LIFE --1 Hour At A Time!

Saturday, 12 September 2009

My Article Got Reprinted!

A large organization by the name of Rest Ministries has chosen to reprint my post called "Self Consciousness and Other Thieves of Peace". Rest Ministries has about 600 websites and webpages, and is the instituter of Invisible Illness Week, which is going on now. I was tickled that they thought something I wrote was up to their quality. Lisa Copen is the President of Rest Ministries. To see the reprint, go to: http://ow.ly/oQ0l.
Blessings,
Sheila

Posted by Bluebirdy at 14:08 10 comments

Friday, 11 September 2009

MORE WAITING FOR MY GROOM!

I WANT PATIENCE AND I WANT IT NOW!

My husband got permission to get out of that war zone at the end of July. He should have been here by now, but the papers sent from Canada to the Canadian Consulate in Pakistan (He's working near Afghanistan/Pakistan border) GOT LOST IN THE MAIL!!! So now it has been 6 weeks.

I'm sure the reason for the delay will be made known to us soon, but wow I am frustrated AGAIN! The post office is trying to trace the important government documents, and I asked the Consulate if I should just send them again, and I was told absolutely not, because if both sets of paperwork get to them, it will cause massive delays due to the confusion.

One good thing is that it has given me time to do the very long list of things that need doing, when I can. I can only do 1-2 of these tasks a day, then my strength is gone..but lately I am pushing myself to do more because I know my energy will have to be increased just to be with another person 24 hours a day, so I'd better get used to it. I've tried to hire help, with no luck. Will keep trying.

The Canadian government has so few people working for it, that it seems EVERY STEP is painfully, cruelly slow!

YEARS AGO when we first asked for my husband to get help to get out of his position in the war zone because of his family here having multiple hardships, (he is a civilian working there, so had NO rights, and pretty much was being kept there against his will), I often thought that all 3 of us in this house, who have been deemed "terminal" would all pass away before the paperwork even got to the point where we would be able to talk to a judge about it. It was close. Dad had recently passed, Mom was critically ill in the hospital, and I was like a walking zombie when we got the call for me to go to another city to see the judge.

I just know beyond any doubt that there is a purpose for us to be together, and he is a VERY patient man, so we will deal with all things with God's help. Wow, what a whopper of a task I have taken on with no strength. I guess in due time it will be a testimony of the strength the Lord gives to those who have none of their own.

The Taliban are still in his city, there are still bombs and killings and things that I dare not mention here because I think no human ears or eyes should have to be exposed to such ugliness, still curfews where they have to stay inside for days, still hearing machine guns and bombs as we work online on webcam...still worrying about his life, but deep down I know he HAS been protected and will continue to be protected. I am amazed how stable he stays and how well he keeps working despite his week of loss.

Well, back to work. I am sure the Lord will help me get most of my jobs done. I am leaving a lot for when he gets here, so he can feel like he is helping to make this HIS home as well, and can feel useful.

Thanks for your patience with me when I have none. lol.

Your friend, Sheila

Posted by Bluebirdy at 21:56 8 comments

Saturday, 5 September 2009

A VERY STRANGE WEEK!

I am still a bit numb and deep in thought from it all. I couldn't even think of what kind of picture to put with this post until hours after when I found one on another website. I can't even write anything profound about it yet until I ingest it all. So here are just the facts.

Monday- My husband's dearest uncle is killed by a suicide bomber. (He was part of the security forces on the border of Pakistan/Afghanistan.)

Tuesday- My mentor, my friend of 31 years, an angelic lady who convinced me to become a writer, which culminated in me getting more than 250 magazine articles published and becoming a reviewer/proofreader for a publishing house for 7 years, got killed while walking into a department store.

Wednesday- My husband's 18 month old nephew, who he loved like a little brother, or maybe even a son, died. The week before he was in intensive care for a very strange infected cyst that was in his stomach. They put him on IV antibiotics and he seemed to recover, then a few days after getting home, he developed pain again, was taken back to the hospital where he died.

Friday-The same family that just lost their baby, has a baby boy born to them.

I couldn't figure out why I was so sad about it. I know where they are. I know they are safe and happy now. I know we will all see each other again someday. Maybe my sadness was for those left behind who would miss them so much.

I wrote a few paragraphs after this, then deleted them 3 times. I have too many thoughts to express, most of them complicated and maybe even controversial, so I'll end here.

Blessings,

Posted by Bluebirdy at 14:57 11 comments

BUSY?

Many years ago, I created the acronym BUSY-Being Under Satan's Yoke. I told many of it and wrote about it online. Now someone has written a marvelous explanation of how and why Satan is keeping us too busy. I wish I knew the author's name! I really love this one!

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said,

"We can't keep Christians from going to church."

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth....."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with Their SAVIOR."

"Once they gain that connection with JESUS, our power over them is Broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship With JESUS CHRIST..."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their SAVIOR and maintaining that Vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable Schemes to occupy their minds," he answered....

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod whenever they drive."

To Keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music Constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with CHRIST."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services

And false hopes." "Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too! " If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the Real meaning of Christmas." "Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about HIS resurrection And power over sin and death..."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on GOD'S creation.

Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts,
and movies Instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek Power from JESUS." "Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health And family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!" "It will work!" It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere
To get busier & more rushed, going here and there.

Having little time for their GOD or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of JESUS to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does "BUSY" mean:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke?

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to
create conditions in your life. What you speak about, you can bring
about. The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get
even less than you settle for.
Thank you Dear Lord for giving me the chance to change my circumstances.

Amen

Posted by Bluebirdy at 13:02 3 comments

Thursday, 27 August 2009

Self Consciousness and Other Thieves Of Peace

This is for people who are almost socially crippled by self consciousness, either due to their illness or other flaws they think they may have. Most shy people fall into this category. I heard this quote on TV today and remember when I was told this many years ago and how much it changed my life.

"YOU WOULDN'T WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT OF YOU IF YOU KNEW HOW SELDOM THEY DO!"

People are usually so busy worrying about how THEY appear to others, or how they look, or about the many things they have to get done today, or about the pain they are in at the moment, that they do not notice things about you that you might be so self conscious of.

For those of us with chronic illness, at the beginning of our illness, we often feel like we owe everyone who sees us or is in contact with us an explanation or apology of what we can't do and why. The only people's opinions about us that matters are people who are in direct connection with our daily life. For those people, I have sent a letter of explanation of my limitations to clergy (if I have a church job), or employer, or family members who would badger me about what I was NOT doing right. That works quite well. I have stopped worrying about what most others think of me. I think its because I no longer have the strength to worry. All my strength is now used just to survive each hour or each day, and worry drains more energy, so I refuse to let that worry steal any of my precious little strength. The only opinion that really matters is God, myself, my spouse (because mine is loving and accepting, but not all are). If I am doing my best, that's all I can do.That's all the Lord expects of me. Even angels can do no more than that. People have to learn to adapt to my limitations, because I just can't live up to everyone else's expectations.

Success is not based on money, but on satisfaction with your life. Perfectionism is not necessary, and it is destructive to your health and soul. I think the more "stuff" you have, the more you have to worry about and take care of, so I am simplifying by getting rid of things I don't use. I can do with less clothing. That would mean less energy spent on laundry. There are other things we could find in our life that are time/energy/peace thieves.

I've also started weeding out activities that are stealing my peace, and being conscious of how much time I spend on the computer, TV, other time wasters that add to my stress when I realize I have used my energy on those instead of things that would make my life better; or activities that would simplify my life and bring me more peace. Make peace and strength and joy your goal, not how much you can buy or how much you can squeeze into a day.

We are not human DOINGS, we are human BEINGS.

We need to learn how to just "Be", and know that God is with us, and learn to feel that very palpable feeling of when He IS with us, comforting us, strengthening us, guiding us.

When I look into my future, I want to picture a lady who is peaceful, with a smile, despite the pain and exhaustion, and a sense of humor, knowing how to pace myself, and accepting gracefully that there will have to be times of recovery where I will have pain and exhaustion. I guess all of us need to learn patience during those times. There are many small steps that can be taken to achieve those goals. I don't want to envision the person I used to be: Never happy with the amount I accomplished, letting my "lists" rule my life, never accepting what I did as good enough, never taking time to enjoy the small pleasures in life, never taking time to listen to the Lord, instead of just talking to Him, then not spending time to try to hear the answers. "Hearing Him" takes practice. At first, you may get impressions or inspirations, and wonder "did this idea come from me or from the adversary or from the Lord?" But as we act on those promptings and guidance, we soon hear/feel His guidance more loudly/strongly.

May you feel the strength and comfort that comes from the Lord. May you feel that He knows you and your limitations, He expects less from you than you think He does, and He expects less from you than your church might, and less than the world might expect. May you know that you only have to try to improve on your own life, (making it simplified and more peaceful, not more materialistic), and may you try not to be better than anyone else, but try to be better (in your own goals) tomorrow than you were yesterday.Bless each of you!Sheila

P.S. I really need to publicly thank the Lord for letting me live in the age of Internet! How did people who were sick and possibly stuck at home alone ever survive without it?

Posted by Bluebirdy at 18:10 7 comments