What Is Your Quality of Life?

Good morning everyone! Hope your day is going well! As for me, life is good! I was thinking the past few days, about my life, and how it has changed over the past few years, and I began to think about the quality of it.....
When we talk about the quality of life, that can involve so many things. A lot of people measure their quality of life by how many people surround them every day. Some measure it by what their status is in society. Some measure their quality of life by how much money they make. And others by how important they are. And some just measure it by whether or not they are happy and content with their way of life.  Different people feel different ways, and have their own opinions, and that's okay....I have learned the past year that not everyone likes what you say or do....but it's okay...that's life.
I cannot tell you about anyone else's life but my own, because the truth of the matter is, I don't know the reality of anyone's life when it comes down to it, except my own....That, I can tell you about, because it is my life. 
I am not someone that is known all over the world. I am not famous. I am not rich by no means. I am not anyone special as far as what most people would consider special. I have not traveled the world over, I love to write, but am I a famous writer? No, but I may be someday. :)
However I do know who and what I am.  I am happy with my life and the person I've become! There was a time in my life when I was unhappy. I was unhappy with my home life, unhappy with who I was, unhappy with where I was, ....just unhappy, empty, unfulfilled, always trying to find something different.  Little did I know it was right there at my fingertips and I didn't even realize it.  You see, when we sit around and wallow in self pity, which I did for awhile, and we're always wishing for someone else's life, we cheat ourselves, because we're never going to get anywhere. It's when we see things for what they really are, we pick ourselves up, and decide what quality of life we want, that's when we began to turn around for the better, we can actually attain a better life.
For a long time, I didn't know what "quality of life" was. I felt I had nothing simply because I didn't have a big career, not a lot of money, always struggling. I was struggling with a bad marriage, problems in life, always wishing things were "different", but it seemed nothing changed.
After my divorce in my first marriage, I was wandering around lost for awhile...searching for who knows what. But I finally had to pick myself up, dust myself off, get my life in order and regroup. The first thing I did, was get my heart back right with the Lord, my first mistake was walking away from Him in the first place. Then I met a man that stole my heart and has had it ever since. He was different from any man I had ever met. He loved me for who I was, didn't try to change me, but guess what....I was the most wonderful person to him, he respects me, admires me, loves me, treats me right, appreciates me, and encourages me. He  supports me in the things I do, in the goals I have, and the desires and dreams I have,  and I in return feel the same about him, and do the same for him. We compliment each other because we love each other!  We don't always agree about the same thing, but we never put each other down, instead, we work together. 
Another thing I had to do was stop judging myself by other people's standards. I am who I am and I like who I am. I like where I'm going now, what I'm doing, and how I'm doing it. I don't worry so much anymore about other people's opinions of me. I know who I am, what my strengths are, what I want to do, and I work toward that, and I believe I will accomplish the things I want to do. It's just a matter of believing in myself and never letting anyone take that away from me, being happy for others in their accomplishments, and trying to be positive as much as I can, because for me being positive encourages me.  There are always going to be problems we face as long as we're on this earth, that's just life. But for me, quality of life is enjoying and appreciating everything I have.......everything that God has blessed me with. I want to enjoy the time I spend with my husband, enjoy singing when I get the opportunity, working on my writing and what I want to accomplish in that, spending time with my daughter every chance I get, reaching my goals in life, being happy....... truely happy.  My quality of life to me is so much better now! I am happy being who I am. I don't worry anymore about impressing everybody else, I don't have to. I finally enjoy my quality of life!
Do you enjoy your quality of life? If you do.....Wonderful!!!! That's what's important. If you don't, then you need to step back, regroup, and decide what's important to you in your life, then work toward that. When you do that, you'll be much happier! Everyone has different goals in life, different opinions about things, and a different quality of life, .....that's what makes the world go around. But don't sit around wishing you had someone else's life. Don't sit around thinking you don't matter. You do. We're all just people. We all have blood flowing through our veins. God made us all. He loves us all the same, and everyone of us matter to Him.

I'm just thankful that I finally get that.....I finally have a good quality of life....

Too Much Trash......

Today, David and I were driving down the road, and it seemed everywhere we looked, there was trash thrown out on the sides of the road, in the middle of the road, and some that had gotten blown by the wind over in people's yards.  David made the comment that he was so tired of seeing trash on the roads. When he said that, I began to think about it, and how maybe God views it. I began to share with him my thoughts......
Do you ever wonder how it makes God feel to see people throw their trash out on the earth He created?  God created this earth. He put beauty all around us. The leaves are turning, the colors are glorious, fall of the year.....God is a wonderful artist and creates the most beautiful pictures! And I almost can see Him as He looks down at mankind and watches how they just throw their trash out....going down the road, walking along the road, maybe sitting in their own yard...  What are they thinking? The reason people throw it out of their cars is because they don't want trash in their cars. Well what makes them think God wants it thrown out on His earth? What makes them think we want it lying all along the sides of the road?  I don't understand it.  As I thought about this, I was also reminded how some people trash up their lives with things.  God created us...in His own image...and yet people fill their lives with all kinds of trash.  From the trash that's watched on tv...the words that come out of people's mouths....the thoughts that people entertain in their minds....the way some people choose to live......I know it has to grieve the Lord.....
God loves us, and He wants our lives to be clean. He wants us to have respect for ourselves, for others, and for this earth He created. I believe it's important to God that we do our part in taking care of what He has given us. He has created a beautiful world for us to live in...should we disrespect Him by throwing our trash out on the roads, or in people's yards? Instead, put a little trash bag in your car, put your trash there, then empty it when you get home. How hard is that?
I don't know about you, but I don't care to drive down the highway and see trash on the sides of the road.   As far as the trash in our lives,  we can get rid of that and keep it out by praying, reading God's word, asking ourselves....is God pleased with my life and how I conduct it?  I don't want any trash in my life....instead I want a clean life, a clean enviroment, a life pleasing to God.
Let's not trash up God's world....and let's keep our our lives free of trash.....
Clean is always better ......for all of us.....                   

Use em' or Lose em'

Today, I took a long walk, and I do mean  "long" because we live in the country and we have an extremely long driveway, lol, so when you start out for a walk...you better be ready!  As I walked, I looked around me at the beauty, I listened to the sounds around me, and I began to talk to God about some things.  I had a lot of things on my mind. I began thinking about my life all the way back to my school days, and spent a good bit of my day walking and thinking about where my life has taken me.  I thought about the talents God has given me, and what I had done with them for the most part of my life......
As I looked back, I remembered in the fifth grade, I won first place in a 4H speaking contest.  God had given me the ability to stand before a crowd and speak. I remember taking the blue ribbon home and being so proud of it. Funny, because in fourth grade, my teacher sent home on a report card that I was a good student but I talked too much! Lol...  But what did I do with that talent? I left it laying for a long time...Now I'm beginning to pick it back up.
God blessed me with the ability to sing.  I sang for a long time in a gospel group, then when I wasn't trying to live right, I sang in clubs.  Finally got my life straightened back out and began singing again with my family. We sang for years, and I sang solo for awhile, I sang on Praise and Worship Teams, and now in my church choir. But my dream? It was to have a career in singing. Did I pursue that? No I didn't.  If I had chose to give it my all, I could have fulfilled  that dream, and I love to sing, but I talked myself into believing that it was just a dream, so I walked away from that. I still sing, but I wasted a lot of time not using my singing talent.
God blessed me with the ability to play the piano. And I have played for years, yet I don't  play it as much as I used to.  Why? Another talent left lying to the side. 
 Writing.....oh do I love writing! And God blessed me with the ability to write. I've written poems, cards, songs, I love writing!  But I laid it aside for a long time, and now, my desire to write is overwhelming and so that is what I am doing now. 
So today, I looked back on my life and seen all the talents God has given me, then I looked at what I had done with them, and sadly to say....very little.  I let other things get in my way, change my plans, make me fearful of stepping out on that limb, I let people hold me back because of their negative comments, and I wasted a lot of time.  You see, when we have talents, we either use them  or lose them.  God gives them to us for a reason, and that reason is not to set on them. There are a lot of people that have went out there and used their talents and they have been blessed in their lives and their lives have been fulfilled. But we have to have a passion for our talents and use them and not let anyone discourage us. God has given me a wonderful husband now who encourages me in every way to use my talents, and  even though it is later in life for me, I will never again push those talents to the side. I am working on a book now that  God has given me and it's  burning inside me.  I am speaking more now like God wanted me to in the first place, which I have no problem with at all since I have been told alot of times that I talk alot...lol, but that's okay with me.  I will not sit  back anymore, and waste any time I have, because,  even though I cannot do anything about the time I've allowed those talents to lay dormant, I do have now and the rest of my life to make a difference.
What about you? Do you have talents that, for some reason, you have just left lying there?  Do you have a passion to use them?  Think about it.....what do you need to do with those talents?
Use em' .........  or Lose em'..............  Come on....it's never too late! 

The Year of Jubilee

As I began to look back over this year, and all the things that my husband, David, and I have had to deal with, and how God has brought us through every single thing, and my thoughts went back to my Mother and some of her last words to me that really stand out in my mind. Last year, 2010, my Mother's health had been going down for some time, and my family knew she was not doing well. We all decided to go to AL for the Thanksgiving Holidays and kind of combine Thanksgiving and Christmas together, because we all had a feeling she might not be here for Christmas, so we all went to their house. We had a wonderful time, cooking, enjoying each other, and the night before we all left, my Mother sang some of her favorite songs. Our family all love to sing, so I played the piano, my nephew played the guitar, and my brother played the guitar some, and we all sang together. The last song she sang that night was "I Hold a Clear Title" and before the song ended, she began to cry and looked at me, and said "I can't sing anymore tonight". We felt it was making her sad so we stopped and redirected our attention to other things. That night before she went to sleep, we gathered around her to pray and we prayed. I was trying to pray for God's will to be done, but I just couldn't. I wanted God to heal her because I didn't want to lose her. As we were praying, Mother began to pray louder than any of us, and her words were, "God I want you to heal me but if it's not your will to heal me on this earth, I'm ready to go!" I just laid my head on her shoulder and cried. I knew God knew I couldn't pray that way, so He allowed Mother to pray that way. The next morning, everyone was getting ready to go home, and I went in my Mother's room and laid down on the bed with her, and began telling her how I couldn't believe this year had gone by so fast. She looked at me and said, "2011 is going to be the year of Jubilee". I asked her if she really believed that? She said " Absolutely!" So when David walked into the room, I told him what Mother said and he said it sounded good to him.
In Dec., 2011, a little over a week later, we had to go back to AL, Mother had been admitted to ICU, she was very sick. Two days before we went down there, my Mother had not spoken a word, and my Dad was on the phone talking to me and all of a sudden, Mother looked at my Dad and said, "Is that Renee"? , he was amazed and said Yes, and he asked her if she wanted to talk to me and she did! She told me over and over how much she loved me and missed me and what a good time she had Thanksgiving. I was so happy! My Dad called my brother and she talked with him a long time! We felt like God was going to heal her! She never spoke another word... My Dad called back, said she had took a turn for the worse, and we headed to AL. In the hospital room, we sang to her, prayed with her, read the Bible to her, then on Dec. 6, she went to be with the Lord. The hardest thing I've ever faced in my life! I thought about what she said, about 2011 being the year of Jubilee. In Feb, 2011, as I've shared with most of you, I had a heart attack but God gave me a complete healing! This year, the Lord  has been talking to me and David about a ministry. We feel the calling on our lives, but God has not yet revealed to us what kind of ministry, or where He is going to use us, but we know He will in His time. But God has done so many things in mine and David's life already this year! We have went through so many battles, and I will share some of those in the future with you, but He has sustained us through everyone of them! He has taught us so many lessons, and still is teaching us, every day. It has been so hard at times, but when I look at where He has brought us from...to what He has brought us to...it's amazing!!! And we are so thankful for what He has shown us! I wouldn't trade anything for it! We are excited and looking forward to God leading us in the direction He wants us to go! And as I look at all these things, and how God has blessed us, answered so many prayers for us, taught us lessons we needed to learn, and brought us closer to Him, I couldn't begin to name everything He has done for us this year....then I'm reminded of my sweet Mother's words...the words God gave her that morning....and I realize....she's in the presence of the Lord, and although we miss her so bad, she's where we all are striving every day to be...God has done a work in our lives this year....Mother was right......I do believe this is the year of Jubilee ~ Thank you Jesus!

WWJD....Truth or Trend?

Several years ago, someone started a little saying of " WWJD" (what would Jesus do), and it became so profound that there were all kinds of items made up with this saying on it. It was a very popular thing at that time.  Many people participated in it and sported the jewelry, shirts, cups, and what have you to make a statement.    ...... Then it suddenly just went away...The trend was over and something new took it's place.  I have heard since then, people joking about it, kind of making fun of how at one time, seemed like everyone was wearing something that said that.
I was thinking today,  maybe instead of looking at it as a trend ....a phase of life, if you will....maybe we should go back and reconsider it's true meaning.  Do we really stop, when we are about to do or say something, and think about it, or ask ourselves the question  " What would Jesus do?".  I don't think we do alot of times...myself included.   Sometimes when I hear somebody say something or tell a joke that's a little off color, I wonder, "what part do we not understand in the Bible, when Paul  tells us in Ephesians 4:29  " Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,  that it may benefit those who listen." When we profess to be Christians.....Christ -like...... think about it.. Would Jesus tell an off color joke? or kind of fall in with the crowd and the way they are talking, just to blend in with the conversation?  Don't think He would. In fact, I'm sure He wouldn't.
What about the things we watch on tv? Now Jesus is with us all the time, and we know that, it's just we can't physcially see Him. But what if we could? Let's think about it for a minute, think about the things we watch. Are there any programs on tv that if Jesus knocked on our door, and we invited Him in to sit down, would we feel comfortable to continue to watch the program we were watching? Or would we hurry and change the channel? Guess what, that is exactly what is happening. He sees everything we watch. Are we a witness to our kids...what are we teaching them?  And do we go places that we wouldn't want Jesus to go with us...if we could actually physcially see Him beside us?
All these questions I continually ask myself....Now PLEASE....don't accuse me of trying to be soooooooo holy. If you're saying..."Well, Renee, you certainly are not perfect"  then you would be absolutely right!!  I am far from perfect!  Nothing special about me. I'm just another person who was lost in sin, gave my heart to God, failed Him so many times, backslid on Him before, made bad mistakes, then rededicated my life to Him, at times have been lukewarm, at times disobeyed His will, then asked His forgiveness, received it, and now I struggle like everyone else...every day...to make the right choices, do the right things, say the right things, watch what I do, and try my best to be pleasing to Him.  My Daddy has always told me that if Jesus wouldn't do it, or say it.....we shouldn't either.  I have been told a lot of times, "Yes but Jesus was the only man to ever walk on this earth that was perfect."  That's true, and no matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect until Jesus takes us to Heaven, then we will be made anew, but while we are here, isn't  it worth trying to be as pleasing to God as we can? 
I struggle every day with a situation that I could easily let so much hatred build up in me, and  believe me it's hard to forgive, but I have to ask God for strength to not hate, but to pray for them...and that's not easy, but that's what Jesus wants me to do. And I want to please Him, so I have to. Very hard for me....I am not perfect as I'm well aware of.
So maybe we need to keep that little saying in our hearts daily, with every thing we face, everything we battle with.........What Would  Jesus Do?......we can only do what the Bible tells us to do, what we feel Jesus wants and expects us to do, our best......   I fail so many times, but the truth is, as I've heard a lot ot times, "the only time we fail is when we don't get back up......or when we don't try".
I've been praying today, talking to God, asking Him questions, and this is what's been on my heart. You may agree.....you may disagree.  It's okay.  I just write what I feel in my heart that God is telling me to write.    Have a great weekend......  ~Renee

What a Smile Can Produce

Say cheeseeeeeeeeeeee!!!  Is that what you think of when someone mentions smiling? Smiling for a picture, smiling for the camera, that plastered on smile.... But what can a true, sincere, genuine, heartfelt, coming from the heart produce?  Well, there are so many things!
Let's see, first of all, to me, I feel much better if I'm smiling!  It actually brightens my day!  When you go to visit someone in the hospital, you don't want to walk in and have a sad look on your face, or a frown.....this would only make them feel worse.  Instead, if you walk in with a beautiful smile on your face, ready to encourage that person, you can actually help them to feel better! And that's what we should do if we go to the hospital to see someone. Encourage them, let them know you're praying for them, and give them hope that they will soon feel better!
Another way a smile can help.....when you are walking down the street...how many sad faces do you see every day...have you ever really noticed? People are so caught up in the every day things that " have to be done" , that they have no time to smile. But if you meet someone walking down the street, or even sitting in your car, if YOU smile at them, you very possibly could lift their spirits, make them feel better, show that you have some happiness! Pass that happy feeling along.
There's nothing better to me, than to see someone smile!  It makes me feel good to know someone else has some joy in their hearts!  Now you may say, "I'm not always in the mood to smile!"  Why? How hard is it to smile? Have we gotten to the point that we're too busy for that? 
Now get me wrong...do I walk around with a smile on my face all the time? Nope...didn't say I did. However, when I get to feeling down about something, if I can catch myself doing that, then I try to begin to think about a happier time, and it brings a smile to my face, and suddenly things don't seem so bad!

Let's encourage each other, support each other, and it won't cost you a dime to give a smile to the people you meet along the way. Some may not smile back, but a lot of them will. I just about guarantee it! And even if they don't respond, you never know who's watching that just might need that smile you were giving to someone else!  Come on....you can do it.....SMILE....but mean it from your heart.  It always means more that way!  Have a great day everyone!!!!

A New Season....A New Direction

Today is the first day of Autumn....a new season!  Leaves are changing colors, the weather is getting cooler, different sounds in the air, the deer are moving a little more, a new season with changes heading our way.  Soon we'll get out our jackets, feel a chill in the air.......change.....

For the past few months, I have struggled with some things in my life, decisions I needed to make, I felt like God was wanting to lead me in a new direction, and I was at a standstill, wandering around in circles.....  So I began to pray, and I mean seriously pray and seek God for direction, answers, and strength and wisdom to make those changes.  So God has been talking to me, and has truely turned my direction around in a lot of ways!  A new season....a change.... I'm looking forward to it, and I'm excited about it!

Just as God has given different seasons for our world, and they all have a purpose, He gives us new seasons, changes in our lives.  I had to grow, and learn, and listen.  I had to make mistakes and learn from them. And I will still make mistakes. Life is always a growing and learning experience. And I believe we all have different purposes in our lives that God wants to use. We are not all the same.  God uses us in different ways, and leads us in different directions, but it's all good...as long as we stay in His will and seek His guidance.  I have been at a loss the past few months as to what God wanted for my life, and what He wanted me to do as far as which way He was leading me. Today is a new day....a new season for my life.....changes ahead.....a new direction, and I intend to follow what He has shown me.

If you are seeking for your purpose, wondering what you are suppose to do, not sure which direction to take,  the first thing you have to do is began seeking God, praying for direction, read the Word, look at yourself, the talents God has given you that maybe you've kept hidden for fear of being ridiculed or made fun of.  Well, let me just tell you, there are people in this world that are always going to say hurtful things to you and about you, they will make fun of you at times, and even belittle you, but it's only because they are either jealous, or  they just enjoy hurting others, or they like to feel superior to you, or they are just plain ignorant.....but you cannot let that stop you from what you feel in your heart that God wants you to do, or what your dreams are to do.  You have to love God most of all, then love yourself, don't put yourself down, don't doubt yourself, be willing for change, don't be afraid of conflict or standing up for yourself, and BE WHO YOU ARE!  You are your own person.  You are not anyone else but YOU!  As long as you are not afraid to try, as long as you truely want God to lead you, and you are willing to go in whatever direction God wants to take you, then give it all you've got.........and do your best. You will be surprised where God will take you!  Do you feel God leading you some way other than what you are going?  Don't be afraid....pray about it....God will never lead you anywhere that He don't want you to be.  He's always with you as long as you don't walk away from Him.

I'm excited about this new journey!  And I'm finally ready!  A new season....may get a little chilly, may hear different sounds,.......but I feel like it's going to be refreshing!

                                           Keep Smiling........