Glorify — My Word for 2023

Doctors had me dead 

— twice — 

yet, here I am!

God says in Psalm 139:16 (NIV)

". . . all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." 

Wow! 

Whether days are good or difficult,

 God knows. 

He ordained them. 

God has each day of my life set apart for a purpose.  

Each moment is orchestrated by God 

for my good, 

to teach me lessons, 

to use my trial to encourage others, 

and any other way God wants to use me

 to glorify Himself.  

 Doctors had me dead, 

but God granted me life. 

 God had more days planned for me. 

As 2023 dawns, I am thankful for His healing and my life as I ask Him 

How then shall I live? 

What do You want me to do in 2023?  

His response:

Glorify God —

with your physical body. 

My life and my health are a gift from God.

 My body is a temple of The Holy Spirit. 

I need to glorify God by caring for this temple by 

eating healthy foods,

 exercising daily, 

sleeping well. 

   For the glory of God, I will strive to take better care of my body in 2023. 

Not so I look good or fit in clothes I wore long ago, or just plain vain conceit.

 No! 

I want energy. 

Energy to do what I wrote on the back cover of Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo:

 

to love deeper,

 live fuller, 

laugh louder, 

sing sweeter, and

 shine brighter. 

God granted me more years and 

I desire to live life to the full or as He said,

 "Abundantly!"

Glorify God —

with your spirit.

My greatest desire is to glorify God with 

the words I speak, 

the actions I take, 

the thoughts I think, 

the time I spend.

 Living in worldly pursuits,

 disobeying and displeasing God is 

time God never ordained for me, or 

time I will never get back. 

 In my quest to glorify God and rid myself of all that displeases God, 

may I find no pleasure in sin. 

I will start this 2023 journey towards holiness by seeking God's guidance and power to 

    

Rejoice always!

 In the movie Pollyanna, the orphan Pollyanna played the Glad Game. 

Whatever happened in her day, Pollyanna turned it around to find some reason to be glad. 

God commands me to rejoice always whether days are good or difficult  

 for this is the will of God concerning me. 

The definition of Pollyanna is "an excessively cheerful or optimistic person."

 The definition of rejoicing is "feel or show great joy or delight."

 I will glorify the Lord with rejoicing always! 

I'll play the glad game and be a Pollyanna!

.   

 Judge never! 

Judgment is not my job and not my call.

 It's not! 

I'm called to love, not judge.

 I'll leave the judging to the only righteous One who judges justly. 

Stop worrying! 

What a waste of time is worry! 

How many hours and days have I worried about situations that never happened? 

God is in control of whatever occupies my mind with worry. 

He doesn't need me fretting about anything.

Be content! 

The life, the family, the job, the home, the finances God provides me is all I need. 

 Being discontent robs me of time wishing for something God didn't plan for me. 

Stop doubting! 

His Presence, 

His Power,

 His Provision.

 His Promise.

 

 He is with me always. 

God doesn't lie. 

When I was at my lowest in covid ICU,

 God's presence was so powerful and profound.

He held me. 

He comforted me.

 He covered me with His peace and His presence.

 Why would I ever doubt He is with me always, for He surely is.

    

Believe!

 Nothing is impossible with God.

 I can't solve the world's or my loved one's problems, 

but God can and He will. 

Nothing is impossible with God. 

He doesn't need me to interfere with His plan and His sovereignty. 

Practice patience! 

Why would I ever think my timeline is better than God's? 

He has every day (and moment) planned before my birth. 

What peace there is in patience. 

Please give me patience, Lord.

Be filled with God's Holy Spirit!

None of the above is possible

 without a daily cleansing of sin and 

filling with the Holy Spirit which is 

love, 

joy, 

peace, 

patience, 

kindness, 

self-control,

 faithfulness, 

goodness,

 gentleness.

 Wow!

  Look at those wonderful attributes God promises us as the Holy Spirit lives in us.

 I'm ready for a powerful journey through 2023 

living in His fullness and 

glorifying God! 

Won't you join me?

My word for 2023 — Glorify!  

Glorify God by all I 

say, do, think, act, and consume as I

 become more Holy and more healthy. 

Happy 2023! 

May you spend it glorifying God in all you do. 

Splashes of Serenity for the glory of God!

The Thrill of Hope! My Word, Verse, and Song for 2022

Oh, I want to be that little boy.

To love Jesus and His Word so much that I howl with joy.

That's my hope for 2022.

Hope.

I confess to losing a lot of hope in 2021.

Covid turned my world upside down

as satan skillfully tempted me to lose heart.

Hoping to continue my speaking ministry was replaced by

hoping I could speak without losing my breath.

My hope to be the best grandma changed

to making sure I don't go near, kiss, or hold my little ones

who could so innocently infect this

immunocompromised body with another deadly bout with covid.

It's been crushing.

Not seeing my family.

Never entering a church building.

Losing the fellowship of Bible study with friends.

Watching my husband give up his life to keep me safe.

Expecting the vaccine to work and then

learning it is not effective on those with blood cancer.

Losing vocabulary and memories from covid brain interference.

ICU PTSD.

Developing phantosmia where my whole world smells like cat urine.

The tension with people who feel wearing a mask is stupid and

getting vaccinated unthinkable.

Life has been hard and hope seemed to wane.

Not this year!

In 2022 Hope is back!

My ability to continue as a speaker,

my smell,

my grandchildren,

my lungs,

my brain

may not be back, but

Hope is back!

My hope is in His unfailing love.

U-n-f-a-i-l-i-n-g!

Never ending,

inexhaustible,

steadfast,

absolute,

boundless,

eternal

Love of God

My word for 2022:

HOPE!

My verse for 2022:

". . . the Lord's delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in His unfailing love."

(Psalm 147:11)

This year I've also chosen words from a favorite Christmas carol, "Oh Holy Night."

"A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!"

A thrill of hope!

My weary world rejoices

for yonder breaks

a new and glorious morn!

Delight in me Lord Jesus

for my hope is in your unfailing love!

You Jesus are my hope and my song and I will ever trust in You!

I'm pretty thrilled to see what You will do

every new and glorious morn

in 2022!

Happy New Year, dear ones May your hearts overflow with hope!

When God Writes Your New Year's Resolutions

Weary of my list of New Year's resolutions broken year after year, I decided there must be a better way. Why not ask God to write my New Year's resolutions. And so, each January I pray and ask God for one word and one Bible verse He wants me to concentrate on throughout my year. A list seems impossible, but one word and one verse, you and I can do. Plus, we don't have to do it. God prepares us through the power of the Holy Spirit to grasp and conquer that one word and one verse.

My word for 2019 is (drum roll, please):

Eternity

My verse: 

" . . . set your hearts on things above . . . . 

Set your minds on things above, 

not on earthly things."

Colossians 3: 1-3 (NIV)

When cancer surprised me, my life changed in miraculous ways. 

I started to really live!

Every moment a precious gift. 

Each breath a thank offering. 

Never wishing for a day to pass quickly or the weekend to get here fast.

Refusing to be dragged down in the earthly dregs,

 Politics became unimportant, television stopped entertaining me. 

Feeling the wind in my hair and grass under my feet brought refreshing.

I loved deeper, lived fuller, laughed louder, sang sweeter and shined brighter!

The things of this world (the earthly things) seemed to blur 

as the heavenlies became clear.

We are commanded in Colossians 3 to set our hearts and minds on things above. In Hebrews 12, we are reminded to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Wow! This is where our peace and joy reside. Not on this earth, but above. Seems this was God's intention when He promised believers an abundant and victorious life on earth and eternal life in Heaven.

This year I will focus on eternity. The eternal things are what matters. The earthly, well, those troubles just drag us down and keep our eyes from looking up. I'm not going there this year. My eyes and heart and mind are looking only to my Lord Jesus. I expect my best year ever living an abundant life on earth and anticipating one day (far in the future my doctors tell me) a glorious home in Heaven! 

Life and death is a win/win when your eyes, mind, and heart are fixed on things above!

What's your word and verse for 2019? Ask God. I'm sure he'll bring that word to mind.

Have a Splashes of Serenity 2019!

Throw Away Your List of Resolutions and Choose One Word

Throw away that list of resolutions you've already broken because, after all, we are five days in to this new year of 2015.  Instead, choose one word. A list is harder to keep. A word can change your life.

In January I begin my search for a word or a scripture that I will concentrate on during the year.

Where do I find my word? Well, there's only One Who knows what 2015 holds for me. So, I ask Him. I Pray. I read the Bible and let the  Holy Spirit whisper to my heart one word or one scripture God knows I'll need this year.

God and I have had some laughs. I remember the year He told me to "examine yourself." Ouch. Really glad when that year ended. Little did I know. God continued to give  me "examine yourself" the next year and the year after that. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Obviously, this girl's heart needed some major work  and God wasn't going to let me find a new word until we worked together to conquer my sin of examining others.

I'm so tickled that God gave me a sweet word for 2015. He gave me the word "Delight!" At first, I thought this will be a breeze. Who doesn't love to "delight"? "Examine yourself," not so much. But, delight! Oh yes.

 It's not been five days and I realize "delight" isn't always so easy, but it's always better than discontent, disappointment, dislike, or dismay.  There are times I don't want to delight. Bad things happen in this world. Even in this, I will delight! How? Because I know God is in control and He will use it all for His glory. I know the end of the story and God wins. Delightful!

So, this year, I will sit back, smile, and rest assured that my only goal for 2015 is to delight!  I won't fret or complain or question or worry or get angry. I'll just delight! How lovely. I do hope God gives me that word again and again.

Please share the word or scripture God gave you this  year. We'd all be encouraged hearing the word God whispers to your heart.

Have a delightful splashes of serenity kind of a year!