Many years ago, I worked for a company in Beaverton, Oregon. One of the auditors, Cathy, had a young daughter. I remember her telling us with excitement everything she had planned for her daughter on her birthday on Saturday. She had everything set up for her daughter and was genuinely excited to spend time with her. However, Cathy never attended the birthday party. Cathy didn't meet her work deadline and never made it to the party; she worked instead. I thought about her recently and discovered she divorced and re-married.

People need to work because we aren't meant to stagnate, but to have a purpose and money is essential. However, work should never be more important than family. Giving more attention to your employers and co-workers can have disastrous implications.

Proverbs 23:4 says, "Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth; Cease from your own understanding of it." This verse is a call to rest, and it encourages people not to be so consumed with work that they neglect the other areas that God has given us: our family, church, home, gifts, talents, etc. Only focusing on work isn't fruitful for the different areas of life. When you over-work to gain more money, it's like you're telling God, "I don't trust you to provide for my needs. Money is more important."

My husband's work is usually an off-limits subject to talk about at the dinner table. His boss hasn't always treated him well. So, I want to hear about other aspects of his day, such as an interesting person he met. Or visit topics about our future plans and goals.

Work has become such a driving force in this world that when we meet someone, we ask, "What do you do?" When we ask someone to tell us something about themselves, they usually respond by saying what they do for work. Your work isn't who you are; it's what you do to earn money. It isn't your entire identity and doesn't define your self-worth.

Take the time to nurture your connections with your family and yourself. Engage with your loved ones each day. Pursue interests and goals outside of your professional life, and make it a point to try something new each week. Doing so will enrich your life and deepen your relationships, finding a balance that will truly allow you to enjoy life.

It's a familiar story, isn't it? The societal, parental, and cultural pressures that seem to dictate our lives. Get an education, find a job, start a family, buy a house, accumulate stuff, and keep working to pay for it all. Where's the passion? It's a script we're all too familiar with, and it's time we realized that what society expects is often a bunch of crap.

I, too, am a victim. I have attended several colleges and earned a master's degree. Oh yawn. I earned it in my 40's. I swear I got it just because I wanted a master's so I could put it on my fridge like one of my kids' pictures. Pffft. I've been married twice, have owned two houses, and raised my children. I've never known what I wanted to do, and I still don't. I know what my talents are and am working to utilize them. Unfortunately, I am not a stranger to criticism from unapologetic others who have chosen to be cruel because my lifestyle isn't the same as theirs, a touchy subject. I know I don't want an ever-increasing mortgage, a house full of crap we don't use, to freeze each year in the winter, having the same walking routes, and rarely seeing my husband. I don't want to one day have regrets that I didn't choose to have courage, the magic that makes dreams come true.

My husband has been on the work hamster wheel for most of his life. It's an ongoing cycle normalized: Work, pay bills, spend just a little time with family, and then return to work on Monday. He works hard, and what does he have to show for it? Hmmm, I'll get back to you on that. He wants to retire soon so we can travel, spend Christmas on the beach holding a margarita, and dance to his heart's content in his yard. He prefers clothing optional.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." My advice is to find a vision for your life. Take time to reflect on what truly matters to you. What are your passions, talents, and your dreams? You don't want to wake up one day and wonder what happened. What did I do with this incredible life I was gifted with? It's never too late to make a change. Start by taking small steps toward your vision, and soon, you'll find yourself living a life that's truly fulfilling.

"They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12: 44

I talked with this woman today after church for about an hour. She is a kind and intelligent woman with a heart of gold. She doesn't currently have a job but is looking. She has no income and only $7 in her bank account. Afterward, we walked over to talk with and pray for a sometimes homeless man. He is a joyful, inspiring, and talented illustrator. After I offered up a prayer on his behalf, she generously gave him all she had in her wallet, $2 (pfft, I only had .75 cents), so he could take the bus to McDonald's. I pray the Lord will show her much favor and bless her abundantly. May we all have this kind of faithful generosity. Picture was taken at Smith Rock, Terrebonne OR

Phoenix, I remember looking for you to adopt a dog. I wanted a Doberman or mix that was nice to cats and could go with me for protection in the forest. Your rescue organization said you required that you go home to a family with another dog, and we couldn't have kids under 16. It was a match.

Do you remember seeing your human sister Kayla and I waling toward you in the big field in Washington? Your caretaker said you were nervous and threw up in your kennel on the drive over. I remember seeing you for the first time. You looked at us with your big brown eyes. I thought you looked so small and sweet. You appeared timid but full of hope you would be going home with your forever family.

Do you remember your first day with us? You were scared, but you followed your human sisters into the backyard, and then you came and

sat by your dog brothers. I remember how you were so afraid to sit outside in our front yard, and when I put a leash on you, we walked for just a few minutes. You had your tail between your legs the whole time, and that tail stayed there for weeks. I kept increasing your walks, yet you were scared to meet anyone we encountered. The first smile I ever saw from you was when we walked to the dog park. We didn't go inside the dog park that day but walked the perimeter. You looked up at me with the biggest grin. I repeatedly told you, "Phoenix, you are a big badass Doberman, and someday you'll live up to your potential." You slowly came out of your shell. Each walk that we took, each time you saw people you began to recognize on your walk, every time we had someone over, your first time to the trail or beach, the first time you slept without your crate, or when I trusted you without a leash, you slowly got more and more confident.

I remember the shelter said you'd only be about 35 pounds, and I believed them. You're now 5 years old and weigh 80. You've turned into a very confident dog. Unfortunately, you've lost your two dog siblings since your adoption in 2020. You are now surrounded by cats, with Braiden being your favorite. And, you love the neighbor friends we see often. You don't much care that your family doesn't want to hear the barking that would make most strangers run for the hills, Or every time you playfully growl at your dad for coming upstairs, Or your love of all squeaky toys. That's just who you are. I know you're not being mean. It's just you.

So to my extreme weather-loving dog, whose favorite activity is taking a nap outdoors in the hottest conditions or making your parents cringe when you dip in a creek in the coolest. Happy birthday, Miss Phoenix, you badass Doberman. Your journey, your quirks, and your unique personality make you the special dog that you are, and we are grateful to have you. May you have much more sunshine during your next 5 years. I know you will. 😉

You can see the world through any set of glasses. You can see it through dark and gloomy glasses or rose-colored. What you focus on is what you'll find. Choose to see it through glasses full of love, beauty, and goodness: we are surrounded by many of these qualities if that's what you focus on. A smiling face from you as you pass by someone or even a simple hello can mean so much to others.

Brett and I like to hike Dog Mountain, a 6-mile roundtrip strenuous hike in Cook, WA. We could either choose to focus on how hard it is with its 2800 ft of strenuous butt and quad-killing hills: or we can know our efforts will be awarded by the spectacular, breathtaking views of flowers and surrounding hills at the top. The choice of perspective is yours, and it can make all the difference.

After angrily slipping and sliding in gooey mud on one hike, I encountered an older woman who changed my perspective of nature.

She had her hand on one cheek and was in awe. I saw what she was seeing; the view was of the nearby mountain. The cloud cover was hitting the hills at the right angle, with the sun beaming and the perfectly blue sky, also making the clouds a nice shade of blue. She was grinning ear to ear and said to me, "It is just stunning, isn't it?" I smiled back and replied, "It really is."

Goodness of God

In life, we've all struggled with something. It could be an illness, divorce, loss of a loved one, mistreatment, wayward child, or job loss. Whether God has healed you or brought you through to victory, or He hasn't yet, we all have a story to tell. Through our prayers and faith-filled words of encouragement, God will use you to bring others healing, hope, and comfort.

James 5:15-16 says, "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." It takes faith to cry out to God prayerfully and believe for your healing or another person's. If another's faith in restoration is lacking, you can be a friend with faith. Your faith-filled words alone can open the doors for God's blessings and restoration power. God will use you to be a person who brings a smile, hope, and love to others. You don't always have to even do anything. Your presence alone, sitting in silence with someone, can be enough to bring them restoration.

I recently became an Elder at our church. I love having the opportunity to pray with others who need prayer, whether for a bit of encouragement, prayer for direction in their lives, healing, or they have sinned and want to confess it to someone and receive prayer for repentance. I'm grateful for the opportunity because they trusted me enough to approach me.

While praying for someone is my privilege, I'm not some magical person standing at the front of the church holding a magical wand. I don't have supercharged prayers that will be echoed throughout the church as if God were speaking them. My prayers are simple, while other elders sound like they are taken right out of the Bible: This doesn't matter to God. He uses us how we are right now and doesn't compare us to anyone else. My qualities are precisely what He needs to help others. And you have what others need, too, just as you are right now at this very moment. Never think you're not qualified enough to be a blessing to someone: To speak faith-filled words into someone's life.

When I finish praying for others, I always ask them one thing, and before I ask them, I say, "Okay, now I need to ask you something." Their eyes usually get big. I ask them, "Do you have full faith that God wants to and will help you?" So far, everyone has responded with "yes!" The truth is, He knows these people's hearts. He knew what they would ask even before it was spoken and He knows what they need. He knows they were bold enough to approach a stranger to ask for prayer. That's huge! God, of course, wants to help them. It may take time, or it may be immediately. God is extraordinarily patient, and it is always in His timing. He's never late or early. He's always on time.

Sometimes, before prayers are answered because another person is involved, He needs to change that person's heart. Or perhaps He isn't ready to answer the prayer because it isn't the best timing, or maybe it's a prayer you'll eventually thank Him for saying no. Have faith in knowing God knows what He's doing in your life or whoever you're praying for. Isn't it refreshing knowing that the God who created the universe knows us so well and looks after us? He knows exactly what we need and when to give it to us, and He knows what isn't suitable for us now. But, when the timing is right, He opens the doors of heaven and pours out a flood of blessings beyond our wildest imaginations, beyond anything we could ever think to ask Him for.

I've been asked what I would do if someone I was praying for said they didn't have faith that God would help them. I'd tell the story of the mustard seed. Matthew 17:20 says, "Because you have so little faith. Truly, I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Then, I would tell them that I'm believing for you, that I, too, at times, have had a barely get by faith, and that God has always come through. I'd also pray that God would increase their faith and that they would look to Jesus and trust in Him because He is the source of our faith. I'd encourage them to keep reading the Bible, praying, and attending church regularly, and then I would ask to see them again.

Currently, there are around 280 million people in the world who have depression, according to the World Health Organization. 50% more women than men have it. And about 700,000 people die from suicide every year. So many people have depression, yet many people don't care to share the details of their depression nor admit they even have it. It is a silent illness, but it shouldn't be.

One of the symptoms of depression is loneliness. There are so many people who are lonely. I admit there have been times when I would not talk to anyone for many hours throughout my day. It was just myself and my pets. I hated it, but I didn't know how to make a change. My husband would come home, we'd eat dinner, and then we'd go off in our separate ways. I think people need to be open with their depression. Open with a trusting friend, relative, pastor, or counselor. It's time to start dialogues. Dialogues of "I too feel sad, I need help." And it's time for others to reach out and respond, "How can I help?"

When I was going through the worst of my depression, I felt very lonely and bored. I would often say, "If my life is like this in 5 years, I will kill myself!" I'd want to get a horrible disease just so that I would have something to do. I had completely lost a sense of who I truly was, the real me that had been pushed down inside me. I felt so trapped. I was trapped by what I thought were adverse circumstances, the things I had wanted in life but didn't get, and my negative mindset. I blamed everyone around me for my problems, even my poor dogs, who were innocent. I'd even question if God was real. I thought He didn't love me, and I felt utterly abandoned by Him. I had lost my faith, not faith in God, but that He would help me. I thought that I would never break out of my depression and feel better.

At my lowest point, after a lot of begging God for help, God gave me the idea to listen to Christ-centered podcasts that were uplifting daily; I volunteered at our church, I began to sleep better, and I began to tell myself positive affirmations. Slowly, I began to improve. God protected me throughout those times when I wished something terrible would happen to me to escape my boredom. Now that I am feeling so much better, depression speaking, I can honestly say I'm completely healthy. I feel happier, and my home life is happier. Now, I'm able to tell my story of how my faith was restored and how I was delivered from depression to others.

A man was taking his young son on a hike through the mountains. Suddenly, the boy slipped and fell about 20-30 yards down. The boy grabbed onto a bush and yelled, "Somebody help me!" He heard a voice boom back, "Somebody help me!" Confused by what he heard, he yelled, "Who are you?" The voice yelled, "Who are you?" Aggravated, the boy yelled, "You're a coward!" The voice yelled, "You're a coward!" The boy shouted, "You're a fool!" The voice shouted back, "You're a fool!" By this time, the dad got down to him, and he asked his dad, "Who is that?" The dad said, "That is called an echo, but it is also called life." The dad said, "Let me show you something," the dad yelled, "You're a winner!" The voice shouted back, "You're a winner!" The dad shouted out, "You've got what it takes!" The voice boomed back, "You've got what it takes!" The dad yelled, "You can make it! The voice shouted back, "You can make it!" The dad told his son, "Son in life, whatever you send out will always come back to you." What are you sending out about yourself? Send out good things about yourself and pass those words of encouragement on to others.

It's essential to change the messages in your head. What are the things you hear yourself saying and thinking? Are they faith-filled or negative and critical? If you're thinking thoughts like, "I'll never get well, and I'll never break this addiction." Those negative thoughts will drag you down and make you feel worse, not build you up. We must say uplifting things, such as, "God is restoring health back unto me. I'm beautiful, smart, and worthy of many good things!" That's what a woman named Kate did. As a teenager, she was badly bullied. The once-happy young lady became someone full of anger and bitterness, which caused her to fall into depression. She said it was the lowest point in her life. When she went to college, all the bullies were gone from her life, and she began to focus on herself. She started instilling confidence in herself by changing the negative messages in her head to positive ones. She says, "I worked really hard to change the messages in my head, I was led to believe that I was ugly, worthless, and disgusting. I internalized these messages, and they became part of my identity. I began to tell myself that I was smart, loved, and beautiful." Kate recovered and is now a clinician and author.

Proverbs 3:27 encourages us not to withhold good from others when it is in our power to act. I've been hearing so many powerful stories of restoration from children. Kids are so innocent and full of faith and love. I firmly believe God moves when a child shows love to others, especially when the other person needs it the most.

I heard a story of a 5-year-old boy named Michael. His mom was pregnant with a girl. Michael was extremely overjoyed with excitement. He couldn't wait to see his baby sister. Every day, he'd put his hand on his mom's belly and sing to his sister, "You're my sunshine, my only sunshine." He would do this week after week. When it was time for his mom to deliver the baby, there were some bad complications with the delivery. The doctor said there was very little chance the baby would survive. You can imagine how completely distraught the parents were. The baby was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. Michael didn't know what was going on, and the doctors informed the parents that the baby wouldn't likely survive through the night. Michael knew this might be his last chance to see his little sister alive. Children were not allowed in the intensive care unit, so when the head nurse wasn't watching, Michael's mom snuck him in to see his baby sister. He was initially taken aback by all the cords and tubes coming in and out of her. When the head nurse saw him, she said he needed to leave.

Suddenly, Michael started singing to his baby sister again, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy when skies are gray." The head nurse noticed the baby's rapid heart rate slowed and told Miachel to keep singing. He continued, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy when the skies are gray. Please don't take my sunshine away." The baby's heart rate returned to normal, and her pale blue complexion returned to normal. Because of the faith of this five-year-old boy, his words brought healing to his little sister. The baby went home several days later. There's power in our faith-filled words and the healing energy that Christ is able to pour through us onto others.

The book of Proverbs says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." The tongue can be used for good or bad to yourself and those around you. Our words can be used as a weapon to harm and destroy, or they can be used to bring love and healing. What kind of impact do you want to have on those around you? You can be that person who is so full of faith that your faith brings encouragement, healing, blessings, and life to others. Even smiling as you walk by someone can be enough to restore someone's day.

When you know who you are in Christ, you can walk with your head held high, knowing He loves you and, in return, bring love to those around you. You are God's child. Just as He is pleased with Jesus, He, too, is pleased with you. There's a song that we sing at church. It's called "Goodness of God." A few lyrics are, 'Cause all my life You have been faithful. And all my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, oh, I will sing of the goodness of God." God is so faithful to us: He is so good. Let's show others His faithfulness by shining God's love onto others. With every breath that we have, let's sing of His goodness.

If you or someone you love is struggling with mental illness, please call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit SAMHSA's webpage.

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline SAMHSA’s National Helpline

God Gives You Your Desires

We all have ideas, desires, or dreams that come up in our lives that we’d like to pursue. It could be to go on a mission trip, pursue a dream career, volunteer our time, have a child, go back to school, start a ministry, or use your experience to mentor others. So when I heard a pastor say, “God gives you the desires for what He requires,” it reminded me never to disregard any idea or desire because it could be coming from God. Pray, give it to God, and believe in Him: having faith to see it come to pass. God’s Word is truth, living, active, and will not pass away. If it is His will for that dream or desire to succeed, and we trust in Him, it definitely will.

According to Bible Gateway, there are 5,467 promises of God in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ which means ‘Yes’ ascends to God for his glory.” This verse says that every single promise is for those who are believers in Christ and led by the Holy Spirit. All promises have been fulfilled in Christ.

2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful [true to His word and His righteous character], for He cannot deny Himself.” Taking a look at the verse, to be faithless means “without faith,” having the sense of “unbelieving” or “disbelieving.” If we are unbelieving, God remains faithful. The verse also says, “for He cannot deny Himself.” This tells me God’s Word is true; He cannot lie. So if it’s in the Bible, it’s His Word, and everything in His Word will come to pass, even if we lack faith.

In the book of Genesis, we read about Abraham and Sarah. He was 80 years old, and Sarah was now well past menopause; she couldn’t have any children. Yet, they desired them. God made a covenant with Abraham. He told Abraham to go outside his tent and look up. God promised Abraham that he and Sarah would be the father and mother of all nations and that the number of stars in the sky was how many descendants he and Sarah would have.

Sarah hadn’t borne any children for Abraham and became impatient. Sarah encouraged Abraham to sleep with Hagar, Sarah’s slave Hagar. Hagar conceived a child, and his name was Ishmael. Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born.

When Abraham was 99 years old, God promised that all the earth’s nations would be blessed through Abraham’s descendants. God promised Abraham that Sarah would conceive the promised child, Isaac. God would establish His covenant with Isaac as an everlasting covenant for his descendants. Jesus was in the lineage of Isaac. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed. They questioned the news in utter disbelief. Sarah may have laughed, but God’s promise to them, the desire for a child, came to pass. She gave birth to her son, Isaac. His name means laughter. Abraham and Sarah, for a brief moment in time, lacked faith in what God had promised. But their lack of faith didn’t prevent God from holding back on His promises.

God promises to all believers the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has many roles: Comforter, advocate, helper, teacher, guide, convictor of sin, empowerer, and comforter. And the Spirit gives gifts to us. They are the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I’ve heard some people say (I, too, am guilty) I never have any peace or joy. This statement is entirely untrue. You do have peace and joy. You don’t need to ask Him for the fruit of the Spirit; you already have all of them. Don’t doubt His gifts. Thank Him for them, and walk in them.

God doesn’t always heal everyone from illnesses, injuries, and diseases, but He promises He will never leave you, just as He never left His Son’s side as He died on the cross. I heard about this 26-year-old man named Willy from Singapore who, at work one day, began having horrible chest pains. At first, he inaccurately thought they were due to his coffee consumption. His doctor initially prescribed him painkillers, which didn’t help. The pains were so severe they caused him to fall to the floor, gasping for air. He was rushed to the hospital. His doctor performed many tests to determine the cause of his pain, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. He lost confidence in the doctors. When Willy was at his absolute lowest, he remembered the God he knew from his younger years: the God whom his girlfriend (now wife) in high school knew. He says, “While praying, I thought, God, I am at a complete loss. I don’t know what to do. If You are real, can You do something to help? And as I finished praying, I felt an inexplicable peace wash over me. Through the prayer, I felt that God was in control of the situation and that I could trust Him to deliver me.”

Willy had to have several blood transfusions, a bone marrow aspiration test, and then chemotherapy. It was then that he was told he had leukemia and would need a bone marrow transport. There was only a 25% chance of finding a bone marrow match from a sibling, or he’d have to get on the global donor list. Willy said his best friend came to visit him in the hospital and shared with him Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” For much of his life, Willy had it pretty trouble-free, but his sickness brought him to his knees. The verses completely humbled him. Willy accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. By the grace of God, his younger brother was a donor match, and after several very intense treatments lasting 1 1/2 years, he was healed of cancer. He asked God why he wasn’t healed instantly, but the Lord showed him that He wanted him to go through the whole treatment so he could be a testimony to others battling cancer as a hope of God’s goodness.

Willy’s father grew up in the church but never accepted Christ because his parents were Buddhists. His father was diagnosed with tuberculosis with a suspicion of cancer. His father initially wanted to wait until his mom had passed away before he accepted Christ, but due to his health condition, he knew he didn’t have time. That night, Willy talked to his dad about the gospel, and his father accepted the Lord. Not too long after this, his father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer with only 3 months to live. Even though this was during the heavy Covid restrictions, arrangements were made for his mom and siblings to visit. He openly shared the gospel with them. He passed away the next day.
https://ymi.today/2022/04/meeting-god-in-cancer-and-death/#comments

What happens when things are taking too long? When you start to feel impatient that your prayers haven’t been answered yet? Have faith. Know this: God is extraordinarily patient. His timing is always the right timing. He’s never late, not always early either, bummer. I, too, have been on my knees in prayer to God to take away my depression, only to be met with nothing. I hadn’t heard from God or felt His presence for a long time. But in hindsight, He was always there with me and, at times, carrying me.

See with your eyes of faith. Believe that God will do what you feel is impossible because nothing is impossible with God. Hold firm to your faith and believe in Him. Abraham had absolutely no reason to believe the promises God made to him. But he did, and all of those promises came to pass, and he waited 25 years.

It can be a test of faith when you come up against opposition, and it seems like all the odds are against you. Put away the negative mindset. Have a positive outlook regarding your life and possibilities for your future. See things as they could be, not as they are currently. Speak out loudly how you want your circumstances to look. For example, don’t say, “I really want to go on a mission trip, but my funds are lacking right now. I never get any good breaks.” Instead, say, “God, thank you for your favor. Thank you for increasing my funds. Thank you that I am a lender and not a borrower.” God goes to work on your behalf when you say encouraging, uplifting words and don’t complain.

Stacey Womack is an attendee of a church in Hillsboro, Oregon. She was not an abuse victim herself, but she felt the call on her life to start an abuse recovery ministry. She opened the business in 1997. Abuse Recovery Ministry Services (ARMS) is now serving nationally and internationally. ARMS serves both victims and perpetrators of abuse from a faith perspective. Stacey was awarded the Judge Stephen B. Herrall award in 2012 for outstanding collaborative efforts to end family violence. So many people have been helped because she responded to her desire to start this ministry.

Get to know God and His Word. Rely on Him, who is your provider. Never think of any desire or promise God has placed in your heart as too complicated. Take your eyes off the impossibilities; you’re only looking at things in the natural. Look to the supernatural: Look to God. Rely on Him, who is your provider. Even if you lack faith in the promises of God, this doesn’t mean God won’t deliver on His promise. Walk by faith, not by sight, believing in His promises. And lastly, don’t laugh too seriously, friends.