Praise God & Sudoku

Gotta tell you, I am hooked on this game. You really have to try Web Sudoku because it gives you online puzzles to solve for free. You'd probably think I am a dork, but really this game has helped me sharpen myself mentally. You see, after I went through epilepsy (which I believe that by the stripes of Jesus I have been healed completely according to 1 Peter 2:24), I suffered through some major memory loss. For me, a person accustomed to memorize everything, this was probably harder than the seizures alone. I mean, come on, I studied Business Administration and Accounting, for God's sakes, how could I not have any memory retention? But actually, I did struggle with this, especially after a seizure. Wow! I really would be out! I'd have trouble remembering what I had done the days before, and noticed serious gaps in my long-term memory that I could not explain. I got so frustrated. 



But God is amazing! He's helped through this mess, as He has helped me a zillion times before in my previous messes, so I feel at peace, finally, LOL. I don't think we appreciate things enough until we no longer have them. It's a shame, really, that we seem to take things for granted, and we fail to give God thanks for a specific gift that we have, or a fruit (harvest) He has given us. I think we need to play closer attention to what we have and enumerate and praise God for all He has given us.


I mean, why is it that we stress the negative and make it sooo big, instead of focusing on the positive, and making that big instead? We immediately zoom in the bad things that we are going through in our lives as opposed to thanking God for all that is good we got going for us. I mean where would we be if not for the Lord by our side? I mean, the fact that we are alive today is enough reason to give Him glory for what He is doing in our lives. Why are we humans so ungrateful? We see a difficult situation, we run away. Things get a little bit hard and we succumb to sadness, and despair. We immediately question where God is, and ignore the fact that He is right there along with us, and that He gave us His Word in order to find solace; in order for us to fight and to overcome.


In those times of trouble, thank Him. Say: "Thank you Lord for what you are doing in my life. In spite of what is negatively happening and affecting me, I believe you are working in my life, and that Your Word can help me overcome. Things may not be going like I would like them to go in my life, but you know what, praising You strengthens me, gives me peace, quenches my thirst, fills me with joy and surrounds me with your love." There is a song by Marcos Witt that I like very much. It's called "Thank You." I invite you to watch the video Thank You - Marcos Witt  and praise Him no matter what's going on in your life right now, just praise Him.



I don't know how a good review on an online game turned into me talking about thankfulness, but Glory Be To God if He so chose to. After all, His ways are truly Marvelous!!!

Peace Amidst The Storm

I am so sorry I have been away for so long. But these few weeks have been a little crazy. First my grandmother went into the hospital, and then my computer's adapter and battery went dead after a power outage, then all the doctors' appointment and tests to check up on my health and so many other things, that I felt like I had been bombarded. Even things with family, at church, I mean the devil was bent on making it unmanageable for me. But it's precisely in these moments where my God, My Heavenly Father pushes me forward. I it's astonishing to me how He does it, but as I was crying out to Him, and asking for help so that I could get through the storm, I felt an incredible sense of peace and comfort.

Have you ever felt like there is a thunderstorm raging inside of you? That the things that are going around you or in your life are beyond your control? Or that even these things are weighing you down in such a way that you are at the brink of losing your strength? Even at the brink of losing your sanity. Think about it: Problems with your partner, your kids getting on your nerves, your boss or coworkers making your life miserable, your responsibility as a caregiver for your parents, your bills piling on, stress catching up with you, etc. I mean we can sit here all day long and list all the things that are contributing to your load, and I am sure we could probably find a ton more. Indeed it may all feel like your life is a huge storm and you don't know what to do.

But there is something that God reminds me of over and over again in times of trouble: He has been, is, and always will be with me on that boat (the boat of my life). He will never leave nor forsake me during the storm. Mark 4:37-39 says:

"And there arose a fierce gale of wind, 

and the waves were breaking over the 

boat so much that the boat was already 

filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, 

asleep on the cushion; 

  

And they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? 

"And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”


 


Jesus is the only person that can calm our storms. He is with us at the time of trouble, strengthening us, directing us, loving, us; yet He can only do so if we give Him the opportunity. Many times we want to try and calm our storm by ourselves, not knowing that we can't do it without His help. The answer is not panicking, or entertaining fear and anguish. The real answer is having the faith to believe that we can calm the storm as long as Jesus is with us. The true answer is having the faith that we can remain calm during the turmoil if we believe in His attribute of being our peace and our refuge. He said in John 14: 27 "My Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." He gave us the key to remain in peace even throughout our storms: Himself! "I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:23). In Him we can find the peace we so desperately need and cannot understand: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Take the gift of His peace and let it affect you. It is a gift of love which He paid with His own blood for us to have. Don't be afraid! Be confident that He is with you, and that He won't let go. Choose to be peaceful during your storms, not allowing the devil to overtake your mind. Use The Word as your sword, and overcome, just like Jesus did. YOU ARE A SON OR DAUGHTER OF GOD, SO YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT!

Love, Victoria


 

 

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