Sticky Notes from God~~~Marching orders

Blessed is he who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. Ps 1:1 You have your marching orders feet so start walking.  

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In Christ I Am~~~~A New Creation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ NKJV)

Too often when we come to Christ we make the mistake of thinking the minute our scalp hits the water of baptism that we instantly become a new creation. If that was the case the devil would be out of a job. The job of tempting Christians to stay as they are and not allow God to change them. 

It's true we can and should be new creatures in Christ but it takes time and effort on our part. The new doesn't instantly appear and it is not wear proof. It is something we strive for. Something we should want so badly that we would do anything to get it as well as keep it. 

Coming to Christ is a chance to start over. It is making the decision that because of our love for Christ we will go out of our way to no longer live for ourselves. In doing so we become new creatures in Christ. We live for Him and not us. 

Praise The Lord for the chance, opportunity and ability to become a new person. One that is not centered on self but centered in Christ. One with the focus to love and live outside of the box of 'self' but lives for the glorious Christ which in turn spills over to those around them. 

Thank you Lord for giving us this gift. May we take care of it, put it together, and nurture it to its fullest potential. Amen

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This Year's Women's Retreat

First day of women's retreat was great. Speakers were good and the food was too. The scenery as always was beautiful. God is great. It's always good to get away into the mountains, even Jesus did that to reconnect with God. We should as well.

Our first speaker was Bev and she gave a great lesson in "What's in your purse?" More pictures and details to follow as its lights out soon at the lodge here and I'm worn out. Night everyone.

Here are the more pictures I promised you. It was a great women's retreat as the three speakers: Bev Campbell, Cathy Koch and Carol Sheldon talked about being well dressed spiritually as Christian Women as we walk out into the world and witness for Christ.

Bev had us look into our purses to see what we are carrying around in there. Is it full of things like thankfulness, praise, love, forgiveness, kindness, goodness, faith, trust, and all the other qualities of Christ. Or is your purse loaded down like a bag of heavy rocks with things like bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, anger, uncontrolled tongue, resentment, and other things that weigh us down rather than lighten our load.

Carol and Cathy gave us a good demonstration about well-dressed feet and a custom creation. They talked about what different things such as flat shoes, pumps, work boots, infinity scarfs and other things can represent to us as we get properly dressed for God's kingdom.

Each year as we attend the retreat it is so wonderful getting in touch with our other sisters in Christ that we only get to see once a year. The fun we have playing games, making crafts together, singing, hiking to Frog Lake and fellowshipping is priceless. 

Speaking of "frog." I just learned something from my friend in Chicago who told me what her grandmother taught her. Frog stands for Fully Rely On God. F.R.O.G. That is what we need to strive to be as Christian women, women who are fully relying on God and that is what the goal of our annual Christian Women Fellowship of Central Oregon retreat is  all about becoming FROG Christians.

Rhonda, Nyla and Aubrey

Nyla and her service dog Grace

The lodge

Smile ladies :)

Brooke and Aubrey trying out the paddle boat

Bev looking into what's in our purses

 

Speaker Carol Sheldon demonstrating various shoes

Speaker Cathy Koch

Karen and her granddaughter's Brooke and Aubrey

View of Round Lake

View of the swing and picnic table area

A look down from the lodge balcony

Coordinator Joan Anderson. Rosie in the chair

Bonnie looking like she is getting all tangled up

 

Craft time of crocheting purses out of grocery bags. Another craft was scented bath crystals, foot massage powder and others. Also there was a table for those who wanted to try and make jewelry.

Thanks to our cook Kristie and her parents Dick and Claire we were well fed

 

Closer look at the homemade swing set with the basketball court in the background

Thank you Lord for Your presence with us at retreat. For the wonderful weather and the chance to fellowship with one another while we learned more of what we can do to enhance our walk with You.

In love W.I.T.H. Jesus,

Karen J. Gillett

Women's Retreat

This year's retreat is soon here. Sorry for the late notice. It is September 12th and 13th at Round Lake Wilderness camp.

In spite of my cancer I get to go this year. I am so blessed. It's been something I have looked forward to attending each year for over thirty years now.

I was blessed to go when I was disabled with my epilepsy and now I am still attending even though my disability is now my cancer. It's just a good time up in the mountains surrounded by God's artwork and fellow sisters in Christ. We fellowship, learn new things, get in touch with God and have fun.

If you can't make it this year come next year at this same time. Get out of the rat race of life and relax surrounded by the presence of God.

Karen Gillett

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In Christ I Am Series~~~~Healed

In 1 Peter 2:24 it talks about because of Christ's wounds we are healed. Being a person with cancer I look down at myself and think, "I don't feel healed! If the Bible says I am then why aren't I healed of this horrible disease?"

The answer is in the remaining part of the verse we tend to skip to read the words "you are healed." The part that says Christ died for us that we may live for righteousness. Our healing is from the disease of sin and the damages it can create.

What we fail to realize is that not everyone gets cancer, praise the Lord but all of us suffer from the disease of sin. It's only by the wounds of Christ that healing is granted. No doctor can prescribe it. No magic wand waving in the air can make it go away. We need Christ.

If we were to be cured today of our cancer or other diseases the joy of such healing would last only until our death from other causes. However, when we are healed spiritually it is a cure that is good for all eternity. In reality which is better. Myself, I would take the one that would last for all eternity.

I can put up with a few years of cancer but I can't live without Christ in my life. Truly it's up to us to go for the cure the correct healing. The healing that matters.

Karen

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In Christ I Am Series~~~~I Am the Light of the World

In the Bible if its written in there then it is so. If the Bible says we are the light of the world then that's what we need to be. Too often in the face of conflict when things go dark we do too.

We need to be that one little light at the end of the tunnel that people see and go towards. The lighthouse on the shore of life the gives people guidance and a place to aim for as well as hope.

We don't generate our own light, use our own energy we are a reflection of Jesus. That's the beauty of it in conflict when things do start to get dark all we have to do is step into the light of Jesus to get or keep our own light.

A light for others to see to find their way to Jesus. Solar Christians empowered by the light of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Each of us doing our part in lighting the path of life that can get pretty dark at times. A light that forever shines, continually glows, and only gets stronger thanks to its power source Jesus Christ.

Don't be afraid to stand out, and don't hide what needs to be seen. Shine for Jesus and be that glimpse of hope in a distance that guides people in towards Jesus. Shine people shine.

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In Christ I Am Series~~~Salt of the Earth

One by one in the next few weeks we will be going thru a list of the things we are in Christ. We start with, in Christ I am the salt of the earth Matthew 5:13. We will be looking at it thru the eyes of dealing with conflict and trying to live in an ungodly world.

First of all when examining salt it has several different purposes or tasks its good for. It adds flavor, it preserves things, and it cleanses things. As Christians we are the salt of the world. We are here to add flavor to the world around us and preserve and cleanse that world.

The flavor we need to be adding is that of one that compliments Jesus, is well balanced, and doesn't leave a bad taste in ones mouth. Too often when caught in conflicts and worldly surroundings its too easy to be like those around us. We lose our cool, we give in to our emotions and before we know it we have lost our saltiness. Our purpose is to leave a taste of Christ behind to preserve and clean the situations we are in.

If you think about it. We are the salt between two dead fish which are people of the world living outside of Christ. It is our job to be the thing that is there to preserve them and save them from rotting spiritually by witnessing Jesus to them. To cleanse instead of get dirty with them by allowing ourselves to get caught up in today's filth.

Whatever we do we can't lose our effectiveness. We have been given a purpose, a task to fulfill in Christ and we must do it. We are the salt, lets do our duty.

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Stress fighter tip

Read my latest tip on how to fight against stress. Believe it or not it begins and ends with the choice of having our attitude in the right place. 

Read it here:

http://anniejenningspr.com/jenningswire/lifestyle/a-wiser-place-to-be/

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Catchy Saying #5 Winners Never Quit

"Winners never quit and quitters never win."

This is one catchy saying that picked me up and carried me thru many situations bogged down with potential stress. Too often when my seizures were at their worse I wanted so badly to quit and let them win.

This saying I found reminded me that quitters never win. If I was to have any chance of a deceit life I was going to have to keep on trying. It didn't necessarily mean I would win over my seizures in the long run but it gave me a fighting chance.

Eventually because I wouldn't allow myself to quit and give up I did have victory over my seizures. It took me five years of hard labor fighting an often weak spirit but it paid off. It paid off when the doctor five years later told me my stress seizures were gone.

It was a victory won thanks to God who supplied my spirit thru His word with enough strength to keep me going. To keep me fighting on and to show me "no I wasn't the quitter I thought I was." I was much more in Him and thru Him to overcome anything. Even stress seizures.

Karen

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Fighting Stress with Scripture~~~Ps 121:1,2,7. Our True Source

I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence my comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; he shall preserve your soul.  Ps 121:1,2

Even as a young child this scripture has walked me thru many difficult times. Living in an area surrounded by mountains just a half an hour away I always felt like I could find God in this artwork of his. As we would go for long drives thru the mountainous back roads the closer we got the more I felt in God's presence. 

Blessed or not by living so near the mountains we don't need them to be able to do as this scripture says. We can lift our eyes to anything that reminds us of God to remember where our help comes from. 

Our help comes the Lord the one who made the heaven and earth. Isn't that the most awesome news in the world. What the mountains are made of is not where we get our help. It's who made the mountain that is our true source to be praised and utilized. Now that is so totally wonderful and breathtaking . 

The creator himself of the earth cares that much for us. If he cares that much then we should too. We should care enough to stop and turn to our true source of help, God himself. To take the time to acknowledge where our true source of help comes from. 

As much as we try we won't find it in alcohol, drugs, sex, money, food, or any place else. It is found in God and God alone. To God be the glory. To God be the praise. 

I love you Jesus. Thanks for loving me enough to help. 

Karen

Copyright 2014 Pencil Marks and recipe publishing 

Catchy Saying #4 A Good team

A Good Team~~~

"Only me just doesn't work but God and I as a team does."

Too often in our lives we all need to have this saying around to remind us we need God on our team. Trying to go at life in a solo fashion in the long run doesn't work. It needs to be, God and us, in that very order. 

Trying to stand up against the headwinds of stress was something I couldn't do on my own. Obviously I tried and all I got were more seizures. God and I were a team and it was up to me to act like one. To stop taking matters into my own hands and do my part to trust God. To stand up against the things in life that were doing me more harm than good. 

Only me got me just that, only me, which backed me up into many lonely corners. Dark corners full of frustrations and stress seizures. It wasn't until I learned the hard way that I needed to play by the rules that there was more than just me to think about. 

When I realized I needed to live and act like a good team member progress began to be made. It was no longer all about me but what I could do to contribute to the team not drain from it without ever returning anything. 

God and I we make a good team and so can you and Him as well. We don't have to be the last person chosen because we are no good at what we do. We can and have been the first one chosen in God 's eyes. Done so out of love, done so out of His grace and mercy. 

Good players on a good team. 

Karen
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Stress fighting scriptures. Psalm 25:5,15

Forever Forward

Psalm 25:5,15 show me Your ways O Lord; teach me Your paths. My eyes are ever toward the Lord for He shall pluck my feet out of the net. 

This scripture to me was very helpful when it came to fighting my stress seizures. The fact that my ways were leading me to stress seizures made it obvious I needed something to get me on a better track. It was my ways that was giving me seizures and God's way that would lead down a better path. 

Step two in the process would be to allow myself to be teachable. To not only permit God to show me His ways but I needed to be willing to learn and practice them as well. In order to do that my eyes had to be forever forward toward God. 

When my concentration was toward the stressful things in life I would have a seizure. When it was forever forward toward God the stress seizures ceased to exist. I was trusting God more and leaning on Him instead dwelling on the negative and getting myself stuck in the net that so easily entangles us. The net of stress. 

Forever forward towards God beats going backwards and deeper into a pit any day. 

Karen 

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Catchy Saying #3 Come Accepting Not Demanding

"Come Accepting Not Demanding"

For the longest time when I was fighting my seizures it seemed like all I did was come to God demanding healing, demanding answers, demanding relief from all my stress. For some reason I thought I could come to Him in a demanding sort of way and get my way like some little kid. After all if I came accepting of my circumstances then that meant I was okay with everything therefore God was going to freeze me in the position I was so content with.

Boy did I have it wrong! It was this simple little “catchy saying” that showed me the error of my thinking. I had God all wrong. He doesn’t tell us to be content so He can freeze frame our life so He doesn’t have to deal with us anymore by convincing us to be content where we are. That’s ridiculous. Being accepting and content with our circumstances is a way to endure what we are going through until such a time in which it may change. It’s our strength in a weak situation, our rock to stand upon when the sand of time is giving away under us.

None of us are in the position where we can go to God demanding anything. We can ask for answers, ask for guidance, ask for our needs but to demand them is a totally different thing. It’s a matter of a good attitude verses a bad attitude. To demand anything from God is like behaving as some spoiled child who always expects to get their way.

To accept what God has for us is to be humble and thankful for at least the things we do have. The less we fight our circumstances and allow for acceptance the more likely they may change for us.

I could still be fighting my stress seizures to this day 24 years later by not accepting the fact I had them and I’d still be disabled. Same goes with the elderly man with dementia. He can both accept the fact he has dementia and try to deal with it on a regular basis or fight it and refuse to accept the fact and be miserable for the rest of his life.

God’s not in the business of freeze framing. What He wants is for us to have the right attitude towards life and the circumstances we face and piece by peace our stress becomes less of a battle. Therefore freeing us up to fight the real battles in life and win. Exchange demanding for acceptance today, you’ll love the results. You’ll be surprised at the peace.

© 2014 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing for COCWF