G R O W. H E A L. REJOICE.

I’m pretty excited in my life right now. You’d think I won the lottery with all the fun I’ve been having lately, but no, rather, I broke my foot just over a week ago and won’t be able to return to work (as an Addiction Counselor) for the next 2 months.

The break on my left foot, in the left metatarsal, is completely severed in two:

The Orthopedist told me that it’ll take several months to heal, and that it’s going to “suck” for a long time.

Per the usual, “sucking” is truly a matter of perspective. One man’s suck is another man ‘s paradise, and I choose the latter to revel in.

I have crutches and a cast shoe I’m supposed to wear, but the majority of the time, I do just fine with strategic foot placement when walking (hobbling). I can’t stand fully on my foot with it flat on the ground, yet- I have to keep the left side (surrounding the severed bone) uplifted from the ground, forcing the bulk of my weight onto my heel. It took some getting used to but I’m like Speedy Gonzalez now, zipping around the house and yard- cleaning, cooking, gardening, shopping, and everything else I want to do.

I’ve spent the past week scrubbing the house down (including washing all of the windows)- doing some major deep cleaning…gave the cat and my two dogs a bath last night- had my own shower, made a fine supper, and then took the dogs for a 1/2 mile walk around the neighborhood- yes, with my broken foot!

You won’t see any grass growing under these feet.

I enjoy staying active throughout most days. Today, however, was my day of rest, so I stretched out on my chaise lounge with my remote and immediately fell asleep. (So much for catching a show.)

I absolutely love my new house. It’s my sanctuary. I get a ton of sunlight through my living room and sitting area windows, and in the evenings, I light candles and make tea and listen to the hundreds of bullfrogs all singing in a beautiful chorus; I’ve never been happier in life than I am right now.

I think a big part of that is my betrothal to Jesus. I’ve recently renewed my vows of love with Him; choosing to love Him above all other people in the world- including my own parents/children/ friends- there’s nobody who can compare to Him and His love.

I take my burdens, pains, sorrows, and broken heart to Him in prayer twice per day- once in the morning and again in the evening- to my prayer closet, where I go in to Him and shut the door, and am alone with my Creator- my best friend- the lover of my soul.

Jesus says, in Matthew 11:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

As humans, we tend to carry a lot of emotional and spiritual baggage within us; especially those of us who’ve experienced a lot of trauma in life, such as myself. It can be difficult to adjust our internal filters accurately, due to the damage we’ve suffered.

It’s no different than trying to fill a ziplock bag with water which has 25 jagged holes in the bag. Until the bag is repaired, there’s simply no way it’s going to hold water.

Every person has his and her own set of unique filters in life. Two people can witness the same event but tell two completely different stories- not rooted in *fact*, but based on their personal anecdotal, theoretical, and empirical life experiences.

We paint the canvas the colours based on our own unique experiences- sifting information through our own filters.

When our filters are skewed and damaged as children, we grow up seeing through those lenses. And, truth be told, we all suffer trauma in life. Nobody gets out of that one.

The question is, are we going to learn and grow and heal and share from our wreckage, or are we simply going to become part of the broken furniture, perpetually injured and damaged, sucking up the light from those around us like an eternal abyss?

Love is a choice.

Hate is s choice.

Pain is a choice.

Anger is a choice.

Forgiveness is a choice.

Unforgiveness is a choice.

Healing is a choice.

Bitterness is a choice.

Happiness is a choice.

I thank God, for freeing me from the shackles of hatred and unforgiveness toward others.

I know people, personally, who claim to be Christians- go to Church faithfully- read the Bible, pray- do all of the “righteous” things Christians are supposed to do, but their hearts are full of hatred against someone they refuse to forgive, or love.

Like Jesus said, “Their outsides are whited sepulchures, but their insides are full of dead men’s bones.”

They can iron clothes, get their kids ready, feed their family, go to church, put on a “good Christian show” in front of the entire congregation, thinking they’re a hop, skip, and a jump away from Heaven itself- but the Bible says their entire religion is a lie if they say they love God but hate their brother or sister in Christ.

Sadly, I share blood with some of these hypocrites, and don’t even get me started on their utter hypocrisy.

They’re gonna get a sad wakeup call down the road, when they try to storm Heaven, but are forbidden entrance, all because they chose hate over love..unforgiveness over forgiveness. Revenge over compassion. Giving the cold shoulder rather than a warm heart. Withholding charity rather then giving freely from their hearts.

They done gat me preachin’ up in hih!

But back to Jesus. He says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

The yoke He speaks of is no different than the yoke around the neck of cattle. His yoke- his instrument of corralling us into his barns, where there is (spiritual) safety, shelter, food and water- is easy, and His burden is light! Not our own. It is us, as humans, who collect heavy burdens throughout life and drag them around, from one person to the next, and then we wonder why we feel dead inside, and why we’re not experiencing joyful relationships that bear fruit.

It is because we’re shackled by our own yoke- a yoke of our own making, with combinations of blame, resentment, envy, strife, hatred and murder that are locking it in place, around our spiritual necks. But what do some do? They blame other people for that yoke that they made themselves. It’s everybody else’s fault, but never their own. In reality, it is their very mouths who’ve dug pits for their enemies that have slaughtered them. The more they vomit out their hate campaigns to one another, the tighter the noose grows around their own necks.

“Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art taken by the words of thy mouth.” -Proverbs

But Jesus’ yoke is easy.

And His burden is light.

People completely miss the simplicity of this Scripture!

We’re too caught up trying to free our own yokes from our necks that we fail to understand that we’ve got the wrong yoke on to begin with!

We’re supposed to be wearing Jesus’ yoke.

And we’re too used to carrying around our decades-long, dusty old crumbling burdens that we refuse to acknowledge the truth of this part of the Scripture- where Jesus says- MY burden is light.

We have no business (as Christians) to be dragging our decrepit old ancient burdens around in our lives, and God forbid someone should ask us how we’re doing.

“Oh, you know…I’m hanging in there…” (exhales a heavy sigh)

Wow. What a testimony of Jesus’ healing power.

I love the Scripture that states, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

There are so many times in the Bible where Jesus tells His disciples- and others- to REJOICE. That’s not a request, but a commandment.

“Rejoice when men shall revile you and say all manner of evil against you for my sake! For great is your reward in Heaven,” He says.

If we’re supposed to rejoice when we’re being persecuted by people- including other Christians- when they’re gnashing on us with their bloody teeth, how much more should we be rejoicing on any given day, no matter how things are going?

These are the principles I live by.

I don’t throw things up here on my blog that I haven’t birthed repeatedly- year in, year out.

This is the secret to my joy.

Notice I didn’t say my happiness.

Happiness is fleeting. It’s emotion-based. It sails in like a balloon, filling the heart, then floats out again, leaving its imprint, echoed by sadness once it’s departed.

But joy!

Joy comes from the Lord. Joy = unadulterated, never-ending happiness.

We don’t have to wait until we get to Heaven (in my case, The New City, mentioned in Revelation) to experience ever-lasting joy!

When I go before the Lord every morning (and again, every evening), on my knees in my secret place– my prayer closet- I shut my door, fall on my face, and give God, and Jesus, what they deserve, which is my praise.

Ru-Ak means “breath”, or “spirit”. It is the very least I can do, as a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ, to offer Him my breath- the very breath He breathed into me to give me life.

My special time in that secret place with the Lord is all about 2 specific things:

1.) Praise

2.) Gratitude

Without gratitude, you’re a dead duck in the water. Gratitude is woven throughout every fiber of my being.

There’s literally nothing I cannot be grateful for. I’ve experienced more hardships than most people will ever have to experience, and can honestly say, I’m grateful for every one. (You can read my BIO tab (at the top of my blog) for more information on that.)

I learned long ago that it doesn’t matter which side of God’s scales we’re on- whether it be the pain side, or the pleasure side- we owe Him our praise and gratitude, regardless. It took years of tragedy, trauma, and gut/wrenching pain for me to realize that no matter my experiences- God is still on the Throne, He’s still God, and He’s still just.

Does the sun not still shine though it’s dark and stormy? Does the sun cease to shine though it’s dark and night?

Just because we don’t see the sun shining during those times doesn’t mean it’s not still there, shining brightly.

So is God.

When I hit my knees to the ground in prayer, I thank Him for everything, including painful experiences. For it’s through the pain that we develop our strong roots. The sunshine is great, it feeds the leafy bits, but it’s the dark, cool soil and the immense pressure therein that cracks the seed’s hull open. And only then does new life begin, as the roots make their way down into the deep, dark earth, so are the prayers and the heart that pours out the pain to the Lord, covered by gratitude for the situation- no matter what I’m going through or experiencing.

The deeper the roots submerge, the richer the water! So is prayer, when the heart pours out its complaints, sorrows, burdens, and troubles before the Lord, offering up gratitude for the pain that we don’t always understand, but trusting that the Lord has already prepared our escape plan- our exit strategy- from the painful situation.

This is truly my secret to remaining joyful in every situation.

The Lord takes the pain- surrounded in gratitude- and draws it into His bosom, converting it into joy, then sends it back down through our conduit of praise.

It’s a transaction. A spiritual transaction.

Pain for joy.

Beauty for Ashes.

The pain is temporary, but the joy is never-ending.

**********************************

I started growing a lemon tree today!

I planted some lemon seeds in a silver pail, using organic (indoor) potting soil, along with some basil, and tomatoes. I’ve never tried to grow anything in my life, but I find it cathartic and relaxing to commune with nature, and to have a relationship with plants.

I can’t wait to see my first sprouts!

I love the time it takes for things to grow. For example, a lemon tree doesn’t produce fruit for its first 5-7 years. It’s a waiting game and it’ll certainly work some patience into ya.

I’m having the time of my life right now. 🤗

I’m accomplishing far more with a broken foot than I ever did without one!

I meditate on these two specific Scriptures throughout the day, when I’m working:

“In all labour there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.” – Proverbs

And:

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” – Ephesians

As well as:

“I have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.”

– Unction means anointing. That was one of my Dad’s favourite Scripture’s that he shared with me.

Time for my beloved Wildflower tea with raw honey!

The frogs are singing their nightly song; I can hear them through my windows. Another wonderful day yawns and prepares to sleep…

…and dream.

August 16, 2024 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: agape, agape love, anoint oneself with oul, anointing, art, bathing cat, Bible, Bible verses, birgitta, Birgitta Lindsey, black and white, black and white photography, blur, burden is light, cats, charity, Christian, color, colour, come unto me, delight in the lord, Ephesians, exposure, Father God, film grain, fine art, fine art photography, fisher of men, flowers, follower of Jesus, forgiveness, gnashers, God, grunge, happiness, Heaven, Heavenly, Holiness, Holy One, hope, how to forgive, how to forgivekjv, how to love, HYPOCRITES, in love with Jesus, indiana, iPhone 15 PLUS, Jesus, joy, labor, labour, landscape, liars, life, light, lighting, love, manual, manual exposure, Married to Jesus, monochromatic, monochromatic images, monochrome, monochrome photography, monochromejunkie, mood, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, natural lighting, nature photography, ohio river, pain, peace, perfection in Christ, photography, planting seeds, poetry, portraiture, Prayer, prayer closet, Proverbs, psychology, purity ring, rain, relaxation, rest, self portrait, selfie, sepia, shadows, snakes, sorrow, spiritual hypocrites, standing in the last days, steadfast, texture, therapy, tintype, trees, true love, unction, unforgiveness, vintage, vipers, walking dogs, water, yoke, yoke is easy | 3 Comments