I am your Creator. You were in My care even before you were born. ~Isaiah 44:2a
Day 2 of reading The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren.
How many times in life do we rail at the circumstances of our birth? Resent the parents we ended up with? The body parts that don’t quite work or fit? Or maybe it’s the color of our skin or the part of the world in which we live that we take issue with.
What do I believe? In a nutshell?
The He to which I refer is my big brother, Jesus the Christ. As his younger sibling, my purpose in life is to share with all who would read or listen, what those three things have meant in my life and how you, too, can experience it.
The scripture says that faith comes by hearing the word, and believing in your heart that Jesus is who He says He is and that His blood shed on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice necessary to accomplish forgiveness of all sin. (Past, present and future).
Everything has been created through Him and for Him. ~Col 1:16b
“It isn’t? Does Dee know that?†is my usual joking response to the above title.
A co-worker and I began reading Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driven Life today. I read it aloud while she drove, and at the end of the chapter the thought to ponder was–you guessed it–“It’s not about me.†It called for reflection on areas of my life where I’d erected All-About-Dee altars and encouraged me to knock them down.
At forty, I finally realize that there’s no shame in admitting that I have had, and still do have issues. It’s that very freedom that I wish to share with you, because the first step to finding the solution, is admitting that there’s a problem.
You not find a list of all the numerous issues that exist, here on this page. What you will find are issues that have affected me or a loved one, along with any helpful resources I have located through research or personal experience.
9:35 p.m., Saturday, March, 2003
It was surely cold out there today! March isn’t called the windy month for nothing. In between chasing books that took to flight like birds I pictured myself somewhere hot, warm, humid even. Needless to say, business was slower than usual.
by Kenneth Aveirls, Sr.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. ~Matt 5:13 - Mk 9:50; Lk 14:34,35 13 Mk 9:50; Lk 14:34-35
How could salt be that valuable? Listen to this. 40 million tons are required each year to fill our needs. In ancient Greece, a far-flung trade involving the exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the _expression, “…not worth his salt.” Special salt rations were given to Roman soldiers which were known as “Solarium Argentums” the forerunner of the English word “Salary.” Thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal from lack of salt. The human body contains about 4oz. of salt. Without enough of it, muscles won’t contract, blood won’t circulate, food won’t digest and the heart won’t beat a beat. Without a doubt, salt is the essence of life. And Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth…”
1. Salt adds flavoring! It doesn’t take a lot of salt to flavor your stew. If you add too much salt, it becomes inedible. Salt is an interesting mineral. I’m told that the saltiest product on the McDonald’s menu is not the fries, but the milk shakes because salt makes a sweet thing taste sweeter. Too much salt, by itself, can make you sick. Yet without salt, you would die. When you talk about salt as flavoring for food, salt must be used in the right quantity.
Ever know or heard of someone so hard headed that the only way they learned a lesson, was through pain and suffering? Yup…that’s me. I share, not because I think I’m an awesome writer, not because I’m dwelling, but because I’ve finally chosen me. Not the broken me, but the me I see in God’s word. “The me He spoke about when He inspired the writer to pen the words:
“I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not bring you harm, plans to restore your hope and provide for your future…then you’ll call upon me and I will listen to you.”
An admitted websurfing junkie and collector of information, this is the area that makes all that time spent surfing worthwhile for others beside myself. As I mentioned earlier in the Contributors section, although we are not confined or defined by our experiences, they do however serve to shape us into the people we become.
Having suffered from a lack of knowledge, part of my gift to anyone who would care to avail themselves of it, is the provision of resources and helplines for women and teens in precarious situations. If you know of any or are one yourself, please choose you and break the cycle or pass on the information to someone who needs it.