Tag: God

The truth about October 31st…

by lovesdoves, posted in Social health, Spiritual Health

Recently, our office held a planning retreat. The first half of the meeting was establishing our strengths, our passions and our values. We talked about how values can be handed down through generations, and accepted based upon their parents’ or elders’ values, and how sometimes we need to do some soul-searching to establish the values that we hold as truth. So periodically I find it necessary to analyze why I believe what I believe. I want to own the value, not just accept someone else’s, even if it is someone that is dear to me.  I think my thoughts in dark and light. I become confused and muddled when those two opposite spectrums become intermingled into the gray zone… it’s not a place that my brain appreciates. Or excels in. It’s foggy there, and sometimes dense and scary. So, I continue to process a thought until it becomes “right” or “wrong”, “dark” or “light” based on God’s word to me, and occasionally, the research that I do.

Well.  I have been doing some soul-searching… and some processing…

I love my Christian friends. I love the common bond that we have with our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ. I love knowing that we can all go to His Word, and compare thoughts and evaluations, and seek His Truth… to find out what He really would do. God has led me to become much more tolerant of other’s thoughts and beliefs and actions…. much less judgmental because I have come to realize that not everyone has been exposed to the same information, the same experiences, and the same awareness. And that includes the celebration of “All Hallows Eve”, which can be a gray zone for many Christians.

The Bible doesn’t say “Thou Shalt NOT Celebrate Halloween”, but what the Bible does say in Deuteronomy 18:10-14 is, “For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering.  And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”

I don’t expect most of the people that read this do any of those things listed above, but did you realize that this holiday is the Wiccans high holiday? They feel that the veil between the mortal and spiritual realm is at its thinnest on that night, and they rejoice at the deception… as followers of Christ consistently dress-up, and abide by many of the “practices” that are rooted in paganism, such as jack-o-lanterns, and trick-or-treating. Did you know that many Wiccans do actually offer sacrifices on this day… the day that they refer to as Samhain, who was the god of the dead? Did you know that it is still celebrated as an ancient pagan festival of the dead by witches all over the world?

Do you want to even come close to blurring the line of good versus evil? Or do you want God to know that you honor Him and no other, and that you are willing to take a stand against the devil and his team of demons who circle the world looking for those to deceive, destroy and devour?

My heart is firmly set against satan and all he represents, and I refuse to become a casualty of this dark day, and all that it represents. I am thankful for the full protection of my Heavenly Father, his Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and I do not feel the need to test this protection by celebrating the wicked things of this world. I value God’s truth over other’s thoughts of me, I value his Ways before man’s ways, and I value the love that He freely and generously showers over me, even when I fall short.

I am aware that doing things differently, and going against the ways of the world is uncomfortable, but my objective has never been to be part of this world. My purpose is to share his love, share his hope, and share his ways. It is to stand steadfastly in the Truth,  that I may shine as a beacon of light for Him, so that when it is time, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Thriving…

by lovesdoves, posted in Emotional Health, Family health, Spiritual Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A long, long time ago, when I was 12 or 13, I read a book called, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. It was a book that evoked an extremely emotional response in my young life. It opened my eyes to how blessed I was to have a family, immediate and extended, and a Heavenly Father that loved me, unconditionally. I hadn’t known there was any other way and it created compassion and thankfulness and appreciation in my heart. A part of the story refers to a young sapling tree that had pushed it’s way through the cracks in the sidewalk in Francie’s neighborhood, a symbol of how, even in the most adverse circumstances, we are created to survive. Nasturtiums, this flower, are experts at that, and they always remind me of that “revelationary” time in my life when I learned that we were created to persevere, survive, and even more than that, to thrive in a beautiful, compassionate, and thankful way as voices for God and servants of His Kingdom. I spotted this flower on my way to lunch with my own precious flowers, my daughters, and felt overwhelmed by God’s loving promises to me as I revisited that time in my life.

Thankful&Grateful. Live Well.

 

 

 

Bummers & Blessings

by lovesdoves, posted in Emotional Health, Physical health, Spiritual Health

Home church has been one of the biggest blessings of my lifetime. The connection with the Holy Spirit so pure… and raw… learning with people that yearned to love God deeply and to follow Jesus Christ with a disciple’s heart… sharing our homes and our lives as we grew together in His Name… all strengthened our relationship with Him and with each other.

We patterned our home church after Jesus’ church… prayer, food, Biblical teaching, and fellowship. Part of our fellowship involved an honest and open discussion about the highs and lows of our week. It helped to increase our awareness of each other’s lives and to know how we could best pray for our brothers and sisters. Since our children were an integral part of our church, it increased our awareness of the challenge and the joy in their young lives too. We referred to this sharing portion as “Bummers & Blessings”.

Throughout the years, bummers and blessings included times of distress as the pendulum would swing back and forth through big things like financial hardships & relationship challenges & health issues & unsaved family members, and smaller things like a series of broken down appliances or indecision or impatience. We have seen God work in miraculous ways throughout these bummers… we’ve seen healed relationships, improved health, patience kindled, pride extinguished, and family members that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In each, God was glorified.

Time after time, it happened… our bummers became blessings. Time after time, God showed us He is faithful to His Word. He is faithful to His Love for us, and He provides for us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it… right on time… in His Time. And we trust Him, as we witness throughout the Bible and within our own lives how Awesome our God really is. Week after week, we would pray… week after week, we witnessed miracles.

And then at 5:30 p.m. on March 25, 2007, the world as I knew it was transformed when Grace’s jaw shattered as she was thrown from her horse. All the pieces that were so perfectly held together… her perfect little face… the control that I held over my life… was… gone… evaporated… the foundation… crumbling… oh, God, where are you…. where are you now….

I staggered through the next 3 days… bits and pieces still so vivid… pacing as I waited, waited, waited at Children’s for the ambulance to arrive… phone calls to my parents knowing that they would be there with us… and to the Ostendorfs, knowing that they would stand guard, that they would be our prayer warriors… searching Grace’s piercing blue eyes for fear or pain as they rolled her through the hospital doors… steadying myself on the rails of the gurney as the nurse pulled back the covering over her face revealing the extent of the blood, and her exposed chin, the damage… the calmness that was all around her… thankfulness that her friend was unharmed physically… Matt, the youth pastor, arriving and praying with Grace… Terry holding the surgeon’s hands in his as he prayed over this man’s life before he began Grace’s reconstruction process… leaving her with the anesthesiologist as my father and I walked away… so many tears then… so many tears… 1 hour… 2 hours… 3 hours… 4 hours… 5 hours… 6 hours… 7 hours… then at 3:30 a.m. on March 26, a kind and gentle nurse brought us to the empty recovery room, one lone bed in the dimmed lights… to see our baby daughter… stitched back together, pieced back together, wired together… alive… more alive than she had ever been…

The next few days were filled with blessings and the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ, but my heart was heavy with the pain that I felt for Grace who couldn’t speak to share her story… to share her thoughts… to process this traumatic experience. When her fear began to consume her she would fold her hands in prayer… and look to us to pray aloud… and peacefulness would instantaneously replace the fear as we prayed over her watching her oxygen levels improve as every word was lifted to our Heavenly Father… her face so swollen barely recognizable… her eyes still my Gracie’s eyes… looking straight up to Heaven…

I remember screaming at God in my head… while laying next to my precious child in her hospital bed… I remember demanding to understand why… why did He let this happen to her… why would He ever give her such a love of horses, a desire to spend her life with them and then allow her very passion to cause her this much pain, this much trauma, and I demanded that He make this up to her… that He make it right… I couldn’t understand and I wanted so so much to understand… my brother called and I remember hysterically asking him the very same questions, why, why, why, why did He let this happen to this sweet and precious child, why did He create them with these desires and then allow them to be injured by the very thing that they love… WHY… my brother arrived within the hour… he knew I was struggling in one of the hugest battles of my lifetime… he knew I was struggling for control over this battle in my mind…he knew that this was not a time to turn and run away, it was a time to run straight into my Creator’s arms… it was a time to trust and be faithful to His Word, and to be strong through His Strength. And he knew he needed to help guide me back, to rest in the peace that the Holy Spirit gives to us, freely as a gift. To be there for Grace.

But I had underestimated the impact that all those weeks, and months and years that we spent together as a family with other families, worshipping and loving our Heavenly Father and learning about His Son, Jesus Christ, and our purpose on this earth, had formed and filled this young child’s mind, her very soul, with everything she needed to adapt to this dramatic event in her life. He had given her every truth that she needed to understand that she was loved, wholly and completely, by Him. And that through this accident, she would claim her voice for Him, and He would use her to spread His Love and His Word to many others. He showed her things that were reserved for the blessed few… angels, hundreds of them, that were guarding the very room that she slept in… fanning their wings, steadily, constantly, to keep the darkness, the fog, that she could see in the distance… away. She knew what it felt like to be held by Him, to receive the comfort and the peace that only He could provide. To be healed in a way that was inconceivable to the human mind, as He healed the nerve that had been severed in her fall, to the disbelief and astonishment of the doctor who said it was impossible. And He allowed her to see the accident as He saw it… something the adversary meant to harm her, God turned into something good, and right, and true. Something that He would use through Grace to glorify His Kingdom.

Over the past 5 years, Grace has grown ever stronger in her faith and God has continued to use her in miraculous ways just like He promised He would, but I’ve struggled with the grief that I felt from Grace’s accident. I struggled with the anger that I felt towards God for allowing it to happen, and my spirit had become lifeless. These emotions, these thoughts were creating physical illness within me. Recently, I have begun a journey to restore my emotional well-being through a form of theophostic ministry to address the underlying causes of my body’s weaknesses. I have learned to see events the way God sees them, through His Eyes, being thankful and grateful for everything that has happened in my life. To know that because God is Who He says He is, has been and always will be, I can trust that His Love for me, His complete unconditional love for me, will always be enough. That faith in Him means that I won’t know the answers to my questions, that my “why?” is answered with His words, “because I know best.” And even when, and especially when, our world suddenly shifts direction, and we feel completely abandoned, desperate and filled with despair, He is there. Waiting for us to run to Him…

As I resolve to trust and not control, have faith without understanding, and love with acceptance as Jesus would, my spirit has grown from its place of stagnation to a place of graciousness. This growth allows God to use me in ways that He has planned for me, to fulfill the purpose for which I was created… to love Him and be loved by Him. Without the removal of anger and bitterness and grief… the adversary would perpetuate separation from my Creator, and I will not have it… he has used every method to stir up my doubt, my anger, and my sin-nature, and has succeeded for a time, but I have taken back what has been given to me and I am rejoicing in the love of my Heavenly Father, Jehovah God, the loving sacrifice of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I have given the Holy Spirit free reign in my life once again. It feels good to be home.

Bummers to blessings.

Live Well.

My Heart…

by lovesdoves, posted in Emotional Health, Physical health

I am a healthy woman! I AM a healthy woman! I am a healthy woman!

I feel that way! I look that way! My complete blood assessment and urinalysis says so too!

Yet my little blood pressure machine tells me a different story.

I was mystified. Honestly. My body mass index is perfect which means my height to weight ratio is appropriate. I eat wholesome, nutritious and mostly organic foods. But my blood pressure has consistently been hovering around 160/110. For those unfamiliar with blood pressure numbers, it means that I am classified as Stage 2 Hypertensive with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or kidney damage. I am unimpressed with that. Completely unimpressed. And concerned. Which causes my blood pressure to rise…

My dad and my nonna both took blood pressure medication, and even though I am related to them, my lifestyle is (almost) completely different than theirs was. I receive consistent chiropractic care, I choose to eat well with minimal grains and minimal sugar and minimal high fat animal protein, I don’t smoke, I don’t take any prescription drugs, or use any street drugs, and only enjoy a glass of wine very occasionally. (My son-in-law, Dr. Burns, tells me that could be the problem… I need to drink more! Ha!) I drink coffee, and I like to dine out, but for the most part, I would say, and I do say, that I live a healthy life-style.

Except that nasty blood pressure machine mocks me. Beeping and flashing it’s little heart at me…

So I have been working on a new equation… new chiropractic adjustment, fresh set of supplements, including adrenal support, chlorophyll, and valerian root, breathing music to lower my heart rate…

and these are my new best friends…

Yes… in fact, they are flat shoes. Yes… in fact, they are athletic shoes. Yes… in fact, I have been walking for 5 days now. Simply walking. In my quiet, comfortable neighborhood. For free. Enjoying the fresh air. And the benefits that I have seen in just a very short time.

WALKING. It’s hard to believe that something so simple could be so effective. I thought I was too busy for this in my life. I thought that eating pure and healthy, receiving chiropractic care, taking proper supplementation, and loving on my family, my friends and my God would be enough.

For two months, I resisted those flat walking shoes, giving those other new choices a chance to make a change. And then each day since Saturday, my blood pressure reduced by 5 points! Just from putting on those shoes and walking! Breathing fresh air, and exercising my heart muscle! It is producing what I perceive to be a miracle!

This morning my little BP machine sang out the numbers 130/87. No beeping. No flashing.

And I can live well with that.

This year’s feast…

by lovesdoves, posted in Family health, Physical health, Social health, Spiritual Health

I get to prepare the Thanksgiving feast! It’s a huge, gigantic blessing to me… to combine foods and herbs and spices together and cook or bake or roast them for just the right amount of time perfuming the air with anticipation of something delicious… it’s a part of who I am! I love it when guests enter our home and say, “OOOOoooooo, something smells gooooood!”, knowing that it will be just a matter of hours until we are seated altogether, serving and giving thanks to God for every provision.

I have found over the years that the traditional meal is the one that my guests enjoy most. I used to scour cookbooks for a month beforehand searching for unique and unusual recipes for preparing the turkey and all those luscious side dishes. I remember one thanksgiving at our little house on Wright Avenue, everyone was coming over including my grandparents from Boston and I was honored to be hosting the grand event! I found all kinds of new and innovative things to serve, and I busied myself getting everything just right because I wanted it to be so special for them.

I don’t remember the menu, but I do remember my grandfather telling me I was a fussy cook. It wasn’t an insult, because he savored what I was serving, and he loved me with his whole heart.

It was a reminder.

Of what’s important.

It’s ALL about the people we love and the time that we get to be together. Over the years I have come to realize that the traditional menu and those flavors were enjoyed most because they were familiar, they were Thanksgivings gone-by and the memories that came with the meal were as important as the meal itself. So I have embraced those Thanksgiving traditions. Now I only change the appetizers that are served as warm-ups to the real meal! So this year’s menu at the McCoskey home will include:

APPETIZERS

Brown-sugared Bacon-wrapped Smokies

David’s Skyline Chili Dip with tortilla chips

Cheese Wafers with Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

Old-fashioned Shrimp Dip with crackers

Sausage Cheddar Nibbles

Mushroom Pate Purses

Gingered Almonds

DINNER

30 lb. Roast Turkey & Gravy

Traditional Bread Stuffing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Spinach Souffle

Whipped Golden Potatoes

Laureen’s Green Bean Casserole

Janet’s Pomegranate Salad

Fresh-from-the-cob Creamed Corn

Assorted Cranberry Jellies

Home-made Dinner Rolls

Butter

DESSERTS

Mom’s Assorted Pies

Lily’s Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle

Acorn Cookies

It will be a feast, for sure. And there will be laughter and joyfulness as we reunite with our families. This year marks the first year that we will be including our very own grand baby and I know that over the coming years the events of our lives and our children’s lives may be cause for changes in the traditions. So I will stay flexible in the future and welcome this moment now… this year’s feast… this year’s togetherness… this year of thanksgiving in 2011…

Live Well.

Heavenly Father, Creator God

by lovesdoves, posted in Emotional Health, Spiritual Health

Sometimes… sometimes I’m not even sure where to begin….

so I pray through the power of God’s Holy Spirit…

Heavenly Father, Creator God, in Jesus Christ’s name, I seek you… I am desperate for your strength, as I search for answers that only You have… that aren’t even mine to know, so please just provide peace in the truth that you are in charge, that even when everything feels unbalanced and chaotic, that You see everything, that You know my needs, You know the Truth, and that You are still powerfully and righteously in control… I praise you more than ever, God… now more than ever… Amen

How do you live a decade in 3 months? A husband’s emergency surgery, the birth of a first grandchild, the diagnosis of lung cancer, a botched surgery, and the subsequent death of a father, a couple of kidney stones, an IRS summons, the completion of a youngest daughter’s high school education, the celebration of an oldest daughter’s wedding, and the return of family to their new homes… far away… while still running a business, and renting some property and striving to maintain equilibrium while your state of being is frayed and torn and is teetering towards destruction.

Survival was dependent on God alone. Pouring my heart into Him, allowing Him to rescue me from this emotionally broken place… as He takes me to family who understands, and as He places friends in my path who care, and as He shares His Love Letter with me in a personal and individual way through His Presence in the stillness of the morning…

And, to the enemy’s dismay, the wounds of my body and soul become healed… with thankfulness and joyfulness, hopefulness and faithfulness… blessed by the knowledge that God would never leave me nor forsake me, with my heart turned towards Him as I continue to pray to be used in every possible way for the good of His Glorious Kingdom… because of who He is, because of His Love for me… I am saved…

Pray and live well.


The Simple Things

by lovesdoves, posted in Emotional Health, Family health, Spiritual Health

This evening as I waited for word about my father-in-law, a man who gently stepped in to be a surrogate dad for me, a man who raised his sons to be men, a man who knew he was fighting the fight of his life, I prepared a simple meal. As I prayed and waited…  I sat with the simplest things… foods grown from God’s rich soil, plentiful life-giving water, and His Word… and in that moment there was clarity of thought, and purpose, and mind… it was in that moment that God reached to me, and reminded me that all was well,

that I should cling to those simple things; the joyfulness of the baby’s laugh, the hummingbirds as they flit and fly around their feeders, and the deep love that we share with our family and friends…

and to remember that no matter what it is on earth, this is not the end…

Have faith and Live Well.

Lisa