He will growl when he hears the doorbell ring.  I kind of feel sorry for the 15 lbs of fur.  I try to console him when he is afraid.

If I pet Buttons too much, he voices his complaint. If I don't pet him as much as he wants, he starts meowing even more. Yet I have learned to understand the different ways he meows to know what he wants. I know when He is hungry, doesn't want to be disturbed, when he is sick, wants attention, when he is afraid, wants to be petted, or just misses me.

The more I think about it, I realize that sometimes I am like Buttons. I go to God when I want something. I want him to nourish me, keep me healthy, and console me when I am afraid. I want him to take care of my needs and my wants when I want them taken care of.  I know there are times that I do not want to be bothered, don't want to pray, don't want to do what God wants me to do, and I even will vocalize my complaints to him. I may do everything else that I think I am supposed to do while I am in God's presence but then I realize I haven't shut off the Internet, the cell phone, Facebook,  the radio, and maybe the TV.

Today, I had to make a special effort. I turned off everything for 1 hour and had a candle light dinner with God. I realized that my mind was racing because of all the advertisements I had seen today. All the bright lights that are on the high-tech things I own felt like it was making my brain literally light up.  Then I had all these ideas running through my brain of all the to-do-lists of things like, I have to check my emails, my Facebook, my Blog, and all the other stuff I do with all these high-tech things I own and use daily. I had to keep refocusing on God and his presence.

 I realized I haven't been spending a lot of quiet time with God. I am either reading about Him, writing about Him, etc...but I haven't had quiet time with him. So again, I turned the high tech things off, and decided to spend more time with God. I decided to lay face down on the ground, and pray.  I  sensed God tell me to just keep silent before the Lord before I spoke a prayer to Him.  The only thing I heard was the buzzing sound from the air purifier in my living room. I remember thinking, wow this is so nice and peaceful as I had my head face down on the blue pillow I had on the carpet.  But then I started to think about other things.  

Like I said earlier,  it  is so easy to get consumed with all this stuff now-a-days.  I remember when I was younger, I used to just think about like what is for dinner, or what is on my to-do-lists when I would try to pray and I would have to refocus.  Yet now it seems like it is so much harder to focus on God even when praying. I try to pray through out the day when I am doing things around the house or even when I go out, I acknowledge God in my mind and heart daily.  Yet I noticed I need to get back to having more quiet times with God.

Well, there I was, I finally was refocused on God. Then next thing you know, I felt a plop. Well, if anyone could hear a plop, I could...I look up from the blue pillow that I was leaning on to find Buttons' back, right at my face.  I told you he has a mind of his own. I began to pet him, and of course, he started purring. But then I realized, I had stopped praying and lost my focus on God and started to pet Buttons.  It was then that I realized I am a lot like this cat when it comes to doing what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants to do things. It is so easy to get distracted when praying. Well, I stopped petting the pile of fluff that was in front of my face and started praying to God.  

I love Buttons so much, and I know he loves me. He knows that I will take care of him.  God loves me so much, and I love Him and yes, I know that He will take care of me. When I go to touch Buttons, I realize that God reaches out to me, just as much, and even more. When I hear Buttons purring his contentment. It reminds me that God knows how much I love him. He hears my delightful heart.  But then again, when I know Buttons is ignoring me or wanting to do things his way, it makes me realize that God knows when we ignore Him and want to do things are own way. It is hard, but I need to stop acting like a cat, and really focus my attention on my God who loves me and takes care of me just like I take care of my cat.  

All pictures of Buttons where taken by Expressive Praise. 

The Spoon Theory-Christine*

Please read this post about "The Spoon Theory."  I didn't write it but I thought it will help you understand people who go through chronic pain, cancer, or other health issues that are hard to deal with... There are so many people with tremendous health concerns and the thing that would mean the world to them, is for you to understand them better.

A lady named  Christine Miserandino came up with this story "The Spoon Theory"  for her friends to help them understand what she goes through daily.

One of the hardest things about dealing with silent chronic illnesses that no one can see, is that people tend to not understand or don't believe the person is in pain.

I even have had a lot of people tell me that they didn't think I was in pain or felt sick all of the time because I do not look like it a lot or do not always complain about it.  They think the only time I am in pain is when I complain about it. Yet they don't realize that if I complain about it, that is usually when the pain is severe at that moment. For example: Besides Fibromyalgia (the silent illness), one of the many things I deal with is headaches. I have had headaches for 18 years; it lasts every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every month, and every year. Yet every now and then I might say my head hurts, but I only complain about the headache when it has increased greatly.

If you dislike it when people talk or complain about pain, then just bare with me, while you read the article please.  If you are one of those people who deal with the silent, chronic illness or pain, then you will totally understand the story. My definition of a silent illness is  having an illness that is painful with numerous problems, yet most of the time you can not tell by looking at me that I am in a lot of pain or that I have anything wrong with me. That is why I am encouraging people to read the spoon theory from But You Don't Look Sick.

This story is well written and it will mean a lot to me if you read it.... Please feel free to comment on it too. "Please take the time to read Christine Miserandino’s personal story and analogy of what it is like to live with sickness or disability. "

click on this link to read about "The Spoon Theory" : 
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

pictures and quote above are from
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

Do you ever wonder why?*

Why do bus drivers wear seat belts and no one else in the bus does?

Why do Internet users have to pay to block porn? and why is porn free? Shouldn't it be the other way around? 

Why did the CA zoo pay millions of dollars on an elephant exhibit upgrade when there is a financial crisis and the money could have been spent else where, like on humans?

Why do athletes or movies stars get paid millions of dollars while a teacher seems underpaid?

Why does it cost so much money to deliver a baby yet to get an abortion is inexpensive?

Why do parents get notified before giving shots or birth control to a teenager, but keep it a secret when an abortion is involved?

Why do some people have "dry eye" yet they can produce so many tears (when crying)?

Why do you have to "press '1' now for English" when listening to an automated message when calling a company.  We live in the USA, shouldn't it just stay on English, and if you want another language "press 1 now."

Why is their braille on the bank's drive up window?

Why is their braille on the bathroom door? A blind person still has to search the door to find the braille, and it's not always easy to find?

Who was the first person that invented kitty litter? Was the first domestic cat's potty found in some dusty, sandy pile of tiny rocks?

Why do cans of beverages have serving sizes? Everyone knows that one person will drink the whole can.  Why don't they just say like it is, that the whole can contains 46 oz of sugar instead of 23 oz of sugar yet it is 2 servings. Just say it is one serving of 46 oz of sugar.


Why do we have middle names? Is it only to be used for when we get in trouble as a child?

There are so many "whys" in the world. What have you thought about before? Write your question in  the comment section.

Enjoying Simple Pleasures.*

The other day there was a post on my apartment door saying that the maintenance would be turning off the water in the building due to plumbing repairs. 
I thought, "no problemo." Yes sometimes I think in Spanish, and every now and then French, Japanese, and Thai. I am a multicultural kind of lady... I learned French in High School; Japanese in, how do you say it, oh yes, Japan. I lived there for under 4 yrs, and then I tried to learn some Thai from my Thai relatives...I can positively say, I wasn't good at learning Thai. lol Just ask my middle niece, she would probably love to tell you the truth about me. She tried teaching me Thai several years back...

Okay so back to my story....I thought I would be okay. Since I hadn't left the house for 2 days or opened the front door; I assumed the post was for that day that just passed.  So after I read it, I wadded it up and went to my neighbor's place and threw it away. No, I don't always throw things away at my neighbor's apartment, but I was on the way to her place after I took the note off my door.

The next morning

...I had to go to the doctor and also go to a shoe store. Well, I jump out of bed to go brush my teeth, and lo and behold, there is NO water coming out of the sink...hmmm. So I try the other sink, which happens to be in the kitchen...and yup, nothing at all...then I remembered that the notice did say that the water would be off on October 16, so I check my calendar...and another "lo and behold" moment happened. Yes, you guess it, it was Oct 16.  

So I am thinking, "man I really need to freshen up and get ready for my appts, and I really could use a shower."....and then a light bulb hits my head...yes in my life, light bulbs don't hover over my head, they hit it...I then remember the "Emergency" water I have stashed in the closet...I try to keep water handy just in case of an emergency...I know in other countries this is not considered an emergency, but it is for me...

Okay so I get a pitcher, a bowl, and the gallon of water out.
I rinse my electric toothbrush, tongue cleaner, and toothbrush for my retainer.
Brush teeth; brush tongue; brush retainer.
Rinse mouth out. 
Rinse toothpaste off of toothbrushes, retainer, and tongue cleaner.

Rinse face.
Wash face. 
Rinse face again.
Cool...no problemo....I am doing good.

So now I move my pitcher, a bowl, and the gallon of water (which is no longer a gallon) to the tub.
I take an old fashioned shower with a bucket of water.
I think, "man, I put too much shampoo in my hair;" it is still too soapy...

I try to rinse hair again. I thought I put pitcher of water over head, but it just poured down the drain. I felt so bad...I need that water and what a waste...that water didn't even touch me. "Waaaaiiiiittttt, I need youuuuuuuuuu..."
Rinse hair again.

There is still shampoo in my hair...
Rinse hair again.
Water all gone...

Man, I don't have enough water to use my hair conditioner treatment. Oh well, I can survive without it today.
I usually use water to rinse tub when I am done...not to mention the drain... I guess it all can wait...

1 gallon of water, completely gone...

I have been so spoiled living in the USA...That's just 1 gallon of water gone and yet it made me think of how much water I usually use when I take a shower, wash dishes, etc...

I remember taking a Mexico trip to Tecate with the Full Service Youth from First Assembly of God church (now known as North Hills). It was hard having the well water rationed at the Orphanage that we helped, for about 5 days; not to mention the lack of plumbing for the toilets. They had around 5 porta-potties outside for us...I do have to confess though, that I did find a running toilet and used it......Thankfully I was able to help clean inside the group homes for the children, yet I saw the other youth leaders and students that I came with, arrive at our housing completely dirty from helping mix cement, or something like that, in the heat of the sun. We all needed showers so we would be fresh and clean for when we would help minister to the people out in the streets in a different part of the city. We weren't able to use the showers because the well was running dry at the time; although, they did let us use one small bucket of water, every other day. And boy, I was thankful for that. You know on that mission trip, someone told me to bring baby wipes because I could use them to freshen up...and boy do they work...I have never forgotten that mission trip about 7 years ago.

Here I am complaining about the 1 gallon of water I had to use the other day because of an inconvenience...yet it reminded me of how thankful I am for all the necessities I do have. I may not own a car or a home, but I have running water, a running toilet, plumbing, a comfy bed, electricity, food for my cat and I, a roof over my head and other things that I enjoy like painting supplies for my art work, dvds, TV, extra pillows and blankets, etc...

Thank you God for simple pleasures...and thank you God, that I live in the good USA. Please forgive me for all the times I complain. Lord, thank you!!!

p.s. To all my friends who have laughed at me for keeping "emergency" water; it came in handy...and I even had the softest hair that day without the hair conditioner.


(This was written in Oct 2012)

Just A Simple Poem*

My Lord, my God,
I learn of you
through books, church, friends, and listening to you.

My Lord, my God,
I live for you
with my heart, soul and even my mind too.

My Lord, my God,
I worship you
at church, at home, and through those songs of praise.

My Lord, my God,
I trust in you
and try to follow you in all your ways.


Thank you, My Lord and My God!


9/25/12  @ 1 am

God, You Made it All*

Oil Painting by Expressive Praise

God, You Made It All

You made the beautiful oceans,

the calming seas,

and the flowing rivers

that are in every nation.

You made the gorgeous blue skies,

the enormous trees,

and the blossoming flowers

that enhance your creation.

You made the amazing cheetahs,

to the smallest ant,

and all the various animals

that roam this big earth.

You made the tiniest person

to the tallest human,

and all those in between

who have been in the process of birth.

God, you made it all.

Your creativity is beyond my human imagination.

Your love of color and variety is everywhere you are.

You have painted the earth into existence.

No one else could do what you have done.

You are truly amazing.

8-20-12

2:45 am

What Do you Smell?*

God, you made the beautiful fragrance of blossoming flowers that enhance my senses.

You created our sense of smell to enjoy even the different foods we prepare.

You flood our souls with peace like rivers and unconditional love that is oh so good.

You have even made the hint of rain producing some kind of scent.

You created our nose to behold the most beautiful aromas of this world.

You made even our senses to enhance life so much more.

Even the smell of meat barbecued, outdoors, makes our mouth water.

Lord, thank you for thinking of even small things like this to pleasure us.

But God, why?  Why did you create the skunk?

Don’t you know that the skunk stinks?

Remember, you created the skunk to spray and be smelled for miles?

It’s not a pleasant aroma that feels my nostrils.

           

And yes, I am grateful that I have a sense of smell. 

Thank you that you made our senses to enhance life so much more.

Thank you that I can smell, see, hear, taste and touch.

I think the skunk was made to remind us....

Actually I can’t think of anything good that it could remind me of,

Except that I still have my sense of smell. (lol)

One time my friend and I saw a skunk coming towards the building;

We jumped out of our seats so fast. God, I bet you even chuckled that night.

Not only do you have all your senses, you have the best one of all...the sense of humor.

8-20-2012

3:30 am

Hmmm Interesting!*

 (photo by Expressive Praise)

Last night when I spent my alone time with God, I started thinking about how I should be 
more intimate with God. I tried thinking of people in the Bible I could research who had an intimate relationship with God and I could follow their example. You may think it sounds strange to ask about who has an intimate relationship with God because some people associate intimacy with their lover or sex. I am not talking about that kind of intimacy.  

In the Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus, it defines intimacy as very close or familiar; deep and thorough; and private or personal.

When I say I want an intimate relationship with God, I mean that I want a very close and deep relationship with Him.  I want to know Him more. What does God like? What does He desire for me? When one has an intimate relationship with someone, he/she will try to learn all about that person. What do they like? What are their goals or aspirations?  What are their hobbies? What do they do outside of work? Are they a Christian or are they totally against God? What is their favorite color?  What do they like to do for fun? What is their favorite meal? How do they like to spend quality time with you?  One can not learn about the other if they do not communicate to each other. 


I sometimes imagine God sitting beside me and talking to me. I try to sit still and listen to His quiet voice and then, I communicate with Him. I will tell Him things that I like about Him (praising Him) or I may share a need that I have for me or others (interceding). Other times I may just talk excitedly in my thoughts or out loud and just tell Him all the great things that are happening in my life. I know this may sound crazy because He already knows everything. Yet it's in those times that when we stop and communicate with God, that they may be the most precious moments we have with Him.  But if we are doing all the talking then we are missing out on LISTENING to HIM about HIS desires, HIS love, and HIS will. HE desires a two-way communication.

Okay, so getting back to my little Bible study I did. I desire to have a strong, intimate relationship with God.  Because I want to be as close to God as I can, I tried to think of someone in the Bible who had an intimate relationship with God. While trying to think of people, I came to the conclusion that Enoch must have had an intimate relationship with God, so here it goes.

When I first started researching information about Enoch, I did not realize that there were two of them in the Bible.  I started studying one of them in Genesis 4 and realized I was researching the wrong one. The first Enoch you hear about is the one who is the son of Cain also known as the son of Adam and Eve. Cain was not a good person because he killed his brother Abel, so therefore, his parents, Adam and Eve, had to have another son, Seth, who would be a family link from Adam to Jesus' birth.

I want to talk to you about the second Enoch that is in the Bible; this "Enoch" is the son of Jared.  First, we read in the paragraph above that Seth is a son of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 5:6 Seth had a son named Enosh and then Enosh had Kenan; Kenan had Mahalalel; and Mahalalel had Jared. When Jared was a ripe age of 162 years old, he had Enoch. Enoch was the sixth person born in Adam's line from Adam to Jesus.  So now we know that Enoch's dad is Jared. We don't know much about him except after he had Enoch, he lived 800 more years and had sons and daughters.  I wonder if he was still having children while he was at the age of 789. What kind of father was Jared to Enoch and his siblings? Were Jared and his wife strong believers in God?  Did they teach their children to serve God? How was Enoch's mom in all of this? Actually how OLD was she at the time all of her children were born and how many were there? Were they changing diapers at this old age? 

It doesn't mention the age of Enoch's mother, let alone her name. I think anyone having a husband for over 800 years deserves to be named. You know, she could have died at an earlier age after all her kids were born. We will never know, until we get to Heaven. Okay so now Jared dies at an old age of 962 years. Wow, I wonder what they used for wrinkle cream back then. Did he have a lot of people at his funeral or did he outlive his friends and family? Sometimes I think that 40-50 years on earth is a long time; I couldn't imagine living 800 more years. Wow, that just seems so long!

In Genesis 5:18-21, Enoch lived only sixty-five years before he had Methuselah. I said "only" sixty-five years because it just seems so young compared to the age his father was when he had Enoch; Jared was 162 years of age. Sixty-five years sounds like a baby when you think about that Jared died at 962 years. Any way, after Enoch had Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years and had sons and daughters within that time frame.  The Bible doesn't mention that Enoch walked with God before Methuselah so I wonder what happened in Enoch's life to get him to that point of wanting to walk with God. Was Methuselah one of those miracle babies that was going to die and they needed lots of prayer to keep him alive or did something else happen around that time?  I was thinking that he might have had some kind of encounter with God or some kind of closeness or intimacy with God. Did Enoch's parents train him to live a godly life? Maybe at one time, Enoch was living for God, but when he became a teenager or young adult at the age of 65 (lol), maybe he started living the way his parents taught him to live. We can only speculate at this time because not much is said.

In Genesis 5:23-24 "Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years.  Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."

Can you imagine that being in the news about you or I.  NEWS FLASH!!! "Susan lived 365 years. Susan walked with God; then she was no more, because God took her away."  I can just see the headlines now, making fun of this event or doing some kind of report on a mysterious missing person of some UFO sighting that must have abducted Susan. 

The Bible does not mention how he disappeared or how he was taken. It just says that Enoch walked with God and then God took him. Period. He's gone; The end... but why? Why did God take Enoch away?

Hebrews 11:5-6  "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Can you imagine one day, your father or your husband had just disappeared? Did Enoch's wife or children get the warning ahead of time that he was leaving this earth? Did his wife look for him everywhere and were the police investigating what happened? Was there a search party for him? Was his wife or children not pleasing God like he did? Wow, he was walking with God and then poof, he's gone; because he pleased God.  Does God still take people off of this earth when they are walking with God?


What do we know about Enoch?  The only other thing I could find about Enoch was in Jude 14 where it says that Enoch prophesied. Okay, so we know that Enoch had children, a wife, and many siblings; plus he walked with God and he prophesied. That's about all we know. 

How do you think Enoch walked with God? When it says that he walked with God, I imagine him doing everything in his life he could, to please God. Are we pleasing God or are we pleasing our own earthly desires? Are we living on this earth just to fill space until it's our time to leave this earth, or are we living on this earth in doing God's will and pleasing Him.  Do we include God in our everyday life? or Are we just a Sunday Christian; do we pray and sing to God only on Sundays?


I challenge you (and myself) to walk with God. Be so close to God that you can listen to His heartbeat. When you are listening for a heartbeat on a person, you have to be still and be quiet so you can hear it beat. When is the last time we heard God's heartbeat? How can we please God, our creator? We are on this earth for a reason; there is a special reason why God chose us to be born? He did not have to include you when he created people and their souls. I mean, he knew you and I would be born ahead of time. I am pretty sure God could have said, "hmm,  I know the future and in 1994, Tanya will not please me so let's not even create her soul."  Thankfully He did not do that for probably none of us would be born and He doesn't want robots serving Him.  Do you like it when people do things for you because they love it or just because they have to? Now put those thoughts and ideas into serving and pleasing God. You will be amazed how enjoyable it becomes.

Oh, I forgot to mention: about the thing of how Enoch served and pleased God and then God took him. Yes, I believe that was a special case. I can't imagine God taking everyone away who pleased Him. It was something special that God did with Enoch at that time, and hopefully in the eternal future, we will see or understand why He did that. Be free to please God; He might just bless your socks off.


Note: If you would like to read information about the genealogy of how Adam, Seth, and Enoch are in the ancestry of Jesus, read 1 Chronicles chapter 1 (refer to verse 3) and also read Luke 3:38.

Note: all scripture in this post is from the (New International Version) NIV, 1984 edition.



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