tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74447932819302092462024-02-21T03:32:36.896-08:00Raising My SailAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685800665319039558noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444793281930209246.post-6522412758580603162016-02-19T11:12:00.000-08:002016-02-19T11:13:34.392-08:00“New” Years<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Each “new” year starts
with fireworks, gun blasts and celebrations. Quite often people make
resolutions of things they want to change in their lives. Do I need a date to
think of making changes or begin to do things I have postponed throughout that
year? Years have gone by and I have made no “resolutions” and life has
gone on without much thought. For reasons unknown this year was different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My nephew, Peter, was
getting married in North Carolina that meant an 8 hour trip to the south. The
ride was going to be long so I brought books and things to do. I started my new
journal; the year had not started out as I hoped it would. In the beginning of
December my eye started to droop through testing it was found I have a mass
behind my eyeball in the back of the socket. On the trip down there was still
hope it would not be cancerous. I began my journal speaking of what had just
happened and wanting to throw a pity party for myself (that always works well,
not). As I was writing and lamenting the outcome of the tests the Holy Spirit
prompted me to be vulnerable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Being vulnerable leaves
space to be hurt or people in my “business”. I want, hear that, “I” want to
keep “my” business, my business. It is hard to let people in to know what is
going on. I want, again, to be able to not share what is going on, if I don’t
mention it or speak of the problem it really doesn’t exist, right? Being
vulnerable requires me to share, be open and willing to let others in. As much
as I chat, this is a very hard place as I am sure it is for many people. Allowing people to do things for me, allow people to hear the struggles, and allow people to speak into me through the pain. Being
real when things aren’t going the way we expect them to go is painful and often
a test of am I going to trust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Trust God with the outcome of vulnerability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Trust God with my
cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Trust God with my
relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Trust God in my
weakness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Trust God with my future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">A wise woman of God said
(paraphrased) when we do not trust God we in essence say we know better than
God and can take care of the problem better than God. Boy do I know I at times
think “I” got this. At times I cannot handle a conversation with an eleven year
old gracefully, how in the world am I going to handle the bigger issues. It saddens
me greatly when I think about how arrogant I am when I try and handle it on my
own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thank you Jesus for your
Grace which is sufficient for me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685800665319039558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7444793281930209246.post-63868291243605757502016-02-02T17:02:00.000-08:002016-02-02T17:28:23.126-08:00Beginnings<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">What brought me to
blogging/writing? What happened that made me want to begin this endeavor? What
started in 2015 that made me want change and pushed me forward? As you can see
it is 2016 and beginning a new segment of my journey; I am <span style="color: red;">Raising my Sail</span>. The
quote that birthed the blog name is, “We cannot direct the wind but we can
adjust the sails,” Dolly Parton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The year 2015 began
without much ado and seemed to be just another year for the books. My life took an interesting turn when I got
the “cold” and the doctor didn’t like it and made me do further testing. I
ended up in the hospital for three days with a blood infection; family asking
if I should continue working and believe me this wasn’t the first time. I have fought for years to not stop working,
work is what has kept me alive and vital is how I viewed it. With this
infection I had to be in hospital for three days and then administer IV
antibiotics at home for the next four which gave me plenty of time to think and
evaluate. I am good at pushing through things, not relaxing, and ignoring what
I most likely should be doing. I asked my sister to help me navigate S.S. to
see how much I would be paid due to my stage 4 diagnoses and how long I would
have to wait etc. The woman at the
office questioned why I waited so long to come in. The choices were brought
home and discussed and I “retired” in February. Here is where the fun begins, I
had time and how was I going to spend it? My friend, Dale, asked if I would
come to her Bible Study that she was starting and I committed. The Bible study
was Jenni Allen’s, Stuck. It began to stir in me what has been lying dormant
for a long time, writing. I used to write frequently and even at one time wrote
articles for a church paper. I had a prophecy many years ago (20+) and have
been encouraged by my family for a long time to begin to write again; I would
just brush it away and say someday. Someday became, now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Stuck was coming to an
end and we were discussing what to do next I volunteered to teach. Where did
that come from? What was I thinking? Did those words actually come out of my
mouth? We chose Jenni Allen, Restless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><img alt="stuck-launch.jpg (500×388)" src="http://www.jennieallen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/stuck-launch.jpg" height="155" width="200" /><img alt="wpid-20140716_132547.jpg (3264×2448)" height="150" src="https://bloomwhereiamplanted.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/wpid-20140716_132547.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">What makes me “restless”,
am I running my race, or am I busy looking at everyone else’s race? Ouch, that
is often what has kept me from writing. I don’t write well, who will want to
read what I’m writing, or others write so much better than I can. Restless
addressed our hurts, gifts, passions, where has God called us and are we
stepping out in our places; no excuses. God is calling us to use all the above
with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every person we see and meet is there at
the precise time for a precise purpose there is no coincidence. The Holy Spirit
has been convicting me of my disobedience in not following what God has called
me to. This is my race and no one else’s where my road takes me I do not know,
I will look to the Holy Spirit for guidance as I let the winds of the Holy
Spirit move my sails as I journey the seas of life. Write with abandon. Thus
begins the journey of writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img alt="GreatThings_652x400.jpg (652×400)" src="http://www.incourage.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/GreatThings_652x400.jpg" height="122" width="200" /><img alt="restless-by-jennie-allen-quote-3.jpg (1600×1600)" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGZiFLM95NXPFM1SLfiEoPZh9rc7k_szFJWo-HJDxZOMUgGGWnjDond-P2nIBWJgOzXappzUWQMw7WD3HNa0y4NWqIk3NzsL2RC-UDwnv2-Lq32yBOkptLnVsjWCs1AJlU4K3hjcI9nPG/s200/restless-by-jennie-allen-quote-3.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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Several quotes from Restless by Jenni Allen. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10685800665319039558noreply@blogger.com4