Learn to cook!

by Proverb 31 Woman!



If you are not a good cook or do not know how to cook at all, take lessons! It's true: "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!"

L.O.L.

By Mizpah

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22

Real Life:

Two of my long-time resolutions that never got to be done are losing weight and getting into a regular exercise regimen. To date, they are just mirages as they stay on my list forever hoping that the next morning I wake up, I can say, “This is it! I’m on!”

Well, one good thing about being 40 up is that you get to loosen up on yourself! Not that I’ve given up hoping on having a 26 inch waistline, flat abs and tipping the weighing scale with 100 lbs. But the Lord surely must have known how lofty this dream may be for me, He showed me something!

Would you believe that I was having a good amount of exercise everyday? In Dr. Don Colbert’s article on “The Miraculous Medicine of Laughter”, he wrote that according to Dr. William Fry, Jr., who has spent thirty years or so in his study on the healing power of laughter and humor compares laughter to a good aerobic exercise. He said that laughter ventilates the lungs and leaves the muscles, nerves and heart warm and relaxed-the same benefits provided by aerobic exercise. It temporarily accelerates the heart rate, increases blood pressure and breathing, enlarges circulation and enhances the flow of oxygen in and out of the body. Laughing 100 to 200 times a day is equivalent to ten minutes of rowing or jogging. Belly laughter is the most therapeutic form of laughter and do you know that ten belly laughs are roughly equivalent to thirty minutes of aerobic exercise?

To add to that, it raises the level of our “feel good” hormone and “growth” hormone. I think I have to laugh some more as the latter hormone has not been activated in me yet! As what the Word of God tells us, “a merry heart does us good like medicine.” It also has been proven to lower blood pressure and produce overall improved health.

Healthy laughter is an expression of delight and joy that springs forth from a sense of well-being and peace. Only those who have known the peace that surpasses all understanding will be able to laugh like this! Only those who have known that they have a Father who is in charge of every detail of their lives can laugh at the days to come.

Life is so short to be lived with heavy hearts and down-cast souls. Let’s not take this life so seriously. This world ain’t getting better, guys! This world wants to bury us alive and eat us up everyday. But it can’t because we have a God who stands and fights for us! So, let’s make a daily, conscious choice to be thankful and enjoy life to the fullest. Let’s laugh out loud!

Praise God for the joy and laughter He has blessed me with! Ummm…I have long been in a regular exercise regimen after all.

I’ll try and ask God if He has an alternative to losing weight. I’m sure He has one!

To Ponder upon:

If you must take an inventory of yourself each day, will the attitude of gratitude outweigh your complaints? Will good words for others overflow more than tearing them down? Will kindness overtake your self-centeredness? Here’s something to think about. A good, pure, hearty laughter can only come from a heart that is at peace with God, with others, and with one’s self.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the gift of laughter. Thank you that truly no money can buy the times when you make us laugh till our belly hurts. Troubles may be many but thank you for those memories that never fail to bring a smile on our faces as we bring to mind your goodness and faithfulness in our lives. Lord, you are so good! In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Read more on laughter:

http://justlaughter.com/ageless_prescription.htm

Autumn

Featured Article this week

by Crown of Beauty

Many people love this time of the year, and I do, too. For me, this is a season filled with meaning. But I find spring to be just as beautiful, and as meaningful. For me they are twin seasons: spring completes what autumn begins.

I have gone through autumn seasons time and again. It is a recurring theme in my life. I suppose that the wise Father knows what is best.

When I was just a new Christian in early 1974, I remember praying this to Him, "Lord, I don't want to be a half-baked, mediocre born-again child of Yours. I want to follow after You whole-heartedly. Whatever You want for me, I want it all and nothing less; and whatever You don't want for me, I don't want it either."

And so it has been that through the years of my Christian life, I can see that God has continually brought me answers to this prayer. Autumns that I have gone through in my life were stripping seasons -- just like leaves falling, one by one, until the tree was bare. And in the autumns of my life, the stripping process has never been easy.

Fall brings with it a certain melancholy air, because it is a reminder of dying. In the stripping seasons I have felt like being put in a back burner, like meat simmering unnoticed until tender. Well, in fact that is what is happening inside of me. God is answering my prayer that my heart be made tender for the things that really matter to Him.

Then comes the winter, a seeming death of all that one had hoped for -- but I have come to understand that in winter there is actually so much life pulsating underneath that cold blanket of stillness. Everything is a preparation for spring. It is in spring when all of a sudden life bursts forth.

Indeed, it is true, there is life out of death. Without dying there is no living, without autumn there is no room for the newness of life that spring brings. Without us being stripped of human pride, there is no room for heaven's humility. Without humility, one's heart is full, and there is no room for the fresh, life-giving touch of God.

Yes, my autumn seasons have been humbling seasons when God scrapes off my rough edges, to reveal in my spring seasons, the real beauty hidden beneath the surface.

So, painful as it is, I can only accept the pruning process from my heavenly Father. I am a gardener and I only know this too well. Pruning cuts back unwanted growth, and sometimes, even the fair blossoms must fall. What seems a seeming waste to the untrained onlooker, to the expert husbandman, the Divine Gardener, is an act of grace.

Life has not been all that I have wanted or expected it to be, but through it all one thing has been constant, God has been there for me. Pruning, yes, but also giving life. Time and again, God has graced my life with His surprise visits.

I am praying for you dear friend, as the autumn comes to an end, and winter sets in, that all the things that have been seeming losses to you will come back to you in the springtime of your life. You may not have spoken much to me about your life, but I do understand some of your pain, and somehow I also feel that there are still many unshed tears inside your heart...

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is that passage in Joel: "I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten." It speaks powerfully to me, and I pray that it will speak to you as well.

Thanksgiving is a special autumn feast. A time to thank God for the harvest, a time to declare His faithfulness. May you find yourself celebrating the autumn seasons of your life, embracing the pain, preparing yourself for the promise of spring that is just around the corner.

My Significant Other

by $aMsUng

I love late nights while he starts his day at 6am, just when I’m about halfway through my sleep. With the aid of two electronic pills, the PBA and World Series Golf Tournaments, he’s dead to the world around 10pm. Me? I’m partial to waking up at noon, in time for lunch. He’s a mall rat…I’m not! I like going out-of-town, go to the beach or up the mountains, breathe in some fresh air. His idea of relaxation is none other than malling or having a cup of coffee at any place comfy. And I don’t drink coffee, I prefer tea… although warm water would suit me just fine. I can hang around the house all day long… read, watch television or play computer games. He could only stay home if I tied him to our bed. Too bad we don’t have bed posts. I enjoy traveling, seeing more of the world… and here’s the tricky part, now he prefers staying home!!! And they say women are hard to understand???

Sometimes I wonder why the Lord has brought us together. But despite our differences, there is that spark of passion (once upon a time), love and affection for each other. We both pursue different interests, but at the end of the day, we’re together (albeit one asleep, one awake). He’s a health nut, while I adore everything that’s absolutely bad for the health! And for that I get a series of sermonettes, which oftentimes makes me feel I married a preacher.

I’m the don’t-care about physical wellness type…and he looks after me. He’s pretty much an independent guy, does his own grocery shopping, but remembers to buy me yogurt, crackers and low calorie, sugar-free drinks every now and then. He gets hopping mad when I gorge myself with junk food. I start a program and when I’m not around to finish it, he picks up the tab, no questions asked.

He’s still the loving, compassionate, giving and caring man that attracted me to him in the first place. Of course, to point out that one could practically smell him a mile away also factored it. I am the coffeemate to his coffee, he is the honey to my tea. Dissimilar in so many ways… but we blend well together. He fits me like an old and snug favorite shoe. He is my anchor and in his arms I find my haven. He is very supportive of me, I cannot imagine life without him.

Now that’s the most unromantic portrayal of a blissful marriage one could ever write about (certainly, it’s blissful because we’re not together 24/7, otherwise we’d be squabbling over every little thing), but there are some things done in private that are better left unsaid...

Revelations Part III

by (JSL) Proverbs 31 Woman!

WAIT UPON HIM

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry."
Psalm 40:1

Bible Passage: Psalm 40:12-31

Real Life:
God engraved three major words in my heart: HUMILITY, WISDOM, and now, WAIT.

The words in Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.”

The magnificent, all-knowing God, bestowed to me the “wisdom” of “waiting” upon Him in my “humble” state. In reference, it is one of the most fascinating lessons in Isaiah 49:8, “This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you.” Isn’t this a wonderful promise? In no uncertain terms, God affirms the fact that he will answer and will help his people. But notice carefully the time slot for his help and answers: “in the time of my favor…. and in the day of salvation.” God has a designated time when his promise will be fulfilled and the prayer will be answered. It is a “day or moment” that he knows is best for the help to arrive and the deliverance to be accomplished.

And I wonder why God sighted the eagle as an illustration at the end of the verse. So with much curiousity, I made some research about this “magnificent” creature in the internet.

The eagle, known as the masters of the sky, represent a striking illustration of strength and courage. An eagle may have a wingspan ranges from 72 to 85 inches. Its wings are long and broad making them effective for soaring. Soaring is accomplished with very little wing-flapping, enabling them to conserve energy. An eagle’s tail is very important for flight and maneuvering. While the eagle is soaring or gliding in flight, the tail feathers are spread in order to attain the largest surface area and increase the effect of thermals to fly up and high. (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/eagles/masters.html)

What an astounding representation! Our difficult situations are not hidden from God, nor are we being disregarded because we don’t yet see the answer. Furthermore, we don’t have to give in to unbelief because God gives “power to the weak.” But one thing I’m very sure of. When the time of favor comes for the fulfillment of His promises, it will flow, effortless! I will mount my wings and soar casually like an eagle and fly in the horizon wherever the hand of the Lord leads me.

To Ponder upon:
What is your strength? Is it your youth? ... your conditioning? ... your wisdom? ... your friends? ... your experience?… your material resources? None of us can depend upon our human ability. Health, wisdom, and wealth are all vulnerable to the fragility of life and circumstance. Only the LORD can ensure that we can survive the unthinkable, thrive in the mundane, and soar in good times. Let's call upon, let's wait upon, let's depend upon the LORD and soar effortless like an eagle!

Prayer:
My Lord, my first love, thank you for sustaining me through the hard times in my life. Thank you for helping me soar, doing things for you that I never dreamed I could accomplish. Father, thank you for blessing me during the everyday comings and goings of life. I depend upon you for help and strength. For every good thing in my life I praise you and thank you. In Jesus' name I pray. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Revelations IV coming soon.

Traffic Light

Weekend Featured Article
by Mizpah

“This day… I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life…”

Deut. 30:19-20

Real Life:

Our house is approximately 35 minutes away from the place I work. Ever since we moved to our new residence four years ago, I knew that if I wanted to get to my work at 8:00 in the morning, I have to be on the road at 7:15. Any slight deviation would mean I’d be late.

I once read a saying which goes, “Insanity means doing the same thing all over and over again yet expecting a different result each time.” Well, I may refuse to admit it but that just describes my plight almost every morning.

Fully aware of my time constraint and donned with my fresh resolve each morning to do it right, guess what? I still end up leaving the house at quarter to eight. With all my nerves wrung with stress, I would still hope that I’ll get there on time. Of course, I would always be late. Subjected to this self-inflicted irritant, I just can’t seem to correct it! Now what would you call that?

To add to that, here’s something I noticed! From Monday to Friday, I travel the same route and I would pass by 4 traffic lights. Believe me and call it coincidence! Eighteen out of twenty lights would be RED and that meant staying on the road for another minute or so for every red light. The last one I timed took almost three minutes. I would imagine the traffic light saying, “she’s coming, I’ll turn red!” I think those red lights were picking on me! I would look at it with irritation and impatience seething from my eyes. I lose!

Accepting my defeat, this got me to think about my regular morning bouts. What’s the problem? Where is the problem? Of course, I know the problem! It’s me and my inability to choose the right thing I know I should do and continue to do the wrong I know I shouldn’t do! If this is what INSANITY is all about, I think I fit in the description!

This I realized. For the few times that I would be able to make it on time, I remembered that I enjoyed the long trip. I love looking at other cars pass by. I relish sharing a thought or two with God. I would look at the people walking on the road. I did not mind traffic lights. And if ever I did look at them, I thought they were always GREEN and if at times they’d be RED, I wait ! After a little while, I’ve reached my destination. I was on time. I made it!

So, then what’s with traffic lights? Well, I think this is how I am with God. Many times, I find myself doing the same things that I know would bring me the same difficulties. I know fully well that I will be reaping the same consequences if I continue to insist on doing them all over again. Yet, I do it! Passing through the RED lights God would afford me on the road of life, I would look at them with disdain and find myself going straight ahead until I get to the place of my stubbornness. I lose!

The times when I would obey God, I walk through the day as it unfolds before me with peace and joy. I would look at life with a GREEN light of God’s presence, power and provision. I seem just to glide through it. If at any point I may see a RED light, I can stop, sit down, and wait until the light turns green again! And on my feet I go. I made it!

Action Step:

As you wake up each morning and move on to the minutes of the day, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the areas of your life that seem to continuously bring you down. They might be a product of your own stubbornness. Move out of that insanity and move out quick!

The road of life may be bumpy at times but when you’re traveling with God , you’ll enjoy the ride whatever the traffic light may be. RED or GREEN, YOU WIN!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the destination you have prepared for me. As I journey each day, I pray that your light will always be before me to guide me and hold me and bring me back in case I stray. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

A chat with God

by proverbs 31 woman!

An excerpt from my journal dated 17 June 2004........

me: “Dear Lord, living a life of faith must be tough! How much faith is required?”

Him: “Just plain obedience.”

me: "Wow, Lord, that simple? How about a faith that can move mountains? Now, that’s a lot of faith!”

Him: “Not really, just plain obedience. Start by obeying simple, small truths. That’s all.”

me: "What else, God?"

Him: “Trust Me.”

me: "Trust and total surrender, even if I have to do it 50 times a day?”

Him: "Yes, even more than 50 times a day, if needed, my child. It’s trusting one breath at a time.”

me: "Lord, I trust you but I’m wiped out! …. just as David in the Scriptures said."

Him: “My grace is sufficient for you.”

me: “.... so that's Faith ....So be it, Lord. Amen.”

I'LL BE THERE

by Mizpah

"I'LL BE THERE" 3 little words that will renew your love and friendship. Just being able to say these to your spouse anytime he needs you is one of the greatest affirmation we can convey. It's just being able to find time for him in the middle of your very busy schedule and stop what you're doing to be with him! Being there in good times...in bad times is worth the investment!

Attitude

by $aMsUng

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,
and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

Well, she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today?' So she did and she had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.
'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?' So she did and she had a grand day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.
'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail.' So she did and she had a fun, fun day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

'YEA!' she exclaimed,'I don't have to fix my hair today!'

Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly,
Leave the rest to God.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to dance in the rain!!!

This woman certainly had a severe case of hair loss. Only three lustrous strands of hair on her head? Bet you she’s never had a bad hair day! From three to none…and still be able to exhibit glorious and fun days, is she for real???

Ever thought about going bald? Some men actually think it makes them more distinguished-looking (PLEASE, somebody tell them it simply makes them look...OLD!) For clarification, there’s close-cropped, which is the trend nowadays, and there’s the shiny bald. Hair loss is no laughing matter, so go get help…call (02) 892-HAIR. Ask for Svenson.

But the ladies, well, well, now that’s different, their mane is their crowning glory… take it away and you’d find them on bended knees and uplift arms praying, “Lord, take me, right this moment!” Losing one’s hair is like losing a limb.

It happened to me, so here’s my sob story.

What an experience having cancer is. Wouldn’t have chosen it on the menu of health struggles as I am one of those who wants to live to be a hundred. I knew chemotherapy would cost me my beautiful hair, but nothing ever prepared me for the huge chunks that fall off every time I shampooed. Finally, with more bald spots on my head than hair, I opted to shave it all off. I thought I looked quite voguish with my cap or bandanna until one day my sister’s friend mistook me for a boy. I was also all skin and bones then but that’s no excuse for her oversight! I wanted to tell her to get new glasses… I was even willing to shell out money for it!!! But being the tactful person that I am, I just prayed, “Lord, please forgive her for her poor eyesight.”

Diseases can be our spiritual flat tire – what may seem to be disasters at the time may end up redirecting our lives in a meaningful way. The miracles of my past are the strengths of my future. I am who and what I am today because of what I’ve been through. To all the people, especially my family and good friends, who have supported me and prayed for me, much thanks from the deepest corner of my heart. This is one side effect that I most sincerely welcome, connecting with incredibly beautiful people. This happened to me 12 years ago, and I am happy to say that by the grace of God, I am clean.

And I got my hair back!!!

Revelations – Part II

by JSL - Proverbs 31 Woman!

Sir Edmund Hillary

MARKED BY MEEKNESS AND HUMILITY

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 15:33

Bible Passage: Proverbs 15

Real Life:
Last Friday broke the news of Sir Edmund Hillary passing away at 88. A man who lived in relative obscurity as a beekeeper in Auckland, New Zealand. But the unprecedented feat of scaling the world's highest mountain brought him a fame he could hardly have imagined. He conquered Mount Everest and the South Pole and captured the world’s imagination. He led expeditions to the South Pole and other remote corners of the earth, but he returned often to the mountains of Nepal, the scene of his greatest triumph. Sir Edmund Hillary dedicated much of his long life to environmental causes and to humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Nepalese people. More than half a century after his most famous feat, his fame remained undimmed. His name has become a byword for courage, endurance and great humility. Read about it here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/siredmundhillarytopoftheworld;_ylt=AtFek0ktuEpXUdE0S1XQqutvaA8F

Simon Robinson of TIME magazine wrote about him, and I quote: “Once, while resting on a rock during a short trek in Nepal with friend and film director Michael Dillon, an American walker stopped and showed Hillary how to hold an ice-axe. “Hillary listened and thanked him, but said nothing else,” remembers Dillon. "The American went away without any idea whom he had spoken to. The first man to stand on top of the world didn't see himself as a hero. Others always will.”

I admire this man. The more I read about him, the more I desired of his humility.

I was once full of myself. I was too engrossed with my achievements and fetes in nursing school that I thought I was in control of my life. I determined my days. I decided what I was to do today, tomorrow and a year from now. I became too busy that I forgot what God thought about what I was doing and where I was going. But because God gave me free will, he allowed me to go my own way. And because He cared for me, He had to stop me before I went too far. Maybe this was why He allowed me to fail the local nursing exams.

I found myself destined for God’s appointed “desert” experience where I could humble myself and receive from Him. I was dry, weary and heavily laden. In this “desert” I saw myself as prideful, fearful, and resentful.

I knelt and wept before the feet of Jesus and surrendered and repented of my transgression before His very throne. Then I sensed God’s touch, forgiveness and magnificent restorative grace through these powerful verses:

- He is Able - Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
- Fear not- Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- He loves me – 1John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

At that point, I knew that the One who allowed that difficulty is the One who loves me more than anyone else does in the whole universe. No, I may not understand the state of affairs, but I know He loves me….. deeply.

Action Step:
Stop. Drop everything. Be still and know that He is God.

Prayer:
My Lord, I only need a flicker in this dark world enough for me to hold on to Your perfect promises. I want to stay close to you in the dark for You are my light of life so I will not stumble or fall. Amen.

Part III coming soon.