WTOP 103.5 FM Radio

I moved to the Washington DC metro area (which includes counties in Maryland and Virginia) in 2000.    It was a huge transition from Selma, AL.  There are so many more people, and these people are from all over the United States and the world.  Traffic is extremely congested and everyone is rude and drives like a maniac.  I only knew one or two ways to my job in Chevy Chase, MD which was mainly on Highway 495 with every one who dared to get in a car was driving on at the same time I was.  It was a lesson for me in what rush hour is all about.  It was a rude awakening.

I can remember traffic coming to a complete stand still on 495.  I would panic because I did not want to be late for work.  A co-worker told me to lesson to WTOP, 103.5 FM for the traffic report so I would know where the back-ups were so I could take alternative routes.  I had to learn what those routes were, and I did. Twelve years later and I am a WTOP junkie.

I was listening to WTOP this morning as I pulled out of my garage for 9:30 am Sunday service.  Usually traffic is not an issue Sunday mornings, but as I said I am a WTOP junkie, and I never know when or where there's going to be a traffic and/or whether incident.  I figure it's better to be safe than sorry.  The news was on when I started my car and backed out of the garage and down the driveway. Announcer, "Yesterday at 6:00 pm a 16 year old girl was killed in a hit and run accident.  She was hit first by a black Toyota.  She fell into the street when she was hit and was then run over by a tan mini van.  The driver of the Toyota stopped, but the second driver did not."  I was totally stunned, and feeling terrible for the young lady, when within 3 seconds another story came on, something about stolen crabs.  A young woman was killed in the street and she got a total of 20 seconds of air time on the radio.

When I got up this morning I picked up my Bible and read Matthew chapter 9.  Matthew was a Jew tax collector during the life time of Jesus.  He worked for the Romans and his fellow Jews hated him.  He was also one of Jesus' disciples.  He is also the author of the first book of the New Testament, which is the first Gospel listed, and it is titled his name.  I have read Matthew before, but this time it has become clear to me that Matthew could of worked for WTOP.  He was an eye witness account to much of the ministry of Jesus and he, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, simply records what happened, no more no less.  He gives no context, background information, additional details, report's commentary, or anything else.  It fits his former profession as a tax collector.  He just needed name and profession and he collected the tax, he could not get caught up in the details or he would not be able to do his job.

In verses 20-22, he mentions the woman with an issue of blood.  He does so almost in passing or a side note.  He does include she had been suffering for 12 years and that she had faith, touched Jesus' garment, and was healed.  This is such a powerful story and Matthew covers it in 3 short verses.  Luke, who was not a disciple, but is the author of one of the gospel also records the woman with the issue of blood, but includes more details, but once again she is a nameless woman, or as I like to think of it, every woman.

A young woman  killed in a hit and run,   What was the purpose of reporting this story?  How can it possibly mean anything to anyone outside her immediate family and friends?  I teach high school, so the young woman could of been one of my students.  I cannot imagine what she went through at the time of her death.  It had to be horrifying and extremely painful for her.  I cannot imagine the pain her family and friends are going through right now, and even the first driver who hit her.  A young life, with so much potential gone in a matter of terrifying moments.  Who was this young woman?  What can we learn from her life and death?  How will she be remembered?  How will her life be honored?  I may never know the answers to these questions, but hopefully someone who loved her well.

The woman with the issue of blood is even more remote and harder to empathize with.  I have written about her before.  There is so much about Jewish culture that comes into play.  This woman was considered unclean because of her issue of blood, which means she could not participate in the activities and customs of her own people.  You will not find that in that Bible, that requires research to know and understand.  She was also very weak, because of the loss of blood.  I have also written about the importance of blood to the body and how without it we die.  There is no way anyone can totally understand or empathize in the three short verses that Matthew wrote.  There was so much more to her story, the most important thing is, and this is what remains to be seen with the young woman who was killed yesterday, we know why this woman's story was told.  It was told to build up our faith, the details are not the focus, faith is.

I will continue to listen to WTOP and reading Matthew, but after much consideration, prayer, and writing this blog I am beginning to understand the style of reporting both entities follow, and even though it is not my style, which is much more detailed and in-depth, I hold it high regard it because it has a purpose.



Praying that you will have a safe end of the holiday celebration.  Happy New Year!!!

Matthew 9:20-22 - Remember one of God's names is Healer

New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”And the woman was healed at that moment.

"I see you."

This past Sunday, the movie industry celebrated the 82nd Oscar Awards. It was a big event starting off with the interviews of all the celebrities on the red carpet and of course everyone wanted to see what the stars were wearing for their big night. In many ways it was a historical night as well. A woman, for the first time in history, won for best picture and she was the director. An African American won an Oscar for writing the screen play of a award winning movie, and that was a first as well. This show was broadcast live for over three hours in the United States and in several countries around the world. It has been estimated that millions watched it.

I saw some of the award show, I have to admit and I did enjoy seeing history in the making, but overall I found the award show to be a little on edge. Everyone was so beautifully dressed, and handsome, they were in a beautiful theater, but to me everyone seemed a bit tense. To the point where I felt uncomfortable watching the program and found myself reading, or watching other programs and switching back to the Oscars. It may of been just me.

I am not a huge movie person, and often wait until movies are out on DVD or on television before I see them. I find going out to the movies to be expensive and very time consuming, and most movies are very predictable or just do not appeal to me in any way. Despite all of that I did have two favorites, "The Blind Side" (I was very happy for Sandra Bullock) and "Avatar." In fact today's posting's title is a line from the movie Avatar.

"I see you," was my favorite line from the movie Avatar. I loved the part when the scientist explained to the marine what the greeting meant. It meant that when someone greeted you, they truly took the time to see you. I interpreted that as seeing past the physical and material, and truly seeing the other person. In today's society I do not think we take the time to truly "see" each other. We have allowed the media to determine what is beautiful, and what is success, and if people do not measure up to that standard, then we do not truly "see" them. We judge people so quickly and easily based on what they look like, or what they have or do not have. Often we do not truly "see" a person for who they really are, and seldom people know who we truly are. We just "look" at the outward appearance and make a judgement.

Why? Why are we so quick to make judgements about other people just by the way they look? I think there are several reasons. One is the huge influence of the media. We allow ourselves to be influenced by images that are not real, but "retouched" but use those false images as a gage of what is acceptable and what is not. I believe a second reason is our own value system. We tend to be more comfortable with people that look like us, have the same attitudes as we do, and the same lifestyle. The third reason I believe is time. It takes time to really get to know someone and "see" who they are, and that also takes trust.

Time and trust are two things that people just do not have enough of, and these are two very important components of being about to truly "see" someone else and for others to see ourselves. In the movie Avatar there were two completely different types of living beings, humans, and the blue creators (sorry I forgot their names). On the surface these two spices looked and acted completely differently from each other. They had a conflict because the humans were on the blue creators planet and they wanted to take their resources by force. A small group of human scientist worked hard to make contact with blue creators and discovered that they were not as different from humans as many believed. It is truly an old universal story that has played out over the centuries in real life. It is easy to destroy someone if you dehumanize them.

The wonderful thing about Jesus Christ is that when he walked on Earth in his ministry he "saw" and "felt" those around him, that the society, at that time, totally rejected. He cared about people that society had written off and discarded. One such person was the "women with the issue of blood." Her name is never mentioned in the Bible, but her story stands as an example of what faith in action can do. We can read of her story in Mark 5:25-34

"A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

What you may not know is that this "woman" according to Jewish tradition was unclean because of her health condition. She could not take part in any public worship or event. The fact that she went out in a crowd in her condition took a great amount of faith and courage. If someone had "seen" her and knew of her condition, she could of been stoned to death, because if she touched anyone (and of course you know she had to have touched many people to get through the crowd to Jesus) they would of become "unclean" as well. She was breaking the law by going into the crowd.

This woman had been through so much pain, rejection, grief, and when she heard that Jesus was coming, she had no more money to spend on doctors, so she made a decision to save her own life by "seeing" Jesus as the Savior. This was a woman of means. I do not know where she got her money from, the Bible does not say. We do not know if she had ever been married or had children. We only "see" this woman's pain and shame we know nothing else of her history. Her story seems to come out of no where. We do not know what happened to her after she was healed, but we know her faith is what healed her.

This woman thought so little of herself that when she went to "see" Jesus, she did not what to be seen by him. She had such a high regard for him, that she was convinced that if she just touched the bottom of his garment she would be healed. As you read, Jesus felt power leave him. Can you imagine? That woman touch his clothes, not him, and he felt power go out of him. Let's stop here just a moment and think about that. What does that mean? How many other times did that happen to Jesus? I do not believe any. Power went out of Jesus, into the woman and she was healed instantly. How? Her faith. Faith is belief in action. When she heard Jesus was coming, she took action. She heard what man had to say to her, she knew that her society had rejected her, she knew years of pain, isolation, suffering, and loss, but somehow, someway, she made up in her mind, that she was worth saving and she believed despite all that she had been through life was still worth living and when she heard of about Jesus she knew he was here to bring life and healing to this world.

Jesus knew who had touched him. I believe he asked who it was so he and the world would "see" this woman. She had been invisible for so long. She was healed by her faith, but Jesus made her visible again. This nameless woman's faith is inspirational and blesses us today. I have no doubt that she went on and lived a good life. Why is she nameless? I believe it is because in this story God wanted us to focus on the purpose of the story and not the person. Personally, I would love to know more about this woman, but it is her act of faith that is the focal point of her story.

In life we each may feel rejected, isolated, and even invisible at times. I believe that is a natural part of the human experience. The good news is, we do not have to depend on how we feel about ourselves, or how others feel or think about us. Emotions are tricky, and sometimes we allow them to get out of control. When this happens, we have to remember who God is. It does matter how we feel, we can share that with him. He can handle it and restore us. Just as the woman with the issue of blood was healed we can be healed. Will God heal us in the same exact way as he healed her? I believe anything is possible with God. Does that mean he will heal you like he healed the woman with issue of blood? That is not for me to say, but I will say this, our healing is never for us alone, it is to encourage others. Just as we know the story of the woman with the issue of blood, you should share your blessing of healing with others, it will be a blessing to them.

If you need healing today in your life in any area, please know that that there are people praying for you. If you attend church have the elders of the church pray for you. Read your Bible and ask God to heal you and then believe that he will and then take action. Your healing my come in the form of a medical procedure, or talking to a professional in a specific area, but whatever why God decides to heal you, be sure to make wise decisions and be thankful for the blessings that you receive.

I want to end my posting of a video of Mo'Nique who won an Oscar, only the second African American woman to win it in her category. She does not fit the standard of "Hollywood beauty" and was all but invisible in Hollywood, but that did not stop her from stepping out on her faith and pursuing her dream. I do not personally agree with all the things she does and says as a person in the media, but I do applaud her loving the person that God made her to be. No one is invisible to God, he "sees" you and loves you, not matter what.

I have tried to include the video link, but you can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u13HvA-96Ls

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Is anything too hard for the Lord? It is a question that the Lord asked Abraham. It is an interesting question, but the Lord asked Abraham this question at a very pivotial time in Abraham's life. You see God had called Abraham to leave his people, his land and all they he knew to follow God and start a new nation.

Abraham had done what God had asked but he had made some mistakes along the way. The first mistake was not completely following what God had told him to do. God told him to leave his family and go to establish a new nation. Well his nephew Lot tagged along. I don't believe it was Abraham's idea, and he probably loved his nephew, but he should have asked God about it or better yet, just said no. Why? That's easy, Lot caused Abraham all kinds of trouble, but I have to give Lot credit, he was smart, he realized that Abraham was blessed, and by just being around Abraham he was also blessed, but he wasn't wise enough to stay out of trouble, or to keep Abraham from being impacted by his mistakes.

The second mistake Abraham made was being afraid of someone he thought was more powerful and rich than he was. While traveling through Egypt, the Pharoh noticed how beautiful Abraham's wife, Sarah, was and wanted her for his very own. When questioned about Sarah Abraham said Sarah was his sister instead of his wife. So, Pharoh took Sarah for his wife. Before Pharoh could get all close and personal God came to Pharoh, now remember Pharoh did not believe in Abraham's God and this was way before Moses's time, and told him if he touched Sarah he and his kingdom would be in big trouble. What God said worked because Pharoh wasted no time giving Sarah back to Abraham, plus gave him gold, goods, and servants (this is where Hagar probably came from) and told him to get through Egypt and along his way. Pharoh may have been over a whole kingdom, and entire army, and weathly, but God, who called Abraham made all that Pharoh had. To God Pharoh was a small fry, but to Abraham he was a moutain. Abraham should of been focused on God instead of Pharoh and that's how he made his second crucial mistake.

Abraham's thrid mistake was listening to bad advice from someone he trusted, his wife Sarah. You see, God had promised Abraham he would be the father of a great nation, the only problem was he and Sarah had no children because she was barren. The Bible always focuses on Abraham, but I want to put the spot light on Sarah for just a moment. Okay, she was young and in love with a man who loved her, but moved her from place to place, and gave her away to an Egyptian king. Then she had to set by and watch while other women (mainly her maid servants) get married and had children and were so happy, and she was happy too, at first, but then year after year, it was always someone else having a baby, always someone else's turn. Sarah had a husband, she had wealth, she appeared to have everything but the one thing she truly wanted, children. The pain and isolation she must of felt must at times been overwhelming. Sarah wasn't crazy, even in her time people knew that women only had a certain amount of time to have children, and as the years went by Sarah's pain probably only increased and the promise God had made to her husband must of felt like a cruel joke.

Was it Abraham's promise alone? Why would God promise Abraham something and not Sarah? Abraham and Sarah were married,so that means that they were one, so the promise was to both of them, but why would God make a promise and then not bless them with children?

The Bible does not say that Sarah prayed, but I get the impression that God never spoke to Sarah, because it is not recorded in the Bible. I am also beginning to think that Abraham did not speak to Sarah about the things that hurt her heart because Sarah doubted God's promise. She was focused on the natural, just as Abraham had done in Egypt. Abraham set a bad example for Sarah, and apparently never addressed it with her because she did the same thing he did. She took her eyes off God and placed them on what is humanly possible,and she knew she could never have a child, and after years of pain, disappointment, and isoluation, and a lack of teaching and compassion she came up with a plan to make sure God's promise came true.

I don't know exactly what Sarah was going through, but I have a very good idea. I've known this story almost my whole life, but as each year passes, I understand it more and more. Sarah loved her husband and being childless was very painful for both of them. The Bible does not directly state this, but it is implied through the the things that were said and the actions that were taken. Sarah decided to have her maid servant Hagar sleep with Abraham and have a child through her. It was Sarah's plan, but Abraham went along with it. Why? Now that's the million dollar question. Was it because Hagar was so beautiful? Was it because Abraham lacked faith himself? The plan made sense to him. I am sure Abraham was very hurt by not having children as well. Pain and disappointment are two hard things to face, and it is something this couple had dealt with for years.

Abraham agreed to Sarah's plan because he wanted God's promise. He wanted a son. He wanted children so badly, and had waited so long for them, that this plan seemed to make sense to him. No one stopped and asked God's opinion about it. I can imagine they were both angry with God in a way. They probably felt God forgot about his promise to them, and that hurt too. We have to be careful when we are in pain. Our judgement is off and we may make bad decisions. It's best to step back and get all the facts first, and pray and listen to what God has to say.

The plan Sarah had turned out to be a mess, but I believe Abraham opened up the door for Sarah's unbelief, and it was also in Egypt that they got Hagar. If Abraham had kept his eyes on God while they were in Egypt, he would never have lied and said Sarah was his sisiter. Once again the Bible does not have any record of how Sarah felt about any of this. I am sure she was extremely fearful, so that seeds of fear and unbelief were planted by her husband.

Now years later God appears to Abraham again and there are three men (who are really angels, but we find that out later). I don't know why God sent three angels to Abraham, maybe it was to save his cousin Lot (antoher story) but he did and while they were there God told Abraham that he would return the same time the next year and that Sarah would have a son. Sarah over heard this and laughed. She was worn out (even though she had a good life) and she and her husband were way past the age of having children.

God heard Sarah laugh and ask Abraham why she laughed. Let's stop here for a moment. God did not ask Sarah why she laughed, he asked Abraham. The text goes one, but this is just a reminder how importarnt the marriage relationship is to God. Two become one. Sarah then spoke up for herself and lied and said she did not lie. After all her years, she still did not truly understand who God was or his character. God knows everyhting, why would she lie? Maybe because she had seen her husband lie. I wish she had said, "I laughed because after years of disappointment and pain, I don't have the strengh, to believe anymore, this whole thing has hurt me to my core." If she had said that it would of been at least true. It's one of the few times Sarah speaks in this whole story,and the only time she speaks directly to God, and she blows it. I would of screamed out my pain and disappointment. I would have cried my eyes out, but I wouldn't have lied. She lied because she was afraid. I understand that. Fear was something she knew very well, so her reaction, in truth, was natural. Then for the first time (at least recorded in the Bible) God speaks directly to Sarah and tells her she lied. Wow! If God appears to me, and then speaks to me, I don't want him to say that I lied.

My point is, that each us have been through situations, or currently facing a situation which has caused us much pain and disappointment. We may feel that God has forgotten us and his promises and his word is not true. I have heard pastors preach about Abraham and Sarah many times and many of them have said the reason God waited so long to give Abraham and Sarah their promise is because God wanted everyone to know that he does the impossilbe. We also have well meaning people in out lives who love us, who believe they are being helping, but in some ways cause us more pain, and may indeed give us advise, that sounds good, but not the way God has planned to bless us. How do we know what to do? How do we know if what we have in our heart is from God, or just wishful thinking on our part? Honestly, the best thing I can tell you is continue to pray, read God's word and make no decisions in haste. One thing I can say for sure is that God has not forgotten you,and that God does not lie. If he said it, it will come to pass. You have to keep believing and do the best job of what God has given you to do until his promise is fufilled and the even after that.

Gensis 18 is just part of Abraham and Sarah's story, be sure to read it all and pray about it so you can be blessed. Any pain and disappointment you have, give it to God, he can handle it. Nothing is impossible for God.

Rely on and Remember God's Words

I hope you are having a wonderful Easter or Resurrection holiday season. I know that I am. This time last week I was looking forward to some time off from work for the holiday. Then by midweek mom was readmitted to the hospital due to an infection. At first we were told she was going to be in for a few days and then as long as two weeks. I took the news really hard and mom was upset about spending another major holiday in the hospital.
As dad and I were preparing to go to the hospital on Good Friday, mom called and told us she was going to be released. We were all very surprised and very happy. As dad and I drove to the hospital, he admitted to me he was fearful that once we got there, we were going to be told that in fact she could not come home. My father is not a man of fear. He is so positive that it drives me crazy. In the midst of a storm he sees a ray of sunshine. This fear was uncharacteristic of my dad. He walks in faith, not fear, but in this moment fear was winning out. It was because we have been through this before and he knew the pain of disappointment. He also knew how upset mom would be and how much it would take all of us to make her feel better. I guess he just didn't have the strength to face the possibility of disappointment. We have been going through this for almost two years, and we are all tired of it.
We got to the hospital and were delighted to learn that in fact mom was coming home. It was the best Good Friday ever. We had a great Easter too. Today mom had to go into the clinic and as I was helping get washed she admitted to me that she feared that she may be readmitted. I understood her fear, it has happened before, more than once. I called her a little while ago and so far she is doing fine and will be coming home later today.
I admire both of my parents. They are people of faith and hope, but fear is something that they have experienced and when they do, they have admitted it and it has allowed them to release the fear and hold onto their faith that is based on God's word.
Who you place your faith in is so important. I know a young woman who works for an organization that is downsizing due to budget problems from the U.S. economic problems. The contact states that the person with the least amount of seniority will be let go first. The young lady had the least amount of seniority and was upset, and rightly so. She then took action and got three good job offers. Then she was told that she had nothing to worry about, that her position was safe. She turned down all three job offers. When the final decision was made she was devastated that she indeed was going to loose her position. Someone in a more powerful position made the final decision, which in fact was the legal and fair thing to do. Not only did this young lady put her faith in the words of someone who had limited power and influence, but then she contacted the employer of the job she turned down and lied about why she had not accepted the position. It was too late, the position was gone, and it would of been close to her home, and she would no longer have a long difficult commute. This young lady learned a very painful lesson.
Who do you put your faith in? Whose words do you believe? God's word are true even when they don't make sense or seem to have gotten lost. In Luke 24: 1-8 it states, "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered his words." (NIV)
Jesus had told his followers what was going to happen to him, but they could not grasp the concept. Then he was arrested, put on trail, tortured, and publicly murdered. That is a lot for anyone to witness, let alone understand. When the women went to the tomb, they were going to do what was expected to a dead body of a human, the thing they did not understand that Jesus was not only human, but also divine. Jesus knew his followers did not understand him and two angels were at the tomb waiting for the women. They had to remind them of Jesus' words. When they women did, they rejoiced and shared the good news.
No matter what you face remember you are most powerful at your weakest moment, because it is at that moment that you let go and let God and with God all things are possible. Have faith in his word, his word is true, even if you think that it is too late, it is never to late when it comes to God. Rejoice! Our redeemer lives! Share the good news!

Hold On to God's Promises

In my last entry I talked about Abraham and how God and given him something to do that made no sense to him at all and he stepped out on faith. In this entry I would like to talk a little more about Abraham and how we all can learn and be blessed by what we know about his life.
My mother has been going through a very difficult health crisis for almost two years now. At times she is very discouraged. She thinks she is not getting better, when in fact she is. Her progress has been very slow and she has had so many setbacks that it is hard to remember them all. With each setback she has had to start all over again. I can understand why she feels discouraged and down hearted. She has to keep a positive attitude and be thankful the progress she is making. It's hard to do when you are in a lot of pain, but it is an important part of the healing process.
Abraham had lived a long time his faith had been tested and he had made mistakes, but he did not allow his lack of faith in a moment wipe away all that he knew was true about God. God had promised that he would be a father of a great nation and at 99 years old he had not yet had a child with his wife Sarah who was just a few years younger than he was. How would you feel if you were given a promise and 40 to 50 years went by and that promise had not yet come to pass? Well in Romans 8: 14 - 20 it states "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God."(NIV)
Wow! And again I say, "Wow!" Abraham had the kind of faith and hope that gets you through a storm. I mean, no child and he and his wife were in their nineties. At that point in your life do you even want children any more? I can't say, I'm not that old and if I live to be that old, it is my hope that I will have hope like Abraham. We all need that kind of hope. If you know his story then you will also know that he and Sarah did in fact have a child. It was truly amazing.
Why did God wait so long before he fulfilled His promise to Abraham? I don't know, but would we know about it all these years later if He had not waited? What makes Abraham and Sarah's story to special is that is is so unlike so many others. There is no doubt that God stepped in and made it happen. Women just don't have children that late in their lives.
So if you think you are too old for something, don't have enough information or talent, don't lose hope, have faith and step out in wisdom and in faith and you may receive all the promises that God has given you. My mother is learning to focus in on the positives in her life and it builds up her faith and hope, you can do the same.

Monday Blues

T.G.I.F (Thank God It's Friday) is a common phrase for many of us in the working world. We look forward to some rest, relaxation, and spending time with those we care about on the weekends. Many of us also take part in some type of religious services. I am like everyone else. I want the work week to be over and look forward to some private time. The funny thing is, is that weekends don't always provide the time we need to rest and regroup. Since my mom's battle with cancer and the after affects of her treatment, weekends have been a time of increased stress. For some reason it is during the weekend that mom faces her most difficult challenges. This past weekend was no exception. On Friday another infection was discovered and Saturday and Sunday my father and I were at the hospital with her for hours so she could receive treatment.
When I awoke at 5:00 am this morning, I was exhausted and felt I could not face the day and week before me. Fear and dread overwhelmed me. I wondered what was going to happen next. What emergency was waiting for me to handle? Could I handle it properly when I felt so ill-equipped? In that moment I truly did not know. Thankfully, I have someone to lean on. I have a resource to draw strength and wisdom from, and that is the Lord.
In Palms 55: 4-5 King David stated "My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me."
Those are the words of a king with an army at his command and he felt overwhelmed, so the fact that you and I do, is okay. It is okay to feel the way we feel, but it is not okay to stay there. We must know we have to work through those emotions and face live with courage so we will have victory in our lives.
In Palms 55:22 David tells us what to do when we feel overwhelmed, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you: he will never let the righteous fall." So we, the righteous, have our solution. So if you are feeling or have ever felt like I did this morning, please know that you are not alone in what you feel and that it is totally normal. Please remember that you do have a way out and that you are not left without help and that our Lord and Savior will provide for your needs. When you pray, tell the Lord what is on your heart and mine, and have faith that He will address your concerns, and then stop worrying and step out on faith, and that is how you cast your cares on the Lord.