Some days you have to have a bad day, In order for God to show you the Glory of a Good One!

Oh my gosh I woke up this morning and just felt the need to blog!  :)   Well, I haven't been online for a few days and I got on my email only to find tons of very encouraging, nice emails from all of you who actually take time out of your day to read this blog, and some of my others, so today this is for you!

I will add a couple more things to that.   So many have asked about my career;  the answer to that right now is "Its part of the journey I'm on..." and I really don't know exactly where the Lord has taken me.   He has shown me a clear vision of where I'm going (I've shared a bit, and will share more later on that) and there is not one inkling inside of me that doubts that vision.   The part I'm having difficulties with is the "getting there part", but I wake up each morning trying my hardest to do what is right, and have faith that the Lord is taking me there, even when it doesn't feel like it.   I think the hardest part is financially, as we all would probably have to agree........our country has turned in to a society built on living above our means and keeping up with the Jones' and no matter how much to don't want to sucumb to that, just wait till your kiddo asks to play a sport or an instrument and you can't afford it, and then ask yourself how important money is to you!   The funny thing is that if we REALLY had given a problem like that to the Lord, he would provide, I know he would but you, just like me probably have that problem of keeping just one finger on it for that "just incase" moment so we can take it back and handle it ourselves (as if we are more capable than God????)!

So......hears the truth, I'm looking for my path.   If someone were to ask me what I did I'd probably answer that I'm an "entrepreneur" (yah, yah, I know what your thinking, thats another word for unemployed....LOL) but for me that word has great meaning and to think that I can actually call myself that is actually mind boggling.   I remember being about 7yrs. old and my mom taking a course at the community college, we stopped by her "school" one day so she could drop something off and I remember seeing her with this big thick book that had this ginormous word on it that I couldn't pronounce.  She told me it said "Entrepreneur" and then proceeded to tell me the definition.   Right then and there, I knew thats what I would be, I didn't understand, I can't remember the details of my thoughts, but I remember that moment, the car we were driving and a picture in my head of that book.   Through all my years it has stuck with me.    So what does that "Actually" mean for the right now......I currently have my Oregon Principal Brokers License in Real Estate, and I am in the process of moving to being the Principal Broker of our Referral Company, where I will no longer actively "practice" Real Estate?  Why?  Because I want to know that I'm serving my clients in the very best way they deserve and I've found a better way to do this, the other reason is that this allows me more free time to pursue what God's calling is for me, and the job description will also involve a lot of teaching and coaching, and helping people, which are really the parts I love most.   I have a team of two guys who will be working my "book of business" (this is YOU, so please don't stop calling me regarding Real Estate needs!!!) and I will be coaching and helping them through your transactions.    The second is I will be doing a series of summer camps this summer going back to another love of mine (kids), and I will start out Sept. 2011 by homeschooling my 4th grader and a couple other children, and it is looking like I will be directing a Pre-School (but this is still in the works).   I enjoy teaching, writing curriculum, sales, and marketing........wow!  I know what a combination!    So if you have any great ideas let me know!   Also, if you ever need a speaker for your work, church group, teen group, or any other type of group let me know.   It does not have to be religious, I have done a lot of motivational speaking that has nothing to do with my christianity, however I would love to be free to refer to our Father in heaven.   I feel like this is one thing I am being led by God to do, and he has provided opportunities for this, and coincidentally enough this kind of experience is what I need to eventually fulfill God's purpose for me.   Really cool, huh?   At least I think so.

So this blog post has became all about me, and that is not at all what my intentions were in the beginning.....but often times when I have this urge to write I just let my fingers do the talking and the Lord leads me to what I need to say.   So I'm guessing that right now someone who is reading this is probably having the thought "you just answered my question"  so even though it was God and had nothing to do with me,  I'll say "Your Welcome".  

A little bit more....I also feel like someone who reads this is in need of prayer (aren't we all), but someone more particularly.   The Lord isn't showing me more than just this that I should tell you that I am here, and that if you want to call me, email me, text me however you choose to contact me........all you have to do is give me one word, and I feel like I will know the rest.   However, if you want to tell me more you are welcome to.   I would like to pray for you, but I need that one word.   I am going to pray for everyone who reads this today, tomorrow, or whenever you get a chance.....remember God is with you.  Some times it feels like you are lost.   Like I mentioned above, I often have that feeling, but we all need to remember that its in those moments when we feel the most lost, when we are wandering around the darkness of the wilderness that we most need our Lord, and he knows that.   He knows that some times we must hit bottom, or wander in the darkness before we actually call out to him for his help.   That is why he's there, to help.   He put us here on earth so that we may enjoy our lives, his love for us is sufficient for any trial that we may go through and he already knew ahead of time what we'd go through, how we'd handle it, and how we'll end up.   Yet, regardless of if we handled it right or wrong, or if it led us toward him or away from him, he forgives us, and loves us even more.  I pray that you will feel God's love for you today, that you will feel his presence in your life and that if you have not yet asked him to come into your heart that you will pray that prayer and just tell it like it is, he already knows.  I also pray that the person who is in need of prayer, no matter how uncomfortable it is, no matter if they want to use a fake name or email account, and anonymously tell me that "word" that you will step out on a limb of faith and let me pray for you.   These words are not from me, but from our Lord and I know how odd this probably sounds to you, but our Father knows you are hurting, he knows you want prayer, he knows that it is going to feel uncomfortable for you to tell me, yet he's asking you to do it, and I believe its more for me, than for you, but we will find that one out together.  :)

God is Good.  He truly works miracles, if you don't believe me, just think of the day your baby was born or if you've ever got to watch a baby being born.   There is not a soul on earth that could argue during that moment that there isn't a God!   I love you.   He loves you.   Amen

In my bible is a torn piece of yellow paper acting as a book mark and on it I've written:

The Lord said "My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9

Have Faith today Everyone~!   For as it says above, some times you have to have a bad day in order for God to show you the Glory of a good one! 

God will never give you more than you can handle...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

So for part of my bible study today I read the story of  Joseph son of Jacob in Genesis.   Joseph has favor from the Lord and all that he does is blessed, because of this his father gave him favor.   His brothers being jealous, sold him as a slave to the Egyptians and then told his father that he was dead. (I'm really paraphrasing, so if I get something a little wrong forgive me, as I've said before this is my journey, you can read for yourself)

Although Joseph was a slave he ended up being in command of his masters household due to his "favor" from the Lord, until once again he was deceived.  His masters wife lied and told the master that he had tried to sleep with her (although, it was the other way around), and so he was put in prison.   In prison he again got favor and was made the wardens helper.

Long story put very short and in "Jaime's words" he ended up being advisor to Pharaoh in Egypt, one of the most respected places he could be.   His father and brothers continued to live in Canaan.   A great famine came over the land and was to last for 7 years.   Joseph knew of this ahead of time because he had interpreted a dream of Pharaoh's.   It was clear to him that this is why the Lord sent him ahead of his brothers so that when the time came when they were to meet again, he would be able to save his family through the great famine.

When he did meet his brothers again.........what do you think happened?   Was he angry?  Did he scold them?   He had the power to have them killed or imprisoned.....but he did not do that.   He wept and hugged them, and explained to them that it was not their will that enslaved him but it was the Lord's will that he be sent before them.  

This weekend is Easter Sunday.   Most know the story of Jesus' death and when he died on the cross, then arose from his death as he told his disciples he would.   Its an interesting coincidence that while he was going through this, he said these words "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."   or in "Jaime's words: They don't know what they are doing".    Just as Joseph forgave his brothers knowing that they were acting in God's will and didn't know what they were doing.  

Now, you may argue the brothers were acting in their own will and they knew exactly what they were doing, they were GETTING RID of their problem, the spoiled baby of the family.   Yet, God had a much larger plan in place, and although Joseph suffered, he was spared as much as possible, and ultimately was always favored everywhere he went.   Had it been someone else who's faith was not as strong, and did not have that favor they may not have been able to withstand all the hardship that would come over them the years before they would once again meet up with their brothers, and even if they did, would they have it in them to forgive?

I've said it before and I'm sure you have heard it before, we forgive for OURSELVES, not for the other person.   Holding hatred, resentment, all those bad feelings inside us only eats away at US, often times the other person can live a completely favored life never even knowing we are still harboring that inside ourselves.   In Joseph's case it could have easily been the brothers who needed to forgive THEMSELVES as we often need to do in our lives, if they didn't it would have little effect on Joseph's life and being favored by God.   However, think of how many people we know that commit suicide due to unforgiveness, or go decades without speaking to a family member???  Some times the worst kind of unforgiveness is the kind we hold against ourselves.

Jesus knew he was going to die on that cross, he was spat on, and beaten, yet he still asked his/our Father in heaven to forgive them who were hurting him.   Why was it so easy for him to do?   Because he knew the Lords plan, and that all things happen according to his divine plan for each and every one of us.   

Try telling that to someone who just lost a child, a husband, or a baby they were carrying.   I've been there, and its not what you want to hear, it is beyond your capability of understanding because we are human, we are not perfect, we are not God, therefore we have all those feelings inside us bitterness, jealousy, hatred, guilt and even unforgiveness.

I know we've all had times like the ones mentioned above.    I know we've all been mistreated in our lives by someone.   We've probably all mistreated someone else.   Do I dare say, we probably all have some unforgiveness inside us?

Ponder upon the story I mentioned above.   Go to Genesis and read it if you have the time.   Think about the bad times in your life, maybe your going through them now, and if you can at all, ALLOW yourself to forgive either someone else or yourself, and believe in the fact that "we know not what we do" and that all things happen according to God's will.   Sometimes we find out tomorrow, sometimes in a year, and some we are still waiting on, but if we keep our faith we can rest assured that the time will come when we will understand, we will forgive, and we can prevail through those times of misery.

I hope that I've made sense.   If you've stuck with me long enough to read this whole thing, and you are one of those who has just lost a loved one (like so many of my friends, family & acquaintances have recently) please don't take this the wrong way, your right to mourn in your right, and God understands and acknowledges that.   I pray that for a brief moment, your pain is lifted, and God allows you to see his divine plan for you and your loved ones, so that your grief may be shortened, you may begin to heal, and you will believe that you will see your loved one again.

So I'm going to think about forgiveness today, and the fact that the people who have hurt me are no different than the people who hurt Jesus and as he said "Forgive them father, for they know not what they do."

Happy Easter Everyone!

Email I recieved.....was worth posting on here....

WHEN WE PRAY?


This is  one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so  true: 
    I  dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me  around.  We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom  filled with angels.  My angel guide stopped in front of the  first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section.   Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are  received."
I  looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so  many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper  sheets and scraps from people all over the world.
Then we  moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second  section.
The angel then said to me, "This is the  Packaging and Delivery Section.  Here, the graces and  blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to  the living persons who asked for them."
I noticed again  how busy it was there.  There were many angels working hard  at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and  were being packaged for delivery to Earth.
Finally  at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door  of a very small station.  To my great surprise, only one  angel was seated there, idly doing nothing.  "This is the  Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to  me.  He seemed embarrassed.
"How is it that there is no work going on here?" I asked.
"So sad," the angel sighed.  "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back  acknowledgments."
"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.
"Simple,"  the angel answered.  Just say, "Thank you, Lord."
"What  blessings should they acknowledge?"  I asked.
"If you  have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof  overhead, and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this  world.  If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and  spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's  wealthy."
"And if  you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the  world who has that opportunity."
"If you  woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more  blessed than the many who will not even survive this  day."
"If you  have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of  imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation,  you are ahead of 700 million people in the  world."
"If you  can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest,  torture, or death, you are envied by and more blessed than three  billion people in the world." 
"If  your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare."
"If you  can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm.  You're unique to all those in doubt and  despair."
"Okay.   What now?  How can I start?'
If you  can read this message, you just received a double blessing in  that someone was thinking of you as very special, and you are  more blessed than over two billion people in the world who  cannot read at all.
Have a  good day.  Count your blessings.  And if you  care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we  all are.
ATTN:   Acknowledge Dept.
"Thank  you Lord for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share  it."
If you  have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been  blessed with, how can you not send it on?  I thank  God for everything, especially all my family and  friends.

If I had it to do over would I?

If I had it to do over would I do it again?

I read this question in one of my books yesterday.   I believe that it was meant in the context of "your whole life".  So if you could go back from today and get a "do-over" as my kids often call it, would you? and what would you change?

I've always been someone who I believe and have told others "I have no regrets".   It just seems silly to think of your life in a way where you would wish you could taken and changed parts.   We've all seen those movies where they get a wish, and they wish to change just one "moment", then from changing just that "moment" their whole live ends up changing. 

How precious is a moment?  According to these movie producers, pretty precious.   According to God, I think he'd have to agree. 

People remember moments.  The first time you said I love you to your spouse.   The day you found out you were pregnant.   The day you hit that home-run and won the game for your team.  We all remember moments.  Unfortunately, we remember the bad ones too.....the time you didn't block the goal and lost the game for your team, the time the boy made fun of you on the school bus, or the time in P.E. where you had to pick teams and you were chosen last.  So which moments are more important, the good or the bad?   

I've had lots of good & bad moments I can remember so well I can remember what I was wearing, sometimes the song that was playing, what the other person was wearing, what kind of day it was, I remember moments distinctively.  I used to let the bad moments "haunt" me.   I would think of them all the time, and get that sick stomach feeling and think "why did I say that?" or "why did I do that?".   Oddly enough as much as I'd let them haunt me, it never ever occurred for me to ask God for a "do-over".   I have just always believed things happened for a reason, and I guess even as a child before I understood this concept, I still understood it in a childlike way that our life is what we make of it.  (I think I may of heard that from my mom a few times).  ;)

So my answer to the question is Yes.   Yes, I would do every single bit of it over, even though it means spending times I'd rather not..........laying on the bathroom floor crying so hard I would throw up over my divorce, or when I broke up with my first boyfriend and I thought the world would just stop for me right there.   Even the day the boys walking behind me on our way home after getting off the school bus lifted up my skirt, and then ran away (I was humiliated!).   Even the moments that I'm going through now that are not the best at times......I wouldn't change it.   I can change the future, but the past is what makes me who I am, and that it what I focus on.  All those bad and good things that happened to me helped shape me to where I am now, and I like me.  Jamie Lee Curtis has a book called "I'm gonna like me...." obviously its a children's book, but I read it to my boys often.   It talks about self-esteem and how at the end of moments like being chosen last, or doing the right thing vs. going with the crowd, or doing something nice, that is what makes you "like me" and others like you too!

So, even though I'm not where I want to be, I thank God I'm not where I used to be, and ask God to guide me to where he needs me to be.   All this is made up of moments, and even being a natural gambler, I'll "hold" my cards at bet where I'm at right now is exactly where God wants me to be!

A couple years ago when I could no longer afford to buy the expensive gifts my teenagers required I stopped trying.   I thought about what I could "give" them that would be special to them, but didn't cost a fortune.  It finally came to me, I could give them memories (moments).   So one year my two daughters and I left at 10:30pm and drove over to the coast in the middle of the night......we had our little adventures (I'll keep them between us) and got home about 4am in the morning (where I then had to be up at 7 and to a soccer game for another child), but it was worth every "moment".  You see at the end of our lifetimes, the "moments" will be what we remember.

So make your moments special, give your kids the gift of happy memories vs. Ipods, they will thank you some day I promise, and if not you can blame me!  :)

Here's to some good moments! (I'm having my in-laws stay the night.....gotta go clean!)

Words from the Lord, and the great prophets "Big Bird & Snuffleupagus"

OK well today was an extremely hard morning........I guess because it dug up a bunch of old feelings and then threw them right in front of me!  I wonder who did that?   Probably not the person I want to blame, probably the person who's main goal is to kill, steal & destroy.........so hard to remember when its happening!   Its so easy to blame the people in the flesh in front of you, and to forget that our circumstances are often being controlled by someone who's only goal in life is for you not to enjoy it!   So my goal for the day today is to remember that 1.) There's a lot more day left to enjoy, and just because I let the enemy steal a couple hours this morning, doesn't mean I have to give him all day.   AND 2.)The person in the flesh maybe isn't the one I should be directing my hurt & anger towards, makes it so much easier to get over when we think of it that way. AND I'M GOING TO ADD ONE MORE 3.) Remember that when you feel your alone, you always have a friend sitting right beside you.

The Verse I'm going to quote this morning is this:

what David said:

"I saw the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand.

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my tongue rejoices;

my body also will live in hope,

because you will not abandon me to

the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see

decay.

You have made known to me the paths

of life;

you will fill me with joy in your

presence

Acts 2:25-28

What joy comes from knowing that we always have a friend at our side, even when we feel alone.   I think people feel alone more than they are willing to admit.   I can be at a party full of people yet feel alone.   I spend all day long with my nearly 3yr. old, yet at the end of the day feel very lonely.   I can even have a huge family & some best friends who are only a phone call away but even knowing that, I still have feelings of loneliness.  As I mentioned above this morning I had a bunch of dirt that I had buried deep down in the pile of my "life" dug up and thrown in my face.   Forcing me to face things, issues, people, that I'd rather keep down deep in the ground.  With so many things coming at me its easy to blame the wrong people or lash out at whomever gets in my path, but would that be right?  We all know the answer to that........NO, its not OK.   I know what I need to do, I need to pray the kind of prayer where you get down on your knees and say:

"Lord, please give me the power, the strength, the endurance and the grace to make it through today.  Forgive me for letting the enemy steal my morning, but let it end at this.   We are your children Lord, and I command the enemy to get out of our lives and go back where he came, there is no place for him in our lives.   I refuse to let him steal anymore moments from my family or I. 

Lord, I also pray that you will show me my path for today, I'm sorry I let the enemy get me off track.   You put us here so that we may enjoy our lives, and I pray that you will let me be a leader in my family to show them all how someone who has their arms locked with the Lord stands, acts and speaks today.

I am counting on you Father and I know you are there, as you always are"

Amen

Not everyone who reads this knows that I have to take a great leap of faith today.   I have the choice to take matters into my own hands or to hand it over to God.   I had already thought I handed them over, but this morning made me take them back and have that quick thought of "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself."   Thank goodness that isn't true when your dealing with our Lord, when you trust in him he will ALWAYS see to it that his plans (the best plan) plays out.   So after prayer, reading my bible, and writing this I am turning it back over to God.  I trust him, I love him, and I know of all the people in the world he wants whats best for me and my family.

If there is something in your life that you just can't come to a conclusion about, and if you have asked God to come into your heart, then I'll challenge you to give your problem/issue to God.  Then just trust and wait, he has the ability to work miracles, but only for those who put complete faith in him.   (That's the key, COMPLETE faith, not keep one hand on it, while he holds the rest) You have to turn it over COMPLETELY and tell him that whatever happens you trust him and that it is within his will and his glorious plan for you and your families life.

After all this bible study I'm going to end in the good words I just heard from Big Bird & Snufffleupagus:

"Even though we argue, we are still best friends......"  now that is what a godly friendship is all about, so glad my son got to hear that today!

Have a Great Day Everyone!!