Show Appreciation

Colossians 2:7

"Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done."

 

 

 

 

 

Whom do you need to thank? A host of people have helped you! Did you ever thank your sixth grade teacher, or the coach who taught you to work hard?

Have you thanked the person who led you to Jesus? The counselor who helped you overcome?

 

A few well chosen words of gratitude go a long way!

 

 

 

1 Timothy <3 "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching."

 

Romans 13:7 <3 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe... revenue, then revenue, if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

 

God wants us to reward those who have sacrificed to help us grow!

 

 

 

2 weeks ago, my husband and I, who have barely been married a year, are unfortunately having the "1st year of marriage struggle"... so we sat in a conference room with our pastor and the elders of our church.

 

James 5:16 <3 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

 

A church body, church family, elders, mature Christians, are God given gifts to help us grow. To encourage and lift us up. We cannot do this thing called LIFE on our own. We must look to God first and foremost.

 

 

 

We prayed to our church family about us growing together in Christ. And how the enemy is prowling to devour us, to kill, steal and destroy anything that is bringing God glory in our lives. God has big plans for our lives together. To serve Him, to spread His message. To raise our beautiful babygirl to be a woman of God. If the enemy can distract us in any way, he can and will. We have to stand firm in our faith. Pray together and encourage each other everyday!

 

 

Today, my husband and I owe respect, honor and thanksgiving to these honorable men of God who came together to lift us up and pray.

 

Matthew 18:20 <3 "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

 

The past few weeks I have been doing a study, "When God writes your love story"

Everyday, I write in my journal how I am thankful for my husband, thankful for all of my blessings. Even days that I don't feel like picking up my bible, and barely have the strength to breathe much less pray... my love and obedience for Him gives me strength. And I am training my brain to "live as if God has answered all of my prayer requests."

 

If I don't "like" my husband on a certain day. I'll pray harder, and write it out in black and white why and how I love him. I do not speak unkindly about him, or negative. I write out positive blessings, and believe me, THIS WORKS! Train your brain to be thankful and grateful, even more on days you just don't want to. God blesses this obedience and love. Live by faith, that God has already answered your prayers!

 

 

Even this certain morning, I felt defeated before I rolled out of bed.

 

 

While making my family breakfast with a very poor spirited heart, I noticed my daughter laughing and loving on daddy. Daddy, who was getting dressed to go away from his family to earn a dollar. A hungry kitty and puppy relying on me to feed their tummies. Warm heat since it was chilly, food that I was preparing, a cartoon playing for her. All of this? LOOK, how blessed I am. I re trained my thoughts to BEAUTIFUL instead of negative. Yes, I am tired, I'd rather be curled up in bed. But my daughter? This is the last day she will be 15 months and 28 days, the last morning as a 15 month 28 day old babygirl who needs her mommy to cook breakfast and sing Abcs with her.

 

 

She will grow too quickly and these days will be gone. My precious husband driving through traffic to get to the office, tomorrow is never promised with our loved ones. And guess what? As I walked him to the car and hugged him. I was immediately in love with him all over again. God gave me such a precious gift this morning. And without a doubt. Its due to my obedience, to love and trust that God knows what He is doing..

 

 

I have to daily give God the pen to write my love story. And have faith that He knows what I need. Instead of frantically praying like a woman with NO faith, I began to praise God for all I know to be true about him instead of my feelings. My feelings at that moment were negative, hateful, tired, and not clear. My faith, was that God is good, and He gave me a beautiful family to take care of and love..

 

The word Faith is defined as: persuasion, moral conviction, of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher. especially reliance upon Christ for salvation.

Taking the definition apart, faith is living fully persuaded of God's abilities and character. Faith is conviction, a full commitment to the truth and living out what you know intellectually. Faith is relying consistently on God because you believe.

 

 

How are YOU living, how am I living?? Are we shouting at God? Are we angry at His plan? At his timetable? What prayer requests are dominating our days and keeping us up at night?

 

 

Write out how you would live if God answered them all! Would you be less preoccupied? Would you be able to "be in the moment" rather than always planning and fretting? Would you have a longer fuse? Would you treat people differently? Write it out... then live it out!

 

 

 

I have a book shelf  FULL of journals.

Writing things in black and white make it reality to me! This is the way I learn and process my thoughts. You may have a different way of learning or studying. But if you have something in your life you are struggling with, depression, addiction, relationship issues, write it out as though God has erased it! Do it daily! It Is Done! He says, It is finished. TRUST. THIS and LOVE are His commands. <3

 

 

 

 

 

 



When God writes your love story

 

Joe and Melia Harrington

 

By : Eric and Leslie Ludy

 

June 28th, 2014 - I married my best friend Joseph Harrington. <3  

 

 

Today is April 15th, 2015 - We have not been married a full year yet. But so far, marriage is pretty.... HARD!

 

Before marriage, we never spoke a harsh word to each other. Life was beautiful, we were content.

Last year, Easter Sunday, we were facing separation, but chose one last hope.. We went to church. Christway Community Church. God has and still is transforming our lives! A church body supporting and encouraging a brand new marriage is key to success!

 

 

But! A couple months ago, things turned worse. My father passed away. Now I am living this life without my mom or dad. Two people so dear and precious to me. I have really had to adjust and learn a lot about myself, including growing into a woman. The woman my dad taught me to be, to love and honor my husband and to love and fear God.

 

Doctors thought it was wise to put me on an antidepressant to face the growing depression. MISTAKE. I became a monster! I became agitated, hateful, wanted to crawl out of my own skin, and worse... Die! We sought help from the church and I came off of the medication inpatient at Valley, monitored and safe. THIS was scary, and painful! I was away from my daughter Stormy for 4 days. Away from my family, my life.

 

Thankfully I was weaned off the medication, but then became addicted to the anxiety, relaxing, "happy pills" they gave me. I sunk deeper into a hole of self medicating, selfishness, hatefulness to those around me. Only cared about myself. And Joe and I became distant. Not because he wasn't there for me. But because I pushed him and everyone away. I was hateful and ugly in spirit.

 

I knew God would save me from this nightmare that I entered into, so I clung to His Word with every ounce of my being. I made a youtube channel to follow my difficult but transforming journey. (Melia Harrington) When God writes your love story 2015

 

I held on for dear life! And today... I am over 2 weeks with NO medication! We had a meeting at our church to reconcile the relationships I disrupted and they are encouraging and supporting us as we grow into what God wants us to be. I will continue to seek counsel and to stay in Gods Word and grow spiritually with my husband. So here I am Lord...

 

Write my love story <3

 

I continue to trust you and your Will Lord. Take and protect, bless, nourish and grow our marriage. Our lives are for you, use us, bless us. Thank you for my amazing husband God! <3 Amen

 

NOW is the time to lay the foundation for a lifelong romance. With humor and heart, Eric and Leslie Ludy (Authors of When God writes your love story) showcase the extraordinary beauty of a God scripted romance and the secrets to an amazing love story that can stand the tests of time. The God who created me... is ready to write our love story.

 

 

Take a moment to gain a new perspective on true romance God's way!!

 

 

If you'd like to save the world one more broken heart or fill a heart that is budding with love, share a copy of When God writes your love story, give one to a special friend.

This is for anyone who has longed to sing a sweeter song. <3

 

Eric and Leslie Ludy www.setarpartlife.com

 

 

The Awakening

 

I am blessed to have my husband Joe.

If I didn't, I would have sleepness nights of agony, weeping until no more tears came. I would have to face the aching, desperate lonlieness of walking into a crowded room full of strangers with no hand to hold, no strong arm to gently rest on my back and give me security, I'd be... alone.

 

THIS, is the pain I feel in those many dreams I've had about losing my husband, but this is also how Leslie describes when she experienced her first breakup. I always take my husband for granted. Everyday isn't promised, and this is my WAKE UP CALL!

 

In my younger years, I had given pieces of myself away to each guy that came into my life. Pieces of my heart, my emotions, and even my body! Yet each time, once he got bored with me, my fragile heart got tossed aside. I longed to be loved, and cherished. I had dreamed of a perfect love story ever since I was a 5 year old girl watching Cinderella.

 

 

But somewhere in the midst of the endless cycle of one temporary romance after the next, my dreams had shattered right along with the broken and fragmented pieces of my heart. Yes, I was young. But even so, I'd already begun to give up hope on the idea of ever finding my real love.

Growing up in church. I had listened carefully to the instructions given by my youth group leaders and tried to follow Gods Word. But the rules failed to protect me from a broken heart and shattered life. I ended up in several abusive relationships and pregnant! I observed my Christian friends, I saw they were following the same pattern, an endless cycle of shallow and cheap romances that never lasted and left us emotionally bleeding and insecure.

 

My desperation motivated me to start praying. I'd been a Christian from about 5, but God had taken a backseat in my life. I would have said He was my highest priority, but in reality I was far more pre occupied with guys, friends and my social status. I didn't see anything wrong with the way I chose to live my life. Even though God wasn't the centerpiece of my daily life, I assumed that I was still on good terms with Him.

 

But the fact that I kept getting my heart broke and ending up in abusive unhealthy relationships, finally made me wonder if I was doing something wrong! After years of depression and confusion, I cried out to God. "What am I doing wrong?" "Why am I so miserable and insecure?" "Why does every relationship end this way?" 

 

 

 

Then came a soft tugging at my heart. Suddenly, somehow I knew that my life did not need to be this way and that God had something better for me. I felt Him gently whisper these words to my soul :

 

"You continue to get your heart broken because you are holding the pen of your life and trying to write your own story. I am the Author of true love. I am the Creator of romance. I know your hearts every desire. I want to script a beautiful tale just for you, but first you must give me the pen. You must let me become the center of your existence. You must let me have total control of your love life, and every other area of your life as well."

 

 

God was asking me then, and now, to give Him control, to trust Him fully and completely, wholeheartedly. To write my love story. <3

I know if I don't trust Him, I will only find more heartache and disappointment. I've made a mess of this area of my life so far. It's clear, I need some serious help!

 

So, more out of desperation than confidence, I am inviting the Creator of the universe to be the center of my love life. The Author of love and romance, who loves me more than I can comprehend, has a plan for my love life that will take my breath away with it's beauty.

 

I met my soul mate in April 2012, married him June 28th, 2014. I don't know if I could every fully convey the wonder of what it is like to have a God written love story. The cheap imitation romance I'd known before simply could not be compared to this new kind of love. All by simply giving God the pen of my life's story and allowing Him to write each chapter.

 

<3 "As for God, His way is perfect." Psalm 18:30

 

In todays, Do It Yourself Christianity.. many scoff at the idea of God scripting a love story. It's deemed more spiritual to make your own decisions and then ask God to bless our choices. And that's how most modern Christians have chosen to approach this area of life. It's true that God scripted love stories are not common in todays world, but the reason is that so few of us are truly willing to allow God to have His way in our lives. As long as we are in control, we don't give Him the opportunity to prove just how interested He is in this precious area of our lives.

 

God doesn't need to imitate the worlds method for writing a love story, He has His own version. And once I find myself in the pages of His captivating script, I'll never want to go back to the mediocre romances of our modern times!

 

 

God is intensely interested in this area of your life. If you choose to trust Him with absolute abandon, you will discover something beyond all you've ever dreamed of. The One who knows you better than you know yourself and who loves you more than you can comprehend, wants to take you on a journey. The journey is for anyone who is searching for the beauty of true and lasting love, for romance in it's purest form, and who is willing to do whatever it takes to find it. The journey is for anyone who has made mistakes and said "It's too late for me to discover that kind of love."

 

The Author of all true love and romance stands before me asking, "Will you let me write your love story?"

 

Yes...

 

Am I My Brother's keeper?

 

Ephesians 4:15

"We will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every

way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church."

 

 

My Daddy 7/25/48 - 10/10/15

 

 

I have had a rough few months after losing my dad... and I haven't been here or posted any blogs. And for that, I am sorry.

 

My daddy went home to be with the Lord October 10th, 2015.

And I thought I was ok. I still say I am ok... But, I don't think I am. He was my world, my best friend, and my greatest support other than my first Father God.

 

 

My daddy was one of love.. My heart aches to know I can't call him today, or go visit. He taught me a lot in life. I was and am still his babygirl. He never let a morning go by, that he didn't wake me up with some silly teddy bear talking in a cute voice, giving me kisses, telling me how loved I was, then to drive off with me at the window watching, he'd look back and say "I Love You" in sign language. This was our sign, Always. And I'll never forget it. I'll never forget our long talks that ended with... "And remember, no matter what, Jesus loves you. Always look to him and trust Him" Most of the time during these talks. I had only heard about Jesus, I didn't truly know who he was. But from daddy passionately talking about him, I knew he was someone important. And daddy made sure to plant those seeds in my heart that would someday bloom.

 

 

Before he left, he got to meet his grandbaby Stormy. I'll never forget the day he picked her up and said, "I love you little girl" The first time he had ever met her. He left so much inspiration, and infulence for me to follow as well as my daughter who is too young to remember. But yet, she does. A heart, full of passion and life, that stands on Gods word.. will go on. Gods word, and the influence of people LAST!

I will never forget this night. They called to say my daddy was gone.. And Stormy, only 11 months old, sat and waved at her pepa, and couldn't understand why he wasn't waving back, or telling one of his many repeated stories about love, life, history, music and Jesus. She touched his hand gently as to say, I love you Pepa... and my heart sank. Weeks later, she touched his picture everyday for awhile.. She knew who this man was. He inspired her. Just as I will teach her about Jesus. She will know, He's an important man of Love.. and Eternal life, and the most precious and hardest gift ever given...



 

 

There are no answers for pain in this lifetime, but how we learn to move forward in life and cope. Trusting in the Lord to comfort us and bless us. This is where we have to plant our feet and grow.

 

My doctor thought it was a good idea to put me on an Anti Depressant, and this messed me up pretty bad. I actually ended up having to come off of it and the withdrawals were so bad I had to do it in an inpatient hospital away from my daughter. (15 months) This was one of the hardest things for me to do. But God had a plan and still does.

 

 

 

 

I am fully off of the medication, but still on a journey. I am about to read a book "When God writes your love story." I have no clue where my life will take me. But I do know, that with my trust and faith in Jesus Christ. He is leading me. And I cannot do it without Him, nor will I ever try again.

 

 

 

Today, I have chosen a blog about parenting. And dedicating it to my daddy. He taught me about God and raised me as best as he could, and when the time was right, he had to let go. There is a time in our life, perhaps many times in our life, we have to let go. Even when we don't know what's ahead. We have to trust that God, our creator, knows what He is doing.

 

How do you show respect to parents, and how much should parents run your life?

 

 

 

What is a person's responsibility toward a grown sibling, a friend, a family member? Should you lend him or her money? Help them with constant marriage problems? Always bail them out?

 

 

 

 

Are you wondering how you can show love and respect and still maintain healthy boundaries?

 

 

 

Take my husband for instance. I am always in Gods Word, doing devotions, praising, praying, and sometimes I'll get onto him for choosing to watch TV after a long hard day at the office, and coming home to help me with the baby and the house where he can, and on weekends, working on my never ending To Do Honey Do list.... I would rather him follow in my footsteps and be in Gods Word. But I cannot force him to do anything he doesn't want to do. If I force my hand on anything, what do you think he will do? Right, run the other way.

 

I have to remember, to show love and respect, while still maintaining a healthy relationship. I can stay in Gods Word and lead by my life.. Not preaching and playing some holier than thou attitude. My job, His command, first and most important command is to LOVE. It's simple..

 

 

 

Perhaps, the most loving thing we can do is to give a loved one responsibility for his or her own life. I try to ask myself, If love wants the best for another person, than what would love do?

It would trust the creator of love, to know what He is doing. I give my loved one to you Lord, and I will pray for Him or Her everyday, but I know that you have a plan for them. My job is to love.

 

 

One mother, who realized her constant bailing out of her grown son was actually crippling his growth and maturity, wrapped up a note that read,

"This is the best and most difficult gift I have ever given to you. Enclosed you will find a check, the last one you will receive from me. This will cover your first and last month's rent and your bills for one month, but you also see that I have enclosed a set of apron strings. I am giving you the gift of being responsible for your own life, so I have cut the apron strings. Please enjoy this gift. All my love, Mom.

 

Real love makes the hard calls, does the brave thing, and encourages people to step up and step out. Love gives generously from a willing heart in a way that encourages responsible maturity. Sometimes the most treasured gift is the most difficult to give and impossible to wrap.

 

Now that I have a 16 almost 17 year old, a step son who is almost 22, and now a little one only 15 months old, I have learned what it means to let go and pray that they make the best decisions and stand by closely for when they may need counsel or advice. But my first instruction is to always look to God, as my daddy taught me. And though he is gone now, his voice still lingers in my ear. To love and trust in a man named Jesus. He has never failed me, and never will. I miss my daddy so much it hurts. But he raised me right, and set my feet on a path that could not fail.

 

 

For you Daddy, Thank you for giving me the gift of life, through my birth and through Jesus' birth, death and resurrection. I will see you again one day soon. But right now, my job is still here on this earth, my temporary home. To love....