After the Tears

Have you cried recently? I have. It doesn’t matter if our tears were over a skinned knee, a bruised ego, a wounded heart, a friend’s betrayal, the loss of a loved one or simply a very bad day. They matter to God. They matter so much that he kept them tears in a bottle.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my
tears in your bottle.You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8

There will be times in your life when things will not go the way you want it to. At times the tears will flow. That’s okay. Let them. I’m a firm believer in the healing powers in tears. However what do you do after the tears?

You’ve trusted God with your tears. Show Him that you trust Him to work out whatever situation you’re going through.

A good friend wrote this poem. I hope it encourages you as much as it did me.

Don't Give Up!
By Jackie C. Pinder

Are you feeling tired and discouraged?
Don't give up!

Do you see darkness instead of light?
Don't give up!

Have your friends turned their backs on you?
Are you feeling all alone?
Don't give up!

Remember Jesus has promised to
see you through
So…. don't give up!

He has promised to keep you,
comfort and guide you
So please, don't give up!
The sun will shine again
The son will show his face again
Oh, my sister, don't give up
Dry your tears, lift your chin up
Trust Him today
He won't turn you away
Just don't give up!
Let it go, turn it over to him
You'll discover His way is sure
You mustn't give up.
Lean on Him
Trust Him,
Hold on to Him
Love Him
Just, don't give up!
Please NEVER GIVE UP!!

Thoughts on being a girl

What do you love most about being a "girl"?

by Davina, Jess, Ruth, & Sabrena

What do we love about being girls? Hmm... let’s see…

1. Pink

2. Makeup

3. GIRL TALK!

4. No goatee

5. Not having smelly feet.

6. No extra unwanted hair.

7. We get nicer clothes

8. Chocolate solves almost all of our problems.

9. We’re allowed to be crabby at least once a month

10. We can get out of gym when we have cramps really bad.

11. Watching “Chick Flicks” with our closest friends.

12. We can hug all of our friends, talk about clothes and shop as much as we want without guys thinking it’s unusual.

13. If guys cry they get called a big girl’s blouse. If we cry we get hugs! (Ruth’s from England in case you never heard that term)

Girl Talk Magazine Dec 04/Feb 05

(I was looking through an old issue of Girl Talk when I came across this. )

I'm a New Christian... Is it Wrong to Wear...?

Dear Girls,

You’ve just made the most important decision in your life. Welcome to the family of God. You’ll find out as you get to know us that we’re just like any other family. We make mistakes, we get angry, we do and say silly things sometimes. However, all of that is secondary to the fact that we love God and we love each other, faults and all.

You’ll find out as you walk this Christian journey that different people have different opinions about the dos and don’ts of being a Christian. Don’t get hung up on small stuff. The most important thing about being a Christian is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

I remember when I was a teenager, I was out on a Saturday and a gentleman passed me a gospel track and asked me if I was a Christian. I was pleased to say yes because I was a young Christian and quite excited about that fact. However, his incredulous response floored me. “You’re a Christian and you’re wearing that????”

What was I wearing? Believe it or not, jeans and a tshirt. But, according to what he believed, if I was a Christian I shouldn’t wear pants. I didn’t get into an argument with him. My response was simply, “If the God I serve is more concerned about the jeans that I’m wearing than He is about my heart then He’s not the God I thought He was.”

Later that day though, I was still thinking about it. It bothered me that my faith was in question because of what I was wearing. However, a friend reminded me of the following scripture;

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

I’m not saying that we should not be concerned about the way we present ourselves or what we wear. However, that’s not the most important thing to God. The condition of your heart and your relationship with Him is what is most important to him. Hence, that should be most important to you too.

Until next time, stay strong in Him.
Bernadine

Angels Watching Over Me

I'm over here today.


11 For he will command his angels concerning youto guard you in all your ways;

Have you ever had an encounter where you were absolutely sure that there were angels watching over you?

I have.

Stop by Laced With Grace and read about my angelic experience.

Becoming His Dream Girl: Give Him Your Heart

Tanya closed the book with a dreamy sigh. She had been avidly reading it for a few days. She’d lived through the ups and down that the hero and heroine went through in their relationship. Finally, in the last chapter he did what the heroine had been dreaming about all along. He told her that he loved her, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

“I can’t wait for that to be me,” Tanya thought falling back on the bed lost in her world of daydreams. I can’t wait for the guy of my dreams to sweep me into his arms and tell me he loves me..."

“I love you.”

And they lived happily ever after… fade out

This is usually the perfect ending to a book, movie and what many dream would be the perfect ending in real life. However this is not how it plays out when we think about becoming the girl of our heavenly father’s dream. In His version of the love story, I love you is just the beginning…

On the television show The Bachelor, the bachelor “dates” many girls giving them a rose each week while trying to decide which girl he wants.

Can you imagine being a contestant on that show, wondering week after week, “Is he going to give me a rose?” “Will I be his final choice?” “Is he going to break my heart?” Fortunately, you’ll never have to wonder that about God. You were, are, and always will be His first choice. His desire is for relationship with you. You are his treasured daughter. Within you is the potential to become everything he has called you to be. Within you is the potential to become the girl of His dream.

So now back to the beginning… the “I love you.” In a normal relationship you get to know someone and then you give them your heart. However, with God that is the very first step. The very first thing he requires you to do when you enter a relationship with him is, give him your heart…

God makes it easy for you to give him your heart. He doesn’t just say the words He shows you in such a way that you cannot doubt that He truly loves you, that you are His choice.

Romans 5:8 states:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. NIV (emphasis mine)

Take a moment and meditate on this verse. Isn’t it mind blogging just how much the creator of the universe love you, loves me, love all of us? The chorus to Point of Grace's song below puts into words the sense of wonder and awe that I feel when I sit and reflect on just how much He loves me…

Who am I that you would love me so gently?
Who am I that you would recognize my name?
Lord, who am I that you would speak to me so softly
A conversation with the love most high.
Who am I?

Just thought I'd share a little of what I've been working on as I continue with my writing project: Becoming the Girl of His Dream

Read part one here

Photo: Microsoft clip art

Someday - Remembering Mom

Today I’m going to do something I’ve never done on this blog before…

Ready? Here we go…

I’m going to share an honest to goodness, happened while I was sleeping dream, directly from the pages of my journal:).

My Journal…

Last night I dreamt that I was in a room filled with people and I started singing a song straight from my heart. When I woke up the words were still there so I decided to write them down.

One day my life was torn apart,
Oh yes it was.
One day my life was torn apart,
Oh yes it was,
One day my life was torn apart

Oh yes it was,
My life was torn apart one day

In time Jesus healed my heart
Yes he did
In time Jesus healed my heart
Yes he did
In time Jesus healed my heart

Yes He did,
He healed my heart in time

Someday I’ll see you again
Oh yes I will
Someday I’ll see you again
Oh yes I will
Someday I’ll see you again

Oh yes I will,
Mommy I’ll see you again someday!

I guess even when I’m asleep my subconscious mind sometimes thinks about my mother. However, I’m comforted to know that, even in my dreams I know that someday I’ll see her again.

December 5, 2008

***************************************************

Today, October 1, 2009 makes three years since she’s been gone. Tears sometimes still fall but thank God my heart is completely healed.

If you’re reading this and you’re in the initial stages of grief because of the loss of a loved one or even a broken relationship. I assure you, time and prayer does heal bruised, wounded and broken hearts if you’ll give those broken pieces to God.

If you have a few minutes I’d love for you to meet my mother, Pastor Monvella McIntosh. She's the one with the perpetual smile, who almost always has on a hat. She is either preaching, praying, giving, hugging or is simply surrounded by those she loved.

I edited a 30 minutes sermon she gave that was broad casted live on the radio down to about 5 minutes. The title, You've Got to Go Through. Text: Isaiah 43:1-5