Now That You're In Position... watchu gonna do?

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Galatians 6:2-3

Pastors and minister of the gospel like to remind us that we are either entering a storm, in a storm or coming out of a storm. The first, entering, most times is unbeknownst to us. We're sailing along in life, and everything feels as if its firing on all cylinders and all is right with the world. The BAM! Or we're in the midst of something that is so devastating, that it knocks us down and we run to whomever or whatever we think can get us back on track, or numb the heartache and hardship we are experiencing at the moment.

Then we get to that time, when we've bathed to remove the ashes and take off the sackcloth, and eat again, finally tasting the food. We made it through to the other side. We shout and praise God, we

call our family and friends and give them the opportunity to rejoice with us. We're relieved. At peace.

Most people don't realize there are many whom are going through at this very moment. While you're rejoicing to have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, there are some waiting, hoping and praying to get where you are.

What are you doing??? Are you all puffed up after a couple of days like you've never experienced tragedy? Are you going on your merry way oblivious that others are where you were  a couple of minutes ago. Are you running around like you've always been living your life like it's golden(thank you Jilly from Philly). Have you pushed down the memory of what God brought you through, acting like(you fill in the blank)?

I think we go through things, not just to show God how we handle it, and to move on to the next rung, course, test, but to encourage those going through. How can we see someone in the midst of what might be the worst time of their lives and not respond. Sometimes money doesn't solve everything. Sometimes someone needs a listening ear that won't broadcast whatever they share to anyone who'll listen. Sometimes people just want to know you care. If it's a situation you've experienced, then SHARE that with them. Let them know what you did, didn't do and how you got to the other side. If it's beyond your experience, then the best thing you can do is LISTEN. Take them out. Feed them. Have a drink with them. Don't be so holy you're no earthy good as the elders used to say. Allow them the space to vent in whatever way they see fit. Help them figure it out. Most importantly OFFER TO PRAY WITH AND FOR THEM. And pray for them in your prayer time and actually DO IT! The fervent, effectual prayers of the righteous availeth much, James 5:15b

These are trying times. From the White House to the projects it's a lot of mess in the world. In one

way or another, everyone has something they're dealing with. Add to that, it's the holidays.
Lets do as we are instructed and bear one another's burdens. Because sooner or later, someone, hopefully, will help you bear yours.

Now you're in position,  help someone get to the other side. They'll be blessed and you'll be likewise.

Ninakupenda
Kupendana.


THERE WILL BE A CONTEST FOR ALL MY LOYAL READERS AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR! PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO MY BLOG FOR DETAILS. IT WILL BE EASY TO ENTER, BUT IT DEPENDS ON YOU HOW HARD IT IS OR EASY WIN. GOOD LUCK!!!! DETAILS TO COME!!!
     

Traveling Through The Land Of Subtraction

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  NIV

Merram-Webster's definition of subtraction is: to take away by or as if by deducting. Everyone encounters the season of subtracting.
It's unavoidable. In this season, we dot all I's and cross all T's. In our finite minds, we are doing everything we know to be right. We are treating others as we'd wish to be treated. We have cut down on complaining and gossiping. We exercise our faith and encourage others to do so. We think, it's time to live like the faith we profess. Like a child trying to please their parents, we're trying to be good. we know can never be good enough to earn a seat in paradise with the Lord, but we just aspire to live right, to finally practice what we preach.

Despite our best efforts it seems, or feels like, God whips out his pen, a red one and starts grading us. A red X here, a red X there, lowering our score that we've worked so hard for. This score can also be called personal growth, or our faith walk. Then He begins subtraction. Losing that job at the onset of the holiday, which produces a financial reversal-subtraction. The loss of a loved one, unexpectedly-subtraction. A huge disagreement that threatens to ruin and separate the family-subtraction.

While traveling through the land of subtraction, it becomes difficult to recall all the addition times. We as humans have a tendency to focus on the minus in life. We forget all about the wonderful additions we've experienced. Highs so high, we thought we'd taken up residence. All of them become a distant memory when the road of subtraction unfurls in front of us.

Everything has its polar opposite. Hot/cold. Dark/light. Smooth/rough. The things to remember is seasons change. Light follows darkness. Even during the day, when it's dark and dreary, the sun is shining high above the clouds. And rough roads eventually become smooth.

Sometimes we wonder what we did, or did not do to bring about the era of subtraction. In a word, NOTHING. Another word, LIFE. Subtraction is inevitable, Life is not meant to flow seamlessly.

But then subtraction moves on. You may later thank God for subtracting the job, so you could go back to school and get the degree, and a new career. Time passes and although splintered, new family members enter the family circle. Or the beautiful remembrances of a loved one that's gone on. You don't dwell on these while they're still with us, but once they leave, the memories, the laughter and even the tears are like a balm to our thirsty souls. All of this is God's addition. He adds great things. He gives beauty for ashes.  Watch. Wait. See.

Let's try not to pay such close attention to the subtraction. Let's watch, wait and see God's restoration, His beautiful addition come into fruition.

Ninakupenda
Kupendana                  

What's Your Wait Game Like?

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  NIV

When you're waiting on the Lord, what do you do?

We as humans are constantly in some form of waiting. Waiting for our devices to buffer. Waiting in traffic. Waiting in the grocers. Waiting at the doctors office. Waiting to clock out of work. Waiting to graduate. Waiting to get married. Waiting to get divorce. Waiting for our children to come along. Waiting for them to move out. Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Waiting is extremely hard if you've no patience. I addressed that previously.

But if we understand that waiting is a necessary part of life, it makes the waiting easier. The things

we are waiting for, the desires of our hearts are not on our timetable. I think that God has a master plan, and being the Master He works things out so He will get the glory and we will be the beneficiaries of His goodness. God, himself took six days to create the earth and all that is therein. Apparently, He's in no rush.

So while we wait, let's be about our Father's business. This is the season of lifting and giving. Step up your game. Do something that has no direct effect on you, but blesses another. There's a plethora of things we can do for our brothers and sisters this most holy, holiday season, to bring joy to the lives of others.

It's really not the waiting, it's what you do as you wait. Are you going to be more and more frustrated with each passing minute of your wait? Are you going to lash out at others during your wait? Or will you simply resign yourself that this, too, this waiting shall pass, and you will come face to face, eventually, in God's time, with that which you've waited for.

There was a time in the grocers that I would just reach for one of the scandal rags and read until I was next to get check-out. With the advent of phones, there are numerous things that can be done while you wait. Surf the 'net, pay your bills, text someone(because chatting is annoying as h3ll), throw some music on and belt one out. That should help take your mind off the waiting, and everyone else's for that matter. Do something to take your mind off waiting.  

Remember while you're in process of whatever, all you can do is wait. So why allow yourself to

become so aggravated at a situation you can do nothing about. Jesus waited 30 years for his earthly ministry. I doubt you wait will be that long.

Every part of life has an incubation time. When you get that in your spirit, the waiting won't be so bad. Because, in all actuality, what is life besides waiting? Live your best life while you wait and when what you're waiting for finally comes to fruition it'll be icing on the cake.

Ninakupenda
Kupendana
   

Pain As Deep As An Ocean

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait I say one the Lord. 
Psalm 27:14

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 
John 14:26 KJV

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thes 5:18 

Since I've been writing and sharing, a few people have approached me as to whether or not I feel called to preach the gospel. That'd be a HUGE no. I think of myself as more of an encourager, somewhat akin to Joel Osteen, like a cheerleader, minus the 9M followers. I mean, really dude is no preacher by any stretch of the imagination, as am I not. I do, however,  like to help folk feel better. You need a sounding board, look no further. You need a ride or die, just have some bail money ready. I try very hard to be there for people I love and anyone really, if you have no one to unload on or to, I'm your girl. I makes me feel so good, doing what the Lord instructed us to do, and bearing another's burdens.

But there are times when the I get knocked down, flat on my face. Where do I go? Inward most times, a couple of friends and other times to my pastor. Life comes at you so fast, like a speeding out of control train. And there you are, a train wreck. Sometimes things so unexpected it lets the wind out of our sails, and in all honesty we collapse under the pressure. Some of us. Some are stronger than others, and can withstand the hurricane winds of life and are slowed for a minute. Others of us need a while to get back up. But we do. We rise.

Unforeseen circumstances can push you into the ground, even if you consider yourself well grounded. The loss of a loved one, unexpectedly, is crushing, debilitating, and life altering. Part of us never recover. Add to this loss one quite young, which is insult to injury. All death is bruising, and shakes us to our very core. Losing a parent is very difficult. But rationally, it's the natural order of things. However, sometime that order is disturbed and it's a child, or a young adult. Someone who's lived very little life is suddenly snatched from our grasp. This is not to diminish losing a parent or spouse, on the contrary. Those types of losses will have one paralyzed with grief and you feel you will never get any relief. But again, our children.... We grapple with this loss and most times, it very nearly kills the parent as well, if they don't have a strong support system. People really do die of broken hearts.

Then we go though the five stages of grief. Denial (which I'm currently in for my daughter's bestie, as I cannot believe this has happened), anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. I'm sure it's going to take her daughter, family and my daughter a long time to process this loss. We may not understand His way or like His will, but through this devastating storm, we must praise Him despite this mind numbing pain. This too, is His will.

So what do we do? All I can think of is the afore mentioned Psalms. We must wait on the Lord to strengthen us knowing that He will send the Comforter to be near to us in this time of grieving.
That's all I got. Loss is rough. I've lost both my parents, all my uncles, my only aunt, my brother and countless cousins and friends. It never EVER gets easier, but no matter what God is always with us. Sad to say, loss is compounded during the holidays. That empty space no one can replace.

So to everyone not exactly feeling the upcoming holidays, due to the loss of a loved one, just surround yourselves with family and people who love you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. And remember, to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. 

                                              We will always love you Paige Lampkin

Ninakupenda
Kupendana  

What Makes God Frown?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7 NKJV  

Fear is insidious, and relentless and will kill your hopes, dreams and aspirations. It will make you withdraw from the world and become a spectator, when you should be living the life you awaken to each day. It's debilitating. It's crushing. And as the scripture above says, it's definitely NOT of God.
So you know who it's from then. The enemy, who seeks to kill, steal and destroy(John 10:10).

So why, so often are we so fear filled? Why so scared? Why do we have so much trouble navigating through life, not believing we are deserving of God's best, instead of latching on to what he never intends for us to have, namely fear?

It's our lack of faith. Our level of trust. Sometimes our faith is so low it doesn't even reach the bottom of our shoes. How must that make God feel? As you've no doubt heard before, we place our entire trust in pilots, train conductors, bus drivers and even our own ability behind the wheel. But when it comes to God, and trusting in His great love and affection for us, some of us fall short every time. We trust that paycheck coming. But we don't trust the One who insures it arrives. We stumble with faith. And lately, I have. And it really made me wonder, what must God think? He gives us the ability to not only open our eyes each day, but to throw our legs over the side of the bed to walk, and many times we give no thought to that, we just wake up, assuming we'll have the activity of our limbs. But the big things, we come up short. You know what

your big things are, as I do what mine are. But this must stop. We must stop. Fear is from the enemy. Why should we adhere to anything in the enemy's camp? People are fond of stating that in the Bible God instructs us to "fear not" 365, once for each day. Actually, that's inaccurate, KJV says it 103 times, but that's enough for me to know He really doesn't want us operating in fear.

So let's trust more. Let's look for God in EVERYTHING. Let's give Him His due in both the small and big things in life. Let's walk out in faith. He's never failed us. What seemed like a failure was probably a re-direction. We were going the wrong way and He did what He had to do to get us back on our path. We must believe and trust that He has our highest good in mind when things don't go to suit us, or don't go as planned. TRUST! TRUST! TRUST! FAITH! FAITH! FAITH! He requires faith. And He doesn't load us down with requirements, just the ten and FAITH. Hebrews 11:6 Says, without faith it is impossible to please God.

Kids have enormous faith and trust. Let's emulate them. They don't worry about anything, because they know we got 'em.  Let's act like we know our Heavenly Father has us!

Fear is the stinkweed of life that makes God frown.

Ninakupenda                      

Pancreatic Cancer. Part 3

Pancreatic cancer has numerous warning signs and symptoms. Unfortunately, many times the symptoms mimic other less serious illnesses, and is often disregarded until far too late. They are as follows:   

• jaundice
• weight loss

dark colored urine

• itchy skin
• digestive problems, including abnormal stools, nausea and vomiting
• pain in the upper abdomen, which may extend to the back
• nausea
• appetite loss
• swollen gallbladder(usually found by a doctor during a physical exam)
• blood clots
• diabetes
  

Signs of advanced pancreatic cancer

• worsening upper abdomen or back pain, especially after eating or lying down
• extreme fatigue
• swelling
• bed sores
• recntly diagnosed diabetes
  
• depression

There are no symptoms in the vey early stages. Later stages are associated with symptoms, but these can be non specific, such as lack of appetite and weight loss.

Treatment depends upon the stage.

Treatment may include surgically removing the pancreas, radiation and chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are the main treatments.

Ablation or embolization treatments for pancreatic cancer.

Tagged therapy

Immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer

Pain control for pancreatic caner.

Chemotherapy is said to be the most effective tool in riding someone of pancreatic cancer, Gemcitabine has been the most wildly used chemotherapy drug for treating metastatic pancreas cancer. Chemotherapy is usually prescribe for 3 to 12 weeks after surgery.

In all honesty, if this type of cancer is not discovered until stage four, then the chances are abysmal at best.
On a personal note, up until recently, I'd always read it was rare. Lately, I've learned of several moms of friends and acquaintances who've passed on from this. It's also stated that more men suffer with this than women. I'd say it's probably equally split. But one thing I know for sure, it's no longer rare. A young man I met at a conference from Oklahoma told me his mom had just passed a couple of years ago from this. Rare? I think not.

So let's all make every effort to listen to our bodies. If something seems to linger, check it out. Like I always say, the life you save may be your own.

Ninakupenda

All Dogs Go To Heaven

I could not recall nor find any verse that had tot do with dogs in a positive manner. Nevertheless here we go...

I believe dogs do go to heaven. I believe God created dogs, just as he did us and every living creature under the sun. His word in Genesis says so. I don't understand why he created spiders, snakes, roaches and mice, and will have a conversation with Him about that once I get home.

Unlike cats, who may actually love their human parent, although mostly hard to tell, and could take us or leave us, canines let their feelings be known.

Dogs are the most loving, loyal and giving animals on the planet. They are blessed with an attitude of gratitude and appreciate everything you do for them. Dogs love unconditionally. You can roll up paper to discipline them, and five minutes later all is forgiven and forgotten and they're loving all over you.  Even miscreants who treat them extremely poorly, still have undying love for their humans. It's amazing. Dogs can be your very best friend, if you let them, which is why they are called to be emotional support animals and helpers. They can be your oldest, youngest or even your middle child. They are sounding boards like none other. They feel too. This is kind of embarrassing, but I'll share to give you non dog owners a glimpse into my beloved Friday(whom I named for the movie).

Friday has gone on to doggie heaven, sadly. He was 130 pound, pure bred, white German Shepherd. He loved my kids and me until the day he died. When the reality of my impending divorce hit me, I broke down one day in my recliner. Friday watched for a minute or two, came over, and put his head on my lap. When I tried to move him away, he placed his paw next to his head, and without raising his head he looked up at me. He just stared until that episode subsided. Then I laughed when I got a picture of what it must look like my dog consoling me. He jumped up, licked my face, and went back to his favorite spot, lying down in front of the couch. Another time, when my mom was dying, I brought her to my home so I and my kids could care for her, since we'd been told she only had a couple of weeks left at most.. I'd been sitting with her and decided I was hungry and went into the kitchen to make a snack. Of course, Friday followed me into the kitchen, which is the practice of every dog on the planet. A couple of minutes later, he darts past me. Then the wailing starts. At first, I thought someone was at the door, but remembered he'd be barking his head off. He ran back into the kitchen still wailing and I followed him. He stretched out in front of my mom and began whimpering. My mom was gone. That bothered me for a long time. I wasn't gone five minutes. Two weeks turned into two and a half days. But this goes to show, they know things. Believe it or not! And they are superior judges of character.

I believe out of all God's creation, with the exception of us, of course, God really and truly blessed us when he created dogs. Dogs are, next to family the best companion you can have. They'll watch your kids, guard your home and love you with reckless abandon. The ASPCA commercials really upset me. If you don't want your dog, for whatever reasons any longer, give it to the human society. Some believe, I've read, you should never get rid of a dog, that they are a family member. We love them like a family member, but in actuality, they are not. It's selfish to keep a dog when you can no longer care for it. Situations arise. Kids come along with allergies, you can no longer afford to care for him properly. Even a move. I feel some people shouldn't be so judgmental.

My current dog, Haki (Swahili for Justice) is a trip. He gets on my last nerves some days. I feel guilty I come home so tired most days and don't give him the attention he so richly deserves. But I've told him to hold on a few more months and things will be different.

I've had dogs since my infancy. I've experienced a lot of doggie deaths. Friday had throat cancer. Another dog was poisoned by a neighbor but he'd never admit it. One had the audacity to take off. A couple succumbed to old age.

My personal opinion, I think every homeowner, and especially one with children owe it to themselves to let this great protector and lover of their human family into their home. It's an expense, no, doubt, but the rewards are enumerable. If only we humans could master loving unconditionally like canines. It's like a glimpse of God's love. No matter what. Unfailing. This earth in general and America in particular would be so much more a beautiful place if we loved each other like our dogs love us.

So yes, I really do believe, spirit or soul or not, all dogs do go to heaven.

Ninakupenda