Trick or Treating with Jesus :)

It's that time of year again when I start thinking about Halloween. Yes, I think about Halloween and I get excited planning how I am going to celebrate it.  Some of you are thinking what is that bible breathing, Sunday school teacher talking about?  Well let me tell you.  Several years ago the Lord  put on my heart this ministry of prayers and scripture for Halloween.  I've blogged about it for years and this year will be no different. I want  to share with you so we can join forces to protect our children on Halloween. Do I think Halloween is evil? I think Halloween is as evil as the individual makes it. So instead of debating whether to acknowledge Halloween or not my thought is this … we all have opinions and ideas about it ( convictions if you will) follow your conviction. As for me and my house we are going to serve the Lord. We are going to light the pumpkins, turn on our porch light and welcome many sweet faces to our door.   We are taking something meant for evil ( and I am 100% sure evil will be lurking and maybe in more force than a “normal” day), but it is still a day the Lord has made. We are choosing to serve the Lord on Halloween. We are in a spiritual battle 365 days a year, but today we are choosing to help children by covering them with prayer and scripture. Today I am printing up a bible verse and a little saying about Pumpkins and Jesus.  Olivia and I will make treat bags and attach these sayings to them.  She and I will pray over the bowl of treats and for each child who receives them.  This has been a tradition at our house for many years.  I truly believe by sending children around with Jesus' name in their bag we will help protect them and make a difference in their lives on this “dark” day. Life is a choice. You can sit by and complain and argue opinions, you can choose to do nothing OR you can take a stand and make a difference. The choice is yours. 

Go be a blessing ...

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Joshua 24 :15 “ And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

Golden rod

About this time every year I notice golden rods growing by the side of the road. Instantly I begin to sing a little song that my mom taught me and I taught Olivia. It goes like this; "The Golden rod is yellow, the corn is turning brown, the trees in apple orchards with fruit are bending down."  There are more words, but that is all I know. Since I decided to write about this tune I thought I would investigate this song to find out where it came from and how the rest of it goes. It turns out that it's not a song at all, but a poem called September.
I will post it below. It is very addicting to sing considering all the Goldenrod that grows in the South. It's amazing how a weed that grows by the side of the road stirs a song within me? A weed. I am writing about a weed today. A weed that caused a lady I never knew (Helen Hunt Jackson) to write a poem that my mom liked enough to teach to me and I taught to my daughter (well not all of it, but we know part of it).  Words are so powerful. We surely need to be careful how we use them. I have the following Bible verse on my refrigerator: Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Oh that I would do that!!! Lord please use the Goldenrod ( God's Golden Rod of correction) to remind me to watch my words. Thank you Lord for this beautiful fall day. Lord Jesus thank you for blessing me with a precious family, go with them throughout their busy day. Bless my friends Lord, I am so grateful for them. May we all humble ourselves before you and recognize the beauty you have freely put before us. May we give you the praise that you deserve. Thank you for pretty weeds by the road that stir up songs within us and bring simple joy. In your precious and holy name I pray.I love you Jesus. Amen.

September by: Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)

"The golden-rod is yellow;The corn is turning brown;The trees in apple orchards With fruit are bending down.The gentian's bluest fringes Are curling in the sun;In dusty pods the milkweed It's hidden silk has spun.The sedges flaunt their harvest,In every meadow nook;And asters by the brook-side Make asters in the brook,From dewy lanes at morning The grape's sweet odors rise;At noon the roads all flutter With yellow butterflies.By all these lovely tokens September days are here,With summer's best of weather,And autumn's best of cheer.But none of all this beauty Which floods the earth and air Is unto me the secret Which makes September fair. Tis a thing which I remember;To name it thrills me yet: One day of one September I never can forget."

Go be a blessing ...

How can I hear, if I'm not listening ?

September 21, 2012 I woke up with terrible ringing and static in my left ear.  I went to the doctor that morning which set into motion many other doctor appointments, tests and an MRI.  I didn't know on that day I was losing my hearing.  As the days and weeks passed the ringing turned to static which is with me now.  At the same time our church was going through some changes.  We had been praying about what to do in regards to teaching.  You see our church was starting a new schedule with traditional worship at 9:30 which is when we teach 5 yr. old Sunday school. Contemporary worship was coming to the 11:00 hour and I wasn't crazy about that type of music.  I'm old fashioned.  I like to wear a dress to church and sing hymns.  Well the good Lord has a plan and a sense of humor.  Not only did I NOT like loud music, at the time of this church change the Lord takes part of my hearing.  Well when you lose part of your hearing in one ear, the other ear likes to compensate for the loss.  So ... the first few weeks after I lost my hearing I could hardly stand to go anywhere crowded.  The noise was overwhelming.  Music which I've always enjoyed became a pain in my ear and would give me a headache.  Teaching the children was difficult as I'd have to leave the room just to collect some quiet.  I thought how in the word am I going to survive this? Then there was the new worship service (that contemporary music --- drums, guitars and did I mention loud guitars).  Each week I'd wear my ear plugs and cry out to the Lord why? Why Lord do I have to sit through this? Why Lord? I like the choir.  I like to see people in dresses not skinny jeans.  Why?  Poor pitiful me, right?  NOT.  Poor pitiful attitude.  In this past year the Lord has grown me and taught me so much about the loud music and jean wearing folks.  You know what? He loves them and they love and respect Him just as much as I do.  He's taught me so much about pride and acceptance. I am so grateful.  I remember last fall Charles Billingsley was doing a concert at a local church.   Charles is my favorite singer.  I was kind of scared to attend the concert because what if my ears couldn't take it? As wonderful as his voice is my ears were still adjusting to all the changes.  Of course Chris and I went to the concert and it was wonderful.  I was so grateful to know that yes music would still be apart of my life.   Many have asked how bad my hearing loss is ... well since a picture speaks a thousand words I thought I'd share a copy of my hearing test taken 11/15/12.  I am in the Profoundly deaf category for my left ear as you can see the line going down to the bottom of the chart.  My right ear is in the normal range.  I have an appointment Oct. 1st to test my hearing and follow-up.  I don't put the phone to my left ear and I still need time for quiet after being in the mall, grocery store, church, really any place loud and crowded.  Has this loss kept me down or stopped me? Not at all.  Some days my balance is off and I am dizzy so I take it slow, but you won't find this girl missing Charles Billingsley when he's in town :)  Speaking of which ... I get to go hear him tonight at a CEF Banquet in Taylors.  I am so excited and thankful.  When God takes something away ( like some of my hearing) He gives us something greater (like a clearer awareness of others around us).  I feel like for the first time I am not only listening to others, but I am hearing them too.  Same goes for the Lord.  He has spoken volumes to me this past year.  Praising Him today and always.

Go be a blessing . . .

 

 

 

 

Changes are a coming ...

Do you ever wish things were different? Take today for instance ... I had a great time teaching, singing and worshipping at church.  I had a blast making a watermelon bassinet with Olivia ( we made it for a friends baby shower).  We went to the shower and had a great time meeting new friends and enjoying the company of old friends.  Afterward we  had a restful afternoon at home.  Chris and Olivia decided to go out on our lake fishing and I just came in from walking the dog.  All is well, yet I'm sitting here in tears wishing some things were different. Why is that?  Tonight is the last "free" Sunday night before school starts.  I've been praying for Olivia for weeks, but now the time is coming that my daughter will start high school.  Wow, I guess going to a baby shower really made me realize how much time has flown.  That coupled with the fact that several of my best friends are school teachers and they will go back to work tomorrow.  Even though I've not seen those teacher friends as much as I would have liked over the summer, knowing that they were home and available to chat has been nice.  Now all of a sudden I feel like I'm getting ready to be alone :(   I am so thankful for my teacher friends and would not trade them for the world. However, at this season in my life I feel led to pray that the Lord will lead me to a new friend.  Someone similar to me, someone I can talk to and be there for. I'm always going to be there for my best friends, but my heart has room for more.   I've been praying for Olivia as she will start a brand new school next week.  Now I'd like to ask you to join me in praying for her to meet some sweet new friends. Friendships are so important and such a valuable part of our lives.  Right now she doesn't know anyone who will be attending her new school so this is going to be a big change for her.  So on this eve of the last week of summer break, I want to ask you to join me in praying for the changes to come. Change can be good and for the best, but also unnerving. Thanks for standing with me in prayer. 

Go be a blessing . . .

I never dreamed I'd be saying some of the things I'm going to say today :)

I never dreamed I’d be saying some of the things I am going to say today. Ok so I blogged already this week, but here I go again. You already know that on July 9^th I found out I have Meniere’s disease, but I also left that doctor visit with a Freestyle blood glucose monitor.  I had to check my blood sugar after every meal for a week.  On July 19^th I found out I am Pre-diabetic. Not something this chocoholic wanted to hear.  My doctor told me I needed to lose 25lbs and cut out carbs and sweets. So in a two week time frame I was told to reduce my sodium intake to help with the Meniere’s symptoms and then to basically give up every other thing I love to eat; pasta, pasta sauce, French fries, potatoes, macaroni  and cheese, doughnuts … you get the picture.  Being one who likes to follow the guidelines I started my new food journey. I eat granola and ½ a banana with blueberries for breakfast, raisins, plum or peach for snack.  Thanks to my friend Allyson Acker who modeled “whole” eating I have an egg, tomato and cucumber with almonds for lunch. Then supper is basically a small portion of meat, a green and something orange ( like a salad or asparagus with a baked sweet potato or cantaloupe).  After 3 weeks I’ve lost 4 pounds and feet great! This week I  decided it would probably be ok to feed my family spaghetti. The bad part,  I HAD to eat some too.  Eating a little would have probably been ok, but I tend to make enough for an army, so I ended up having it as my left over for the past two days L  I also indulged in the garlic bread.  So my point to this food blog is this:  You REALLY are what you EAT.  I have felt like crud the past couple of days. I found myself feeling bloated and eating tums.  I told Chris last night I couldn’t wait to wake up fresh and get back on track to healthy eating.  Yes, those are the words I NEVER dreamed I’d say, “get back on track with healthy eating”.  When I eat the “healthy, real food” I feel satisfied and I don’t get hungry so much in between meals.  When I went back to eating the “junk”, I had a very strong craving for chips and chocolate. There was a battle in my brain last night to say no to that junk, because I knew my body was full.   I was blown away by the powerful desire my mind had,  like an addiction, to the junk food.  I’ve often heard about our body craving more sweets, after indulging in sweets,  but I didn’t realize that feeling until yesterday.  I didn’t like that feeling and I don’t want to feel that way again.  Eating healthy is what’s best for my body and mind.  It gives me more energy to do what I need to do and to take care of my family.  It’s the right choice.  Praise God for freeing me from the addition of junk food one day at a time.  Feel free to help me along this journey with healthy recipes, encouraging posts, accountability questions etc.  I go back to the doctor in October and I expect to be released with a clean bill of health.  No more checking blood sugar and at the right weight for me.  Just as Philippines 4:13 says,  "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." We got this.   God bless you friend and reader.

 

Go be a blessing. . .

The Mystery is solved :)

The mystery of my hearing loss has been solved. A year ago next month, Sept. 21st, is when I lost hearing in my left ear. After an MRI and many other tests, no conclusion was drawn until two weeks ago. I wasn't feeling well and went to my doctor with a list of symptoms. He concluded that I have Meniere's Disease. 

According to the Vestibular Disorders Association website; "Ménière’s disease is a chronic, incurable vestibular (inner ear) disorder defined in 1995 by the Committee on Hearing and Equilibrium of the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. In plain language, this means that Ménière’s disease, a form of endolymphatic hydrops, produces a recurring set of symptoms as a result of abnormally large amounts of a fluid called endolymph collecting in the inner ear. Ménière’s disease can develop at any age, but it is more likely to happen to adults between 40 and 60 years of age."

"Common symptoms of a Ménière’s disease attack do not reflect the entire picture of the disorder, because symptoms vary. Oncoming attacks are often preceded by an “aura,” or the specific set of warning symptoms, listed below. Paying attention to these warning symptoms can allow a person to move to a safe or more comfortable situation before an attack."

· balance disturbance

  dizziness, lightheadedness
· headache, increased ear pressure
· hearing loss or tinnitus increase
· sound sensitivity
· vague feeling of uneasiness
· ear fullness (aural fullness) and/or tinnitus

In addition to the above main symptoms, attacks can also include:

· anxiety, fear
· blurry vision or eye jerking
· nausea and vomiting
· cold sweat, palpitations or rapid pulse
· trembling
  concentration difficulty, distractibility, tendency to grope for words
· fatigue, malaise, sleepiness
· heavy head sensation
· neck ache or stiff neck

Following the attack, a period of extreme fatigue or exhaustion often occurs, prompting the need for hours of sleep.

Existing treatments for Ménière’s disease in the U.S. involves adhering to a reduced-sodium diet.  "Coping with Ménière’s disease is challenging because attacks are unpredictable, it is incurable, some of the symptoms are not obvious to others, and most people know virtually nothing about the disorder. Many people with Ménière’s disease are thrust into the role of educator—they must teach themselves, their family, friends, coworkers, and sometimes even health care professionals about the disorder and how it impacts them."

I know this is a long post, but I wanted to share the details of what I am dealing with. Notice all of the above paragraphs are in quotes. Those are not my words, but the words from Vestibular disorders association website. Now that you know what I am dealing with, I would ask that you pray for me as I learn how to deal with each situation. As always I trust the Lord in this and will continue to do as one of my favorite verses says; "

 

Thanks for your time and prayers.

Go be a blessing . . .

My broken heart

Today my heart is breaking for the lost.  Lately I don't like what I'm seeing in this world. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a Christian, a believer.  In a nut shell it means that I believe in the Bible and I try to live my life according to those words. People are either believers or unbelievers ... there is no in between. As a christian I know I was born a sinner and needed Jesus.  He lived a perfect life, died on a cross and rose from the dead... all so you and I could have our sins forgiven. I sin every day because I'm human, but in the midst of being me,  I'm trying to be more like Him.  I seek Him every morning by reading His word.  I give my day over to Him and ask Him to show me what it is He'd have me to do with my time.  I pray that I'll be the wife, mother, friend, Sunday school teacher, caregiver, blogger etc. that He'd have me to be.  No, I am not perfect, I don't claim to be, I just try to do the best I can for Him. He commands that we love one another.  In loving others we are obeying His word.

My hearts desire is for you to know the joy and peace that I know from Jesus.  Some say the bible is just an old book, written by old men and it has no value to them.  My heart breaks for them ... if only they could read it and grasp the power of those words.  I am a person who is so in love with Jesus and His precious word that I don't want unbelievers to miss out.  I want you to give God a chance.  If you seek Him, you will find Him.  He loves you as much as He loves me. Truth is, Jesus is all you need.

My husband went on a mission trip to Thailand several years ago.  He put together a group of pictures from his trip and set it to music.  The song that he chose spoke to me so I asked him about it this morning so I could share it with you all. It will be on my facebook page hopefully linked in with this blog. :)  I hope it touches your heart like it touches mine.  If you are a follower of Jesus that is great ... will you join me in praying for several of my friends who don't believe?  Thanks.

Go be a blessing ...

Best Personality

When I was in 8th grade at D.R. Hill Middle school we had a page in our yearbook called Superlatives.  People were voted on by their classmates for Most Valuable Fans, Most Likely to Succeed, Most Athletic, Best Looking, Best Personality, Wittiest and Best all Around.  Along with Faith Meyer and Archie Irby I was voted as having the Best Personality.  Having invited Jesus into my heart a couple years prior I could only attribute it to Him living through me.  It was a nice honor for me, a shy girl from the "Mill Hill".  As a senior at Byrnes High School once again Superlatives were voted on and I was chosen for Best Personality.  I guess by now I'm thinking my looks aren't too great, but I have a good personality :-) LOL.  Anyway, thinking back on this honor has put this question in my mind today; If my peers voted on superlatives today, where would I rank?  Is my "personality" where the Lord would have it to be?  Well, since I know my heart, I have to say no it is not.  I am ashamed and repentant of some jealousy I have dealt with recently.  I am jealous of those who have good health and can run around like the energizer bunny.  I have to be quick to confess my sin and acknowledge to the Lord that I trust His plan for me. He has commanded us all to love one another.  Whew ... really???? When I was that 8th grade girl and that Senior girl I can honestly say I loved everyone.  My mom will vouch for me.  I had a heart of pure gold.  Now though as a grown woman, my heart of gold has melted some and my love for others isn't as strong as it once was.  I'm a little harder on people, BUT at least I recognize my flaw and I've confessed it to the Lord.  I am praying that He will enable me to love like I did before. I want to see the best in others.  I want to see you through His eyes.  When I look at people through the eyes of Jesus that's when I truly have the best personality toward others. Last Thursday night I went to a meeting at my daughters school.  Normally when I sit with a group of people I will speak to everyone at the table and at least make small talk.  I barely spoke unless spoken to.  When I got home and was praying at bed time the Lord brought that to my mind.  He said why didn't you speak to so n so ?  And I began to ask myself why didn't I? Well, honestly I felt terrible and couldn't wait to leave.  I had a sinus infection and the people I did speak to commented on my scratchy voice.  Regardless, I felt bad having not been more friendly to everyone.  I guess what I'm getting at is this ... He is still working on me.  It's never to late to change a poor attitude.  I am praying and asking the Lord to continue to teach me and show me so I can be the best wife, mother, friend and new acquaintance with the best personality that you'll ever meet.  :)

Be a blessing ...

Spring?

According to the calendar it is spring, but stepping outside feels more like winter.  It's snowing in the mountains and very cold and breezy here.  My "bursitis" lol, is acting up so as I sit here typing I have a heating wrap on my achy shoulder.  I had planned to go to the cemetery today to put some spring/Easter flowers on my dad and grandparents graves, but this cold weather is keeping me away.  My plan now is to go on Thursday when the temperature is suppose to be warmer.  Ironically I was doing some "spring cleaning" yesterday and came across a bag of photographs.  I didn't expect them to be in with the stuff they were with so I had to look through them.  I saw happy pictures from my dad's 70th birthday party, but also pictures someone took at his funeral.  It was quite shocking to see the photo of him in the casket, but knowing that he is in heaven made looking at it bearable.  I do miss my father so much, BUT you know what?  Because my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, died on a cross, was put in a tomb and then raised from the dead ... I will see my earthly father again.  Yes, when I go to the cemetery my dad's bones are there in the ground, BUT if I could go to the tomb of Jesus, I would not find His bones, because He is risen, He is NOT there.  Praise God for the cross.  I am such a sinner.  I deal with issues and troubles like any other person ( none of us are perfect), but I am forgiven.  If you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, won't you accept His free gift today?  First you need to realize that you are a sinner and you need a savior.  John 3:16 tells us clearly "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."    If you want to have that eternal life in heaven then pray this prayer or one similar:  Dear Jesus, I believe you are truly God's Son. I confess that I have sinned against you.  Please forgive my sins and come into my life as my Lord.  Thank you for dying on the cross for me.  Thank you for saving me.  Help me to live a life that pleases you.  Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and you want to talk about your new life with Jesus,  just email me at susanbneal@gmail.com   This Easter will mean more to you than you'll ever know.  With love from my heart, Susan

Go be a blessing . . .

"The good old days"

I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase "the good old days" ... I've heard it said all of my life and find myself saying it more often as I get older.  Last week as I sat on my daughters bed I noticed the empty phone receptacle on her wall.  It took me back to the "good old days" when I was a teenager and couldn't wait to have a phone in my room.  I remember being so proud when our family friend  Tim came over and hooked it up for me.  Goodness knows living in a house with 6 people and one phone was rough.  BUT the fact that the phone was on the wall in the kitchen made having any privacy difficult.  My 3 older brothers didn't help with that either.  I can remember each of us dragging that long phone cord into the kitchen closet just to be able to talk in private.  I remember hanging clothes out on the line and not only enjoying the fresh smell, but also the breeze they made while I laid out in the sun to tan.  I'd take my boom box outside and play cassettes ( I don't know if kids today even know what a cassette is). I can remember when we didn't have a microwave and when we did finally buy one my mom hardly used it.  We thought it was dangerous and couldn't really cook food.  People used to have one TV now they have one in each room.  Cell phones were only on TV and for the rich and famous.  I got my first cell phone while in college and I thought it was so cool to have a phone in my purse.  Do you remember getting letters from friends?  You know they'd fold them all kinds of ways and try to pass them in class without getting caught? Do kids still pass letters today?  I have kept a small sampling of letters from many of my friends from high school (especially the "love" letters).  Those were the good old days.  I hope texting doesn't keep young people from the art of writing letters.  I write out a weekly to-do list and keep it on the island in the kitchen, almost every morning my sweet Chris takes the time to write me a love note by my daily tasks.  I look forward to them and appreciate them so much.  So I am rambling today thinking about the good old days.  What do you remember best about your good old days???

Go be a blessing ...

My mind is spinning with topics to write about this morning. The last few days I've found myself in a valley. As I've talked about my feeling with my family they have helped me tremendously. The mountain top is within sight :).  I gained much wisdom from my teenager just last night.  She hasn't felt good this weekend and I have good days and bad days in regards to how I feel (more bad than good it seems lately).  Anyway, last night I was sharing with Olivia how I felt discouraged because I have been praying that the Lord would grant me good health so I could get a job and help pay for the things I'd like to buy (extras if you will).  My daughter said, "Maybe the Lord doesn't want you to have a job" ... Hmmm, you know what ? maybe He doesn't.  Wisdom from a teen.  At lunch yesterday I told Chris how I wished for a certain type of friend for this stage in my life.  After he and I talked I realized that what I thought I needed in that person I already have.  Then as I talked to my mom just before bed and she and I were both talking about how we don't feel good most days.  We don't begrudge others with their good health, but we question why the Lord allows some of us NOT to have the energy and spunk that He allows others to have.  She and I were in agreement that if the Lord is using us in the state that we are in, then we will be content and give Him the glory ... ultimately its all about Him anyway.  Wow, just talking through all of that with my 3 loves really gave me a new perspective.  Maybe you can't follow what I'm saying, but the point is this:  My life is not my own.  I am a child of Jesus and I want to serve Him.  It's when I think of serving myself ( like wanting to get a job so I can buy Vera Bradley stuff and other worldly things) that I get discouraged.  Seriously I don't know what I'm thinking.  Usually I'm so level headed and don't care about name brands.  I do like good quality, but mostly I am a thrifty chick who gets a thrill from a good deal rather than paying full price.  Olivia and I talked on the way to school about how the Lord provides for the birds. He says that He clothes the birds of air, He feeds them. He says, "Are you not of more value than they?" He also says to consider the lilies of the field and not even Solomon was arrayed like one of these. A few verses later Matthew tells us not to worry about what we shall eat or what we shall drink or what we shall wear. Our Heavenly Father knows that we need all of these things.

Matthew 6:33 tells us "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."   He know our needs before we do. He may not always supply all of our wants, but He always meets our needs. So as I am climbing up out of my valley I want to leave you with the hope of Jesus. I believe He allows us to share our burdens with others so we can help and learn from each other. I am sharing what He is teaching me today.  Keep your eyes on Him and keep climbing ... He is right there with you, teaching you as you make your way up the mountain.  Is the climb difficult? Yes.  Will there be slips along your way? Yes.  Will Jesus always be there to catch you when you slip?  Yes, yes, yes.  Never give up.  You are not alone.

Now go be a blessing ...