Be Good to One Another

This scripture just keeps coming to mind:

*Hebrews 13:2  "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

This is a very thought provoking video:

I am still on 'Cloud 9' and thanking the Lord for this day and it really wasn't that far from being a normal day, BUT, to explain...

I got up this morning feeling better physically than I have for a long, long time. I had energy. I even took a muscle relaxer before bed and normally I would be sleeping on the dining room table but I wasn't. It was early, the 6 am that I'd been shooting for to start getting up at and I was awake. No coffee before my longer trip to the Physical Therapist but I was still awake. Hallelujah! For the last 16 years, I do not remember a whole lot of these days.

I went to the Physical Therapist and was able to say that I had very little pain. Another major HALLELUJAH for me since my life has been more painful this year than in many others. 

(Although, I once again, learned something during our Sunday morning church service. I'd seen it before BUT as most of us know, we need to keep reading the Bible over and over BECAUSE it is God's Living Word!

*1 Corinthians 9:22 "to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

I believe that God showed me several years ago that He let so much illness happen in my life because I know where to run. I know to go to Him and very often I've found that peace that passes understanding. I've found freedom from much pain. I've found my "hiding place" in Him! And, He is empowering me to share all of this with others! I have been in a long learning process and it is not always easy, yet tolerable with Him!)

There is an even longer explanation for how this art piece of mine came about but I will share it due to it being appropriate right now.  I hope you are able to read my inspired poem.:

Back to my story. Even though I had to drive into St. Pete to go to therapy, I found out it was on 4th Street and all I had to do was to hear that and I knew that Trader Joe's was on 4th Street. This is one of my favorite places to go due to all of their gorgeous yet inexpensive flowers among other things.  

PT was over and I headed for Trader Joe's.  I have to ride in an electric cart due to so many floors feeling so hard due to the metal in my back.  It took me several years of arriving at the check out in tears to give in to using them.  Now I know that I must sit and wait if one is not available.  

Now, you tell me why I experience so much more kindness in some of the stores in Florida than ever before in my life?  I have actually felt downcast in one of those electric carts.  'Am I in it because I'm so fat?' and other thoughts ran through my mind.  

This day I stopped for a sample of the Cold Brew coffee and Almond Milk.  Yummy!  As I was drinking it I conversed with the worker in the corner who was extremely pleasant.  I picked out gorgeous and inexpensive flowers. along with salads, plums, etc... and headed for the check out.   This gorgeous and appealing man checked me out and was so very sweet.  As I left the store and headed for my car, I felt tears well up.  I had no idea that I needed that kindness so much that I was in tears.  Then a gentleman came up to me and asked if he could put my cart back and tried to help with my grocery bag. If he was a worker there, he had no tag on.  He was also very pleasant and conversed with me a bit.

That was my inspiration for writing this post today.  We don't know what people are going through and I am as guilty as the next person for running through life and not paying attention to the needs of others.  Even a smile instead of a look of disgust can make or break a person's day.  In this world anymore we seem to be moving so fast in our lives and getting so cynical.  Me, too!  Yet, how can we make this world a better place?  Can't we learn to love as Jesus did/does?  So many of us thinking, "why me?"...but in the full scope of things can't we all see that there are others out there having an even worse day?  Won't it make our days better if we learn to smile at one another?  I have the ALL POWERFUL CREATOR GOD, living within me so why can't I show it?

And, I drove home listening to my worship music and thinking that I have heaven to look forward to BUT...

*Revelation 20:10 "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

And, I came home to this most appropriate song:

May God bless you through my writing. If He has especially touched you in any way, please leave a comment below. Your comments are so very encouraging to me to help me to keep writing. Also, click on the “Uptweet” button on the above right and share! I pray you will keep coming back. I fully believe that my writing is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so if I am writing, there is someone that needs to read it! Maybe it’s you? Also, please be sure to share any questions you might have with me and if you would like to keep them personal (just between you and me) please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at juliana.pace@gmail.com. If I don’t know how to answer you, I will may every attempt to refer you to someone for more information. Thanks and may God bless all your days!

Revelations While Visiting My Mom - 2010

I went to see my 87 year old mother today. She resides in a local nursing home. I had a couple of revelations while I was there. She told me that she doesn’t think she gets those types of revelations. I’m wondering if she does but may just not get as excited about it as I do. I’m an emotional person. I seem to live in my emotions and I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. Hmmmmm…I guess when they’re good, it’s a good thing!

My mother is not in good health. Along with having the physical results of 3 strokes she now has numerous maladies from being down for so long. She hasn’t walked since her gall bladder surgery of March, 2009. She shares that she is in resultant pain and/or discomfort most of the time.  It wasn't easy dealing with her but many times God gave me a picture of her in my mind's eye as though she were a wounded animal due that she also has dementia so she could not always think clearly.

I can tend to be in quite some pain due to all of the past accidents I’ve been through, not just with my back (which is the most severe) but throughout much of my body. But, when I do my artwork, there seems to be no pain or at least not enough to bother me! I was sharing with my mom that she needed to get involved in activities in order to distract her from those painful thoughts. And, I really believe that the Holy Spirit was reaffirming to me that He doesn’t always take the pain away, but makes it easier to bear so we will not be tempted to complain, get angry, get distracted from doing good, etc. *1 Cor. 10:13 “ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

I went on to share more with her and I’d thought that she seemed happier at this nursing home than she was in the past but she shared with me that she’d just given up hope. She didn’t care anymore. She shared that she lacked purpose. So, I shared that I would pray for her and also shared *James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

And, yet another thing came to me. She has had trouble with many caregivers over the past few years, complaining about most. I asked her if she still prayed for them (she was doing this at one time) and she told me that she’d stopped because it didn’t seem to do any good. She prayed for me for 28 years before I rededicated my life to the Lord and turned from my wild ways, which I reminded her of.  What if she’d stopped? Maybe I wouldn’t be so different right now? And, I also shared this scripture with her: James 4:2b “…you do not have because you do not ask.” And Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” What do you think?