Yesterday was a day of sadness. Rioters took advantage of peaceful protesters and turned it into violence, death, and chaos. Why? Because they could. We gave the view of America to the world as a third world country without morals, standards, or respect for one another. What has happened is the political playground which both parties established, and they never expected their agendas to go this far. And it is because of the alliance of the democratic party with Black Lives Matter and Antifa to the republicans association with the Proud Boys. They assisted each group’s development and their rise to prominence. Do not blame one side over the other because they are both as wrong as their adversaries!
This picture is how I feel!
One fact to remember is God is always in control. He allowed America and Americans to make international fools of ourselves. Hopefully, to show us what we should do to change America back to “One Nation Under God.” Without doing so, we will see more violent rioters and groups like Antifa take over our country.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Please forgive us for our sins as a nation and as your children. We need You, Father, to guide us, protect us, and help us to understand who we are in You! Please restore our respect for one another, give us an abundance of love for one another, and open our leader’s eyes to their jobs at hand.
Father, wrap those who lost loved ones yesterday in your arms and console them. Bless those who are cleaning up the mess at the White House.
I am standing on Your words in John 5:14 and 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Well, I finally did it! I had my nose, and the front facial structure was redone entirely, again. This is the third time the surgery has had to be done because of the Wegener’s disease. I would put a picture up for you to see, but it resembles an MMA fighter after a rigorous bout. Not a pretty sight to see.
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So begins my restoration. I believe that my eight years in Texas were learning years where God truly opened my heart and soul to him. And now the return to North Carolina is my time of restorations, better health, and dreams realized. Throughout the eight years, it was a process of learning, suffering, and coming to lean completely on God for everything! My soul has also affirmed my belief, and shown me that restoration will be for my family. Sawyer, our son, will see his health restored and the plans God has for his life come to fruition. And like everything that God does, this new time of restoration will be a process in working progress.
Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.Hosea 6:1
So, how was your holiday and New Year’s Eve? Do you see yourself a continuation of the old or a Godly restoration into the new? I pray you find restoration in your life this new year. 2020 may have left us weary and wounded but we can also find strength through God to pull up our boot straps and begin again. Anew, refreshed, and alive in Jesus Christ!
How are you doing? Have you taken your temperature lately? Sometimes during a hurried life, not to mention a pandemic and the craziness of 2020, we forget to stop and breathe deeply. So, right now, you are not to move, think, or do any other action than to breathe. Can you do that for a few minutes?
Doesn’t it feel so cleansing to your soul, to take deep breaths with your eyes closed and maybe your head lying back? When I do it, I turn off all sounds within my control, like the tv, so that there is nothing to distract my attention for those few minutes. I can feel my body appreciating the new, clean oxygen, along with the momentary silence.
If I don’t take the time to breathe consciously, I begin to move like a freight train throughout my day. Before I know it, I am flying on an out of control physical and mental railway, barely hugging the curves and leaving sparks flying behind me. Ouch! What a way to start a fire! My responses become hurried and short, my movements are quick and jerky, and my attitude is cloudy with grumpiness. Why? Because I want to get it all done and solve all the problems. And what for? I am not happier. I do not have a little more money, nor have I won a Pulitzer Prize.
So this Christmas season, it was time for a conscious change to our holiday routines and traditions. First, it began because I am having major surgery in the middle of December to correct complications to my facial structure caused by Wegener’s disease. The recovery will be a long one, well into after the New Year. My husband and son will be responsible for packing up and putting away the decorations inside and out. Now, we are a family team. We put the decorations up together and take them down together, it is not a one-sided event, but they will have one less teammate. And this teammate is going to require them to care for her also. My plan of simplifying Christmas went into action.
The first decoration to go up was our family Christmas tree with the family ornaments and my mom’s nativity scene. No little trees, greenery up and down the stairs and over the doorways, knickknacks, jingle bells, villages, dancing Santas, snowmen, and bathroom decanters. Next, we adorned our front door with one lighted green wreath, and that is the total sum of our outdoor decorations. We are leaving us plenty of time to focus on family and the real reason for Christmas! Of course, I still have one “bucket list” Christmas to do, but it won’t be this year. That will be the Christmas when I decorate to the max and outdo the house in Christmas Vacation! Does anyone want some cat kibble jello? But that is for another Christmas and with the help of the grandkids!
After all, is said and done, I feel so good! I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything! We even took it one step farther with gift-giving. The grandkids will get their usual gift from us grandparents, which is part of my own enjoyment. Everyone else gets a 2020 ornament representing them or this crazy year for their tree. The ornament should cost between $10 – $15 or cheaper. Talk about a pressure release!
We even decided to keep the gift idea for future Christmases and spend the extra money we save on those in need. That is one-holiday tradition I miss terribly, going out feeding and helping others. Doing it through online contributions feels cold to me, even though I know it is helpful. I love hugging others, spreading hope, and feeling useful in their circumstances. It speaks to my inner problem-solver persona. Hopefully, next year will be different.
Now my train has slowed to a lyrical clickity-clack, and my oxygen meter is reading 100%. Not bad! Not bad at all!
How is your train running? Is it time for you to step back, take some deep breaths, and do away with overdoing? Enjoy your holiday moments, don’t worry if the decor or the food is not perfect! Spend time, even if it has to be virtual, with family and friends. Laugh, praise God for your blessings. And love that you are here, now, in this place.
I found this group on YouTube and had to post them for you today! Their voices are angelic and they go to prove that when you are passionate about something, you can always find another way to go about doing it. Sometimes the worst of times brings about creativity and the very best in all of us. They have a virtual concert coming up, so be sure to check them out and subscribe. The Hymns Ensemble!
Four years ago, in November, a burst of fresh, promising winds blew across America. As the revitalizing air billowed back into American’s middle class’s flattened chests, a gasp was heard and resurrection began again. I can make these statements because I know “the proof is in the pudding,” and we have four years firmly congealed into America’s history books, Facts overrule opinions and assumptions. To prove my point, I will list a few of President Trump’s accomplishments and you can do your own due diligence and Google the information.
Almost 4 million jobs created since Trump was elected.
400,000 manufacturing jobs.
President Trump brokered a historic peace agreement between Sudan and Israel.
Obamacare individual mandate penalty gone.
Under President Trump and Vice-President Pence, the American middle class woke up and discovered what it was like to again live the American dream. We were no longer squashed beneath the thumb of the Democratic party and their socialist doctrine! It was so exhilarating to throw open our windows and breath powerfully into our souls the freedom winds of being an American. We saw promise and hope in our new future and our children’s future.
But now the American winds are dissipating, and I am immensely disappointed at what will occur during the next four years under Biden/Harris. I visualize the next four years to mirror the Israelite’s forty years of aimlessly wandering in the desert; they even wanted to go back to Egypt. Is this our return to Egypt? The promised land was blocked because God said “enough” to their disobedience. I can’t help but ask that since we removed God from our families, our communities, and our country, has God decided it is time for America to learn her lesson? Unfortunately, some of the best lessons learned are through experience and suffering.
Please indulge me while I peer into my imaginative crystal ball and describe how I foresee America under Biden/Harris rule.
I see America blanketed by a stale, stagnant atmosphere with politically infused cliched methods, procedures, and language. Terrorists, once again, will walk the hallways as honored guests of the White House. And I don’t think that Bill and Hillary Clinton will mind if Biden/Harris use their preferred moniker of “Freedom Fighter.” when referring to these honored guests. It will help to ease the American people’s anxiety. That is until another 9/11 happens. Wealthy foreign leaders will assemble in our government halls for their slice of the American pie. At the same time, our leaders and their family members will amass more wealth from these alliances. A win-win situation for everyone except the American people.
We will experience a new exercise movement sweep the nation and the White House lawn called “The Comrade’s Yoga.” Bernie Sanders is head of the “Comrade’s Yoga” movement because we will do it for the good of all, and maybe they can incorporate Hitler’s high kick into it as they kick our jobs right back to China and other foreign countries. While over at the Senate and House, a carnival will ensue, and the favorite ride is the free ride called “The Pelosi’s Tilt A Whirl” ride. It is guaranteed to make you dizzy and crazy at the same time. Gas masks will replace medical masks, preventing us from noticing the stagnant air or contracting a virus or poison gas attack by foreign nations. And our schools will be replaced with “Youth Camps,” ensuring the mind-melding of our young into one ideal.
By now, you are probably going, “WOA Joni, Are you riding the crazy train?”
Not exactly, just venting out my frustrations through my politically charged imagination. But you know, the things we deem so heinous and improbable as actions by man have come to fruition. My example is the holocaust. And, the Democratic party’s activities along with their future plans appear to be pointing in the direction of eliminating America’s Middle-Class. Because unless the Democrats procreate a large group of zombie followers, Socialism, Marxism, and Dictatorships will not work. So, maybe we are the next holocaust.
Can 70 million voting Americans who voted for President Trump and Vice-President Pence be wrong?
If I am still here throughout these next four years and not with Jesus, I see changes that will occur in our household. Downsizing, frugality, and maybe even off-grid will become our new family objectives. It will depend on our financial situation and the American economy. But, our spiritual condition will always be the same, as we stay centered in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior! For, we will always draw closer and closer to Him, sheltering beneath His wings, because I know that He will protect and keep us in His care.
Watching the antics over the past two weeks between the media, the politicians, and my fellow Americans, is like watching a bunch of witches at a cauldron frantically stirring their brew. I can see them grouped around the black cauldron of bubbling green goo, in their long black gowns, warted noses, and long black hair. Of course, their faces are the faces of the politicians, media, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa members. And up in the background with an orchestra leader’s baton in his hand is Satan, swaying and frantically gesturing with his baton. Faster and faster they churn, faster and faster they spew out almost unintelligible words, and faster and faster, my head sickeningly spins. What they believe they will accomplish and what they will accomplish, I pray, are two different results.
During this time, I have had to remind myself of the phrase “This Too Shall Pass.” when I feel the dizzying disgust of these events entering my brain and causing me to become angry. We will not forever be in an election year, we will not stay in the year 2020 like the movie “Groundhog Day,” and coronavirus will not stagnate our lives forever. You know, forever is a long time, and I have experienced the depressive feelings that I will never make it out of financial issues, medical problems, or even difficult human interactions alive and intact. Well, I am still here to affirm that they did not last, and working through them brought about valuable life lessons.
This Too Shall Pass!
My sure-fire remedy for circumventing these moments, months, and even years is God! So, here I go again repeating myself. Put your trust in God, open your hands, and physically hand over your troubles, worries, stresses, and everything in your life. He can handle all of it! Remember, even though we don’t understand the evil and hardships of life, it all works together for the good of God. As a believer, I know this is momentary, but I get frustrated, stressed, and angry as a human. I am continually giving it back to God over and over again. As a certified control freak, I try to take the issues back from God to solve myself. So, handing it back to God, again and again, is not unusual.
Utilize positive imaginary to help move you into a better place. Think of a time or a photograph that makes you smile and place it in the center of your thoughts. Lie back on a pillow and allow yourself to daydream. Sometimes short breaks during the day will help drive out the negativity and uncertainty.
And believe deep within in your soul that God Loves You! He wants You to be in a relationship with Him daily, to talk to Him, even if it is complaining that you cannot find your way! And always remember the phrase, “This Too Shall Pass!”
Do you ever have what I call a Charlie Brown moment? My Charlie Brown moments are when I hear or read a statement that I believe is so right I should have known it. In my mind I am asking how I could have missed the information as I smack the front of my forehead and lament out loud, “Oh, Good Grief!”
The other day while reading a book, the author mentioned Ephesians 2:2, where Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air.” Yep, this was my good grief moment! My mental light bulb turned on and logical realization began taking place. I knew I needed some Jesus cotton balls for my ears! But where to find them?
This certainly demonstrates that the tv media, the print media, the internet and the radio, which are all operating on air waves, are viable tools for the devil. From the over exaggerations to the outright lies, it is clear who has been whispering in their ears! No wonder the televangelists today sound more like carnival barkers hawking their wares, right down to implying that tithing to them will bring money and blessings to you! Fools! And we are even bigger fools for buying into it!
Why can’t we just be real and tell the truth in all situations? I will tell you why. It all has to do with the root of all evil…money. Man has decided it is a necessity for him to live these ultra extravagant lifestyles. (Satan whispers directly into these ears too.) But while acquiring his wealth, man has forgotten where his duty lies and that is to assist widows, orphans, and other humans who are in need. So humanity moves forward devouring, exaggerating, and lying our way to wealth and what we deem as happiness. Have you noticed how lies and lawlessness go hand in hand?
Now, I want to ask the woman a few questions. While we have been quarantined, and in the need of cutting back on our expenses, have you missed your beauty routines, expensive youth remedies, and new clothes? Or have you found it freeing not trying to “perfect” yourself for the world? My generation did not have the luxury of manicures, waxing, expensive serums, and hair care. We did it ourselves. And if you did have the money to do these things you were considered wealthy in our mind’s eye. Some of the most beautiful women I knew then and know now, have the simplest of self care routines and attire.
What about you men? Do you miss spending the money on power suits, cars, manscaping, and preening in front of the mirrors at the gym? Or are you free to be a real father to your kids, a nurturing husband to your wife, and a good neighbor. Once again, my generation of men mowed the grass, kept the outside of the house up, and played ball in the yard with the neighborhood kids.
Could it be that in striving for more, we actually have received less and diminished our self worth? What do you base your self worth on, God’s word or the worlds’?
After diligently searching for some Jesus cotton balls and unable to find any for my ears, I decided to locate something else. Actually I already knew what it was going to be and as usual, I am repeating myself. Daily bible reading keeps you informed of the truth in every situation and circumstance you may incur. This world will bend you and try to break you, but God’s bible is here to sustain you, give you hope, and let you know how much He loves you! Here is a bible verse which may help. Philippians 4:8.
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, good, and right.
Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell in the fine, good things in others.
Think about all you can praise God for, and be glad about it.”
Well, that is a large “drop the mic” boom from the Apostle Paul! When he wrote this verse, Paul was in prison chained to a guard waiting to be put to death. And he found ways in a grimy dungeon full of tortures being performed day and night, to lift his mind to a better place. And you thought your life was tough.
I have posted this verse in my home because I believe it is a great way to start a day and end a day. I also believe turning all of the media crap off during the day and being selective about our television watching has made for better days during the pandemic at our home. Magazines no longer clutter up our spaces, just some good literature. If you have members of your family who are not big readers, there are Christian comic books on Amazon and Christianbook.com.
In the meantime, I am either going to invent or find some Jesus cotton balls!
Try to think back to when there were no cell phones, no Garmins, or any other technological advances that appear to make our lives easier. Some of you may not be able to do that since you were not born then. But imagine you need directions, instead of your phone, you have to pull out a map, a compass, and know the streets you will be driving down. Now my dad was great at directions, and he tried to explain to me how most cities were designed using the North, South, East, and West compass points to plan their streets. He could go anywhere, any town, or city and find his way. For me, it was a little different. I am a landmark person. Tell me to take a left at the library or Chick-Fil-A, and I am okay. And if you want to give me an idea about the location, tell me it is near the Arboretum or the NRC stadium, depending on where I am traveling.
We all have different ways to navigate our lives each day, and it is akin to the way we learn and adapt. If you are going through a stressful, uncertain period of life, sometimes our navigation signals get all out of sync, and we wind up confused and depressed. COVID has brought about many of these situations to us and the world, creating extreme loneliness, lovelessness, and depression. I believe COVID did shine a very bright spotlight on our problems, and it will not allow us to sweep them back into their dark crevices, nor will it go away until we develop a vaccine while finding a different way to thrive with one another. That is why some marriages are crumbling, and some are not, some people are successfully flourishing, and some are barely surviving.
I do have what I deem as valuable suggestions to help the sunshine a little more each day in your life. Remember, sunlight is not just light; it is also warm and soothing made by our Creator to warm us when we are cold.
Start by putting God back into the center of your life, your home, and your work environment by reading the best navigational book for life, The Bible. God loves you and wants you to live a life following His plan for you. He wants to be the lead Navigator steering you through the rough waters and languishing with you when it is smooth sailing. The only way to do that is to read His word and understand His truth. Never depend on anyone else, not even a religious leader, to tell you what the bible says or does not say. Read God’s words and press them into your skin, into your soul, like clothes covering your body.
Next is laughter, and laughing is great for the soul! It shakes our bodies around and up and down, helping to break free of those icy chains that grip us. Start your day by finding jokes or cartoons and have a good belly laugh to start your day. Don’t forget to sing and dance too each day; this way, you exercise your heart, body, and vocal cords! I love to go around my house singing and dancing, and I sound like the singer that I am listening to, with my headphones on my ears. Of course, those listening have a totally different opinion.
And know God loves you by reading this paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. I found it in Barbara Johnson’s book “Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy.” If anyone knew tragedy multiple times over and overcoming them, it was Barbara. Her joy, love for the Lord, and faith in God are still infectious today. Barbara is in glory now with the Lord, but her books live on! Read this paraphrase morning and night for one month, and I know you will find strength and purpose in God’s love for you! And you might even turn over the navigation to your life to Him!
Because God Loves Me, He is slow to lose patience with me.
Because God Loves Me, He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth.
Because God Love Me, He is for me. He wants to see me mature and develop in His love.
Because God Loves Me, He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, of which there are many.
Because God Loves Me, He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets a chance.
Because God Loves Me, He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him because He sees this as evidence that I don’t trust Him and love Him as I should.
Because God Loves Me, He keeps on trusting me when at times I don’t even trust myself.
Because God Loves Me, He never says there is no hope for me; rather He patiently works with me, loves me and disciplines me in such a way that it is hard for me to understand the depth of His concern for me.
Because God Loves Me, He never forsakes me even though many of my friends might.
Because God Loves Me, He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His righteousness, holiness, beauty, and love.
It is at a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me.
Yes, the greatest of all gifts is God’s perfect love.
The Tent Maker Blog 