Author Archives: Marie

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About Marie

Happily married to the same awesome guy for many years. Love God, reading, cats, and travel. Avid crafter especially counted cross stitch and crochet.

What IF …

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When was the last time you looked back a situation and said, “What if… ?”

From the time we’re very young we start having ‘regrets’. We start thinking what if I had not said that. What if I had not done that. What if I had chosen something different. Regret is one of the most common, negative feelings human beings experience.

Everyone has regrets!  Psalm 51 is a prayer about David’s regret over adultery and murder.  And what about Peter?  When he realized what he had done he went away and wept bitterly, Luke 22:61-62. (Can you even imagine what Jesus’ long glance did to him?)

The good thing about having regret is it shows we’re paying attention to our shortcomings, yes, even our sins.  It’s knowing that something went wrong, something’s not right.  Thinking what could I have done instead of what I did prepares us for the next time the situation occurs.

But then…  Get rid of it!  Take it to the cross and leave it there.  Quit mulling over it and over it and over it…  (satan loves that because it takes our focus off Jesus).  Pray David’s prayer:

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

(Click on the picture above to hear Keith Green’s beautiful rendition of this prayer.)

I’m joining many others at 5-Minute Friday.  Join us there!

 

 

 

 

 

True Beauty

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Where is true beauty found?  In our looks, our jewelry, our homes/cars, our…   I think not!  Then is beauty in the ‘eye of the beholder’?  To some extent, but even that is based on personal bias.  Confucious said, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”  In nature, in music, in work, in …  It truly is all around us.  We just have to train ourselves to look.

In the Song of Songs, Solomon tells his bride that she is beautiful because she has no flaws (Song of Songs 4:7).  Our culture is all about that.  If we are thin, rich, youthful, educated and successful we are considered perfect. But is that really what being beautiful is all about?

So what is beauty?   Have you ever met someone that is not physically beautiful but there’s just something about them that draws you in.  I really like the way the New Living Translation says 1 Peter 3:4, “You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”  There it is.  The confident, inner glow, that says I care about you, I know your struggle, I’ve been where you are …  The ability to be appreciative, forgiving and loving marks the beautiful person.

Beauty is not about perfect hair, (I’ve not had a perfect hair day in so long I’ve given up on it.) perfect body shape, perfect attire, perfect words, perfect home, perfect children…  It’s not about perfect anything!  It’s about the willingness to take the focus off yourself and place it on Jesus and those around us.  Only then, are we truly beautiful!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

I’m delighted to be writing with many others in response to the 5-Minute Friday word prompt.  You can join us, too!  Check it out at http://fiveminutefriday.com

Stones of Remembrance – Book Review

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I love it when a book or song comes into my life that is exactly what I need.  Don’t you?  It seems like God is saying, “This one’s for you.  Especially for you!”  I recently received Stones of Remembrance by Daniel G. Amen to review and read it from cover to cover in the first sitting.  Yes, this one is definitely for me!

Dr. Amen is of the opinion (as I am) that ALL that we do impacts the brain.  What we eat, what we read, how we sleep, exercise, music, everything has an impact on the ‘gray matter’ in our head.  Consider Proverbs 23:7 (As a man thinks so is he.) and Joshua 1:8 (This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.) and Philippians 4:8 (Think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy and good.)

This little book is a cornucopia of verses based on his acronym for REMEMBERENCES.  Each letter has a short, compelling explanation of each word in the acronym and Bible verses to support the concept.

5 of my favorite quotes from this book:

  • When your brain works right, you work right in every area of your life–physically, mentally, and spiritually. (pg. xvi)
  • Much like love, forgiveness brings healing. (pg. 30)
  • …when you stop learning, your brain starts dying. (pg. 34)
  • A happy brain is a healthy brain. (pg. 42)
  • One of the best things you can do to improve your memory is to eat right. (pg. 112)

This book is and will be on my reading table, permanently.  My sincere, heartfelt thanks to Dr. Amen for compiling this short, easy to read, powerful book.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I Love You But…

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houseWhen God says I love you He is saying just that.  Where did we come up with the I don’t like you part?  Perhaps, we want to say I don’t like what you’ve said/done but I have to love you because God says so.  Hmmmmm  I really don’t think the intent of the command to love others has anything to do with a qualification (but I don’t like you).

There are 3 basic commands in the New Testament…Love God and love others!  (Matthew 22:35-40)  Go and Tell! (Matthew 28:19)  Do any of those say BUT I don’t have to like you, your actions, your opinions, your stuff…?

"These 15 (crash!).... er, 10 Commandment...

When God says love me that’s exactly what it means.  The first 5 commandments of the 10 are about loving God.  He says I AM God!  You can have no other gods in any form whether spiritual or physical.  Honor My Name.  Worship me on the Sabbath and rest from all else.  How do those equal love?  Think about this.  When we are with those we love we focus totally on them (no other gods), we honor them (by not misusing His Name), we let nothing get in the way of our relationship with them (He is the I AM), we set aside time to be totally with them (setting aside the Sabbath).  That is how we are to love God!

How we are to love others is commanded in the next 6.   Honor your parents!  Do not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or want what belongs to someone else.   This is where the ‘but I don’t like you’ comes into play.  We get ourselves into a self-righteous attitude and say I don’t like you because you lie, steal, covet…  We have to get over ourselves!  Doesn’t God say I AM God and you’re not?  Stop separating the two.  I love you, period.

Fish hook love

 

Love is wanting what is best for another.  It is not wanting what is best when we say, but I don’t like you.  When a person hears, I don’t like what you are doing, being, or saying, they immediately equate it to I don’t love you.  Oh, dear friends, take these words out of your vocabulary!  They are not God-like.  If we truly want to become more like Him we cannot allow our human attitudes to have a part in how we love.  Let nothing get in the way of simply loving!

Oh, How He Loves Us!

Oh, Heavenly Father, let me simply show love.  Keep me constantly aware of Your example.  Let me show love in Jesus’ Precious and Holy name.  Make it so!

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie

Edited and updated from the original published on 7/9/13

Main Course Monday #1

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Part of being a Satisfied Spirit is taking joy in the everyday things of life.  That includes cleaning, laundry, dusting, crafting and everything else that goes on in my home.   And cooking is part of the list and I like to cook (especially in my crock pot/slow cooker).  After all, we all have to eat! Right?

Here’s a recipe for Beef Barley Soup that can be made in the morning and will be ready for the evening meal.  If it’s your plan to do this I recommend setting out the ingredients the night before so all you have to do is dump it in your Slow Cooker/Crock Pot.

 

1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup dried split peas
3 beef bouillon cubes — crumbled
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf

(You’re going to have leftover barley and split peas so why not make several batches of this dry mix and store them in glass jars in the pantry.)

Spray the crockpot with any cooking spray (This makes it easier to clean.) and add the following:

1 can sliced carrots      1 can beef chunks     1 can diced tomatoes     6 cups water

Pour in the dry mix. Stir. Set the crockpot on low.  Let it cook all day.

Oh, my, I can imagine the awesome smell from the kitchen already.  I will have corn muffins or corn chips on the table with a fresh fruit salad.  My mouth is already watering.  I can hardly wait for dinner.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie