Heaven-Born Faith

My blog posts have been sporadic to nonexistant lately. I have been in severe back pain that is getting worse, for six months. When I am in pain, that is all I can think about. I got a diagnosis yesterday from a spine specialist. I have cervical spondylosis which is a fancy term for degenerative arthritis in my neck and bone spurs that are pressing on nerves. This is causing pain in my upper mid back, my right arm and right side. He put me on an exercise, traction and walking program. The other option is surgery which neither my doctor nor I want.

I have been really down and feeling hopeless and frustrated and like I will never feel good again. The best thing about my diagnosis is that several weeks ago I woke up one morning and the first word that came to my mind was spondylosis. I wonderd where in the world that came from so I googled it and when I saw what it was I thought "Jesus is telling me what is wrong with me". When the doctor gave me the same diagnosis it made me feel so good that Jesus does love me and that He does care about what I am going through.

Heaven-born faith is what I want regardless of my circumstances or how I feel. Charles Spurgeon explains what that is: "It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but it is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the lift of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say in the direst trouble "Tho He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" is heaven-born faith".

Please pray for me that I will have faith that does not waver through my pain, that I will start feeling better, and that my pain will subside. Thanks so much! I've missed you.

I Resolve

In 2012, I resolve to yield my heart to Jesus, in the words of Charles Spurgeon, "as a highway made ready by His grace, that he might make a triumphal progress through the utmost bounds of my soul, from the beginning of this year even to the end of it".

And in the words of my pastor Sunday, I resolve to:
*Do more than exist, LIVE.
*Do more than touch, FEEL.
*Do more than look, OBSERVE.
*Do more than hear, LISTEN.
*Do more than listen, UNDERSTAND.
*Do more than think, REFLECT.
*Do more than just talk, SAY SOMETHING.
*Do more than read, ABSORB.. 

A New Year

*Jesus is the Creator of new life.

*Jesus is the Author of new stories.

*Jesus is the Timekeeper of new starts.

*Jesus is the Instigator of new beginnings.

*Jesus is the Promise Giver of new creations.

*Jesus is the Transformer of new hearts.

*Jesus is the Renewer of new thoughts.

*Jesus is the Remedy for new attitudes.

May we all be the recipients of Jesus' newness in this new year. Praying for a happy and healthy new year for all of you. Peggy

To Honor Sophie

We had to put my beloved 14 year old Bichon, Sophie, to sleep yesterday. She was the best dog I ever had. She was an angel in her time on earth and now she's an angel in heaven. I miss her so much. I love dogs. They teach us so many life lessons:
*When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
*Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
*Experience fresh air and the wind in your face as pure ecstasy.
*Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
*Take frequent naps.
*Stretch before rising.
*Play every day.
*Thrive on attention and the touch of others.
*Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
*On warm days, lie on your back in the grass.
*On hot days, drink lots of water and sit in the shade.
*When you're happy, dance around and wag your body.
*If you're scolded, run back and make friends.
*Delight in the joy of a long walk.
*Eat with gusto and stop when you've had enough.
*Be loyal.
*Never pretend to be something you're not.
*If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
*When someone is having a bad day, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
You were a great dog, Sophie. Rest well. I love you.

The Christmas Light

The Light

That was Christmas

Shined on the shepherds

Until the impossible

Was seen,

Traveled through

The years,

Shines on in

Love to a

Damaged world

That's lost

 its' way,

And fills up

Hearts

That still seek

His peace.

Wishing for all of you a merry and blessed Christmas, making memories with your loved ones.
Love, Peggy

There's Still Joy

I came home a week ago to find this inflatable Santa in my yard. My grandchildren put it there. My husband had been threatening to get an inflatable for several years and I always said "Over my dead body". But I guess when your grandkids give you a Santa surprise you just smile and thank them.

Actually, that's been about the last bit of joy we've had in our house lately. My husband's precious 97 year old mother has been in the hospital the past week dying of encephalitis of the brain. I think the worse thing in the world is sitting in a hospital room all day, day after day, watching someone die who is not even conscious you are there. It brings back too many memories of when my mom died one year ago after a massive stroke and 5 days of unconsciousness.

Her funeral is Friday. After traveling back from there I'm going to try real hard to get back in a Christmas mood. After all, Jesus came to give us hope amid our feelings of hopelessness, to give us joy to replace our sorrow, to give us peace when our hearts are troubled. Because the Light of the World came down and shined into our darkness those 2000 years ago, there's always the possibllity of joy. I'm going to grab mine soon.

Light of the World

"Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace", Luke 1:78-79. NLT

I ran across this verse in my Bible this morning. I've always loved the picture of Jesus as being the light that came to shine in the darkness of the world. I guess because I've struggled with darkness so much in my battle with depression.

I pray His light shines in the darkness inside me this winter, bathing me in its' glow and keeping the depression away. May His light shine in my grandkids faces at Christmas as they unwrap the presents lovingly chosen for them.

 His light is shining in the thousands of lights in our downtown square and in the smiles of families celebrating Christmas togetherness. His light is shining in the lights of my Christmas tree as I eagerly anticipate my family coming home to be wrapped in my loving embrace.

I pray that Jesus' light shines into all the dark corners of our world and leads us into an unparallelled season of peace and hope. I pray that His light shines brightly on your Christmas celebration this year, chasing away all darkness, and that you have the best Christmas ever.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it", John 1:5. NLT