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
by Stacy Turley | Aug 5, 2022 | In the Word |
My father-in-law James Turley was passionate about the genealogy of his family. He had traced back the Turley family, in some cases, to before they immigrated to the United States. He had a great deal of knowledge of the maternal branches of the family tree as well. He knew where many of the family members lived, what they did for a living, and where they were laid to rest. He spent many hours researching the details of their lives and many more hours traveling to visit the cities where they lived and were buried. He knew their names and in many cases he had pictures of them from various historical documents. His mission was to document the Turley family history for future generations. Dad Turley did not want his family tree to be forgotten after he was gone. He wanted all of them to be remembered.
In Matthew 1, verses 1-17, we read about the genealogy of Jesus. Many times in the past when I read this section in Matthew, I frequently skimmed over it. I did not really see the need to read through all these names…so-and-so, the father of so-and-so, the father of so-and-so…and on and on for 42 generations. It seemed like details that were not necessary. Oh, how wrong I was!
“So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.” ~ Matthew 1:17
I believe that this section is so revealing of the character of God and His love for us. This Holy Spirit-inspired scripture reminds us of how intimately God knew those who lead to the birth of His son Jesus. He did not only remember the people who did “big things” in His name. He remembers ALL of the people in the family lineage of Jesus. Those who made many bad decisions, those who were deceitful, those who were prostitutes, those who committed adultery, and on and on. God knew all of them by name and loved them all. So much so that He allowed His perfect son to be born of a lineage that was full of dysfunction and sin. Why? Because Jesus came to conquer that very sin and bring healing and restoration.
God’s awareness and intimacy did not stop with the birth of Jesus. God knows our names too. And not just our names….he has put our tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8) and numbered the hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:29-30). He knows us intimately and He knows our family lineage…all of the branches! Matthew 1:1-17 is a beautiful example of how much God loves each one of us. He shows us how well he knows us by saying our names, naming our children and parents to the beginning and end of the ages, numbering our hair and bottling our tears. We are KNOWN. We are LOVED. We have VALUE! This is a passage to celebrate and find comfort in. For Jesus knows more about us than we know about ourselves.
While we may have missing links in our family tree or we may rather not remember some of the more interesting characters of our lineage, God remembers and knows all of us. Our background and our sins do not matter. God is not afraid of dysfunction. He has the power to overcome and defeat all sin, to redeem our story, and to bring beauty from the ashes of our lives.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER: (Please share in Comments to encourage one another.)
- How does this make you feel that God knows you by name, sees your tears, and knows you intimately?
- Have you seen God redeem parts of your story? If so, how?
- Is there anyone in your family who may need to hear about the love of Jesus?
- What is one step you may take to help a family member or friend feel known, loved and worthy…to show them the love of Jesus?
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Thank you sharing with us the genealogy of Jesus. For showing how important we all are by naming and documenting the ordinary people with ordinary lives who lead to the extraordinary Jesus. Help us to remember that we are known by you, loved by you, and valued by you. Help us also share this same love and care to one another. Amen.
Hugs & Blessings, Sweet Circle!
Stacy
by Stacy Turley | Aug 2, 2022 | Life's Journey |
“Are knitting and crocheting idols for me?” That is the question that I recently asked my counselor. It seemed to me that there was a brief look of confusion on her face when I asked that question. I honestly did not want to explain because I feared that if she said “yes” that they were idols for me then I would have to give up two activities that bring me so much peace and joy. Let me explain…
In my blog post on 7/26/2022 called “In The Word #8: My Idol Was All About Numbers”, I shared about my obsession with body image that dominated my life in my mid-30’s. Body Image, weight, clothing size…all of them…were idols to me. After writing that post, I began to reflect on what my idols today might be. One of the things that I thought about was my love of knitting and crocheting. I shared with Kim, my counselor, that when I am stressed and overwhelmed, I typically pick up my needles to calm my spirit before I open my mind to prayer. As the needles click together rhythmically or the rotation-and-pull of the hook glides through the stitches, I feel my tension and stress fade away. My mind becomes occupied with a gentler and more calming activity rather than the spinning and spinning of the day’s anxiety. After I have a moment to calm down, I am able to pray and have a conversation with God. In all honesty, I don’t pray every time, but it is easier for me to pray after I am settled a bit. My fear was that since I pick up my needles before I speak to the Lord, I may be treating these activities as idols.
I thank the Lord often for my counselor who also shares my faith. She is able to observe and process more clearly my obstacles from a faith-perspective than with the lens I am using for myself. She is a gift to me. She asked me if I thought if it was possible that God Himself gave me these talents and activities as tools to slow down first so I may come to Him more fully. As she asked the question, I felt a sudden peace in my spirit. Her words felt right in my being. Almost as if God was saying, “YES! This is a gift I gave you. Do not fear.”
The process of knitting and crocheting remind me of how God created me…how He knitted me together in my mother’s womb (see Psalm 139). He is using these tools to calm my spirit and pave the path to come to Him in my time of stress. When I remember who I am in Christ as I reflect on this passage of scripture while each stitch is made then I am preparing my soul to hear Him more clearly. I respond to Him with a more open mind rather than being blocked by my human emotions.
Thank you, Jesus.
“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.”
~ Psalm 139:13-14
My counselor also reminded me that the enemy loves to warp our perception of right and wrong, good and bad, righteous and not righteous. The enemy is the master deceiver, the father of lies. (John 8:44) With every gift from God, the enemy takes great pleasure in trying to destroy it by making us doubt its goodness and turn away from God’s promises and gifts. (1 Peter 5:8-9) I was reminded that it is possible that the enemy was deceiving me to think these gifts, these tools, given by God to me to bring me His peace and tranquility were bad and wrong. Now when I pick up my needles, I thank God for the peace I feel, and I rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus! I demand that he leave me alone.
What are my idols today? I am still processing this question and asking God to reveal to me all the things that I am putting before Him in my life. I know it will be a constant battle throughout my time here on earth to resist my selfish desires and continue to put Jesus first. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit in me who acts as my counselor to nudge me and say, “Here’s one, Sister.”
QUESTIONS TO PONDER: Please share in the Comments section below.
- What are your idols?
- How are you making changes in your life to put God first?
- How is God meeting you where you are today to help calm your spirit and bring you peace?
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. Thank you for the gifts and talents that you have given of each one of us. I am so grateful that we are all uniquely made, knitted together by your hands, Lord Jesus. You know us intimately and desire a relationship with us. As the body of Christ, we are all needed for your Kingdom and our talents compliment each other. Help us to see where we are creating idols in our lives above You. Help us to respond actively when the Holy Spirit says, “Here’s one,” by accepting and repenting. For when we accept and repent, the power of Jesus will redeem! Amen.
Hugs & blessings, Sweet Circle,
Stacy
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