by Stacy Turley | Aug 23, 2022 | Life's Journey |
Hello, Friends. I asked for your prayers and support last week during my whirlwind of doctors’ appointments, and I THANK YOU for lifting me up. My appointments grew from four over two days to SIX over three days. Here is a summary…
Thursday, August 18th –
- Audiologist for slight hearing loss
- GREAT News! My hearing improved and the issues were due to swelling of my ear canal. We used antibiotic drops and my hearing returned to normal. I had no pain during this time. I had no idea my ear was irritated and swollen internally. Thank you, Jesus!
- Orthopedic Surgeon for pain in my hips with a lovely limp to match
- We have an answer! I have two strained muscles in two different locations. The left hip is a mid-glute muscle strain. The right hip is an upper IT band strain. So different locations of pain but both due to muscular issues. I have to cut back on high impact exercise. No running, jogging, or sharp changes of direction. Walking and elliptical machines are best for now. I am grateful it is NOT arthritis or anything more serious. Thank you, Jesus.
Friday, August 19th –
- ADD ON Appt: Dentist for dental trays to soak my gums in a steriod gel to heal my blisters and help prevent more….at least that is the hope!
- I love having another option in my cocktail of medicines to FIGHT Cicatricial Pemphigoid! The battle is not over and we keep fighting for a solution. God is GOOD!
- Optometrist for a regular check up and vision test. One of my meds may cause blindness so I have to get my eyes checked every three to four months.
- No serious issues, but my eye sight changed enough that new glasses are recommended. I cannot wear contacts so I love to shop for “new looks” with my glasses. I am trying something new and a little edgy…for me. That part is so fun!! Yay!!
- Colon Surgeon…hmmm, nuff said!!
- All is well now. Nuff said!
Monday, August 22nd –
- ADD ON Appt: General Practitioner for increased anxiety and a few days of depression.
- We have a plan! After a year and a half of trying to find a solution to control my autoimmune disease with little progress, my stress and anxiety has increased. I am currently on the lowest dose of anti-anxiety medication. So we will increase the dose and pray that it controls the anxiety which may be the cause of the bouts of depression. Thank you, Lord, for my understanding doctors and the medical assistance with these emotions.
Yes, I sometimes feel like this is a bummer that I have more and more ailments to keep track of and medicines to remember and food restrictions. However, most of the time I am so grateful that God has blessed me with an amazing team of doctors to help monitor my ailments and provide solutions. God is so good!! I am never alone for I know Jesus is by my side through it all and I am grateful for the gifts and progress of medicine to help bring healing to so many people along with God’s power, strength and peace.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” ~ Jeremiah 17:14
I would also like to pray for you! Please leave a note in the Comments section if you have a prayer request. I would be honored to lift you up in the name of Christ. Amen, Sisters!
Hugs and blessings, Sweet Circle.
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Aug 19, 2022 | In the Word |
Have you ever been inspired by the picture or example of a piece of art or craft? I have…many, many times!! My dear husband will attest to that from my stash of projects to work on in my craft closet! I love to take an idea and tweek it a bit to make it my own, so that it speaks to my heart.
In Matthew 5-7, Jesus was sharing with the crowds who had gathered many instructions and words of wisdom in the passage called the Sermon on the Mount. Within the text, Jesus explains the posture we should take when praying. We should not proclaim our prayers loudly in a crowd where we draw attention to ourselves. We do not need fancy words or flowery language. He tells us in Matthew 6:6, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” He reminds the people and us that God already knows what we need before we utter a word! He knows us that well! Jesus goes on to give us the exact words we all may use to commune with God. Jesus gives us the prayer of the Our Father or the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13.
Just like the crafting projects that I like to make-my-own, I find comfort in doing the same with the Our Father or Lord’s Prayer. I like to pray-through-the-prayer. This helps me truly internalize what the prayer is saying and how I may pore out my heart to God with the Lord’s Prayer as my foundation. Let me show you what I mean. (The words in CAPS/BOLD are from scripture. The Italics/Normal text represents my prayer within the prayer.)
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN,
Abba, Father, you created and oversee everything from Your throne in heaven.
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME.
You are holy, mighty, glorious. You are so pure my mind and eyes cannot comprehend.
YOUR KINGDOM COME,
Lord, may you come in glory. May you set right all that is broken in this world. I await eagerly for your coming again when Eden is made perfect again.
YOUR WILL BE DONE,
Lord, I pray that your will be done, not mine. That through the obedience of your people, we may change the world in Your Name for the better. I pray we set aside our selfish ambition. We focus on loving of others and our service to others just as You served us with Your very life.
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
Father, let earth be restored to perfection as it is in heaven. I pray You will conquer all evil and remove it permanently from existence in Your perfect timing.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,
Lord, give me what I need for this day only. Help me to live in the moment and be content with what I have…that which You have provided me.
AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS,
Lord, Jesus, forgive me. Help me see where I have sinned so I may repent and be made right in you. Cleanse me, Lord. Purify me. Open my eyes.
AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS.
Lord, Jesus, as You have forgiven me and set the example of grace and mercy, help me extend the same forgiveness to others. To show others the love of Christ by my actions and words.
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
Lord, when I am tempted, please be with me and give me the strength to overcome and not submit to what my humanly body and mind may want. Help me to live righteously for you. Even under the pressure I may feel from others.
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
Give me a way out, Lord. When evil is in front of me, help me to call out in the name of Jesus, “Get Out! Leave me, in Jesus name!” Help me feel the peace and strength of your Holy Spirit in me to overcome and squash the influence and deception of Satan in my life.
AMEN.
Amen!! Thank you, Jesus. You are mine and I am yours.
Sometimes I feel like I cannot find the words I want to say. Using the Lord’s Prayer as my foundation, it lays the ground work for my heart and soul to speak through. Jesus gave us these Words to speak to the Father. When you need to pray and don’t know what to say or how to say, take time to slow down and say these words which Jesus gave us. Pause after each line, and let your heart speak.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER: (Please respond in Comments section below.)
- Do you pray through scripture? If so, what passage do you pray through most often?
- How do you battle temptation?
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. You are so generous! You have given us the very words we may use to come to the foot of your throne. Thank you for the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father. Thank you for the guidance on how we may approach you. Humbly, quietly, with no fan-fare. Lord, help me remember to bring my laments and celebrations to you. That you are my Savior, my Comforter, and my Creator. Only You know what’s best for me. Amen.
Hugs & blessings,
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Aug 16, 2022 | Life's Journey |
Are there days when you can literally feel your age in your bones? The little creaks, pops, and pain? The sagging skin and weakening eyes? Do you feel sore after doing a chore or task that you have done for years and years and it never hurt before? Maybe you have a new ailment or diagnosis that leaves you wondering …where did this come from??
I am one of those people who absolutely LOVEs my birthday!! I love to celebrate the day that God brought me to the world. The first day of a new plan for His kingdom with me (and millions of others who were born on April 10th,) in mind. I have cherished each year of aging as a gift from God. Another 365 days to reflect on where God has shown Himself in my life and the lessons that I learned.
I normally take the day off of work. I like to celebrate “my day” by filling it with activities that bring me joy. These activities definitely start with COFFEE! I love to explore new coffee shops, find a quiet place to sit and knit, read, maybe get a facial, share a meal with a friend, and normally end with dinner with my hubby, Pat. Phone calls from my kids, my parents, my brothers, and my friends are part of the days smiles and warm fuzzies too!
At 53 years old, I am coming to realize that along with the celebration of the years since my birth, I also have a few unwelcomed guests…aches, pains, medications, more frequent doctors’ appointments and unwanted diagnosis’. It seems like I knew this was coming as my mom always warned me, “Getting old is not for the weak.” My Grandma Saltsgiver told the same thing to my mom when she was growing up, and I am sure I will pass along the same words of wisdom to my daughter!
Oh my word! This week I am living that reality with four doctor’s appointments in two days!! Yikes!!
Thursday, August 18th –
- Audiologist for slight hearing loss
- Orthopedic Surgeon for pain in my hips with a lovely limp to match
Friday, August 19th –
- Optometrist for a regular check up and vision test. One of my meds may cause blindness so I have to get my eyes checked every three to four months.
- Colon Surgeon…hmmm, nuff said!!
Yes, I sometimes feel like this is a bummer that I have more and more ailments to keep track of and medicines to remember and food restrictions. However, most of the time I am so grateful that God has blessed me with an amazing team of doctors to help monitor my ailments and provide solutions. God is so good!! I am never alone for I know Jesus is by my side through it all and I am grateful for the gifts and progress of medicine to help bring healing to so many people along with God’s power, strength and peace.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” ~ Jeremiah 17:14
So…would you pray for me at all the upcoming tests and appointments this week? I would also like to pray for you! Please leave a note in the Comments section if you have a prayer request. I would be honored to lift you up in the name of Christ. Amen, Sisters!
Hugs and blessings, Sweet Circle.
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Aug 12, 2022 | Life's Journey |
Hi, Sweet Circle.
It has been a week! I have struggled a little bit emotionally over the last couple weeks due to the accumulation of several unexpected changes. Here are some of the changes that came my way over the last 10 days…
- New meds to add to my routine for my autoimmune disease as the other meds are not strong enough on their own.
- New dietary adjustments due to new meds.
- Close Contact exposure to a COVID positive person.
- Five days of isolation and five days of masking to ensure my safety and the safety of others.
- Cancellation of my small group social activity due to isolation.
- Cancellation of volunteering at church due to isolation.
- Feelings of loneliness due to staying home and away from people during this time.
It felt like a lot of change to me and honestly, I was down in the dumps for a few days. However, I love that my God (and my loving husband) did not leave me there. I was not alone, and I am finding peace of mind and peace in my soul by reading some of my favorite verses in Scripture. I wanted to share these with you too in case you need a little pick-me-up!
REST:
- “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.” ~Genesis 2:3
- “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28
- “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.” ~Psalm 4:8
PEACE:
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7
- “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” ~Psalm 29:11
- “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” ~Romans 8:6
THANKFULNESS:
- “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” ~Psalm 107:8-9
- “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” ~Colossians 2:6-7
- “You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever.” ~Psalm 30:11-12
- “The Lord is my strength , and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” ~Psalm 28:7
- “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:18
COMFORT:
- “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:17
- “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” ~Psalm 34:18
- “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.” ~Deuteronomy 33:12
HEALING:
- “‘I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security,’ says the Lord.” ~ Jeremiah 33:6
- “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” ~1 Peter 2:24
- “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” ~Psalm 103:2-3
Oh, my…this barely cracks the surface of the life-giving words and truths I have found in Scripture. I have found so much comfort in tough times by resting in the arms of Jesus the words of love He shares with me in His book. I have also used it to celebrate with passages of praise and worship to honor our God. I pray that you too find the passages above to be helpful and I hope to share more with you in our time ahead.
I have come to love a good Bible concordance which provides an alphabetized list of words found in Scripture. If you are needing scripture on strength, or peace, or courage, or even scripture on finances, a concordance will lead you to those topics in the Bible. Biblegateway.com is a great online concordance and Scripture reference tool. Many Bibles offer a concordance in the back pages. We also may consult with Dr. Google…as my daughter’s professor likes to call it…to lead us to some websites that have already compiled these lists by topic. Have fun searching for Scripture that will breathe life and love into you!
QUESTIONS TO PONDER: (Please share in Comments section.)
- What are your favorite Scripture verses?
- Do you have any reference tools you like to use?
- Do you remember a time when God met you in your pain through Scripture or a song? Tell us about it!
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. You are our Creator and Comforter. You desire all our praise and thanksgiving. Thank You, Lord, for Your words of love and guidance to us through the Holy Bible. Your Word give us life and hope through your Son Jesus. Help us to turn to You and your Word before we turn to worldly places and people in our time of need and in our time of celebration. You are our center, our foundation, our strength. Thank you, Lord, for Your sacrifice and unconditional love. Amen.
Hugs & blessings,
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Aug 9, 2022 | In the Word |
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.”‘
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.”
~ Matthew 4:10-11
Recently, my husband and I went to the auto shop to pick up my vehicle after some work was completed. When I went to the Cashier desk to check out with credit card in hand, she shook her head and said there was no charge. I questioned her again because I thought we owed money for this service and the part, and I did not want to leave without properly paying for it. Again, she said there was no charge since we must have prepaid for it. For a split second, I thought, “Well. Ok.” Thankfully, I double-checked with my husband before leaving, and he verified we did not prepay for it. We were both relieved to have caught the error and returned a third time to the Cashier to notify them of the mistake.
However, there was a moment of temptation brewing in me to take their word for it and leave.
In Matthew 4, versus 1-11, Jesus was tempted by Satan three times while in the wilderness after He had fasted forty days and forty nights. So Satan tempted him in three areas where we tend to be weak and easily influenced by our human nature.
TEMPTATION #1: Satan challenged Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by tempting Jesus to turn stones into bread to satiate his hunger. Satan was appealing to Jesus’ physical needs and desires.
TEMPTATION #2: Satan challenged Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by tempting Jesus to throw Himself off the pinnacle of the temple and let the angels save Him. Satan was appealing to Jesus to show off His power.
TEMPTATION #3: Satan challenged Jesus to submit to him and worship him. If he would, then Satan would give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. Satan was appealing to Jesus’ pride and possessions.
We all are tempted in these areas as well…physical needs, desires, power, pride and possessions. Thankfully, this text also provides us with some warnings to look out for and also the actions that Jesus’ used to battle the temptation. We are able to learn from these examples in our own lives.
WARNINGS:
- Satan will try to use us during times of weakness to sin by tempting us in the areas of physical needs, desires, power, pride and possessions.
- Satan will manipulate us by bending the meaning of scripture to make us think we have “permission” to sin.
- Satan is the great deceiver and will lie to us about what is right and what is wrong to draw us into sin.
ACTIONS:
- Fasting is a spiritual discipline we may use to draw us closer to the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Through fasting, we learn that we are able to overcome our human desires through prayer and discipline from the Holy Spirit.
- We are not alone. Jesus was tempted and overcame the temptations. He will give us strength to overcome as well.
- Jesus uses scripture in all three cases to battle Satan and stand up to the temptations.
- Jesus exclaimed to Satan, “Be gone!” We also have the ability to rebuke Satan in Jesus’ name through the power of the Holy Spirit in us.
Standing up to temptation may be a daily battle for us. It may also be one of the most difficult battles we face to say NO to sinful behavior when we believe it will provide us immediate gratification and happiness. However, sin will never bring us happiness and joy, for sin ultimately leads to death. (James 1:15) Sin often brings pain, regret, and hurt either to ourselves or others or both. So where do we go for happiness and joy as well as other wonderful qualities?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And thsoe who belong to Christ Jeuss have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” ~ Galatians 5:22-24
We run to Jesus! Jesus as our Savior along with the Holy Spirit in us will provide us with the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control. Isn’t this wonderful? The passage says there are no laws against these things. And why would there be? All of these qualities will only bring good things to ourselves, to our friends and family, to our neighbors and community. These are the qualities that will change our world! Amen. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- What are the areas where you are most easily tempted?
- What actions do you have in place to fight and/or avoid these temptations?
- What can you do today to prepare yourself for future battles with Satan and the deception he uses against us?
PRAYER: Thank you, Jesus, for the lessons you have taught me in this passage. I am reminded that I am not alone. You were tempted and you know exactly what I am experiencing when I face temptation. I know I have the Holy Spirit on my side and the power of God to help me battle Satan. Lord, please help me recognize when Satan is trying to deceive me. Give me the strength to say, “Be gone, Satan, in Jesus name!” Amen.
Hugs & blessings,
Stacy
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