So I have Covid. I’m past the worst part now. I wasn’t going to post, but am seeing where so many have Covid and just wanted to share some tips that really helped me get past the worst of it. (Let me mention I am not vaccinated, am 42, and have no underlying health conditions other than a gluten allergy.)
On day 1- I had a scratchy throat
day 2- worse sore throat and itchy sinuses, sense of smell and taste starting to disappear
day 3- bad sinus headache and sore throat and more congestion, some fatigue
day 4-5 felt the worst- very painful sore throat, lots of congestion, headache, lots of fatigue, some trouble breathing
day 6- breathing better, some energy starting to return, have literally 0% sense of smell or taste. On day six I could tell that I turned the corner and just had a cough and lingering fatigue.
When I started feeling under the weather on day 1, I did the following (in addition to taking multivitamin/reg. supplements):
Took one baby aspirin per day.
Took a zinc 50 mg per day.
Took an immune plus supplement per day.
Took a Vitamin D3 supplement.
Took extra Vitamin C daily
Took Generic Walmart cold and flu multi-symptom relief as needed (daytime & nightime)
I took a short walk 1-2 times per day and sat outside in the hot/humid air which helped me feel like I could breathe better and honestly made me feel better.
***I also had lots of popsicles in the beginning when my throat was very sore. However I did run across an issue with having too much ice water and popsicles. When I was very congested and feeling the worst, the cold triggered bronchial spasms (think asthma attack) causing me to feel like I was struggling to breathe. It was scary! I realized that cold was the worst thing at that point! I started drinking hot tea, prayed, and used Vick’s vaporub on my chest and on my feet (used to do this with my babies when they got sick with congestion.) That and God began to help me breathe better. So from that point I would only drink hot liquids!***
I’m definitely not a doctor, but just wanted to share the above in case any of those tips could be helpful to anyone with Covid. Also, I’m praying for you if you have Covid. 🙏🙏
“Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.”
— Rudyard Kipling
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.”
— Helen Keller
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
–1 John 4:18
“But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
-Isaiah 43:1
So my daughter and I got exposed to Covid this past weekend. We are still waiting on our test results to come back to see if we have it. I’ve been thinking a lot about Covid and the fear that has gripped so many in regards to this virus.
I know Covid has been very serious for some and I don’t minimize that at all, but I honestly am not worried or fearful and have a peace about it all.
That being said, wisdom is very important and I have been staying at home until we get our results. It is important to me to be considerate of others.
At the same time, I do want to encourage those who are very afraid of Covid.
Please don’t live in fear.
God is in control.
Definitely use wisdom, but don’t let fear of Covid control you.
God is sovereign.
We can’t add a single day to our lives.
(Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
-Matthew 6:27)
Each one of our days is already written and God sees all of them. (All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God, how vast is the sum of them.
-Psalm 139:16-17)
He decides when our life comes to an end, not us. To me that is a comfort.
Also please remember to love your family members and those around you and show them that love through your words and actions even in the middle of the Covid altered world we live in now.
Don’t let your fear of Covid keep you from that.
I personally know of family members who are completely avoiding other family members because of Covid related issues. These issues include shunning and shaming family members at family events, funerals, etc. because some choose to get vaccinated and some do not.
It is heartbreaking to me to see this divisiveness in families. Something that does indeed come to my mind is what would Jesus do? Would he shun people because of belief about a vaccination or not? Would he shun people who were sick or had the possibility of being sick? Would he want us to be consumed with fear and never leave our house, never go to church, basically become a recluse because of a virus?
Of course He would not. He always allowed others to come to Him. It didn’t matter who they were or if they were sick. In fact, He said He came for the sick! Why shouldn’t we treat others that way? Of course we should use wisdom…but at the end of the day I would rather catch Covid while showing someone the love of Jesus than staying holed up in my house because of fear of the virus! If I caught Covid and died because I was being the hands and feet of Jesus, it would be okay! I would be in my eternal home with Jesus! I wouldn’t have the regret that I didn’t love my family or friends because of fear. Chances are pretty high most people are not going to die from Covid.
I would rather live life free from bondage of fear than getting to the end of my days (whenever that is) and feeling the sting of regret that I didn’t care for and love those around me.
Eternity is forever.
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
-James 4:14
Our life here on earth is just a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. It’s too short to waste. It’s too short not to live it to the fullest for Jesus. It’s too short not to use the gifts and talents He gave you to show His love to others. Be free from the grip of fear. Trust God.
I heard the following song this past Sunday at my parent’s church. The lyrics have been playing in my mind ever since. Just wanted to share. Hope this song is an encouragement to you. You’ve never been more loved than you are right now. ❤️ Your friend,
Tiffany
Jireh
Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music
I’ll never be more loved than I am right now Wasn’t holding You up So there’s nothing I can do to let You down It doesn’t take a trophy to make You proud I’ll never be more loved than I am right now, ohGoing through a storm but I won’t go down I hear Your voice Carried in the rhythm of the wind to call me out You would cross an ocean so I wouldn’t drown You’ve never been closer than You are right now (Let’s sing it loud y’all)You are Jireh, You are enough Jireh, You are enough And I will be content in every circumstance You are Jireh, You are enoughForever enough Always enough More than enough Forever enough Always enough More than enoughI don’t wanna forget how I feel right now On the mountaintop I can see so clear what it’s all about So stay by my side when the sun goes down Don’t wanna forget how I feel right now (Jireh)Jireh, You are enough Jireh, You are enough (so I will be) I will be content in every circumstance Jireh, You are enough (He is always enough)He’s forever enough Always enough Always more than enough He is, He is Forever enough Always enough (He’s everything, He’s always) More than enough (yeah)I’m already loved I’m already chosen I know who I am I know what You’ve spoken I’m already loved More than I could imagine And that is enough, oh-ohI’m already loved (I’m already loved) I’m already chosen (I’m already chosen) I know who I am (I know who I am) I know what You’ve spoken (I know what You’ve spoken) I’m already loved (I’m already loved) More than I could imagine (more than I could imagine) That is enough (that is enough) It’s enough for me, ohI’m already loved (I’m already loved) I’m already chosen (I’m already chosen) I know who I am (I know who I am) I know, I know what You’ve spoken (I know what You’ve spoken) I’m already loved (I’m already loved) More than I could even fathom (more than I could imagine) And that is enough (and that is enough) Yes it is, it’s enough, it’s enoughAnd that is enough (that is enough) What His truth says is better than anything That is enough (that is enough) What He’s declared over us, it’s true That is enough (that is enough) That is enough (that is enough)That is enough (that is enough) Jehovah, You are (that is enough) El Shaddai, You are (that is enough) When I have You, I have everything (that is enough) When I have Jesus, I have everything (that is enough) That is enough (that is enough)’Cause You are enough (You are enough) You’re my portion (You are enough) You’re my portion (You are enough) More than enough for me (You are enough) Say, You are enough (You are enough) So I am enough (so I am enough) You are enough (You are enough) So I am enough (so I am enough) Say, JirehJireh, You are enough (Jireh) Jireh, You are enough (yes Your are) I will be content in every circumstance Jireh, You are enough, oh-ooh (You are)If He dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor How much more will He clothe you? How much more will He clothe you? If He watched over every sparrow How much more does He love you? How much more does He love you?If He dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor How much more will He clothe you? How much more will He clothe you? If He watched over every sparrow How much more does He love you? How much more does He love you?If He dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor How much more will He clothe you? How much more will He clothe you? If He watched over every sparrow (don’t you worry!) How much more does He love you? (Our Father loves you) How much more does He love you? (How much more?)How much more does He love you? (How much more?) How much more does He love you? (How much more?) How much more does He love you? (How much more?) How much more does He love you? (How much more?) How much more does He love you?It’s more than you ask, think or imagine According to His power working in us It’s more than enough It’s more than you ask, think or imagine, oh yeah According to His power working in us It’s more than enough (let’s go y’all)It’s more than you ask, think or imagine (so according) According to His power, it’s working in us (how much more does He love you?) It’s more than enough (how much more? Sing!) More than you ask, think or imagine (so according) According to His power working in us (how much more does He love you?) It’s more than enough (one more time, sing!)More than you ask, think or imagine According to His power working in us (how much more does He love you?) It’s more than enough (how much more?) It’s more than enough (how much more?) More than you know (more than enough) It’s more than enough (more than you know) More than you know (more)Jireh, You are enough Jireh, You are enough (You’ve always been enough) And I will be content in every circumstance Jireh, You are enoughAnd I will be content (yes) in every circumstance Jireh, You are enough
Fear is born of Satan, and if we would only take time to think a moment we would see that everything Satan says is founded upon a falsehood.
– A. B. Simpson
Seeing that a pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness.
– John Calvin
Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.
– Corrie Ten Boom
How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.
– Florence Nightingale
Fear is a self imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.
– Rick Warren
The only known antidote to fear is faith.
– Woodrow Kroll
Faith, which is trust, and fear are opposite poles. If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in vigorous operation. He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust.
– Alexander MacLaren
Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable.
– Harry Emerson Fosdick
Our lives are full of supposes. Suppose this should happen, or suppose that should happen; what could we do; how could we bear it? But, if we are living in the high tower of the dwelling place of God, all these supposes will drop out of our lives. We shall be quiet from the fear of evil, for no threatenings of evil can penetrate into the high tower of God.
– Hannah Whitall Smith
Where fear is present, wisdom cannot be.
– Assorted Authors
Hope is like the cork to the net, which keeps the soul from sinking in despair; and fear, like the lead to the net, which keeps it from floating in presumption.
It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears.
– Helen Keller
I’m fairly certain I haven’t written much about fear but recently was made aware of a situation in which fear was involved.
I wouldn’t say I’m the bravest most courageous person in the world, however, I do place total and complete trust in my Heavenly Father (which eliminates a lot of fear.) It can be a little difficult for me to wrap my brain around having such a level of mental fear since I don’t typically operate out of a fear-based mindset.
Now I’m becoming aware that some individuals are quite the opposite. Some people allow their fear to control their life and their every thought. In extreme cases, the fear may even cause them to hurt ones close to them.
I recently was on the receiving end of someone else’s fear. I won’t get into the specifics, but a person’s fear-based actions were directed at me and honestly hurt me. After dealing with the disbelief for a couple of days (and a situation I never saw coming) I decided to continue to pray about the situation and those involved and let it go. I am truly sad for those who are affected and will continue to be affected by this fear unless this person discovers the antidote to overcoming their fear which is faith.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and thatHe is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
~Hebrews 11:6
Either we trust God or we don’t. Either we believe God is taking care of us or we don’t.
I PERSONALLY KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN LIFE THAT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
But does that mean we should give up on trusting God? Does that mean we should try to obsessively control each and every detail of every aspect of our life to the point of being miserable? Do we think we know best, that we know better than God? Has the worry and the fear and the anxiety become an idol in our lives?
Even if we truly believe we can control (due to our fear) every minute detail, the truth is that we really and truly are not humanly able to do that. We cannot add a minute to our lives by worrying.
It is living in bondage to try and micromanage our own lives and the lives of those around us due to fear.
It is not God’s will for us to live that way.
If you have experienced or are experiencing such overwhelming fear, please talk to your Heavenly Father who dearly loves you and does not want you to live under the weight of fear. Consider talking through things with trusted Christian friends or family members or even Christian counselors who can help you process your fears and feelings. There is absolutely no shame in that. For some it may take courage to take that first step, but in the end it will be worth it!
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.~John 16:33
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” ~ 1 John 4:18
“But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” ~ Isaiah 43:1
My pastor’s sermon yesterday was about Heaven. He talked about what Heaven really is. It is a real place prepared for people who have a relationship with Jesus.
Christians have a dual citizenship – on earth and in heaven – and our citizenship in heaven ought to make us better people here on earth. – Warren W. Wiersbe
He discussed the basic, probably mostly well-know fact among Christians, which is that we can’t get to Heaven by good works. But do we really believe that and live that way? What does our calendar, bank account, the way we use our natural giftings or talents say? Do we really live and act as though our relationship with Jesus is our most important priority?
Let heaven fill your thoughts instead. Because when you do, everything on earth gets placed in its proper perspective. – Greg Laurie
When we are planning to take a vacation, we think and dream about it. We study the location we plan to travel to. We learn about the area-what activities we will do there, what it looks like, the route we will take to get there, etc. Much like planning for a vacation, our lives should reflect that we are planning to travel to Heaven.
Surely it is not wrong for us to think and talk about Heaven. I like to find out all I can about it. I expect to live there through all eternity. If I were going to dwell in any place in this country, if I were going to make it my home, I would inquire about its climate, about the neighbors I would have — about everything, in fact, that I could learn concerning it. If soon you were going to emigrate, that is the way you would feel. Well, we are all going to emigrate in a very little while. We are going to spend eternity in another world. … Is it not natural that we should look and listen and try to find out who is already there and what is the route to take? – D.L. Moody
We wait with anticipation and count down the days until our vacation. Everyone around us knows we are going on vacation! We wait with excitement, often impatiently! We go shopping for all necessary items we will need for the trip. We have a hard time focusing on much else because we are so looking forward to our vacation!
Our creator would never have made such lovely days and have given us the deep hearts to enjoy them, above and beyond all thought, unless we were meant to be immortal.
– Nathaniel Hawthorne
As we are preparing for our vacation, we don’t want to forget one of the most important and honestly very basic of things:
We have to make a reservation.
If we forget to do that, all the dreaming, planning, and preparing won’t matter at all.
How do you make the reservation? You call/email/communicate with whomever is in charge of the condo/hotel/house rental or whomever represents it. They give you instructions to follow in order to ensure you can stay there. If you don’t follow the instructions, you can kiss your vacation goodbye.
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.– C.S. Lewis
The hills and valleys of Heaven will be to those you now experience not as a copy is to an original, nor as the substitute is to the genuine article, but as the flower to the root, or the diamond to the coal. – C.S. Lewis
The cool thing about Heaven is we don’t have to pay for the trip. The cost has been covered by our Heavenly Father through Jesus.
So after the planning, preparing, making reservations, we have to wait for the day of departure to arrive. When that day arrives we set off for our glorious vacation. But did we consider another very important part of our trip? The question of Who will be there when we arrive?
That fact can totally make or break an earthly vacation. Will we be spending our vacation with our family, our friends, or both? If it is our family members, or people closest to us, we may have already had the opportunity to spend time with them beforehand, spend time in their presence. Often, we don’t have to wait until we arrived on site for our vacation to be in their presence.
The presence of God is what makes Heaven Heaven.
~Pastor Bill Bryan
As Pastor Bill stated, God’s presence is ultimately what makes Heaven Heaven. The coolest thing of all? We can experience the Lord’s presence right now! We don’t even have to wait to get to Heaven.
How do we experience God’s presence now? Talk to Him (pray), think about Him (reading His Word helps to do this), worship Him (verbal affirmations, singing, etc.)
Lucifer (Satan) was created to worship God. When he failed to do that, God created us. God gave us the free will to worship Him.
~Pastor Bill Bryan
The fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.
– C S Lewis
Have you ever noticed that being in the presence of certain people fills our hearts with joy. It is really almost an indescribable experience. (Obviously this is not the case for all people we are around. 😉) Often we don’t care where the vacation destination is or what we are doing if we are spending time and communicating with our closest family or friends.The warmth, light, and love certain individuals exude touch and fill our own hearts with the same. But those feelings pale in comparison to the Holy Spirit and the light He fills us with.
Suddenly, I was enveloped in this brilliant golden light. The light was more brilliant than the light emanating from the sun, many times more powerful and radiant than the sun itself. Yet, I was not blinded by it nor was I burned by it. Instead, the light was a source of energy that embraced my being. – Ned Dougherty
We honestly can’t even begin to imagine the wonders, beauty, and magnificence of Heaven. The grandeur of our trip to Heaven far outweighs any vacation we can take on Earth. Our purpose here on Earth is to truly worship God while traveling to Heaven and share this with others so they can do the same.
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
Earth is only a pale version of heaven, not the other way around.
– Greg Laurie
This earthly body is slow and heavy in all its motions, listless and soon tired with action. But our heavenly bodies shall be as fire; as active and as nimble as our thoughts are.– John Wesley
We are just travelers passing through this Earth and all the vacations we enjoy here are such tiny, fractional bits of the glorious, wondrous Home of Heaven, where we will actually see Jesus face to face.
I’m so thankful His presence is with us even now. It gives us a small taste of all that is to come and is waiting for us in our eternal Home.
Your friend,
Tiffany
PS. We sang the following song during worship yesterday at church. I love it! Enjoy!
A friend of mine posted the following on Facebook today. I thought it was pretty amazing and wanted to share. Keep swimming and hang on to hope! You can do all things through Christ’s strength! (Yes, I’m totally speaking to myself right now, too. 😊)
During a BRUTAL study at Harvard in the 1950s, Dr. Curt Richter placed rats in a pool of water to test how long they could tread water.
On average they’d give up and sink after 15 minutes.
But right before they gave up due to exhaustion, the researchers would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes – and put them back in for a second round.
In this second try – how long do you think they lasted? 🤔
Remember – they had just swam until failure only a few short minutes ago…
How long do you think?
Another 15 minutes?
10 minutes?
5 minutes?
No!
60 hours! 😳
That’s not an error. 🤷🏼♀️
That’s right! 60 hours of swimming.
The conclusion drawn was that since the rats BELIEVED that they would eventually be rescued, they could push their bodies way past what they previously thought impossible.
I will leave you with this thought:
If hope can cause exhausted rats to swim for that long, what could a belief in yourself and your abilities, do for you?
*Remember what you’re capable of. Remember why you’re here.
Keep swimming.
*** I saw this today on Facebook and found it doubtful so researched it. It is a true story and referred to as, “The Hope Experiment” and is well known apparently in the psychology world.
Okay so this evening was a little rough. My husband had to work late and it usually takes two of us to brush Landon’s teeth. Even with a sensory toothbrush, strawberry flavored toothpaste and the assurance that we will be “all done” with brushing his teeth as quickly as we can, it involves a huge fight on Landon’s part with limbs flailing, him yelling, crying and basically acting like we are trying to brutally murder him.
Usually Murry and I obtain bites, scratches and bruises in the process. Even though we have brushed his teeth everyday for probably the last seven years, every day we get the same reaction from Landon.
Autism.
This is just one tiny facet of what it means for your child to have severe autism. Well, today Murry had to work late so I had to complete this lovely teeth brushing task on my own. (Yes, I have considered never brushing his teeth and basically letting his teeth rot out. And this is coming from a person who has never had a cavity. So yeah, autism can affect you on levels you never really dreamed of….)
Anyway, I don’t know what it was about tonight. But as I was attempting to hold my 63 pound son down in order to brush his teeth, I realized he really did not understand why I was brushing his teeth. He does not understand the fact that he already has cavities and I’m trying to avoid him having to go to the operating room, have him put under general anesthesia just to get cavities filled. He’s thinking “Mama is just torturing me and she knows I hate this because of my sensory system being in overdrive and yet, she still does this every single day.”
I don’t know what it was about tonight. Usually I hold the emotions in check, but as I was holding him after I finished brushing his teeth, while he was still screaming and fighting me, my own tears started. I realized looking into his confused eyes, that he has no idea why we brush his teeth. Will he ever understand? Will he ever be able to realize we are doing this because we love him and want to take care of him no matter how much he hates us, bruises us, bites us?
Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
Are we ever that way with our Heavenly Father? Do we fight Him and say “how can you do this to me” while only viewing our situation from our own limited understanding and perspective? Do we ask God how He can allow a health problem or relationship problem or financial problem in our life? Do we ask God why He’s letting all these negative circumstances happen to us? Do we ask what we did to deserve this and is it fair? Do we treat God the way Landon treats us when we brush his teeth?
Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes He calms us. He wants us to have a bigger perspective than just our own. We have to trust Him that he is going to work ALL things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
I once read a quote that said “Just because the story has a happy ending doesn’t mean you can’t cry during the sad parts.”
Well, I had a sad part tonight. But after my tears, I had to stop and look toward the future…the future of Landon’s healing, the future of our eternity in Heaven, the future of a perfect life with Jesus.
I know that tonight was just a moment in time. (I am not minimizing the fact that it is very overwhelming and draining to say the least of being an autism parent.) But in the morning the sun will rise and Landon will jump in my lap and give me kisses. And I’ll cherish that moment. I’ll hold it in my heart and I will smile. And it will be a glimpse of the way it will be all the time in Heaven. And then we won’t even remember the tears.
I recorded this far from perfect video today. 😊 I wanted to play a song for Father’s Day and felt like Good, Good Father is the song God put on my heart. Even if your earthly father is no longer here, your Heavenly Father is always with you, loving you! (I incorrectly substituted earthly for Heavenly when talking before I played the song. Oops. 😊)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
John 15:5-6
Today our pastor spoke about “roots and fruits.” He talked about how Jesus is (or should be) our root. We are branches. The branches display fruit. The branches cannot produce fruit apart from the root. Our pastor asked what fruit do our lives display? Do we display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control? Or do we display hate, sadness, conflict, impatience, meanness, evil, disobedience, violence, being out of control or lack of discipline?
Whenever we display negative fruit in our lives (fruit that is not in line with the character of Jesus), it means the behavior is coming from a bad root. Try as we might we cannot change or modify our behavior without first dealing with the root issue. We can’t do it on our own either. We have to become connected and remain connected to the best and only true root/source. That root is Jesus.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:4
So how do we do that? Disconnect from the things that are not good roots…ungodly influences in our life, or even bad habits, negative people, etc.
I do want to point out that sometimes the bad roots we have in our lives may not be there because of something we’ve done wrong or a sin. Some trauma, abuse, bad relationships from the past could have caused a bad root to be present. Someone else could have caused it. We could have a health issue that cause some negative roots to crop up. Or there could be another cause of a bad root.
Regardless of where our roots come from, the answer is still the same:
Abide in Jesus.
Seek Him.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:7-8
So what does that mean? Become aware of your attitudes and behaviors and ask the Lord to help remove any roots that shouldn’t be there. Read the Bible, pray, sing praise and worship songs, attend church and develop friendships with like minded believers.
One of my very favorite things to do is to picture Jesus in my mind. I imagine I’m looking into his kind, brown eyes and I talk to him. I imagine him listening intently, smiling, nodding and then kindly giving me helpful advice. Sometimes I imagine he just gives me a hug and holds me for awhile without giving me any advice. I know that he always knows exactly the type of response I need right when I need it. Best of all, He provides the most amazing love. That’s what it means to me to remain in Him and He in me. Why would I want to have any other source or root?
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:9-12
Now, I’m fully aware that we are imperfect humans.But Jesus knows that. That’s one of the reasons we have to stay connected to Him. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. And all the fruit we display in our lives gives a very good indication of how much of Him we have in our lives.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.You are my friends if you do what I command.I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:13-15
I want to reflect who He is, definitely not who I am. We will always be a work in progress on this side of Heaven, but may we always seek to grow more and more in the true root.
Our true source.
Jesus.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:16-17
Your friend,
Tiffany
P.S. The following song, Abide In Me by Andrew Marcus, came on Pandora while I was listening and writing this blog. I felt like I should share it. Be blessed.
I ran across the following today when I was taking a break from painting my kitchen cabinets. It does a pretty good job describing what so many awesome Mamas do day in and day out. It was refreshing to read and know that someone else out there understands and accurately put into words what we Mamas often feel. I know without a doubt Jesus is right there with me helping me through each and every moment! Also, I am reminded that it is okay and even good to rest…both physically and spiritually…And yes Moms, you are without a doubt superheros!!!!!
Via instagram.com/catandnat
“Hey mom why are you so tired?” ⠀
Because. Because you are most likely the keeper of every emotion of all of your children and most likely your entire family, because you are most likely the sole organizer of your entire family’s doctors, dentist, ortho, dermatologist, tutors, haircuts, birthday parties, parent-teacher interviews and on and on and on. ⠀
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You are most likely the keeper and maker of all the special moments, vacations and family times that they will store in their memory bank forever. Because you most likely take care of a house while simultaneously stress about bringing an income in to relieve the financial load in the house. ⠀
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You most likely know what each and every one of your children is feeling and what they need without them having to utter a word but you can tell by their facial expression or response exactly what they need…..you are most likely the one that somehow manages to cram a full day of work into hours so you can cook dinner, help with homework, be their cheerleader, therapist, boo boo kisser and emotional trampoline. You are their emotional barometer for “ok”, even if you’re not you show up as if you are. ⠀
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“Hey mom why are you so tired”, because you are the thread that holds it all together while barely holding yourself together but making it look like you have to all together for everyone else around you, because you don’t have the space or the time to not be together. ⠀
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You are so tired because you wouldn’t change it for the world, ever. Every night, every mother knows this. ….The insane gratitude of checking on them as you crawl to your own bed after a more than insane day, wondering if they know how much you love them and if you did it ok. You will lie there and wonder how you can do better ….
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But just so you know you are a dang freaking superhero, even if you’re more than slightly tired ❤️
You’ve Got A Friend 