We watched the services yesterday that we normally watch. The first one was right on target. Pastor Jentezen Franklin of the Free Chapel church - it was previously recorded and shown because he has contracted COVID or has been exposed - depends on what you hear and read in the media. I don't know which it is, but he is planning on speaking next Sunday, so to me that means he may have just been exposed. Anyway, the message was on Discouragement and was it ever good. During this season I am sure many of us have become discouraged - I know I have. I text'd my little sister and asked her if she had watched it for she is always depressed. She said she had watched it twice. It probably wouldn't hurt for me to watch it again, although I choose not to live in depression and discouragement. He had some really good points, and I encourage you to watch it at JentezenFranklin.com or even on facebook, just type his name in. He has numerous messages online and I can't think of a time I have been disappointed in what he has spoken.
After the services I worked on my spice rack(s). There is a story there. My daughter wanted a spice rack for Christmas. I ordered her one, only when it arrived - a box within a box with no padding - I heard glass so notified Amazon and they sent another one. It was packed correctly. It was then I discovered that I had ordered a spice rack without the spices. At first I thought that would work and ordered labels to be put on the jars. I thought she could just buy the spices she wanted and used, and label. The more I thought about it, I thought that wasn't right, so I bought yet another spice rack and made sure it had spices already in it. She got that one. So yesterday, after getting the bed cleaned off and all the wrapping paper stored back in the garage, I opened the broken box. Three jars had been broken. I got those out and put together the rest of the rack. Then I opened the other one, which had none broken. I wasn't sure what to do with all these, and then I had an idea.
I am struggling with all the clutter on my kitchen cabinets... so.much.stuff.still. So I decided to go through my spices in the cabinet, and fill up those in my used spice rack. Those spices that are not in that rack, I put into the jars and into the new spice rack. I ended up with an additional 21 jars of spices that were not in the spice rack I always use! In fact, I think I missed a couple, but that's not a big deal. I have several bottles left over. So now I have three spice racks on the counter currently, but I have plans to move two of them, if not all three.
The good part is that I managed to clear half a cabinet and told hubby that I wanted him to put his pills that he leaves ON THE COUNTER, to put in the cabinet. So he decides that he can put ALL his pills/vitamins in that cabinet and proceeds to take them from his desk as well and gets them all in the cabinet. At least they are in one place and off the counter.
I still had much I wanted to work on, but hubby started in 'would you like to go to a late lunch or to an early dinner?'. I know when he asks that in the early afternoon (especially when I'M WORKING ON A PROJECT) he is feeling hungry. (I didn't cook breakfast yesterday and we ate cereal) So I told him an early dinner so that I could finish what I was doing. 4PM or so would be fine. It's now a little after 1PM. When I got things pretty much put in jars and he got his pills put in the cabinet, he was ready to go eat - about 2:15PM. Why can't he be like other people and if you are hungry, just fix a sandwich or something? UGH. I was not hungry, but we went out to eat anyway, cause he was.
As we were walking into the restaurant I had an idea. I asked if he had his Barnes & Noble card with him, thinking while we were out we could stop there. He did have it, so after we ate we headed over to B&N where he bought two books and I bought one. He used his gift card and paid for his other one, and I gave him money for my book. Yes, I nearly always pay for my things... it's easier that way. We came back home after that and settled in - him watching his programs on TV and me finishing up a crochet project. Once the TV went off I was able to read a chapter in the new book I bought. What book? I forget the actual title but it's by Dr. David Jeremiah on the book of Daniel.
I am always drawn to Daniel and would love to do a study on that book of the Bible. Actually, there are several books of the Bible that are my favorites, but I haven't done an intense study of Daniel yet so I enjoy reading different books about him. In fact, as we are approaching the new year and mentally preparing for our annual 21 day fast, I usually do some form of what we call the Daniel Fast. Hubby does his own version of what he wants to fast. I think he has it down to meat and vegetables. He always wants to do what I want to do, but he can't do what I want to do - and therefore, prevents me from doing what I want to do.... (confused yet?) .... but he always does his own thing because he had a food mindset....he has to eat....and you know when he's hungry.
I haven't made my mind up for sure as to when I will start. I really want to start January 1 and go to the 21st, but one pastor we watch is having his church start January 10th and go to the 31st, and our church is starting a 14 day fast on January 11th. Hubby has already decided that since we are going away for the weekend of January 9-10 that we can wait until the 11th to start. He doesn't want anything to interfere with our eating out that weekend.
So what is the purpose of fasting in January? It's giving back to God the first fruits of the year, like we give Him the first fruits of our income. Which is why I want to start on January 1.... but it's still the first month so I guess it doesn't make much difference. I hadn't really thought about fasting the first of the year (although I have fasted for various reasons over the past 30+ years) until I started watching/listening to Pastor Jentezen. We've done it in January now for the past 5+ years, I'd guess. I don't know when we started. And although there are many people who do fast from all foods except chicken broth (Pastor Jentezen jokes that Chick-fil-a knows when it's time for their fast and they will strain their chicken noodle soup and give them just the broth when they ask for it.) and maybe a cracker when needed. I'm still processing what I will fast and when I will start. It's between God and I.... not hubby and I. sigh.
Back to my spices, I managed to clean out some that I have had forever and perhaps only used one time years ago and put in a jar and labeled it. Kind of like what we do with things that happen to us, or things we do. We put them in a jar and label them 'bad experience' or 'good experience' for us to pull out later and either relive them or throw them away.
I read something interesting this morning about going to a psychiatrist. It talked about how modern counseling has gone wrong. Psychiatrists (or counselors) will often urge you to dredge up any and every negative emotion or thing that happened to you in the past. Then these negative emotions and memories become the blame of what is wrong with us. Most people will feel worse after going to a psychiatrist because they have spent the hour talking about how bad they were treated or felt. Instead of thinking about all the negatives, why not review the positive things that happened to you? What if you stopped and reviewed ten positive things that have happened to you in the past? Then reflect on those, review those, and accentuate the positive of those things. That will make you feel better.
But of course that route of treatment wouldn't work for that profession. People wouldn't need to see them if they could remember the good things that happened to them rather than the bad things. I think of my own life and my siblings. As we were growing up, things happened to each of us, especially us girls. My older sister (still) wants to talk about things and bring up the ugly past. My younger sister (still) lives in the effects of the past in that she doesn't talk about the bad stuff all the time, but brings up other things that will make her look good. Me? I have processed the bad stuff, but I choose not to live there. I choose to look for the positive things in my life.
I choose to live life looking for the good in people, although sometimes they frustrate the heck out of me! I choose to live life seeking after the One who can bring the Joy that so often alludes people. Jesus is the Man of Joy. He is, truly. In my darkest moments, when I allow sadness to overtake me and I feel myself sinking low, I know to call on the name of Jesus, and He pulls me out of my despair and despondency, and sets my feet back on solid ground. I tell the devil to go back where he belongs and to leave me alone. I belong to Jesus and I look to Him for all I need.
My suggestion to you as we start this new year in a few days, make the decision to find the positive in every situation. Come out of the house and have a flat tire and don't have the time or money to get it fixed? What if, instead of getting angry and upset about it, you thank God that it happened while you were at home and not driving.... and that you could have been saved from a serious accident.
My best friend, Bertie, years ago wrote me a story about how God took care of them. They had been on a trip to another city - can't remember if it was for a medical treatment or what. But anyway, during the trip they noticed something wasn't right with the van (I can't remember what specifically it was) and stopped to get it checked out. Come to find out, the axle had broken over the rear tires and there was nothing holding it together. The mechanic could not understand how they had driving hundreds of miles without the tires falling off the van. But Bertie and I could. We both imagined how angels were holding up the rear of the van while it went down the road. Now Bertie could have been terrified about how close they came to being totally broken down and woe is us because this happened.... but instead she chose to thank God for sending His angels to hold the van together until they could get it looked at. The mercy and grace of God.
Make the decision to be positive about every thing that happens. Many times the situations are what we put ourselves in. And, we have to suffer the consequences of those. But praise God, He will always be with us and will not forsake us. Ever.
Blessings!
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